Chapter 2 The Rejection

Ophelia’s Pov

We all stood around the sacred stone. The Moon Ceremony was happening. It was the biggest night of the year for the pack.

Everyone was dressed in their best clothes. They were all talking fast and laughing loudly. They were waiting for their futures to be decided.

I stood far in the back with the other Omegas. We didn’t matter much. We were just there to make the crowd bigger. I tried to blend into the shadows under a big tree. I didn’t want anyone to look at me.

The moonlight was very bright tonight. It hit the sacred stone and spread everywhere.

The ceremony started. The Elder began calling out names. One by one, couples stepped forward.

“Luna Maeve and Beta Gareth,” the Elder yelled.

They had huge smiles on their faces. They walked to the stone and touched their hands. They were mated. The crowd cheered very loudly. This happened over and over. Every time a mate was found, the air got more tense. Everyone wanted to be next. Everyone was happy except for me, who was just scared.

All of a sudden, I felt my heart start to beat very fast. It was an awful feeling, like a trapped bird trying to get out of my chest. My skin started to feel hot, like a fever.

It was my wolf. She was quiet for so long, but now she was active. She was jumping in my head.

“He’s here,” she whispered. Her voice was strong. It made my head hurt.

I tried to ignore her. I told her to be quiet and told myself it was just nerves, but the feeling got stronger and stronger. It was a pull, like a rope tied around my middle, pulling me to the center of the crowd. It hurt me so bad.

The pull was leading me to a certain part of the crowd. I didn't want to look. I kept my eyes on the dirt.

I finally had to look up. I couldn't stop myself. The burning feeling was too strong.

My eyes found his eyes instantly. It was like no one else existed in the whole world.

It was Alpha Dominic.

He was standing right next to the Elder, looking over the crowd. He was waiting for his mate, of course.

The moment our eyes met, the bond hit me. It was like fire poured all over my skin. It was painful, but also the most intense thing I've ever felt. It took my breath away. I couldn't breathe in or out.

“No way…. No… This can't be happening.” I whispered to myself.

He felt it too. I saw his head snap up. His eyes, which were usually cold, were wide with shock.

The whole pack felt the connection break out between us. The air changed again.

There was a loud gasp. It started in the front row and spread fast

Then the whispering started. It was worse than the cheering.

“The Alpha,” someone hissed.

“And HER?” someone else said loud enough for me to hear. “No way.”

They looked at me, then at him, then back at me. They were all pointing. Their faces were all in disbelief. I wanted to disappear.

Despite the stares and the disbelief, a feeling came over me that I had never felt before. It was pure happiness.

The Moon Goddess chose me. My prayers worked.

This was it. My life was changing. My dream of freedom was coming true. I would never be an Omega slave again. I would be Luna. He would love me and save me from the hands of my evil stepmother and her mean daughter.

I took a small step forward. My heart felt full for the first time in my life.

But the smile didn't stay on my face for so long.

I saw Dominic’s expression change. The shock left his face and something terrible replaced it. It was disgust. Real, deep disgust.

He took a step toward me, slow and powerful. Everyone held their breath.

He looked me up and down, like I was a piece of dirt on his shoe.

“You?” he said. His voice was a low growl, loud in the silence. “My mate? This must be a mistake. The Moon Goodness was probably wrong. This cannot be possible.”

He laughed. It was a horrible, mocking sound. It was very loud.

“Look at her,” he said, talking to the pack but pointing at me. “She’s barely a wolf. She’s a weak Omega. The Moon Goddess gave me this? This is a joke. She can't rule side by side with me. She does not know pack politics and she is worthless.”

Annalise, who was standing nearby, put her hand over her mouth. She didn’t look sad. She was hiding a smug smirk. She was happy about this.

Then the laughter started. It was worse than the whispering. It started slow, then grew fast. The whole pack was laughing at me.

Dominic walked right up to the sacred stone. He didn’t look at me again. He looked at the whole pack. He wanted everyone to hear him.

His voice was clear and cold. It hit me like a physical punch.

“I, Alpha Dominic Monaghan, reject you as my mate. You will never be my Luna and you shall remain a servant in this pack."

He said it very slowly and clearly. He meant every single word.

A sudden, horrible pain flooded my whole body. It felt like every bone was breaking at once. It was the mate bond ripping apart. It was worse than any beating I ever got. I screamed.

My wolf didn't just scream inside my head. She howled. A terrible, broken sound of agony and betrayal.

I fell to my knees. I couldn’t stand up. The pain was too much.

The pack’s laughter grew even louder. They were cheering for Dominic. They were happy to see me hurt.

“The rejected one!” they shouted. The name became a roar.

Enid, one of the servant maids, rushed to me. She was supposed to be my friend. She put her hand on my shoulder. She was whispering, “Oh, Ophelia, I’m so sorry.” But when she leaned close, her eyes were shining. She was enjoying the scene.

I looked around from the ground.

Eve rushed to my side too. She pulled her face into a pitiful look. “Poor, poor Ophelia,” she said, loud enough for others to hear. But I saw the quick smirk she gave me when she thought no one was looking. She was happy I was ruined.

I looked for my father. He was standing by the outer edge of the crowd. He was watching everything. He looked straight at me, begging on the ground. He didn’t move. He didn’t say anything. He stayed silent.

I realized something important right then. I wasn’t just rejected by Dominic. I was completely alone. I had nobody. I didn’t have a mate or a family to stand by me. The Moon Goddess failed me.”

Within a few minutes, the laughter stopped. Everyone went silent again.

The Seer was walking toward the sacred stone. She walked slowly. She ignored Dominic and looked only at me, still on the ground. Her eyes were wide with fear.

She raised her shaky hands and spoke. Her voice was thin, but it carried across the whole territory.

“Stop!” she commanded. “The Moon has spoken!”

Everyone looked at her.

Then she spoke the words that changed everything. She pointed a shaking finger right at me.

“The rejected one carries divine blood. Her bond will shake the throne of Lycans. Her womb… the vessel of destiny.”

The second she finished the prophecy, the silence exploded.

The pack members all gasped. Not with laughter, but with pure fear.

“She’s cursed!” they shouted. “Liar!”

They were screaming at the Seer. But the Seer’s voice was too powerful.

Dominic looked completely stunned. He looked from the Seer to me. The disgust was gone. He looked confused.

Annalise was grabbing his arm. She looked truly threatened.

But Eve looked the worst. Her face was white. She looked absolutely terrified. She knew something.

The prophecy made the pack turn on me completely. They were not laughing anymore.

They didn’t see me as a weak Omega slave anymore. They saw me as a danger. Something that could hurt the pack. Something that could bring trouble. I was a threat.

They backed away from me. They kept whispering. They were scared of the divine blood.

I pushed myself up, shaking. My pain was forgotten in the middle of this new, terrifying fear the pack had for me.

Alpha Dominic finally moved. He walked toward me. His face was cold again. He didn't look like a heartbroken rejecter. He looked like an Alpha protecting his pack.

He stopped in front of me, staring into my eyes with ice-cold rage.

He growled at the surrounding guards. His voice was final.

“Get her out of my pack… before she destroys us all.”