The Future Alpha Rejected His Fated Mate for Another

My knees ached from scrubbing the marble floors of the grand hall, but I didn't dare slow down. Luna Loretta had made it clear this morning—every inch had to gleam before tonight's Mate Ceremony began.

"Still on your hands and knees, Camille?" Shiloh Moore's sickeningly sweet voice drifted down from above me. I looked up to find her standing there in a stunning crimson gown that probably cost more than I'd ever seen in my life. "How fitting for a wolfless Omega."

I bit the inside of my cheek and returned to scrubbing. Ten years in this pack house had taught me that responding only made things worse.

"You know," Shiloh continued, examining her perfectly manicured nails, "I almost feel sorry for you. Eighteen years old and still no wolf. The Moon Goddess must have forgotten you exist." Her laugh echoed through the empty hall. "At least you'll get to watch from the servants' corner when Brendan announces his chosen mate tonight."

My chest tightened at his name. Brendan. My childhood sweetheart. The boy who used to sneak me extra desserts when Luna Loretta wasn't looking. The Future Alpha who hadn't spoken to me in months.

Shiloh's heels clicked away across the floor I'd just cleaned, leaving faint marks I'd have to redo. I sat back on my heels and reached for the small pendant hanging beneath my worn shirt—my mother's pendant, the only thing I had left of her. My fingers traced the familiar grooves as I hummed the lullaby she used to sing, the one that always calmed my racing heart.

Maybe tonight would be different. Maybe my wolf would finally awaken, and I could stand beside Brendan as his equal instead of cowering in the shadows.

Hours later, the grand hall had transformed into something magical. Moonlight streamed through the tall windows, candles flickered on every surface, and the air buzzed with excitement as pack members gathered in their finest clothes. I stood pressed against the back wall in my simple gray dress, trying to make myself invisible.

The crowd parted as Brendan entered, and my breath caught. He looked magnificent in his tailored black suit, his dark hair perfectly styled, his Alpha aura radiating confidence and power. Every unmated she-wolf in the room watched him with hungry eyes, but his gaze swept past them all.

My heart hammered as he moved through the hall with purposeful strides. This was it. The moment he would announce his chosen mate and—

Brendan stopped mid-step. His entire body went rigid, his nostrils flaring as if catching a scent. His head turned slowly, scanning the crowd with an expression I'd never seen before—a mixture of shock and something that looked almost like horror.

His eyes locked onto mine across the crowded room.

The world tilted. A warmth spread through my chest, foreign and overwhelming, like invisible threads pulling me toward him. The mate bond. The divine connection blessed by the Moon Goddess herself. It was real. It was happening. Brendan