Chapter 1 001

Alera's Pov

"You and four others will serve in the large hall, where the guests are being welcomed," Ma'am Nile instructed, her sharp gaze cutting through me. I straightened instinctively, my heart hammering, but I nodded and forced my nerves down.

We were a small team assigned to the banquet serving food and drinks to the important guests attending the auction.

I had always been part of this routine-serving, cleaning, staying out of sight. But tonight felt different. Tonight wasn't just another event; it was the auction-the night when packs traded future Alphas and warriors to form alliances. Tension hung in the air, even as guests exchanged pleasantries and smiles.

We lined up outside the hall, trays of food stacked high. Laughter and chatter spilled from the heavy wooden doors. I wiped my palms on my apron, trying to steady my nerves.

"Don't make any mistakes, Alera," Ma'am Nile reminded me, her tone colder than usual. I knew exactly what she meant.

"Yes, Ma'am Nile," I whispered, determined to keep my composure.

We entered the hall, and the sheer grandeur almost knocked the wind from me. Chandeliers bathed the room in warm golden light, casting intricate shadows over long banquet tables. The scent of roasted meats and spiced wine mingled with perfume. It screamed wealth and power.

At the high table sat Alpha Xerxes, his silver hair gleaming in the light. His calculating gaze made him the patriarch of the gathering. Beside him, Darius, my future Alpha, sat with his usual air of confidence. My chest tightened just seeing him-a mix of awe and dread coiling in my stomach.

He was everything I wasn't strong, poised, and destined for greatness. Where I was invisible, he commanded attention. His cold blue eyes flicked across the room as he spoke to the clan leaders, his voice low and authoritative.

I shuffled forward, trying to blend in. But tonight, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to change. I couldn't escape it.

As I approached the high table, a strange sensation washed over me. My breath caught in my throat. Then, the scent hit me-fresh pine, sharp and clean, like the forest after rain. It filled my lungs, deep and intoxicating. My wolf stirred, awakening from deep within.

Mate.

The word rang through my mind, not as a thought, but as a primal knowing. My wolf let out a satisfied growl, and before I could fully comprehend what was happening, I spoke the word aloud at the same time as someone else.

"Mate."

I froze, tray wobbling in my hands, but I managed to steady it. My eyes lifted, locking with Darius's cold blue ones.

Time slowed. The room around us faded. His piercing gaze held mine, weighing me, deciding something about me. Then his lips parted, and his voice cut through the silence like a blade.

"I, Kael Ironclaw, reject you, Alera Nightstand, as my mate. You are unfit to be a breeder."

The words hit harder than any blow. My heart plummeted, my body going numb. My wolf howled in agony, but I stood still, swallowing the pain. The room fell silent. I could feel every pair of eyes on me; some pitying, others watching with morbid curiosity.

I blinked, struggling to breathe as his words echoed in my ears. Unfit to be a breeder. The sting of humiliation burned hot in my face. How could he reject me so easily, so publicly, in front of everyone?

The tray in my hands felt heavier than ever. I wanted to throw it to the ground and run, but I couldn't. His rejection was final.

The silence dragged on, suffocating. I wanted to disappear, to vanish into the walls. But I couldn't. His words kept echoing-unfit, unfit.

Darius's gaze didn't soften. His lips twisted into a sneer before he turned away, dismissing me as though I were nothing. The other Alphas resumed their conversation, but I could feel their judgment, sharp and heavy. My heart cracked, raw and exposed.

I set the tray down with trembling hands. The eyes of the hall still burned into my back, some pitying, others judging. It wasn't new, I was always invisible, never worthy of attention. But this, this rejection, was different. It shattered something inside me.

A tear slipped down my cheek. I wiped it away quickly, furious at myself for showing weakness. But inside, my wolf was still howling, demanding to know why we weren't worthy of our mate.

Darius hadn't even looked back.

I turned away, heart still pounding, but I couldn't bring myself to look at him again. The damage was done. The humiliation would linger, an open wound everyone would see.

I fought to steady my hands, but the weight of his rejection clung to me. The room felt smaller now, suffocating. I could hear the murmurs, the whispers, the faint giggles. I didn't dare look at their faces, but I felt their eyes.

Trying to pull myself together, I focused on the task at hand. I couldn't let them see me break. I had worked too hard to stay unnoticed, to maintain some semblance of dignity. But today, I was the center of attention-and it was the worst thing that could've happened.

I glanced down at my tray, trying to focus on the simple task of serving food, but it all felt slow, like I was stuck in a nightmare. I walked past the high table, careful not to make eye contact with anyone, especially Darius. His presence hung over me like a dark cloud.

"Are you alright, Alera?" Ma'am Nile's voice snapped me from my thoughts.

I turned to see her beside me, her expression tight. I had forgotten about her. She eyed me with a mix of concern and frustration, as if I'd failed her in some way, though it wasn't my fault.

"I'm fine, Ma'am Nile," I said, forcing a shaky smile. She didn't seem convinced but didn't press further.

I wished I could vanish into the walls, disappear and leave this nightmare behind. But I had responsibilities. I had to keep going, even if I wasn't worthy, even if I had been publicly rejected.

The evening dragged on. The guests continued their conversations, but I could barely hear them. All I could focus on was the sting of rejection that throbbed in my chest. Each breath felt like I was suffocating.

As I passed by the high table again, I caught sight of Darius. He was still talking with the clan leaders, his demeanor unchanged. It was as if nothing had happened. He carried on with his life, while I... I was broken.

I wanted to scream, to demand answers. Why had he rejected me? Was I not good enough? But there were no answers that would make this hurt less.

My wolf paced uneasily inside me, lost and confused. There was an ache in my chest that no amount of distraction could fill.

I finally reached the kitchen doors and slipped inside, away from the chaos of the hall. The quiet was almost a relief. But even here, the pain didn't fade.

Some of the other servants were busy preparing food, but I paid them no mind. They'd heard the whispers. They'd seen what had happened. I was no longer invisible. I was the rejected mate of Darius Ironclaw, and everyone would talk about it.