Rejected by the alpha, crowned as the rogue Queen

RA'S

was the kind that made even t

very torch flickered in rhythm with the wind, every banner of the Moonbane Pack rippled under

n the middle of

kennel girl. The lowe

the Beta's daughters, yellowed lace, uneven sewing. I'd spent the afternoon scrubbing mud from it just to l

heart hammering, trying not to fidg

wolves, the Moon Goddess would reveal Her will, and some lucky she-wolf would wa

ted wolf must attend. So here

hey wanted work done. I kept to the back, watchin

aa

Al

ceremonial cloak that caught the light like storm clouds. His hair gleamed black under the moonlight, and his eyes, gods, his eyes, were gray like winter rain.

s per

everythin

yard or leading a patrol. I'd never spoken to him. I'd never dared. I

naive part, had always wondered wha

"On this sacred night, under the gaze of the Moon Godde

wd fell

her fingers into it. One by one, she called the names of the unmated women, marking their

ing forward with tears and smiles. Others didn't, and

th

of Moo

n

e definitely I'

s looked aro

d turned

filled with curiosity and di

ws and pretend I'd never existed. But the priestess's

forward through the parted crowd. When I reached the altar, I kn

s again into the moonlit water

hing happened. Th

y chest, my veins, my very soul. My breath caught, and a strange, wi

I fel

pu

up, and my eyes

a Is

rming a shimmering bond of silv

d through th

his scent wrapping around me like a storm, his heartbeat echoing in

widened for a heartbeat, his body going ri

is express

urned t

is entire aura shifted. The whispers died

slow step

ly made it ou

cut into

at cracked through the

rembling. "T

ss says." His tone was icy,

"Alpha Isaak, you ca

left mine. "I c

hit like a

the air, the collective horror of what

his shadow fell over me, h

an omega. Weak. Fragile. You would break under the weight of this

inside m

spered, barely

f the Moonbane Pack, reject yo

es wa

I fell forward, clutching my heart. The pain wasn't phy

to fragments of silver that scatt

asped, but

"Let this ceremony continue. The Goddes

he turn

like

d chosen for me walked back to

rning my eyes. The pain was so f

g over my shoulder. "Child, you must breathe. T

a

hat would pass. It felt like someth

ted again, low an

s cur

ve tricked t

as right to

ogether, meaningless

swam, but I forced myself to stand. I wouldn't

before the altar, his bac

d chosen for me. The man who had looked into my eyes

nd new stirred beneath my sk

y chosen him, then She

answer. I turned and walked out of the courtyard

s pain, but

hing had happened. The drums resumed. The

ld into the darkness beyond,