Chapter 1
Eleanora
The worst pain a wolf shifter can experience is the loss of their fated mate.
Although I had never experienced it, I had witnessed it firsthand. I was too young to remember my father when he passed away, but I could vividly remember what it did to my mother. With every day that went by, I saw life fade from her eyes, her skin turn pale, her cheeks grow hollow, as if she herself was dying.
Was that the same pain a wolf had to endure upon being rejected? I wondered as I watched Jacob, our pack’s gamma, from a distance. We used to be inseparable growing up; never one without the other. Even though he was two years older than me, I would follow him everywhere. I admired him, and felt honored to be his best friend. At some point, I caught myself dreaming of being his, of having all of his attention.
Unfortunately, everything changed soon after he came of age. At the time, I attributed it to the fact that he was too busy training to take on the position of third-in-command. An omega like me could only imagine how hard that must be. But his excuses eventually turned into full-out shootdowns. His coldness pushed me away completely. I never knew what had changed; I just accepted it, because I had no other choice.
Now, minutes after my wolf awakened, on the morning of my eighteenth birthday, I could finally understand it. As I felt the deep pain in my stomach, the ache in my chest that made it hard for me to breathe with every kiss he shared with the girl sitting beside him, oblivious to my presence, I came to realize why he had cut me off.
“Jacob, not here!” the she-wolf squealed, proving my heightened hearing to be a curse. She wiggled away from the gamma’s embrace as he tried to slip a hand underneath her skirt.
“Why not?” he smiled wickedly as he kissed her neck, ripping a moan from her.
“What if someone sees us?” she suggested.
At that exact moment, Jacob’s eyes burst open. Without taking his mouth off the girl’s skin, his cold gaze darted at me, making me freeze. Had he known that I had been standing here all along? I knew so when his grin grew larger malefically.
“So what?” he continued, staring straight at me. “Let them see what they can never have.”
His words cut through me like a knife, and I suddenly felt weak. It took all of my strength to keep my legs from crumbling and hold back my tears.
Mine. He should be mine, and mine only. Not hers. Not anyone else ’s.
“Mate,” my wolf cried, her voice faint, her energy drained by her fated partner’s betrayal.
I was taught that mates should be treasured. After Mom recovered, she always told me I should hold onto the grandest of the Moon Goddess’ blessing. To make the most out of it, for it could be taken from us at any minute.
Yet, as I stood in the middle of the town square, broken and lost, all I could think about was ridding myself of the pain.
“Do it,” Willow whispered, stunning me. Our connection had just been established. We were still getting to know each other, yet at the same time, it felt like our spirits were in sync. “Do it,” she repeated, louder.
Through our bond, I sensed her agony melt away, consumed by a rising fury. Her sobs morphed into a growl that grew in intensity, building like a storm. Before loving our mate, she wanted to protect me. And as he became the cause of my pain, she saw him as a threat.
I didn’t need to ask her if she was sure. Inhaling a deep breath, I lifted my chin and marched toward them, my heart thumping louder with each bold step I took. When Veronica, the daughter of the beta from an ally pack, noticed my approach, her brows furrowed. She gently pushed Jacob away, and it didn’t please me.
There was nothing but revulsion in his icy blue eyes as he let go of her to face me. “What do you want, omega?” he spat in pure repugnance.
It stung. A single tear I couldn’t fight back slid down the corner of my face, a testament to my pain. I was trembling. Still, I let my lips part.
“I, Eleanora Roy, omega of the Monarch’s Crescent Pack, reject you, Jacob Althan, Gamma of the Monarch’s Crescent Pack, as my mate.”
A hiss escaped the man as soon as I finished reciting the vows. My mouth was dry, every ounce of my energy spent on those words. He hunched his shoulders in visible discomfort, feeling our sacred bond begin to rupture. A tear rolled down my cheek, my heart tightening as I, too, felt it. Inside my head, Willow took deep breaths, sharing the pain with me and guiding me through it.
“What the hell, Jacob?” Veronica’s horrified voice sounded as she shot an accusing glance at her boyfriend. “Is she your mate?” Her disgust was evident, but I barely registered it.
The gamma didn’t bother replying. A menacing growl escaped his bared teeth as he shot up, towering over me. “You weren’t supposed to do this,” he said, as if I had both offended and surprised him. “You’re just a weak, pathetic omega. I should have been the one to reject you.”
Why didn’t you? I thought, but I couldn’t bring myself to actually speak the question. I had no strength left.
In the end, he huffed at my silence. “Whatever. I, Gamma Jacob Althan of the Monarch’s Crescent Pack, accept your rejection.”
A gasp left my lips at the same time he groaned as we both felt the termination of our divine bond. It was done - that was the end of mine and Jacob’s story. As my knees began to shake, and the tears too heavy to contain, I quickly turned around and ran away. I could hear him throwing insults at me, but they didn’t stop me.
I didn’t register where my feet were taking me until I reached the garden at the highest point of our territory. Out of breath and dizzy, I crumbled at the foot of the pedestal where the magnificent wolf statue stood - a monument to honor the brave warriors who gave their lives to protect the pack during a rogue attack over a decade ago.
Like a breached dam, the tears wouldn’t stop falling, blurring my vision. Yet, I could somehow still distinguish my father’s name in the gold plaque among all the others. Since I had started the rejection, I knew I had made it into the Goddess’ black list. I would never get another mate. But, at least, I wouldn’t have to live in fear of losing the other half of my soul, like Mom lost Dad.
“Jacob wasn’t meant for us,” Willow stated firmly. Her words caught my attention, making me stop sobbing to listen. “He didn’t deserve us. You did the right thing by not wasting time on him.”
Confusion hit me. Jacob had been crafted by the Moon herself just for us. How could he not have been meant for us? Though I resented him for getting involved with another female when he had known for two years that I was his mate, I couldn’t truly blame him for choosing Veronica over me - she held a status I would never have. If anything, it was I who didn’t deserve him.
Before I could ask my wolf what she meant, a scream jolted me back to reality.
“Ella! There you are!” My best friend’s worried voice rang in my ears.
A second later, Bellona’s arms were around me as she pulled me up onto my feet again. She held me tight, afraid I would lose my balance and fall back down. Concern pooled in her green eyes as they stared into mine, searching for the reason behind my deplorable state.
“What happened, sis?” she asked, using one hand to gently dust the dirt off my knees, left exposed from the midi floral dress I was wearing. “You said you sensed your mate before I even had a chance to wish you happy birthday, and this is how I find you?”
“M-my mate…was J-Jacob,” I stuttered, struggling to speak. It didn’t matter. I wasn’t ashamed to let Bell see me like this. We were best friends, after all - we had seen each other at our worst.
Her eyes widened with confusion, but I could see her mind working to put the pieces together. “Was?” she repeated, her posture stiffening as worry turned into rage. “Did that asshole reject you, sis?”
“I r-reject h-him,” I corrected her, still shaking.
Sympathy shone in her face as she pulled me into a hug, cooing, “Good. Well done, sis. You’re way too good for that piece of garbage.”
Bellona lent me her shoulder to cry on, whispering words of encouragement until I managed to get my feelings under control. We sat on one of the benches in the garden, where I told her everything. She didn’t wait for me to finish before she started cursing Jacob.
“I’ll destroy his fucking face. I’ll punch him so hard, he’ll need plastic surgery,” she vowed. “Let’s see if Veronica will still want him with a broken nose. She’s more shallow than him, if that’s even possible.”
“Don’t, Bell,” I warned her, knowing full well that she had every intention of following through with her threat. Despite being an omega like me, she trained hard to become a warrior. Though she was strong, I doubted she could take on the gamma. “I don’t want you to get in trouble because of me.”
“Oh, sis, but he broke your heart,” she pointed out. “No one does that and gets away with it. Not on my watch.”
“Please, Bell,” I insisted. “I don’t want any more problems. I just want to try to enjoy the rest of my birthday.”
“Of course, sis.” She nodded. “I’ll make sure you have an amazing day. Jacob can wait until tomorrow to have his face smashed.”
A brief half-sob, half-laugh escaped me, and it immediately made Bell smile. Her efforts to put me in a better mood were paying off. I was sure if anyone could make me feel better by the end of this disastrous day, it was her.
“There you go,” she chanted proudly, taking my hands in hers. “Now, why don’t you go shower and change while I prepare the best celebration for the best girl?”
With a sigh, I surrendered. “Alright.”
“That’s my girl.” She beamed, rising to her feet and offering me her hand to help me up as well. “I’ll be at your house as soon as I can. Try not to miss me too much,” she said playfully.
“You know I already do,” I replied in a matching tone, thankful for having her in my life. If it wasn’t for her, I would still be crying on the ground.
“You may not understand it yet, Ella,” Willow’s voice sounded again as I started making my way toward my house, “but the Goddess has a plan for everyone. We will soon understand what our destiny is. Just know Jacob wasn’t supposed to be part of it,” she asserted.
I thought about it for a moment, struggling to believe her. Yet, I still replied, “I hope you’re right, Willow.”
