Rejected by my mate, Claimed by Alpha Ryder

~ Doris ~

Today is the mating ritual, I was still cleaning the room of my twin stepsisters, Vanessa and Veronica, as always.

My knees hurt from kneeling on the floor.

I scrubbed at a stain on Vanessa's floor until my fingers burned, but it didn't come off.

I scrubbed harder.

They turned eighteen today, and everyone knew they would find their mates and I was nineteen with no mate.

I woke up very early, around 5 a.m., to start cleaning and cooking, I cleaned all the rooms, including the twins room.

When I got to Henry's room, I skipped it, as usual, he always told me not to clean it.

Don't worry, sis I'll clean it myself, he would say.

Most times, I never touched his room.

I was still scrubbing the corridor when I suddenly remembered it was the mating ceremony day. Before I could even finish, my stepmother walked in.

"Doris, don't tell me you're not prepared for the ceremony yet, you need to do and leave my house today, I don't mind if you bring a low level omega as your mate, it's not like you worth anything good.

Every time I look at you she continued...I see your mother. You're just like your sl*t of a mother."

That word always hurt me.

Sl*t.

It was the only thing she ever called my mother, and it always broke me.

I quickly finished up but before I could get to my room, the twins walked through the corridor, dragging their dirty feet over the place I had just cleaned.

They laughed and walked away, and I had to clean it all over again for the third time now.

When I finally went to my wardrobe to prepare for the ceremony, there was nothing decent to wear. It was always the clothes Vanessa and Veronica were done with-clothes they had already ruined before throwing them to me.

I picked up a pair of old jeans, they were faded and too loose on me, I had gotten thinner over time. The tops looked more like rags used for cleaning the kitchen than clothes meant for a person to wear.

Or a girl like us, my wolf said in my head.

Her name is Candy.

So what are we going to do now? Candy asked. We need to find our mate today.

I ignored her because I already knew the truth.

No one wants a mate who cannot talk.

I walked quietly toward the mating arena, not because I had high expectations of finding my mate that day, but because I wanted to try at least once.

"Our dumb sister thinks she'll find a mate," Veronica laughed.

"The Moon Goddess would never curse anyone with a mate like you unless it was a rogue."Vanessa added, shoving me aside as they walked past me.

When the mating ritual began, the air shifted. One by one, werewolves started perceiving the scents of their mates.

Then, suddenly, I noticed a scent sweet like strawberries.

Finally, Candy jubilated inside me.

"We have a mate."

Just then, the Gamma stepped forward but the moment his eyes met mine, irritation flashed across his face.

That was when I realized it.

I was his mate.

And just as I had expected, he did exactly what I knew he would.

"I, Julius Armstrong, reject Doris Charles as my mate."

The laughter came right after.

Not that I didn't expect it, I always knew it would happen...this was the second time my mate rejected me because I cannot talk.

In the pack, they call me the dumb girl not because I am stupid, but because I am mute, a girl who cannot speak.

Julius Armstrong was the Gamma, the third in command under our young Alpha.

They were all twenty-one and this was the third time Julius had rejected his mate.

The first time was when I was seventeen. Rumors said he rejected her because she was too fat, he called her a loser, someone unworthy of being his mate.

The second time was when I was eighteen, he rejected his mate at the same time my first mate rejected me, this time, he said she was too short.

And now it was my turn.... the third time, he was rejecting me just because I was a mute girl obviously.

What did I expect? Who would want a mute girl as his mate? I wasn't surprised, not really because I had expected it but the humiliation... the sting of being dismissed yet again hit harder than I cared to admit.

It wasn't just embarrassment. It was the quiet, sinking feeling that maybe this was my life now. Always rejected. Always invisible. Always alone.

After the rejection, I looked around.

Everyone was looking at me, some with pity, some like I wasn't even there... I felt like a lonely child standing in the middle of a crowd, I had no friends.

"I'm so glad the Gamma rejected her," a girl whispered, leaning closer to her friends.

"What was she thinking, coming here?Honestly, no sane wolf would ever pick her," another girl whispered back.

I ignored them and turned my head to the other side and saw Veronica already standing close to the Gamma, showing herself off as the chosen one.

They had been dating for months before the ceremony, so I expected her to be his mate and not me.

While Vanessa stayed around the Alpha, throwing herself at him.

The Alpha looked at me, our eyes met for a moment, but he said nothing, he didn't seem interested in Vanessa at all, even though she kept forcing herself on him.

Veronica stayed with the Gamma, laughing and acting close to him, just like always.

I stood there alone, wishing I had never existed.

I was not born mute, my stepmother and stepsisters made me this way but they pretended like I had always been like this.

Lost in my thoughts, Henry ran up to me.

"Hey, Doris," he said. "Tell me you're okay."

I shook my head, then nodded, I didn't know what else to do.

Henry was the only person in the pack who accepted me for who I am, he was only sixteen, yet he acted more mature than most of them.

He held my hand as we walked away.

"Just because you didn't find your mate today doesn't mean you won't find him in the future," he said gently. "Try to stay positive."

I nodded again.

I couldn't talk, so nodding was all I could do. When I needed to answer questions, I wrote them down in my small notebook that I always keep with me.

Just as I got home, I was already expecting my stepmother to shout.

It was normal for her to be angry whenever I came back without a mate.

When I reached the door, I saw her waiting. My father was there too, but the moment he saw me he walked back inside, obviously he didn't want to be involved.

Most of the time, when my stepmother or the twins maltreated me, he remained quiet, he never said anything.

I don't know if he was happy that I was being maltreated or if he simply didn't care.

Sometimes I wondered if he even cared at all. Which father would see his own child being mistreated and just walk away?

As I approached my stepmother, she looked me up and down.

The twins had already gone home, and they were back in her good graces, laughing beside her.

Before I could even enter the room, Henry grabbed my hands and guided me forward.

"Stop right there," my stepmother snapped the moment I almost stepped inside.

"You think my warning was a joke, right? I told you not to come back to this house without a mate," my stepmother snapped. "I've endured you for nineteen years, and I won't anymore.

You're nothing but a headache to me, I told you to go find a mate, and right now, go look for anyone, bring back a dog or any animal I don't care, but just stop coming here empty-handed. You are a demonic reminder of your mother... a slut!"

The twins joined in, their voices cruel and loud.

"Yeah, Mommy! Her mother was a sl*t! And a child of a slut will be a slut too!" Vanessa said, while Veronica laughed.

"Stop it! Stop treating her like this!" Henry interjected, trying to defend me.

"It's not her fault she got rejected by her mate. What do you expect her to do? She doesn't even have a chance to meet anyone else. Can't you have some sympathy?"

But my stepmother shouted over him, furious.

"Get inside and stop involving yourself! I don't want to see you near this slut's child!"

I ran without knowing where I was going. I only knew I couldn't stay there anymore, and leaving was the only thing in my head.

And guess what?

Nobody called after me.

Nobody came running.

Instead, they laughed.

They f*ck*ng laughed at me.

It would've been better to be in hell, because what I felt in that house was no different-maybe worse. At least hell doesn't pretend to love you before it burns you alive.

I didn't stop until I reached the lake, a short distance from home. The only place I ever ran to when my head became too loud. My hiding place.

I sat on the rock by the water, picking up stones and throwing them as far as I could. One splash at a time.

One stone.

One pain.

One memory I couldn't erase.

A presence shifted behind me.

"You're here today," a calm voice said. "I was starting to think this place was mine alone."

Blade Lucious.

He lowered himself onto a rock beside me, not too close, not too far...carefully like he understood silence.

Blade is Alpha Ryder's Beta, he's different from the others-quiet, controlled, never trying too hard. I'd met him here weeks ago, by this same lake and he seemed decent.

But I still didn't want a friend.

Friends always left.

He watched the ripples fade before speaking again. "Today was rough," he said gently. "For a lot of people."

I stiffened.

I said nothing, It wasn't like I could and walking away now would only be rude. Besides, he was just trying to be nice unlike everyone else.

"I don't think being rejected or not finding a mate means something is wrong with you," he continued, voice casual, almost detached.

"Everyone knows my mate died two years ago. I'm twenty-one now, and I haven't found another."

He paused, then added, but guess what? It doesn't bother me anymore."

Liar.

Even without looking at him, I could hear the weight in his voice.

I couldn't forget how his mate died in that car accident because I was there that day.

But there was no way I could ever tell anyone.

After all, I was just the mute girl in the pack.

We sat in silence. I kept throwing stones and he didn't interrupt.

Eventually, he spoke again. "It's getting late. You should head home, your parents might be worried."

I almost laughed.

If anything, they were probably hoping I wouldn't come back.

The thought made my lips twitch.

"Oh," Blade said softly. "You smiled."

He sounded genuinely surprised. Almost pleased.

I frowned, how could something so small make him happy?

His father was wealthy, he had a loving family. No siblings to compete with him and everything in his life seemed arranged.

The universe must've taken offense to my thoughts, because rain suddenly poured from the sky-cold and heavy.

We both stood.

Blade reached for my hand, instinctive, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

I shoved him away.

Then I ran.

Being close to me would only stain his reputation, and I wouldn't let that happen. One of the top girls already had her eyes on him anyway. I couldn't afford more attention. The twins were already enough.

I reached home soaked and gasping.

At the door, I paused and counted to five. Something I always did when fear crawled up my spine.

Then I stepped inside.

Laughter drifted from the twins' room. Loud. Excited.

I moved closer.

Veronica was jumping around the room. Vanessa was showing off a new backpack. Their mother stood nearby, smiling proudly.

New school uniforms.

School.

It hit me then I'd forgotten school resumed in a week.

The twins were in twelfth grade now.

I hadn't felt excitement for school in years. I stopped attending in ninth grade. Since then, I stayed home while they left every morning.

I stayed behind.

"But Mom, what about Doris?" Henry's voice cut through the room. "At least let her enroll with Vanessa and Veronica. She's brilliant."

"Don't start, Henry," Veronica snapped.

"I will," he replied calmly. "You all know you haven't treated her right. One day, karma will catch up with you all."

Vanessa scoffed. "You still believe in karma? Grow up, karma doesn't exist in this generation."

Henry had always been like this.

When I was still in school, he sneaked into classes, copied notes, listened to lessons, and came home to teach me everything. He fought anyone who tried to bully me.

And here I was now hiding in my own house listening to him defend me again.

Do you know how painful that is?

And how grateful?

Everyone deserves a Henry in their life.

Footsteps approached.

I quickly ran to my room and shut the door. Leaning against it, I slowly slid down until I was sitting on the floor, my back pressed tightly to the door.

I tried to hold the tears in, but they never listened, they flowed freely down my cheeks anyway.

I could feel Candy stirring softly inside me.

It had been a long time since I let Candy take control.

Maybe because I didn't want her out yet or maybe because I no longer know how to let her out at all.

I sat there longer than I could remember.

My eyes grew heavy and my body felt weak, I didn't even have the strength to stand up and crawl into bed.

I stayed there until exhaustion pulled me under.

When I woke, pale morning light crept through the window.

A sharp knock hit the door.

"You're still sleeping?" my stepmother shouted. "Get up and prepare the snacks for the twins' mating ceremony. Since you couldn't even find a mate, you might as well be useful."

Right.

Today was the ceremony. Those who'd found their mates yesterday would stand before the Alpha, the elders, the council and claim them.

And I would be there too.

Not as anything important.

Just their slave.

The ceremony hadn't even begun yet, and my body already felt like it had been dragged through dust.

"Doris, hurry up with ironing my dress!"

Veronica's sharp, impatient voice echoed through the house.

It hadn't even been five minutes since she'd dumped the dress on my hands, yet she'd come to check on it at least five times. Not because the dress wasn't ready, but because frustrating me was the point.

She was the only one who had found a mate.

Julius Armstrong would claim her today, obviously.

When I finished ironing, I carried the dress to her room and laid it carefully on her bed.

I didn't wait for approval, I quickly turned and left her room immediately.

"Doris."

Henry's voice stopped me.

"You're not dressed yet?"

I looked down at myself, then back at him. I tugged lightly at the torn gown I was wearing, silently telling him this was it.

This was what I had.

His brows pulled together in confusion.

"Wait... Doris," he said slowly. "Is this what you're wearing to the ceremony?"

He pointed at my gown.

"Even a beggar wouldn't dress like this," he muttered, anger slipping into his voice.

Before I could react, he grabbed my hand and pulled me along.

He didn't stop until we reached his room.

He released my hand and walked to his bed. "I got this for you."

I followed his gaze.

A dress lay neatly spread out on the mattress.

Long beautiful pink gown.

My breath caught.

Tears burned my eyes before I could stop them, and the next thing I knew, I was hugging him tightly.

When I finally pulled away, questions rushed into my head.

I grabbed my notebook and quickly wrote them down.

How did you get the money for this?

You didn't steal it from the twins, right?

I held the notebook up to him.

"No," he said quickly, shaking his head as a small laugh escaped him. "I didn't steal it, mom gave me the money."

Relief washed over me, and before I could stop myself, I smiled.

I picked up the dress carefully. It was soft beneath my fingers, lighter than anything I'd ever owned.

I held it against my body and turned slowly, the fabric brushing my legs as I spun.

Henry smiled at the sight. "Why don't you go put it on?" he said gently. "The ceremony will start in a few minutes."

He nudged me playfully toward the door, and I hurried to my room.

I slipped into the dress carefully, afraid of tearing it. When I finally looked up, my gaze met the mirror or rather, the broken piece of one nailed to the wall.

The girl staring back at me didn't look like someone used to hiding in corners.

For the first time, I looked beautiful.

Excited, I rushed out of my room to show Henry.

I didn't make it far.

My stepmother stood at the corridor.

Her eyes swept over me slowly, from head to toe, that familiar look of disgust settling on her face.

"Where did you steal the money to buy this dress?" she asked coldly, stepping closer.

Before I could react, her fingers grabbed the fabric.

The twins stepped out of their room just then.

"So now you're stealing from us?" Vanessa sneered, her face fully done, eyes sharp with jealousy.

"How can you wear a dress prettier than ours?" Veronica added. "It's not like you even have a mate, you mute girl."

My stepmother tightened her grip on the dress. "Go back inside," she ordered. "Change into that rag you were wearing before and give this gown to Veronica."

My hands shook.

"No." Henry's voice cut through the corridors.

He came running toward us, his eyes dark with anger.

"I bought the dress for her," he said firmly. "She's wearing it to the ceremony. Is there a problem with that?"

My stepmother turned on him, her lips curling. "So I gave you money to buy clothes for yourself, and instead you wasted it on this sl*t?"

Before anyone could stop her, she yanked the fabric hard.

The sound of tearing filled the house.

The dress ripped against my body.

I gasped, clutching the torn fabric to my chest as tears spilled down my face, hot and unstoppable.

Henry reacted instantly, he pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around me, shielding me from their eyes.

"Come," he said softly, guiding me back toward my room.

He stood between me and them until I was safely inside, then closed the door.

I slid down to the floor, shaking.

The dress lay ruined at my feet.

A few minutes later, the door swung open.

"Doris."

My stepmother's voice was sharp, impatient.

"Get up and come out. Now."

She didn't wait for a response, the door slammed as she walked away.

I pushed myself off the floor, my body still trembling, I slipped back into the old torn gown and stepped out of the room.

For a moment, I just stood there.

The twins were already dressed, glowing in expensive fabrics and jewelry. Their laughter filled the house... I was barefoot, my feet pressed against the cold floor, watching them like someone who didn't belong in the same space.

A sharp clap echoed.

"Doris," my stepmother snapped. "Stop staring like a fool and start walking."

I obeyed.

I carried cartons of drinks from the house to the ceremony grounds.

My arms shook under the weight, but no one noticed or maybe they did and simply didn't care.

The twins laughed loudly with their friends, snapping their fingers at me as if I were a pet.

"Doris, bring more wine."

"Doris, wipe this."

"Doris, you spilled that."

Each command peeled away another layer of my dignity.

Around us, other girls sat proudly beside their families, their faces bright with excitement. Today, they will be claimed officially.

High-profile ladies occupied the front rows, whispering amongst themselves.

There were rumors the Alpha would choose his Luna today.

Most believed it would be Clara Anthony.

She sat at the center, her posture perfect, chin lifted, confidence written into every movement.

She had been close to the Alpha since childhood, to everyone else, the match made sense.

I stood at the edge of it all, holding a tray, invisible.

Then an elder in the pack stepped forward.

His staff struck the ground once.

"The mating ceremony," he announced, voice carrying across the crowd, "has begun."

"Doris, hurry up with those drinks."

My stepmother's sharp voice cut through the music and laughter.

I lowered my head and obeyed, I always did. After all, I had learned early how to disappear.

The tray felt heavier with every step, my hands trembling beneath its weight. Sweat soaked into my clothes, I didn't smell like perfume or excitement like the other girls...I smelled like dirt.

By the time the ceremony truly began, my entire body ached.

As I moved through the crowd, one of the twins brushed past me deliberately. Her shoulder hit the tray, and a cup slipped free, shattering against the ground.

She gasped loudly, eyes wide in fake shock.

"Oh no," she said, turning quickly to her mother. "Look at the mess Doris made."

Her voice carried.

"I don't understand why Doris can't do a single thing right," she added, shaking her head.

Every conversation stopped.

All eyes turned to me.

My heart slammed painfully against my chest as I dropped to my knees, gathering the broken pieces with shaking fingers.

The glass bit into my skin, but I didn't stop.

No one cared.

Except two people.

A shadow fell beside me.

Then another.

Before I could react, someone gently pulled my hand away from the shards.

Blade Lucious.

He took over without a word, picking up the broken glass carefully. Henry knelt beside him, helping just as quietly.

I shook my head, panic flooding me, I didn't want them dragged into this neither do I want more troubles.

They both looked up at me.

And smiled.

"It's okay," Blade said softly.

He gathered the last pieces and walked back to his seat as if nothing had happened.

Henry stayed a moment longer. He disposed of the glass, then pressed a clean cloth into my hands.

I nodded.

His mother noticed.

"Henry," she snapped. "What do you think you're doing? Go sit with the other boys. That's where you belong."

He hesitated, then obeyed.

Her gaze shifted to me coldly.

"And you," she said quietly, her voice low enough to cut deeper. "After today, you won't be coming back to my house."

My breath caught.

"I don't need you anymore," she continued. "I don't need trash like you under my roof."

I stood there, frozen.

"There's a rejected omega who needs a mate," she went on casually, as if discussing groceries. "You'll be going to him."

Her lips curved slightly.

"Veronica will be mated to the Gamma. Vanessa will be mated either to the Alpha or the Beta. I won't have your bad luck around my family anymore."

I nodded.

That was all I knew how to do.

I wasn't invited to sit anywhere, so when no one was looking, I slipped away to a corner. I leaned against the wall at the edge and watched from there.

An outsider.

Then the music faded.

A figure stepped forward.

Alpha Ryder.

The crowd erupted in cheers as he raised his hand.

"Today," he announced, his voice carrying across the grounds, "I will be choosing my Luna, according to the laws of our pack."

The cheers grew louder.

Alpha Ryder Stone had ruled Moon Park for three years.

I'd heard how he took the throne after his parents were poisoned and killed, a tragedy that shook the entire pack.

Many had doubted him then because he was young.

They had been wrong.

In three years, Ryder had proven himself.

The pack was secure under his rule, its borders reinforced, its enemies silent.

Whispers said rivals feared Ryder more than even his father.

Alpha Ryder's gaze searched the crowd and settled on me. I looked away quickly, but not before I caught the faint smile on his lips.