Rejected and Reborn: The Hockey Alpha's Regret

POV: Aurelia

I pressed the cold towel against Zephyron's bruised knuckles, watching the way his jaw tightly clenched.

He didn't look at me. His gray eyes were locked on the empty ice, his breathing heavy and ragged.

"You're pushing yourself too hard, Zeph," I whispered.

He let out a harsh breath, his shoulders tense beneath his hockey jersey. "The finals are next week, Aurelia. My father is coming. The scouts are coming. I don't have time to slack off."

I knew that tone. I knew every shift in his voice, every shadow that crossed his handsome face.

For three years, I had been the one who caught his anger when the rest of the pack expected him to be the flawless Alpha heir.

When Lyra broke his heart, threw her ring at his chest, and left the academy, I was the one who sat on the floor of his cabin, holding him together while he tore himself apart.

My chest ached at the memory, but I pushed it down.

A sudden wave of exhaustion hit me, making my head spin. I stumbled slightly, gripping the edge of the wooden bench.

My wolf, a faint, fragile presence in my mind, whimpered weakly.

"Aurelia?"

Zephyron finally turned his head, his hand reaching out to catch my waist. His grip was warm and steady, pulling me closer against his side.

"I'm fine," I lied quickly, forcing a small smile. "Just a bit tired."

He frowned, his thumb brushing against my hip. "Did you take the suppressants the academy healer gave you?"

"Yes. Headmistress Selene said it's just my natural constitution. They told me to stop complaining and rest more."

Zephyron sighed, his eyes drifting back to the ice. "Good. You need to stay strong for tomorrow night."

He was caring, but he wasn't completely here. He never was. Even when he held me, it felt like a part of his soul was still standing at the gates, waiting for a girl who had already left.

In the corner of the locker room, Ronan Hale, Zeph's best friend, stood quietly, his arms crossed over his chest. His gaze moved from my pale face to Zephyron's distracted grip.

Ronan opened his mouth as if to say something, but then closed it, simply shaking his head and walking out. He always looked at me with that strange, heavy pity and I hated it.

An hour later, I walked down the grand corridor of the academy toward the dining hall.

Blackridge was a vicious place. If you weren't strong, you were prey. And if you didn't have a powerful wolf, you were practically invisible.

Unless, of course, you were hanging onto the arm of the future Alpha of the Duskmere pack.

"Look at her," a low laugh echoed from a group of girls standing by the lockers. "Still running after him like a lost puppy."

"She really thinks she's replacing Lyra," another whispered, not even bothering to lower her voice. "As soon as Lunar Crest is over, he'll realize a weak wolf can't be an Alpha's mate. She's just his rebound comfort girl."

The words felt like a physical slap to my face. My fingers tightened around the strap of my bag.

They didn't understand. Zephyron had been courting me for two months now. He asked me to be with him. He told me he wanted to try.

But deep down, the whispers still got to a terrified part of me that feared they were right.

A hand caught my elbow, pulling me out of the hallway and into an empty classroom.

It was Talia-my overprotective cousin. Her green eyes were swimming with worry as she looked at me.

"Aurelia, you look like a ghost," she said punches-thrown, taking my hands. "Your hands are freezing. Your wolf is struggling again, isn't she?"

"I'm fine, Talia. It's just the stress."

"It's not just the stress, and you know it," she snapped softly, her voice filled with a desperate, protective anger. "You are killing yourself for him. You spend every night managing his moods, cooking his meals, and fixing his messes. What does he give you in return?"

"He's taking me to Lunar Crest tomorrow," I said, my voice rising defensively. "Everyone is going to be there. The elders, the entire pack. He told me he's going to make it official."

Talia let out a frustrated breath, dropping her hands.

"Aurelia, listen to me. You deserve to be someone's first choice. Not the girl who was always there when his real world fell apart. If Lyra came back tomorrow..."

"Lyra is gone!" I interrupted, my heart hammering painfully against my ribs. "She transferred out of the academy. She's not coming back. Zeph is trying. He really is."

Talia looked at me for a long moment, a deep sadness in her eyes.

"I just don't want to see you break," she whispered.

***

I left the classroom, her words echoing like a curse in my mind.

The girl who was always there.

Was that all I was to him?

I remembered the countless nights over the past years. The times he would call me at two in the morning, his voice thick with liquor and pain after another explosive fight with Lyra.

I would sneak out of my dorm, ignoring the brutal rules of the academy, just to sit with him in the dark.

I would listen to him tell me how much he loved her, how she was his entire world, while my own heart bled silently into the floorboards.

I had endured the pain because I loved him too much to let him drown.

And when Lyra finally pushed him too far and left, he had turned his eyes to me. He had looked at me with a soft, tired expression and said, "You're the only one who never leaves, Aurelia. Let's do this right."

That sentence had been my salvation. It was the anchor I held onto whenever the fatigue from my weak wolf threatened to drag me down.

The academy healers had dismissed my fainting spells, treating me like an annoyance, an inconvenient glitch in a high-status pack. But as long as Zephyron held me, I convinced myself I could survive it.

I walked back toward the packhouse, the chill of the evening biting through my coat.

Tomorrow night was the Lunar Crest event. The biggest night of the term.

If he announced me as his official partner before the elders, the whispers would stop. The hierarchy would have to accept me. I wouldn't just be the backup girl anymore. I would finally be his.

When I reached my dorm room, a formal white envelope was lying underneath my door.

My breath hitched.

I quickly picked it up, my fingers trembling as I tore the gold wax seal of the Duskmere pack.

Inside was a heavy, embossed card. It was an official administrative itinerary for the Lunar Crest Night, issued directly from the Headmistress's office and co-signed by the Alpha Council.

My eyes flew down the elegant cursive text, skipping past the opening speeches and the hockey commendations until they landed on the final, most prestigious slot of the night.

*9:30 PM: Public Declaration of Intent and Presentation of the Future Alpha Mate: Zephyron Duskmere and Aurelia Thorn.*

The words seemed to burn bright on the paper.

My heart leapt into my throat, a sudden sob of pure, overwhelming relief escaping my lips.

It was real. He hadn't lied to me. He was really going to do it.

He was going to choose me in front of the whole world.

Aurelia

"I put fifty credits on her getting dumped before the clock strikes midnight," a sharp voice sneered from the row of marble sinks.

It was Chloe, one of Lyra's old inner circle. She was adjusting her diamond earrings, her eyes tracking my reflection through the glass with pure disdain.

I continued smoothing down the satin of the simple white gown I had bought with my own savings, ignoring them.

"Only fifty?" another girl giggled, applying a thick layer of lip gloss. "I heard Zeph's dad was furious when he saw the official itinerary. There is no way the Alpha Council lets him tie himself to a weak wolf. He's just using her to fill the void."

My fingers dug into the fabric of my dress, my nails nearly tearing the delicate lace detailing at my waist.

Void. Rebound. Backup.

Sure, I wanted this night to be romantic, but deep down, I also wanted to get my dignity back. I wanted to look every single person in this academy in the eye and prove I wasn't just a shadow he hid away when he was lonely.

"Ignore them," Talia whispered, stepping up behind me.

She placed her hands on my shoulders, but her reflection looked grim. There was clearly no joy in her eyes, only an overwhelming sense of dread.

"You look beautiful, Aurelia," Talia continued softly. "But...are you really sure about this? You can still walk away before the presentation."

"He put it on the official itinerary, Talia," I said, my voice tight as I adjusted a stray strand of my dark hair. "He wouldn't do that if he wasn't sure. He's choosing me."

Talia let out a frustrated breath, her grip tightening on my shoulders.

"Aurelia, I saw him near the training grounds earlier. Someone whispered that the Soren family alpha was spotted at the pack border. The moment Lyra's name was mentioned, Zeph's aura flared so hard it cracked the concrete beneath his boots. He isn't over her. He is just panicking because he's lonely."

A sudden, sharp pain lanced through my chest, cutting off my breath.

I stumbled slightly, my hand flying to my chest as I gripped the edge of the counter. In my mind, my weak wolf gave a fractured, trembling howl, retreating further into the darkness of my subconscious.

A heavy, metallic taste rose in the back of my throat, and a cold sweat broke out across my skin. My wolf was buckling under the sheer emotional stress, her fragile spirit completely unstable.

"Aurelia!" Talia gasped, reaching out to support my weight. "You're shaking. Your wolf is rejecting the pressure."

"I'm fine," I choked out, forcing myself to stand straight, ignoring the dull ache in my heart. "My wolf is just anxious. It's the Lunar Crest energy. I'm choosing to have faith in him, Talia. I have to."

***

When I walked out to the courtyard, Zephyron was waiting by the black stone fountain.

He looked breathtakingly handsome. He wore the formal black suit of the Duskmere heir, his silver family crest pinned precisely over his heart. But his broad shoulders were rigidly tense, and his fingers were aggressively tapping against his thigh; a nervous habit he only had when his mind was a chaotic mess.

When he saw me approach, he froze. His grey eyes swept down my white dress, a flicker of something intense passing through them.

Guilt? Admiration? I couldn't tell.

"You look beautiful, Aurelia," he murmured, his voice deep and gravelly.

He stepped closer, his large, warm hand settling firmly on the small of my back.

"I brought you this," he said, pulling a small red box from his pocket.

Inside was a delicate silver bracelet set with a single, glowing white moonstone. It wasn't the official Duskmere Luna ring, which belonged to his father's domain, but it was beautiful.

"Tonight, we silence everyone," he whispered, his thumb brushing against my wrist as he clipped the bracelet on. "No more whispers. No more people calling you a backup choice."

"Thank you, Zeph," I breathed, looking up into his beautiful face, desperately searching for a sign of true affection. "Do you...Do you really mean that?"

"Of course I do," he said.

Before the words had even fully left his lips, his gaze flicked over my shoulder. He was scanning the crowd of students entering the grand hall. His fingers twitched against my spine, his focus fracturing completely.

He was looking for someone, probably a specific shade of blonde hair, and the toxic scent of jasmine and wildfire.

He's looking for Lyra.

Could he really be that selfish? Holding onto me just because he couldn't stand to be alone.

I had spent three years teaching myself not to ask for too much, teaching myself to be grateful for whatever scraps of attention he threw my way. So, I forced the doubt down. I chose faith over my own instincts.

"Let's go inside," I whispered, stepping closer to his side, trying to force him to look at me.

The grand ballroom of Blackridge Academy was flowing with people.

Crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceilings, casting sharp light over the elders, sponsors, and powerful Alphas in attendance. Zephyron's hand remained steady on my back as we moved through the room, his physical proximity acting as a shield against the glaring eyes of the students.

Yet, the atmosphere felt like the heavy, suffocating silence right before a thunderstorm breaks.

Every time a door opened, every time the crowd murmured, Zephyron's entire body went stiff. .

He wasn't here with me.

"The Alpha Council is ready for the presentation," Ronan's voice cut through the noise.

He appeared beside us, looking immaculate in his Beta suit, but his eyes were fixed on me with that familiar, torturous pity. He looked like he wanted to drag me out of the building before the clock struck the hour.

"It's time," Zephyron said, his grip on my waist tightening. He looked down at me, forcing a smile that didn't reach his cold grey eyes. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," I lied, my heart hammering a frantic, terrifying rhythm against my ribs.

The music slowed, and the voice of Headmistress Selene boomed through the massive speakers, commanding the attention of the entire room.

"And now, for the future of the Duskmere pack. Please welcome our future Alpha heir, Zephyron Duskmere, and his chosen partner."

Applause erupted, deafening and sharp.

Zephyron led me forward, stepping up the grand wooden stairs onto the elevated stage. The spotlights hit us, blinding and white, illuminating my gown, making the silver moonstone on my wrist gleam.

For a single, beautiful second, the dread vanished.

I looked out at the sea of faces staring up at us. The girls who had bet against me were quiet. The bullies were staring in shock. I was finally standing where I belonged. I was finally being recognized.

A radiant, hopeful smile broke across my face. I turned my head to look at Zephyron, wanting to share the moment with the boy I had loved in the dark for years.

But the words died in my throat.

Zephyron had gone completely, utterly still.

His hand fell away from my waist, dropping to his side. His grey eyes were wide, blown out with a sudden, violent shock as he stared past the blinding spotlights, straight into the back of the crowd.

I followed his line of sight, my blood freezing in my veins.

Standing at the grand entrance of the ballroom, dressed in a crimson gown that hugged her body, was Lyra Soren.

POV: Aurelia

The entire ballroom went dead silent at the sight of her. The applause died instantly, replaced by a wave of collective gasps.

Lyra didn't look at the elders. She didn't look at the Headmistress. Her glittering, predatory eyes locked straight onto Zephyron, ignoring me entirely as if I were nothing more than a piece of cheap furniture standing on the stage.

She took one slow step forward. The distance was too great for human ears to catch her voice, but through our amplified werewolf senses, her whisper carried like a strike of lightning.

I watched her lips move perfectly in the dim light at the back of the room.

"I'm back for you, Zeph. I'm not playing games anymore. Plus...I'm not wearing undies."

The fuck?

Zephyron lost focus instantly.

His powerful alpha aura, which had been wrapped protectively around my weak wolf just seconds ago, suddenly snapped backward. It withdrew from me entirely, leaving me completely exposed to the freezing draft of the stage.

His grip on my fingers went entirely limp.

"Zeph?" I whispered, my voice cracked and pathetic, completely drowned out by the sudden, low murmurs rippling through the crowd. "Zeph, please. The elders are watching."

He didn't hear me. He couldn't hear anything past the sound of Lyra's name beating in his chest.

He took one step back. Then another.

"Zephyron!" Alpha Cassian's voice boomed from the VIP table, his face twisting in pure rage as he slammed his fist onto the wood. "Don't be controlled by some woman. Get back to the microphone! Finalize the declaration!"

Zephyron didn't even glance at his father.

With one final, desperate look toward the back of the room, he vaulted off the side of the stage as Lyra led him out back.

He plowed through the sea of elite guests like a devastating storm, shoving pack sponsors and academy leaders out of his path without a single care for the prestige of the night. His broad shoulders were hunched, his hands twitching as he raced toward the girl in the red dress.

He left me.

He literally dropped my hand and ran off the stage to go after her.

The crowd erupted.

"Oh my god, did he actually just run off?" a loud, mocking laugh echoed from the front row of students.

"Look at her standing there," Chloe sneered, pulling her phone out and aiming the lens directly at my face. "She really thought she was getting upgraded from the backup girl today. How pathetic."

Flashbulbs started going off in real time. Dozens of glowing screens rose into the air, lenses focusing on my pale skin, my trembling lips, and the white satin gown that now felt like a joke.

A heavy, suffocating wave of public humiliation crashed over me.

Inside my mind, my weak wolf reacted violently to the shame. She let out a fractured, agonizing shriek, thrashing against my ribcage until a sharp, metallic taste rose in the back of my throat. My vision blurred heavily at the edges, my knees trembling so badly I had to grip the metal microphone stand just to stay upright.

Talia tried to push through the crowd toward the stage steps, her eyes swimming with protective fury. "Aurelia! Walk away! Get down from there!"

But Headmistress Selene was already standing up from the high table, her expression cold.

"Silence!" Selene's voice boomed through the speakers, cutting through the mocking whispers of the students. "The Duskmere heir is handling a private pack matter. Everyone return to your seats immediately. The media will cease all recording."

Nobody listened. The students kept whispering, laughing, and typing furiously on their screens. The damage was done. The prestige of the Lunar Crest Night was completely shattered, and I was left standing in the center of the ruins, completely alone in my formal dress before the entire academy.

Ten minutes passed. Ten minutes of standing under that burning, white spotlight while the world mocked my existence.

Then, the heavy thuds of boots returned.

Zephyron came walking back through the side doors of the stage. He was completely out of breath, his hair messy, he vkey on his neck and his formal jacket slightly wrinkled. His gray eyes were wide, shaken, and swimming with a deep, suffocating layer of shame as he looked at me.

He rushed forward, his large hands reaching out to grab my upper arms, trying to pull me toward the backstage curtains.

"Aurelia, come with me," he urged, his voice a frantic, low whisper as he tried to hide his face from the crowd. "We need to talk in private. Let's get out of the light."

I looked at his hands on my dress. I looked out at the hundreds of students watching our every move, their phones still recording.

A sudden, freezing coldness took over my heart. The gentle, patient girl who had spent three years hiding in his shadow died right there on that floorboard.

I slapped his hands away from my arms, my dark eyes locking onto his with rage he had never seen from me before.

"No, say it here."