Chapter 1 THE REJECTION NIGHT.

Taylor's POV

The silence in the Alpha's quarters was thick enough to choke me. The air smelled of power, dominance, and something darker and something that used to make me tremble, but now only made my stomach twist in disgust.

Lupus stood in front of me, bare-chested, his powerful frame glowing faintly under the moonlight that streamed through the window. His expression was unreadable, cold as stone, his blue eyes fixed somewhere beyond me, as if I wasn't even there.

I pulled the sheet around my body, my heart aching in my chest. As a result of constant sex, he had been distant for weeks but tonight felt different. There was no warmth in him, no tenderness, only emptiness. What we shared was no longer love. It had become something I couldn't even name.

"Lupus," I whispered softly, "what happened to you? To us?"

He didn't respond. He turned away, pulling on his shirt, adjusting his sleeves with slow, deliberate

movements. His silence was sharper than any insult.

I watched him quietly, trying to hold back the ache in my chest. He was my mate, my fated one. The man the Moon Goddess herself chose for me. But now, standing before me, he looked more like a stranger wearing the face of the man I used to love.

When he finally spoke, his voice was hard and cold. "Don't look at me like that, Taylor. You knew what this was."

His words struck me like a slap. "What do you mean what this was?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. "You marked me once. You claimed me in front of the pack. You told me I was yours!"

"That was before," he said simply, buttoning his shirt and fastening his belt. "Things have changed."

I frowned, confusion mixing with anger. "Changed how? Is it because of Angela?"

He looked at me then, for the first time that night, his eyes sharp as ice. "Don't start this again."

I rose from the bed, pulling the sheet tighter around me. "No, you'll listen to me this time. You can't just shut me out like this. You can't pretend I don't exist. I am your mate, Lupus. Or does that mean nothing to you now?"

He let out a small, humourless laugh. "Mate?" he repeated mockingly. "Taylor, you're an omega. You were never supposed to be Luna. I only took you because my parents thought it would calm the tension between our families. Don't mistake duty for love."

His words hit me harder than any physical blow. My heart ached so badly it was hard to breathe. I took a step back, shaking my head. "You're lying. You said you wanted me. You told me you felt the bond too."

"I did," he said coldly, "but that bond was never strong enough. You felt it more than I did."

I could barely keep my voice steady. "So what am I to you now? Just a name in your pack records?

Someone to use when it's convenient?"

He smirked slightly, the arrogance in his eyes cutting through me. "You're being dramatic. You knew what I wanted. You gave it willingly."

I bit my lip, holding back the tears that threatened to fall. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing me break. "You're cruel, Lupus," I said quietly. "You've changed. You used to be kind... now you're just power-hungry and heartless."

He turned toward me again, his tone sharp and commanding. "Enough, Taylor. I don't need your

lectures. I'm Alpha. I don't owe you explanations."

The way he said "I'm Alpha" was like a knife twisting in my chest. He had become everything he once swore he wouldn't be.

I clenched my fists, anger finally taking over the hurt. "You can be Alpha all you want, but you don't get to treat me like I'm nothing. I'm not one of your subordinates. I'm your mate!"

He stepped closer, towering over me, his scent of dominance filling the room. "You were my mate," he said in a low voice. "But now? You're just someone who doesn't know her place."

I glared up at him. "And Angela does, right?"

His jaw tightened, and he didn't deny it. That silence told me everything I needed to know.

I swallowed hard, my chest rising and falling with uneven breaths. "So that's it," I whispered. "You're really choosing her over me."

He exhaled slowly, rubbing his temples as if he were tired of the conversation. "Angela is the right

choice for the pack. She's strong, well-bred, and knows what being Luna means. She won't question my authority every second like you do."

I took a shaky step back, my voice trembling with anger. "And what about love, Lupus? Does that mean nothing to you?"

He looked at me, his expression hard. "Love doesn't build empires."

That was the moment something inside me shattered completely. The man I loved, the mate I trusted with my soul, had turned into someone I didn't recognize.

For a long moment, neither of us spoke. The fire in the corner crackled softly, casting strong warmth to us across the room. I could feel my wolf stirring inside me, restless and hurt.

"Lupus," I said quietly, my voice breaking. "You've hurt me in ways I can't even explain. But one day, you'll realize what you lost."

He chuckled darkly. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Taylor. You'll be gone soon anyway."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, though deep down, I already knew.

He stepped forward, his eyes glowing faintly under the moonlight. The authority in his voice was sharp enough to command the entire pack.

"I, Alpha Lupus Kai, reject you, Taylor Swift, as my mate and Luna," he said firmly.

For a moment, I couldn't breathe. My ears rang. The words replayed in my mind, over and over, slicing through the bond between us like a blade. My wolf howled inside me, thrashing in agony, the pain ripping through every part of me.

Tears burned my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. He wanted to see me break. He wanted to see me beg. But I wouldn't give him that.

Slowly, I lifted my chin and met his cold gaze. "I, Taylor Swift, accept your rejection, Alpha Lupus," I said, my voice strong and steady.

The moment the words left my mouth, something deep within me snapped. The bond shattered

completely. My heart felt like it was being torn apart, but I forced myself to stay still, to look him in the eyes as if none of it mattered.

Lupus's expression flickered for just a second but something like regret passed through his eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it came.

"Good," he said flatly. "Now get out."

I nodded once, slowly. "Don't worry, I won't stay where I'm not wanted."

I bent down, gathered my clothes quietly, and dressed without another word. The silence between us was deafening. I could feel his eyes on me, but I refused to look back.

As I reached the door, his voice stopped me. "Taylor."

I froze but didn't turn around.

"You should know," he said coldly, "Angela and I will be announced as Alpha and Luna at the next full moon. Don't embarrass yourself by showing up."

A bitter laugh escaped my lips. "Don't worry, Alpha," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "I wouldn't dream of it."

I opened the door and stepped into the hallway, the cool air hitting my face. My hands trembled, but I clenched them into fists. I could hear my wolf whimpering softly in my head, mourning what we'd lost, but I swallowed the pain.

I wouldn't cry for him. Not anymore.

Immediately walked down the corridor, memories of us flashed through my mind, the first time he

smiled at me, the way his eyes softened when he used to call my name, the warmth of his embrace that once made me feel safe. All of it was gone now, burned away by pride and betrayal.

By the time I reached the outer doors, I could barely stand. My legs shook, my vision was completely blurred, but I forced myself to keep walking. I had lost everything tonight, my mate, my title, my place in the pack.

But I still had one thing left: my will.

Outside, the night air was sharp and cold. The moon hung high above the trees, watching silently as if it pitied me. I lifted my face to it, letting the wind dry the tears that had finally escaped.

"I'll rise again," I whispered to myself. "You'll see, Lupus. You'll regret every word you said to me."

My wolf stirred weakly inside me, her voice was low but determined. We will rise, Taylor. From the

ashes.

I nodded to myself, wiping my face. I wasn't the same broken woman who had walked into his room tonight. Something inside me had changed, something fierce and burning.

He may have rejected me, but he also freed me.

And when the time came, Alpha Lupus Kai would realize that rejecting me was the worst mistake he'd ever made.

I turned away from the pack house, disappearing into the darkness of the forest, my heart still bleeding, but with every step, the pain began to harden into something new, and I know soon or later he will witness the new me.

I whispered to the wind, "You'll pay for this, Alpha Lupus. I give you my word."