The War God' Rejected Mate

That night felt different from all the nights before. The air was colder, sharper, as if every breath carried whispers of an unseen destiny. The sky above the Silvercrest Pack’s territory looked darker than usual, as though it were holding something back—waiting for the moment the moon would turn blood red and bind the fates of the werewolves who had come of age.

I stood before my bedroom window, gazing out at the vast forest that marked the dominion of the Silvercrest Pack. The woods were not merely rows of trees and shadows of night. They were home. Land protected by our ancestors. A territory ruled for decades by my father, Alpha Arka Pradana, before it was passed on to the next generation.

And tonight… I was supposed to become part of that history.

I could hardly wait for the Blood Moon to rise. Every werewolf who had turned eighteen awaited this night with the same storm of emotions—nerves, hope, and fear tangled together. Bonds of love would be blessed when the Blood Moon appeared. The Moon Goddess would strengthen the destiny already written… or shatter it without mercy.

The clock on the wall ticked softly, yet each second thundered in my chest.

Eleven o’clock.

One more hour.

In one hour, my life would change forever.

Outside, members of the Silvercrest Pack had already begun gathering in the central clearing. I could feel their energy even from my room—a low vibration only another werewolf could understand. The night of the Blood Moon was not merely a personal ritual. It was a sacred event for the entire pack.

I closed my eyes and pictured Liam’s face.

Alpha Liam Darian—the young leader of the Silvercrest Pack.

The man I had loved since we were children. The heir to the Alpha throne. The man who had sworn he would claim me as his Luna when the Blood Moon rose.

He made that promise six months ago beneath the old oak tree on the eastern border.

“Airin,” he had whispered then, his hand clasping mine. “When the Blood Moon comes, I will claim you before the entire Silvercrest Pack. I want them to know you are my future Luna.”

I believed him.

With all my heart.

I opened my wardrobe and took out my finest dress. It was midnight blue, embroidered with silver threads that shimmered like moonlight. The fabric was soft, elegant, worthy of the future Luna of the Silvercrest Pack.

My hands trembled slightly as I put it on.

“Calm down, Airin,” I murmured to my reflection. “You’re Alpha Arka’s daughter. You were raised for this night.”

I brushed my long hair slowly, letting it fall in natural waves. I pinned a small crescent-moon clip into it—the symbol of honor for a Luna-to-be in our pack.

Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door.

Tok. Tok. Tok.

“Miss Airin,” came the gentle voice of our household attendant. “Alpha Arka Pradana requests your presence downstairs.”

Father.

The former leader of the Silvercrest Pack.

“All right, I’m coming.”

I took a deep breath and stepped out of my room. The grand staircase of the main house felt longer than usual. The crystal chandelier in the main hall cast warm light, yet somehow the atmosphere felt cold.

And there—

Liam stood waiting.

The Alpha of the Silvercrest Pack.

Tall, imposing, dressed in a formal black suit with the pack’s emblem embroidered over his chest. His Alpha aura was so strong the air around him felt heavy.

My heart fluttered.

I quickened my steps and approached him with a wide smile.

“Hi, love. Have you been waiting long?”

My hand slipped around his arm, just as I always did.

But…

Liam didn’t answer.

He didn’t smile.

Slowly, with a cold and decisive motion, he removed my hand from his arm.

I froze.

Something had changed.

“Liam?” My voice weakened.

Footsteps echoed from the hallway.

Rosemary appeared in a striking dark-red gown. Behind her, my father walked with a grave expression, his lingering Alpha aura pressing down on the room.

“Airin,” Rosemary said softly, though her tone pierced like a blade. “Tonight, you need to hear something.”

My heartbeat grew louder.

“What is it?”

She glanced briefly at Liam before looking back at me.

“Liam isn’t going to claim you,” she said slowly. “He’s changed his mind. He’s going to claim your sister, Namira.”

Namira.

Namira Alvera.

Rosemary’s daughter.

My stepsister.

A member of the Silvercrest Pack who had always been praised because her wolf awakened earlier than mine.

The world seemed to stop turning.

I turned to Liam.

“This isn’t true… is it?” I asked quietly.

He looked at me with a blank expression.

“I’ve considered it for the future of the Silvercrest Pack,” he finally said.

For the pack?

My chest tightened.

“She’s more suitable to be Luna,” he added.

More suitable.

The words echoed in my mind.

I, the daughter of Alpha Arka Pradana, who had been taught since childhood about a Luna’s responsibilities, pack strategy, diplomacy between territories… was now considered not enough?

In the distance, wolves began to howl. Members of the Silvercrest Pack were calling to the moon. The energy of the night shifted. The air trembled.

The Blood Moon was almost here.

Before everything became irreversible, I stepped closer to him.

“Liam,” I said firmly, though my voice trembled, “I want to ask you one more time. Are you going to claim me… or my stepsister, Namira?”