Rejected Under The Moonlight

Ava felt sorrow as she saw the world outside her window. A flurry of activity was afoot at Moonwood pack, getting ready for the next moon mating ceremony. She could see the pack members putting flowers and bright banners on the clearing. For the majority, it was a joyous occasion, a time of celebration and hope, but for Ava, it served as a sharp reminder of her own loneliness. All the girls in the pack were doing their very best to stand out when the time came, but some more than others.

And speaking of others, there goes Madison, passing by with her group of minions. Rumor had it that she had booked almost every beauty house in the pack just so she could stand out. However, as they say, a dark soul cannot be concealed by makeup of any kind.

The young omega rested her forehead on the chilly glass, her breath misting it as she recalled the years of suffering she had gone through. Ava was born with an unusual birthmark that distinguished her from other people on her forehead. The birthmark, a little crescent moon engraved on her skin, was regarded as a sign of weakness and an omen of bad luck. They took it to be a sign of the Moon Goddess disapproval. However, it rendered her an outsider in a society that valued uniformity and strength above all else.

She’d been rejected by her pack mates from childhood. They referred to her as "a jinx," "the odd one," and "the weak link." They never missed a chance to let her know that she wasn’t a part of the pack and that she didn’t belong. Tears filled Ava’s eyes as she thought back to all the times she had been made fun of and abused. She bore a deep-seated pain that no one else seemed to be able to relate to.

Alora had been the only comfort she had ever known. Alora had always supported Ava with her gentle disposition and unwavering resolve. It was her who had dried Ava’s tears and put a loving smile on her face when everything else seemed harsh and unkind. Ava’s life had been gloomy, but their bond had been a lighthouse. She had always pondered what life would have been like in the absence of Alora, her closest and only friend.

Ava’s mind wandered to a specific recollection of a soggy night spent being physically assaulted by Dex and his gang, Alora had wrapped a blanket around her and hushed, "Ava, you’re not weak." You’re strong, One day, they’ll see it too." For Ava, those words had been a ray of hope, a lifeline that had kept her going.

Alora, the prospective future mate of the Alpha, Damon, was getting ready for the mate choosing ceremony today. She was confident, strong and had always stood out among their pack. While Ava wished nothing but happiness for her friend, a pang of jealousy gnawed at her heart. She wondered whether she would ever find someone who could truly accept her as she is.

With his striking blue eyes and dark hair, Damon had always been her unattainable fantasy and her secret desire. Having grown up together, she had witnessed him ascend to the position of pack leader and is afraid of him due to his distant and icy personality.

Although they couldn’t be together since she was an omega and he was an alpha, her heart was longed for him. He was inherently frigid, but there was something odd about the way he treated her; it felt as though he despised her for reasons she didn’t know. She had yearned and ached for him her entire life, and she felt an inexplicable connection with him. However, he never even looked her in the eye.

Ava made the decision to visit her parent’s graves in order to escape her depressing thoughts. They were laid to rest in a secluded, peaceful clearing nestled deep within the forest.

She was accustomed to hearing people swear and whisper as she passed the street. She disregarded them and went directly to Flora Flora to get her parents a bouquet of lilies. Ava heard more whispers as she made her way to the cemetery.

“Hey!” Freak an unfamiliar voice yelled she knew he was talking to her but she ignored him.

“That’s right keep walking demon!” he added spitting on the floor. Tears threatened to fall from Ava’s eyes “It’s fine Ava, it’s nothing you’re used to this already” Ava tried to console herself as she continued to walk.

There are no words to describe how much she missed her parents. She felt most connected to them in their graveyard, where their ghosts seemed to linger among the whispering winds and rustling foliage.

She looked to make sure that she was all alone. She had already taken enough insults and slurs for one day, she wasn’t sure if she could take anymore.

She struggled to contain the tears that were starting to spring up in her eyes as she gazed at her parents” worn-out grave and thought back to the promise she had made to them the last time she had visited. She was crying uncontrollably like a little child again, even though she had vowed never to cry again. Her parents were dead, and she was all alone in the world, so she couldn’t stop herself from crying it was her against the world.

She wiped away her tears with the backs of her hands after taking a deep breath. At last, she had worked up the guts to talk to her parents. On their grave, she laid the fresh blooms she had purchased earlier. She located a nice place to sit between her parent’s graves.

She whispered to them, "I miss you, Mom, Dad. I wish you were here with me." With her birthmark glistening in the filtered sunshine, she bent down in front of their graves and traced the engraved names with her fingers.

A few months ago, I told you about Damian, the Alpha of our pack, well today, he is finally going to choose a mate who is going to be the new Luna of Moonwood pack. I know that there is nothing for someone like me to look forward to but honestly, I can’t help but feel something special for him, every time I see him, I want him I know I sound obsessed but it feels like we were made for each other, Pam (her inner wolf) always acts up whenever I see him”. She had already started daydreaming about Damian again.

She paused again, returning to reality, as her smile dwindled and darkness obscured her features, “Who am I kidding” she realized that she was only lying to herself. The one she had admired for almost half her life, he had never cast his gaze upon her. He had always treated her coldly and never showed any kind of emotion towards her.

The leaves ceased their soft swaying, and the air became motionless. With a shudder down her spine, Ava sensed a presence behind her and knew she was not alone. Heart racing, she turned slowly.