The Rejected Hand

Elira

The room was suddenly silent after the Alpha’s roar. Liora instantly scrambled to her feet and rushed to Alpha Kael, grabbing his arm and pressing herself close to him. She quickly pointed an accusing finger straight at me, still kneeling on the floor.

“She tried to kill me, Kael!” Liora cried, her voice trembling with fake fear. “She attacked me! She ruined the dress! You must send her away!”

I stayed on the floor, almost laughing at the ridiculous lie. I looked up at her, every muscle in my stomach aching from her kicks. “How can I possibly kill you, Liora?” I managed to say, my voice raspy. “I’m the one who is all beaten up here, not you.”

I watched as the Alpha moved. He walked quickly over to me, his heavy boots silent on the polished floor. He reached down and lifted me with immense force, pulling me up so fast that my bare feet barely touched the ground. He dragged my chin up, forcing my aching face to meet his intense gaze.

In that single, sharp moment, I felt it: a sudden, powerful pull in my chest, a deep ache that stole my breath. It was impossible.

My inner wolf roared the truth: Mate.

There was no way this powerful, feared Alpha—the one marrying my stepsister tonight—could be destined for me, the slave.

I heard him growl, low and dangerous. “How dare you physically touch what is mine to claim, servant!” he yelled, furious about Liora’s hair.

I refused to give him the satisfaction of tears. I gritted my teeth hard. “I didn’t,” I whispered the desperate lie. “I didn’t touch anything.”

He pushed me abruptly away from his body. I stumbled back against the table, my wrist throbbing where his fingers had squeezed. His intense stare burned, making my skin prickle, and I regretted every single word I had just spoken.

He finally spoke, his voice low and incredibly rough. “Who are you really?”

I instantly froze, my breath catching in my throat. Fear claws desperately at me. I lowered my eyes in submission. “I’m simply a slave here,” I whispered the bitter words, choosing the easiest lie.

His gaze instantly dropped to my hand, to the crescent scar faintly visible in the candlelight. His eyes narrowed dangerously, and my stomach violently twisted. “You’re the cursed one, then,” he said, his voice instantly cold, like he was naming a disgusting disease. “The one this entire pack constantly whispers about in fear.”

I nodded slowly, my throat tight. I had no choice but to admit the truth of the mark. The scar has branded me since birth, a permanent mark that makes the pack perpetually fear me. I braced myself for his obvious disgust, expecting him to instantly turn away in revulsion.

Instead, he shoves my wrist violently down, stepping abruptly back. “There’s absolutely no way you’re my destined mate,” he growled, his words slicing cruelly through me like glass. “No way the moon truly chose you to be mine.”

I stared blankly at him, my chest aching immensely. He distinctly felt it too—the powerful bond, the intense pull that made my inner wolf howl “Mate.” But his cold rejection stung much worse than any chain.

He glared at me, his jaw tight. “Never let this happen again,” he commanded, his voice ice. “Get out of this chamber.”

I almost laughed at the order. I stood up, my body still aching, and quickly walked away. I passed the shocked maids and Liora, who was still clinging to his arm. I didn't look back as I left the chamber.

…

Hours later, the mating ceremony was finally beginning.

The grand hall was completely alive with the pack’s intense energy, candles flickering everywhere, the air thick with tense anticipation. Liora glided regally ahead, her white gown glowing brightly, her smile radiant as she quickly approached the altar.

I stood silently amongst the other servants near the back wall. My patched tunic constantly itched, a painful reminder of my true place. I kept my head stubbornly down, watching the polished floor.

I felt Kael’s eyes before I even saw them, a physical weight that made my skin immediately prickle. I glanced quickly up, and there he was, standing tall at the altar, his intense gaze still locked firmly on me, not Liora. My inner wolf stirred instantly, the bond pulling tight, but I immediately looked away, my cheeks burning with shame.

Liora reached the altar, her perfect smile never once faltering. She was perfect, completely untouchable, the Luna the pack faithfully expected. My stepmother, Veyra, stood close near the elders, her sharp eyes glinting with immense pride. She instantly caught my gaze and smirked wickedly, her lips curling like she knew something awful I didn’t yet.

The formal ceremony began. The elders chanted low, their voices low and rhythmic, calling on the moon to bless the new bond. Liora stood tall and proud, her hand gently resting on Kael’s firm arm. He was stiff and completely unmoving, his jaw tight, his eyes still frantically flickering toward me. My inner wolf whined in despair, the bond a fire in my chest, but I forced myself to remain perfectly still and silent.

The head elder, a wiry man with gray hair, raised his old hands high. “Alpha Kael, do you completely accept Liora as your true mate, to lead the Ironfang Pack as Luna under the moon’s eternal light?”

The entire hall instantly fell into a heavy, silent quiet. My heart hammered uncontrollably, dreading his answer. I shouldn’t care at all, but the powerful bond made it impossible not to. Kael opened his mouth slowly, his intense gaze sliding to me one last, agonizing time. His face was dead, completely devoid of emotion or warmth.

Before he could speak the final word, the hall’s heavy doors burst open violently with a sudden crash. A frantic woman stumbled blindly in, her face pale white, her eyes wide with total fear. She instantly collapsed hard to her knees right before Kael, her voice trembling terribly.

“Alpha, your father’s been brutally murdered!”