hapter 1
“I’m sorry, Eleana,” said Harold.
Chapter 1
Those three words managed to shatter my whole world. I stopped hearing things. Everything that Harold said after those three words was a complete blur. I felt like I was floating.
“H–Harold. Please tell me this is just a huge joke-
“It’s not, El. This is real. I reject you as my mate.”
Suddenly, breathing was hard. Every inhalation felt like she was being pierced by shards of glass.
“But we were there! We felt it. We felt the mating bond. The moon goddess chose us to be mates. You felt it tool What is this?”
Whispers in the court flooded my ears. I looked around. I could see some of them looking at me with pity in their eyes. Some were snickering,
This can’t be real.
I and Harold have been mates. We were connected by the moon goddess. This is impossible.
“Why? Why are you rejecting me as your mate, Harold? Did I do something wrong? Please let me explain. Please explain!”
Harold looked at me with pity in his eyes and I hated it. I hated the look he was giving me. He should be looking at me with adoration in his eyes and not this. Why is this happening?
She is so brazen to ask the future Alpha why he rejected her. It happens all the time. What is she making a big deal about?
Whispers became louder and every word I heard was a knife
through my heart.
My knees buckled but I stood straight. I need to be strong. I need to hear his explanation.
My parents were standing next to the platform where Harold was standing to make the announcement. I wanted them to comfort me. To tell Harold to rethink his decision. But even looking at me.
As if on cue, the crowd parted, and I turned to look to see who had just arrived.
It was my sister.
“Elise,” I called. “Please help me.”
ut they are
I hated how my voice cracked when I said those words. I can’t read the expression on Elise’s face as she walked close to where our parents are.
not
And much to my surprise, she climbed the platform and stood next to Harold. I was expecting her to slap Harold. They have been friends since we were kids, and they often fight. Maybe Elise is going to avenge me for what Harold did. Maybe she’s going to beat the shit out of him until some sense is knocked into him.
But to my surprise, Elise held Harold’s hand. Their fingers intertwined. Where my hand should be, it was Elise’s.
Murmurs erupted around the court hall.
I looked at Elise to ask for an explanation but there was nothing on her face. I couldn’t read the expression on her face. When I looked at my parents, they were looking away.
That was the reason why they couldn’t look at me. They knew about this.
“What… What is the meaning of this?” I asked. The murmurs went silent.
15-32
“This has to be some huge prank, rightTM
Harold shook his head mach to my horror. “Elise is my new mate
taggered back. My knees were chaking, and tears welled up in my eyes
“Harold, I am your mate. You felt that mating bond with me. We both felt it–”
“And I felt it with your sister too. I felt the mating bond settling between me and Elise. I can’t have
wo mates, Eleana. So, I am choosing ber”
W–Whe
Please let this be just a bad dream. Please let this be just a nightmare.
But I never woke up. I remained standing in the middle of the court hall, confused, angry, and heartbroken.
“E–Elise-”
“It is the decision of the future Alpha Eleana We can’t do anything about it “Yes, you can do something about it. Elise! You could have rejected him!”
Elise remained silent. Even our parents were not even saying anything.
Of course. They have always favored Elise over me.
Unless you are in love with him too.” I said, and Elise looked at me. You love him too that’s why you accepted him as your mate when you know too well it would result in me being rejected.”
Elise did not say a word.
“‘”Eleana-”
“I am not talking to you. Harold.”
The crowd gasped. It was rare to talk to the future Alpha like that and it would take guts for a normal wolf to make the Alpha shut up. But I was furious, and I couldn’t care less. If they execute me. I don’t care. They might as well have executed me for what they have done.
“Yes!” Elise yelled and she looked at me with that triumphant look in her eyes. “Yes. you’re right. I have been in love with Harold for a long time. It killed me when you two became mates, but I did not say a word. I kept my pain hidden. But then the moon goddess gave me a chance and made me Harold’s mate too. Why can’t you just accept that. Eleana”
I couldn’t believe what my sister just spouted. The sister who was with me ever since. The always go to when I am sad or happy. What has happened between us?
person I
“I have always hated how you manage to get everything. Eleana. While I just manage to get by. Now the universe is granting me a favor. Why can’t you be happy for me? Harold chose me because he believes I have the better qualities to become the Luna of this pack. If you can’t accept that. then it is better you leave.
“Elise!” Father called. “You can’t say that your sister!”
I was stunned. I don’t think I was even breathing. A tear rolled down my cheeks and that was when I came back to my senses,
I stood straight and looked at them. At my parents. And the whole pack is present in the court.
“You’re right, Elise,” I said. “I can’t possibly accept this bullshit”
Another collective gasp from the crowd. I stepped forward, forcing my feet to walk.
1 accept the rejection,” I muttered. Surprise was visible on everyone’s faces. I. Eleana Ambrose, accept your rejection. Alpha Harold.”
15-33
Chapter 1
Then I looked at Elise and my parents. They were looking at me with wide eyes as though they already knew what I was about to say next.
“And I will leave Midnight Bane pack as of today. From now on, I will not be staying in this territory. Should I see you and recognize you as a threat to my safety, I shall kill you. No matter if you are my family or someone I used to know.”
“Eleana, you can’t possibly do this!” Harold stepped in. Fury was visible in his eyes, but I didn’t care. I
am furious too.
I gave him a dry look.
“You were not supposed to do this, either. And yet here we are.”
“Eleana, please don’t do this, my mother called, stepping forward but my chilly gaze pinned her on the spot.
“I wanted you to protect me. I wanted you to help me. But you stood and did nothing. It’s always been Elise. She’s always been the apple of your eye, Mother. You and Father have always favored her.”
“That is not true. Take your words back, Father yelled but I was already numb. I couldn’t feel anything other than the desperate need to run as far as possible.
“I won’t take my words back, Father. From now on, you only have one daughter.”
I did not wait for them to say something more. In an instant, I was out of the courtroom and running through the woods.
I felt my wolf, Violet, whining. She was rejected too.
Let me take over, she said inside my head as I continued to run. I know she wanted a release too.
“Please, Violet. Can you come out later?”
Violet whined again but did not say anything more. I continued running and running until I felt it.
I stopped abruptly when my heart constricted. It spread into my entire being as if something was clawing me from the inside.
I thought it was Violet fighting her way out, but she was in pain too. I could feel her pain as she continued to whimper.
I dropped to my knees, and I was breathing hard. And then a scream came out of my mouth together with Violet’s howl.
My insides were burning, and it felt like something inside me was being torn apart.
The mating bond.
The mating bond was broken after Harold rejected me and when I accepted it.
I continued to scream as I clutched my chest. It was as if my heart was being carved out. The pain was unimaginable and when it was done, I was lying on the ground, sobbing.
Eleana, please. Violet pleaded.
I closed my eyes and I waited for her to take over. Fur started to grow out of me, and I felt my bones altering themselves to accommodate Violet’s form.
After a few minutes, Violet’s white form stood.
And she howled to the moon. She howled and howled as if wanting to challenge the moon’s decision. She was hurt and betrayed too. And I curled in the dark corners of my consciousness as I let Violet’s rage fill the dark, quiet night.
Chapter 1
5/5
Send Gift
