Chapter 4 Rejected Before the Moon
Chapter Four
The instant Selene's trembling fingers touched the Moonstone, the entire world seemed to hold its breath.
Every wolf watched without blinking, their hearts pounding with anticipation.
Then...
BOOOOM!!!
A blinding pillar of brilliant silver light exploded from the Moonstone Altar with unimaginable force, erupting toward the heavens like a divine beacon sent by the Moon Goddess herself.
The dazzling beam pierced the dark night sky, illuminating the entire pack grounds as though a second moon had suddenly risen above them.
The sacred square shook violently beneath everyone's feet, the ancient stone floor cracking under the overwhelming pressure, while the air itself vibrated with a power so old and majestic that it sent chills racing down every spine.
Shocked gasps erupted from every corner of the gathering as the elders instinctively stumbled backward, throwing their arms over their faces to shield their eyes from the overwhelming brilliance.
The violent surge of ancient energy swept across the square like a raging storm, smashing decorative lanterns hanging around the ceremony grounds.
Shards of shattered glass rained onto the stone pavement while frightened wolves struggled to remain standing against the invisible force, their expressions twisted with disbelief and terror.
"What was that?"
"The Moonstone has never reacted like this before!"
"It's... impossible!"
The cries echoed one after another as panic spread throughout the crowd.
Selene's eyes flew open, but the overwhelming surge of power stole the breath from her lungs.
Streams of shimmering silver light spiraled gracefully around her body like ribbons woven from pure moonlight, wrapping around her arms, waist, and shoulders with a strange tenderness.
The warmth that flowed into her body wasn't painful or frightening.
Instead, it was comforting beyond words, like returning home after wandering alone for an eternity.
It was as though countless centuries of forgotten magic had suddenly awakened, recognizing her existence after remaining asleep for generations.
Her entire body trembled uncontrollably.
Her heart hammered violently against her ribs as an unfamiliar energy surged through every vein, every muscle, every heartbeat. It rushed through her like an unstoppable river, washing away something she had carried her entire life.
For the first time in eighteen long years...
She actually felt something. Not pain, loneliness, or the endless emptiness that had haunted every moment of her existence since birth.
This feeling was completely different. It was alive and warm.
It filled every broken corner of her soul with a comforting light she had never known, gently embracing the parts of her heart that had always been cold and empty.
For one precious moment, the crushing weight she had carried her entire life... disappeared.
Then, from somewhere deep within the very depths of her consciousness, a soft feminine voice echoed gently through her mind.
"At last..."
The voice was ancient beyond imagination, carrying the wisdom of countless ages.
It was gentle enough to soothe even the most broken soul.
Timeless enough to make the world itself seem impossibly young.
Before Selene could even begin to understand what she had heard, the dazzling silver light vanished as suddenly as it had appeared, leaving behind only the faint glow of the full moon overhead.
An eerie silence swallowed the sacred square.
Not a single soul dared to move.
Every pair of eyes remained fixed on Selene as though she had suddenly become someone they had never truly known.
The elders exchanged uneasy glances, their aged faces filled with confusion, disbelief, and something that looked dangerously close to fear.
"I... I've never witnessed anything like this before," one elder whispered, his voice trembling so softly that it was almost swallowed by the silence.
"The Moonstone recognized something," another elder murmured, his deeply furrowed brow revealing both awe and concern.
"But... what?"
The question spread through the crowd like wildfire, whispered from wolf to wolf until uncertainty consumed the entire gathering.
Selene remained frozen where she stood, unable to move or even think clearly. Her pulse refused to slow, and her breathing remained uneven as she desperately searched for an explanation that simply didn't exist.
She had no answers. She only knew one thing.
For one miraculous, unforgettable moment... She no longer felt empty.
Then...
A familiar scent drifted through the cool night air. Cedar, fresh rain, and wood smoke.
The intoxicating fragrance crashed into her senses with such overwhelming force that her knees nearly gave out beneath her.
Every instinct buried deep within her soul screamed for her to turn around.
Her wolf may have never awakened, but something far older than instinct recognized that scent immediately.
Slowly... Almost fearfully... She turned.
Standing only a few feet away was Alpha Ryker Blackthorne.
The moment their eyes met, time itself seemed to stop.
An invisible force slammed into both of them like a bolt of lightning.
Ryker's entire body stiffened. His golden eyes widened in unmistakable shock.
His breathing caught in his throat.
"No..."
The stunned whisper escaped his lips before he could stop it.
Selene felt it too. An invisible and powerful thread. Completely unbreakable.
It stretched between their souls as though it had existed since the beginning of time, binding them together in a connection that neither distance nor death could sever.
Fresh tears instantly filled Selene's eyes as her trembling lips parted.
"Mate..."
Her broken whisper was barely louder than a breath.
Yet in the overwhelming silence that blanketed the sacred square... Everyone heard it.
The entire gathering froze.
Lydia's confident smile disappeared completely.
Elias stared in absolute disbelief.
Even the elders looked shaken to their very core.
The Moon Goddess...
Had made her choice.
A wave of overwhelming relief, unlike anything Selene had ever experienced, flooded through her aching heart.
She wasn't forgotten, cursed, or broken.
Despite every humiliation she had suffered...
Despite every cruel word she had endured...
The Moon Goddess had blessed her with a mate.
The Alpha himself.
A tiny, fragile smile slowly blossomed across her lips as hope, something she had never truly possessed before, quietly filled her heart.
Gathering every ounce of courage left inside her trembling body, she took one hesitant step toward him.
"Alpha..."
The warmth that had briefly appeared in Ryker's eyes vanished in an instant.
Every trace of surprise disappeared. And in its place remained only icy indifference, coldness, and disgust.
"No!"
The single word struck Selene like a bolt of thunder, shattering the fragile hope that had only just begun to bloom inside her.
She froze where she stood, unable to understand what she had just heard.
"I said..."
Ryker's voice rose louder, carrying effortlessly across the sacred square so that every member of the pack could hear his words with perfect clarity.
"NO!"
Confusion clouded Selene's tear-filled eyes. "What...?"
Ryker looked at her as though she were something beneath his notice. His cold gaze slowly traveled over her worn-out dress, her rough, calloused hands, and the fear written plainly across her pale face before his voice rang through the square once more.
"Do you truly believe..." He deliberately paused, allowing every wolf present to hang on his next words. "...that someone like you..." Another pause. "...could ever stand beside me?"
The crowd held its breath.
The hopeful smile slowly disappeared from Selene's face.
"I..."
She barely managed to whisper before Ryker mercilessly cut her off.
"You're weak!"
Each word sliced through her heart like a sharpened blade.
"You're wolfless!"
He deliberately stepped closer, towering over her with absolute authority.
"You have no strength! No status!! No future!!!
His golden eyes were colder than the harshest winter.
"You are completely unworthy of becoming my Luna."
A horrified murmur rippled through the crowd.
Selene felt as though someone had reached into her chest and ripped her heart apart with their bare hands.
"Please..." she whispered through uncontrollable tears, her voice breaking with every word. "You don't mean that."
"I DO!"
Ryker's expression remained completely cold and emotionless.
Nearby, Lydia's lips slowly curled into a victorious smile.
This... This was even better than she had imagined.
Ryker lifted his voice once again, ensuring every wolf in the sacred square would hear him.
"I, Alpha Ryker Blackthorne..."
Selene violently shook her head as panic completely consumed her. "No..."
"...reject Selene Ashwood..." He continued.
"No!" Selene screamed.
"...as my mate!" Ryker concluded his rejection.
The declaration exploded across the sacred square like a death sentence.
A piercing scream tore from Selene's throat.
"NOOOO!!!"
This wasn't ordinary heartbreak or simply rejection. It was unbearable agony.
The newborn mate bond shattered before it had even been given the chance to fully form, unleashing unimaginable pain through every fiber of her body.
She collapsed onto her knees, clutching desperately at her chest as though she could somehow stop her heart from breaking into countless pieces.
It felt as though invisible hands had reached inside her body...
Wrapped themselves around her heart...
And crushed it without mercy.
She couldn't breathe, think, or even move from the pain.
Around her, the stunned crowd remained silent for only a moment.
Then someone laughed.
Another voice quickly joined in.
Within seconds, mocking whispers spread through the gathering like wildfire.
"The Alpha rejected her!"
"I knew he'd never accept a wolfless girl."
,
"She's such an embarrassment."
"What a disgrace."
Desperately,, Selene searched the faces surrounding her, hoping—praying—that someone would show even the smallest trace of compassion.
Her father stood motionless. His face held nothing. Not disappointment, sadness, or even pity.
Her mother couldn't bear to look at her. She simply turned away, pretending Selene didn't exist.
Her brother... Looked relieved.
That silent expression wounded her more deeply than any insult ever could.
The unbearable pain inside Selene's chest grew heavier until she thought it might kill her.
Then came the final blow.
Lydia gracefully walked toward Ryker and, without the slightest hesitation, slipped her arm through his.
Resting her head lightly against his shoulder, she smiled sweetly at Selene with mock sympathy shining in her eyes.
"I suppose the Moon Goddess made a mistake." Her voice dripped with false kindness. "But don't worry. I'll become the Luna this pack truly deserves."
Several wolves actually applauded, and others openly cheered.
Selene stared at them in utter disbelief. Her greatest humiliation... Had become their entertainment.
Only one person moved.
"Enough!"
Elias's furious roar sliced through the laughter like a sharpened blade, instantly silencing the crowd.
He pushed through the gathered wolves until he stood directly in front of Selene, shielding her broken body with his own as though daring anyone to hurt her again.
"What is wrong with all of you?" he demanded, his eyes blazing with righteous fury as he glared at everyone gathered in the sacred square. "She's done absolutely nothing to deserve this!"
Ryker's gaze turned icy.b"Stand aside."
"I won't." Elias refused; after all, he was also from a noble background. The Alpha can't kill him.
"Elias!" Ryker threatened.
"I. Said. No!" Elias challenged.
For the first time in his life... Elias openly challenged his Alpha.
"I won't allow you to humiliate her anymore."
A dangerous silence settled over the sacred square.
Without warning, Ryker released his Alpha aura.
The crushing pressure exploded outward like a tidal wave, forcing dozens of wolves to instinctively bow their heads beneath the overwhelming authority.
Even the strongest warriors struggled desperately to remain standing as the invisible force pressed down upon them.
Elias staggered beneath the unbearable pressure.
Blood slowly trickled from the corner of his mouth. Yet... He refused to move.
Ryker's voice was colder than frozen steel. "You're challenging your Alpha... for her?"
Elias met his gaze without even the slightest hint of fear. "If protecting an innocent girl is considered rebellion..."
He slowly straightened despite the immense pressure threatening to force him to his knees. "Then yes! I am!'
The crowd gasped.
No one had ever dared to publicly defy Alpha Ryker Blackthorne.
His golden eyes flashed with dangerous rage.
But before either man could make another move...
The full moon suddenly disappeared behind massive black clouds.
A freezing wind roared across the sacred square, whipping cloaks and banners violently through the air as the temperature dropped with terrifying speed.
Wolves instinctively wrapped their arms around themselves, shivering as an unnatural chill settled over the land.
The ground trembled.
Then...
CRACK!
A deafening sound split the night.
The Moonstone Altar fractured straight down the middle.
Brilliant silver light poured from the massive crack like flowing liquid moonlight, illuminating every horrified face gathered in the sacred square.
The elders stumbled backward in absolute terror.
"No..."
One elder's face turned deathly pale.
"This can't be happening. The Moonstone...has never broken."
Everyone stared in horror at the shattered altar.
Everyone... Except Selene.
Because beneath the unbearable agony of rejection...
Beyond the laughter...
Beyond the pain threatening to consume her...
She heard that ancient feminine voice once more.
This time it was stronger and clearer, filled with unimaginable power.
"Wake up... my child. It's time!"
