Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by his Brother

Sasha POV

The drums echoed across the clearing like a heartbeat, deep and steady, calling us together beneath the silver glow of the moon. Lanterns swayed from the trees, their golden flames casting shadows across excited faces. Everyone was here. The entire Nightveil Pack, dressed in ceremonial clothes, buzzed with anticipation and pride.

And I was ready.

My heels sank into the earth as I stepped into the center of the sacred stones, my crimson dress brushed the tops of my thighs with each confident stride. Heads turned. Eyes followed. Whispers rippled through the crowd like wind across water. I knew exactly what they were thinking.

There she is.

That’s her.

Our Luna.

I walked like I already wore the title. Because I did. In every way that mattered. I was his mate. His fated. The bond between us wasn’t just a connection, it was a promise. One that had pulsed in my chest since I was sixteen. Delia appeared beside me, a soft vision in pale blue. She smiled, serene and quiet, and I reached over and squeezed her hand.

"Can you believe it’s finally happening?" I asked, my voice filled with excitement.

"It’s your night," she said simply. And it was. I felt it in my bones, in my blood. I had spent my whole life preparing for this. I knew every rite, every line of the Luna vows. I could feel the pack's energy surging toward me, waiting for the moment that Kade would step forward and say the words.

My name.

The bonfire crackled higher, and sparks danced into the air like stars being born. The Elders stood in a semicircle, their expressions solemn, and their robes rustled in the evening breeze. And then he arrived.

Alpha Kade Blackwood.

He stepped out from between the trees like a storm. Dark, commanding, and impossible to ignore. The crowd hushed instantly, the only sound now was the snap of firewood and the soft hiss of wind. Kade stood tall, his dark blue eyes scanned the gathering before his gaze landed on me. My breath caught, and the look he gave me wasn’t warm or reassuring, but it was intense and controlled. Still, it was him. And I knew he wouldn’t falter. The Elders began the old chant, and their voices merged in an eerie harmony that tugged at the threads of fate. A ceremonial knife was handed to Kade, and its obsidian blade caught the firelight. My fingers twitched. This was it. Kade raised the blade and turned to face the crowd. I held my breath as I closed my eyes.

"Tonight," he began, his voice low but unshakable. "I choose the one who will stand beside me. As Luna. As my mate,” my chest rose as I opened my eyes to watch him. I didn’t blink. I didn’t breathe. I watched as he turned, slowly and deliberately. And then he looked straight at Delia. "I choose Delia Watson,”

The world didn’t stop. It exploded. Gasps surged through the pack like a wave. My heart slammed against my ribs so hard it hurt. A buzzing sound filled my ears as I stared at him, uncomprehending. He was still talking, but I couldn’t hear a word. Delia didn’t move at first. Then, like she had been waiting for it all along, she stepped forward. Her hand slipped into his, and he smiled. I choked.

"No," I whispered. It wasn’t a cry. It wasn’t a scream. It was a denial so quiet it barely left my lips. But it echoed through every fiber of my being. This couldn’t be real. This couldn’t be happening. This was not supposed to happen. Kade was supposed to choose me. Not Delia.

No. No. No.

He didn’t just say her name. He didn’t just choose her. He rejected me. He humiliated me. He destroyed me in front of everyone. Delia. My best friend. I looked at her, really looked at her. That smile she wore. That familiar tilt of her head. She wasn’t shocked. Not even close. She knew. She had known. Everything inside me cracked. The pack didn’t know where to look. Some stared at Kade and Delia, others at me. I felt the heat of their pity, their confusion. I stood frozen, as if my body hadn’t caught up to the earthquake in my soul. I blinked, and blinked again. But the sight didn’t change. They stood there hand in hand, two liars wrapped in tradition, acting like they hadn’t just ripped fate to pieces. My vision blurred as I backed up. My heels dug into the earth, and my breath came faster. Flashes of my past ran through my mind.

Delia, my best friend. Kade, my fated mate. My excitement for this night.

All of it suddenly ruined by one single choice. The wrong choice.

Run.

The word came from somewhere deep inside. From Sassy, my wolf. From the primal part of me that had just been gutted in front of my pack. I hesitated. Still unsure if this had been real.

Run.

I turned and I ran. Branches scraped my arms as I tore into the forest, and the cold air slapped my cheeks, which mixed with the tears I refused to wipe away. I didn’t know where I was going. I didn’t care. I just needed to escape. Behind me, the ceremony roared on, a sick farce playing out under sacred stones. He had chosen her. And I would never forgive him. My lungs burned. My legs ached. But I kept going. And then I stumbled and fell to my knees. I cried out without a sound. And then I felt something. A presence. A shift in the shadows. I frantically looked around me as I slowly got to my feet.

“Who is there?” I called out as I searched the surrounding darkness. My chest ached. A mixture of fear and heartache. But as a figure emerged from the darkness, my breath caught. Apparently, fate wasn’t quite done with me yet.