Rejected Omega Finds Love

The sacred grove of the Silver Ridge Pack was bathed in moonlight as I approached the altar for the eighteenth time. My white dress—simple, yet pristine—fluttered against my legs with each step. The pack members gathered in a semicircle, their faces a blur of pity and discomfort. I kept my eyes fixed on Jake, my fated mate, standing tall and imposing at the altar.

His silver-gray eyes met mine for just a moment before sliding away. Even after seventeen rejections, my heart still leapt at the sight of him—the Alpha of the Silver Ridge Pack, the man the Moon Goddess had chosen for me.

"Haisley," he said, his voice carrying across the clearing. "You look..."

Before he could finish, a commotion erupted from the edge of the gathering. Angelina Thomas pushed through the crowd, her face contorted in what appeared to be agony.

"Jake!" she cried out, her voice trembling. "It's happening again—the curse! It's worse this time!"

My stomach dropped as Jake's expression transformed instantly from indifference to concern. Without hesitation, he stepped away from the altar—away from me.

"I need to get to her," he said, not even looking at me as he strode toward Angelina.

I stood frozen at the altar, the white dress suddenly feeling like a mockery. The pack members shifted uncomfortably, some averting their eyes while others whispered behind their hands.

"Again?" someone muttered. "That's the eighteenth time."

"The poor girl," another replied, though I couldn't tell if they meant me or Angelina.

Angelina collapsed dramatically into Jake's arms, her perfectly manicured nails digging into his chest. "It hurts so much, Jake. The witch's curse—it's killing me inside."

I watched as Jake cradled her against him, his large hands gentle in a way they'd never been with me. His wolf stirred beneath his skin—I could see it in his eyes, the way they flashed amber with protective instinct.

"Haisley," Jake called out, finally remembering I existed. "The ceremony is postponed. Again."

Postponed. Not canceled. A small distinction that kept the last thread of hope alive in my chest.

"Jake," I whispered, my voice barely audible even to my own ears. "The Moon Goddess—"

"Enough!" he snapped, his Alpha tone making me flinch. "Can't you see Angelina is suffering?"

---

Three hours later, I stood before the pack house in my regular clothes, the ceremonial dress folded neatly in my arms. Jake had called an emergency meeting of all pack members.

"Since Angelina's condition requires constant attention," Jake announced, his arm protectively around her waist, "she will be moving into the Luna suite of the pack house immediately."

Gasps rippled through the crowd. The Luna suite was reserved for the Alpha's mate—for me, if our bond had ever been completed.

"And what about Haisley?" someone dared to ask.

Jake's eyes found mine, cold and distant. "Haisley will return to the servant quarters in the basement. She will no longer receive any mate privileges."

"Jake," Beta Marcus stepped forward, "she is your fated mate. The Moon