Chapter 1 You've no name, Reina

Reina's POV

Today, my mate, Zayne Kingsley, was declared the Alpha of the Black Shadow Pack. Ever since he was a child, he had dreamed of this moment. He had worked tirelessly toward it, never once allowing himself to falter, and now his efforts had finally been rewarded.

I glanced at the cake I had prepared with my own hands for him for what felt like the hundredth time. Even though I knew it was perfect, I still couldn't stop checking.

"He's going to like it," I murmured softly.

After packing it carefully into a box, I headed toward Zayne's place. Starting tomorrow, he would move into the pack's mansion, the same grand home where his parents had once lived. As the new Alpha, it would now be his responsibility to lead and protect everyone under his command.

And I knew that soon, he would finally announce to the pack that I was his mate.

So far, he hadn't revealed our bond, and I understood his reasons. Zayne wanted to secure his position first. He wanted to prove himself strong enough to protect not only the pack but also me. Only then would he feel at ease making our relationship public.

Besides, I wasn't someone he could introduce lightly.

I was the illegitimate daughter of a noble Alpha, a child who was never meant to exist.

My father had never wanted me. I was a reminder of his mistake, his shame. But when my mother took her own life in front of his house, he had no choice but to take me in. Still, he never accepted me as his daughter. To him and his family, I was nothing more than a burden they were forced to carry.

I was never truly part of the Ashfall family. I was their hidden sin, something they wished to erase.

While my father's legitimate daughter enjoyed comfort, admiration, and love, I was pushed into the servants' quarters and treated like one of the help. I wore her old clothes, ate whatever was left behind, and spent my days doing chores. No one ever showed me kindness. No one ever stood up for me.

At school, things were no better. I attended a public school where I was constantly bullied and ridiculed for my appearance and background. Still, I endured it all in silence. I focused on my studies, determined to create a better future for myself.

I worked harder than anyone else.

Eventually, I earned admission to a good college and, after graduating, secured a job as an assistant at Kingsley Corporation. For the first time in my life, I felt proud of something I had achieved on my own.

Throughout everything, Zayne had always been there.

From childhood, he had been my silent protector. Despite coming from one of the most powerful families, despite having no obligation toward me, he never ignored my suffering. Whenever I was hurt, he would find me. Whenever I cried, he would quietly stay by my side. Sometimes, he would secretly clean my wounds. Other times, he would simply offer his presence, making me feel less alone.

Slowly, without even realizing it, I fell in love with him.

When I turned eighteen, the Moon Goddess answered my prayers. Zayne and I discovered that we were mates, bound together by fate. From that moment on, everything changed.

He promised me a future. A life where I would never be treated as insignificant again. A life where I would be loved, protected, and cherished.

And I believed him.

I was ready to give him everything, my heart, my loyalty, and my life. He was the man for whom I would willingly make any sacrifice.

However, the moment I stepped into his apartment, something felt terribly wrong.

A pair of unfamiliar heels lay near the entrance. Pieces of clothing were scattered carelessly across the floor, leading toward the living room. My steps slowed as strange, muffled sounds reached my ears from inside.

My heart began to pound violently against my chest.

A fear I had never once felt in our relationship crept into my veins.

No... it can't be...

My hands trembled as I moved forward.

And then I saw them.

Zayne was on the couch, holding another woman in his arms. Her clothes were barely clinging to her body, her hair disheveled, and moaning his name loudly.

For a moment, my world stopped.

My vision blurred, and my legs nearly gave out beneath me.

The box slipped from my fingers.

It hit the floor with a dull thud, the cake inside shattering and spreading across the tiles like a cruel mockery of my love.

"Zayne!" I cried out.

At my voice, his head snapped up in shock.

"Reina," he murmured, quickly pushing the woman away and standing up.

Only then did I truly see her face.

It was Mariana. My half-sister.

The prideful, perfect daughter of the Ashfall family.

The one who had always looked down on me.

The one who had everything I was denied.

My breath hitched painfully in my throat.

I rushed toward him, my fists striking his chest again and again, my tears falling freely.

"How could you do this to me?" I sobbed. "Since when have you been with her? Since when have you been sleeping with Mariana?"

My voice broke as I screamed the words, my heart shattering with every word.

Before I could say anything more, a sudden force shoved me backward.

I lost my balance and crashed into a sofa chair.

A sharp pain exploded in my head as it struck the edge. Warm blood oozed out of my forehead as I heard Mariana. "Zayne and I've been fucking each other for a year. Why? Did you get your heart broken? How dare a pathetic omega with impure blood even think of being with Zayne? You're like your pathetic mother. Eyeing the man who can never be yours."

I clenched my fists tightly. I lunged toward her, ready to hit her, when Zayne caught my wrist.

"Don't," Zayne told me.

"You were cheating on me for a year! You promised me a future! We are fated mates, Zayne. The Moon Goddess chose us to be together."

Fresh, hot tears began pooling down my cheeks.

"That's what I fucking hate! I never wanted to be your mate," Zayne said, almost snarling at me.

"What?" My lips quivered.

He let go of my hand and said, "I was foolish to even think that love is enough for me to stand by your side. You're weak, and you've no name, Reina. You are a sin to everyone who will belong to you. I was a fucking fool for going along with you. After my parents passed away, I couldn't become the pack's alpha, but Mariana made it possible for me. She's the one whom I love. She's the one who deserves to be by my side, not someone like you."

I was unable to believe that these were words of Zayne, the man who had always been kind to me.

"Reject her, Zayne," Mariana whispered to his ear, kissing his cheek.

Before I could even speak, lash at them, Zayne spoke the words no mate would want to hear in this world.

"I, Zayne Kingsley, reject you, Reina, as my mate. Accept my rejection."

"If I hadn't discovered today about this, would you have still played with my feelings?" I asked.

"Played with your heart?" Zayne chuckled. "I never did that. You were the clingy one. You were the one who needed me. I never called you, came to you, but you would always do that."

It was the truth, but I used to think Zayne was busy with training and work. I never thought he simply hated the fact that I was his mate.

I couldn't hold the humiliation any longer. "I, Reina Ashfall, accept your rejection, Alpha Zayne Kingsley. May we never see each other again because if we do..." I paused, 'I will kill you."