“I, Damian Ashford, future Alpha of the Obsidian Fang Pack, reject you, Eliana Harris, as my Luna and mate.” His words cut through the air, cold and merciless.
The world around me seemed to crumble. My heart shattered, each piece like a dagger piercing my chest. My sobs echoed through the empty packhouse, the weight of his rejection suffocating me.
“Accept the damn rejection and NEVER show your face in front of me again,” he spat. “You disgust me, human! Your ‘parents’ should’ve left you to die in the woods. What was the point of saving you? Maybe I’d have gotten a real mate!” His words were poison, eating away at my dignity.
I stood frozen, unable to breathe. His hatred was so raw, I couldn’t process it. The thought that it would have been better if I never existed—if I had died in the woods—it was too much. My fingers twisted in my blouse, and I bent over, clutching my chest, fighting to hold on to myself.
“I… I accept…” I whispered, the words tasting like ash.
“Not like that, you bitch!” His voice roared, shaking me to my core. “Accept it properly!”
The room felt like it was closing in on me. Damian had ensured the pack was distracted with the barbecue, giving him the privacy to humiliate me. I had hoped, foolishly, that maybe, just maybe, he wanted to accept our bond. We discovered we were mates a month ago on his birthday. But I was wrong.
I flinched as his grip on my hair tightened, pain shooting through my scalp. I had no choice but to submit. I felt the weight of the rejection sink deep within me, a pain that would never go away.
“I… Eliana Harris, accept your rejection,” I gasped, and he finally let go, stepping back with a cruel sneer.
“Good. Now get out. My parents might be back soon, and I want you gone before then.” He stormed out, leaving me standing there, broken.
I felt like I’d been ripped apart. This pain was worse than when I learned I wasn’t like the others in the pack, when I discovered I wasn’t my parents’ real child. The truth was clear: I was human, never meant to belong.
When my wolf never came, when I couldn’t feel the bond others shared, I finally understood. I wasn’t like them. That day, my world shattered. My parents found me abandoned in the woods, wrapped in a pink blanket, left in a basket. They raised me as their own with Alpha Sam’s blessing, but I was never truly one of them. I tried to fit in, but I always knew I was different.
That day, I cried until it felt like my soul was being torn apart. If not for Lydia, Mira, and Aaron—my best friends who always knew how to comfort me—I might have run away. They reminded me of my parents’ love and how devastated they’d be if I left. They even threatened to track me down if I tried. So, I stayed. Despite the pain from Damian’s rejection, I had people who cared. I had family and friends who loved me, even if we weren’t blood.
At first, I thought nothing could hurt more than being the only one in the pack without a wolf. But being rejected by my mate—the one person meant to accept me—was a different kind of torment. It felt like my heart had been ripped out.
I slowly got to my feet, my legs trembling. I needed to get away. I didn’t want to be near Damian when he came back. The pack would be celebrating the full moon tonight, but not me. I needed solitude.
The woods offered peace. I walked through the trees, stepping over branches and uneven ground. The moonlight helped me find my way. After a few minutes, I reached my sanctuary—the cliff.
The view was breathtaking, but tonight, it only made me feel emptier. Damian had rejected me. Who would want a weak human like me? Maybe the pack would be better off without me. My parents had struggled to protect me from rogue attacks. I was a burden. The thought crashed over me—without me, they’d be stronger.
I tried to push it away, but it grew louder. Damian was right. My parents should’ve left me in the woods. I turned from the view, my eyes landing on the distant bonfire. They were celebrating, while I stood here, broken. For a moment, I smiled—a bittersweet smile.
I had been loved. I had belonged. And for that, I was grateful. For Lydia, Mira, Aaron—my support. And my parents, who raised me even though I wasn’t their true daughter. I was grateful for every moment.
But now, it was time to leave.
I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat tight. They had given me so much. Now it was my turn to give them peace. I took hesitant steps back, staring at the stars. The cold night air wrapped around me, and I knew what was next. I would fall into the river below, and maybe—just maybe—this fall would erase the pain. The water would take everything, leaving nothing behind.
Goodbye, everyone. Goodbye, mate
