Straightening my shoulders, I scanned the street. The crowd was in an uproar because the Alpha King, the leader of the Dark Crescent Pack, was expected to appear at the upcoming parade.
My eyes flickered to the approaching vehicle. As a member of the Council of Royalty, I had been entrusted with the job of shadowing and ensuring the safety and well-being of the Alpha King over a year ago. It was a tedious job at times, but I took it seriously nonetheless.
I adjusted my black hat and surveyed the throngs of people around me. The Alpha King only waved once in acknowledgement of the adoring women calling out his name. It was a rare sight to see him in the presence of others, let alone with a woman.
I couldn't deny it, he was handsome. His looks alone could easily set him apart from the rest. With his charm, he had a way of making women swoon over him. But I knew better than to be fooled by appearances. Beneath the surface, he was cold-hearted, ruling with an iron fist. Those who dared to disobey him would face unforgiving consequences – death being one of them.
I had witnessed him in battle, taking lives with ease, and when he was angry, his rage was terrifying. Yet, despite all that I had seen, he remained an enigma, who kept his distance from the public eye, revealing little about himself. It was my job to keep it that way.
As his car zoomed past me, I bolted towards the west, diving deep into the dense woods. My senses were heightened as I felt a pair of eyes following my every move. I quickened my pace, my hands involuntarily clenching into fists.
I darted deeper into the woods, ready to pounce at any moment. Then, I saw him – a shadowy figure entering the forest of another pack. My movements were accompanied by the force of the wind as I sneered at his foolishness. He wasn't the only one with tricks up his sleeve. Unfortunately for him, I wasn't just any ordinary werewolf. I was the Council of Royalty's most skilled protector, trained to defend the Royal Family of Werewolves at all costs.
With lightning speed, I jumped between the trees, my powerful muscles propelling me forward. In an instant, I caught him by surprise, grabbing his arms and twisting them behind his back.
'Shit!"
His expletive was a clear indication of his frustration as I pinned him to the ground. Though he struggled to escape my grip, his efforts were in vain.
'Who are you?" I demanded. The man remained silent, his stubborn demeanor not faltering in the slightest. 'Why are you following the Alpha King?"
His response was a mocking laugh, which only fueled my anger further. 'You won't get anything from me, young lady," he retorted with a smug expression.
'Don't make this difficult for us both," I warned. 'Speak up and tell me."
With a contemptuous sneer, the man remained tight-lipped, refusing to reveal anything. I was just about to coax him into spilling the beans when suddenly, chaos erupted.
Arrows came raining down on me with such ferocity that it felt like the world was ending. Fortunately, my reflexes were sharp, and I managed to evade them, but the man slipped out of my grasp and took off running again.
Cursing under my breath, I made a move to pursue him, but the arrows kept raining down on me relentlessly. Frustration and anger coursed through my veins, and I stomped my feet, feeling the weight of my black boots. As I looked around, I realized that I was far from the pack.
With a deep sigh, I began to trudge back, my mind preoccupied with the growing number of opponents who were after the Alpha King, thirsting for his blood. I knew that I had to be vigilant and protect him.
Damien Hilton, the Alpha King I vowed to protect as part of my professional duties. A man whose secrets were as guarded as a fortress. I couldn't help but wonder, why didn't he have a mate? Was he like me, a victim of betrayal and rejection? Did he, too, carry the weight of an unrequited love, unable to move on and accept his fate?
All at once, pain shot through my chest, causing me to stumble and fall on the grass. The pain intensified, spreading like wildfire through my veins, and I clenched my teeth to suppress the screams that threatened to burst out of me. It felt as though my heart was being repeatedly stabbed, while my body was being consumed by a raging inferno. The torment was unbearable. I forced a bitter smile, knowing full well the cause of my agony.
He did it once again.
Long ago, the Moon Goddess bestowed upon us werewolves the gift of soulmates, granting us the chance to find true love and everlasting happiness. But this gift came with a curse, for not all soulmates were meant to be. The cruel fate of rejection loomed over us like a dark cloud, threatening to shatter our hearts and tear us apart.
When a wolf was rejected by their mate, the pain was excruciating, for it was not just a physical bond that was broken, but a spiritual one. The once unbreakable connection between two souls was severed, leaving the rejected wolf in a state of deep despair, unable to feel or comprehend what their former mate was experiencing.
To refuse rejection was to invite a world of hurt and torment upon oneself. The betrayal of the bond cut deep, and the agony of unrequited love was compounded by the fiery agony of heat. Every moment spent apart from one's mate was a reminder of what could have been, and the sight of them with another filled the rejected wolf with a seething jealousy and longing that could never be quenched.
I always questioned my worth, was I not enough? I wasn't a damsel in distress, never needing anyone to fight my battles. I was a fighter, a strong and independent woman who knew how to hold my own. But despite it all, nothing seemed to be going my way.
I fell to my knees, the weight of it all too much to bear, and cried my heart out, wondering if this torment would ever come to an end. It wasn't just pain that wrecked me, it was something far worse. It was a searing agony that cut all the way to my core, making me feel like I was being ripped apart from the inside out.
'Argh!"
My legs shook beneath me, and I didn't know how I was holding up. My breathing became ragged, and my heart no longer beat in rhythm.
Despite the absence of tears from my eyes, a pang of anguish hit me as if my inner wolf was begging in my head. It was Selene, whom I had not spoken to since Axel had rejected me as his mate. I struggled to maintain my bitter smile, while inside my chest my wolf wailed in agony.
'How much longer could we endure this torment, Amara?"
I clutched my chest, hoping to ease the pain, but it only intensified. The ache seemed to seep through every fiber of my being, refusing to abate.
My legs hurt like they were on fire. The pain felt like a hot, sharp blade slicing through my skin and into my muscles and bones, as if my leg had frozen and a bolt of lightning had struck me from head to toe. It triggered a terrifying blankness in my mind. It was nauseating, and I continued to howl.
'Aren't you tired yet? Do you want to always be like this?"
I let out a weak sigh and replied, 'I don't know, Selene."
Her voice was gentle but firm as she spoke, 'That's enough, Amara. Let him go. I know you have been in love with him for a long time, but he values power over you. Why can't you just accept the rejection and wait for a second chance?"
I couldn't help but let out a chuckle, bitter and profound. 'Second chance? To what? To love?"
'Isn't it better to hope than to be stuck in this anguish?"
I paused for a moment, lost in my own thoughts. 'Am I being selfish, Selene? I know that I am hurting you with me. Are you tired?"
Her response was barely a whisper, 'Yes."
Her words hit me hard, and my chest felt heavy with guilt. I knew without asking that Selene was exhausted, and I didn't want her to suffer because of me.
My choppy breathing and watery eyes remained for quite some time, and I sat there unmoving. I lifted my eyes towards the sky, and there it was – a giant moon, beaming down at me. Its light was bright, casting a mysterious glow over everything around me. It felt like there was a message being communicated in a language beyond my comprehension.
Tears traced down my cheeks and onto the grass beneath me. I was surrounded by the sounds of the night – the faint buzz of insects and the gentle melody of nocturnal birds.
Was it time to let him go?
'Moon Goddess," I cried out, my voice echoing into the night. 'Why did you bring him into my life if he wasn't meant to stay?"
I felt lost and confused, struggling to make sense of the situation I found myself in. Why did fate have to be so cruel?
I was a tough woman, a true warrior who had devoted my life to protecting the Alpha. My kind heart, unwavering courage, and relentless dedication had made me unbeatable in battle. No foe could stand against me, but the foolishness of love had left me vulnerable and weak. I couldn't understand why love had the power to make me shed tears of heartache.
'Everything happens for a reason, Amara. You just have to look ahead to the future and not back to the past," Selene advised, which brought a faint smile to my lips.
She was more than just a wolf to me; she was wise, intelligent, and ever-present. It was her who had helped me cope with the pain. My wolf's wisdom resonated with me, and I knew what I had to do. Just as she had always been there for me, I vowed to be there for her.
Axel Hawkins, the next in line to be the heir to the Grey Hound Pack throne. I had harbored feelings for him long before the mating call ever sounded. But alas, Axel had chosen Rhea Wilson as his partner and left me to wallow in my unrequited love.
A lot of questions tormented my soul with each passing day. What did he find in Rhea that he failed to see in me? Was it her Alpha lineage that made her a more suitable match for Axel, someone who would strengthen his pups? Whatever it was, the bond between us frayed.
I drew in a long, slow breath and let the crisp, wintry air embrace me. With eyes squeezed shut, I readied myself to speak the words that held the power to transform my reality in an instant.
'I, Amara Dale, accept the rejection of my mate, Axel Hawkins. From now on, we no longer have a bond, and I truly accept it with all my heart."
As the words left my lips, I felt a sudden shift in my being. The connection that had bound me to Axel for so long began to unravel. For years, I had carried the pain of rejection, the hurt of knowing that the one I loved did not love me in return. It had been a burden that had weighed heavily on my soul, but now, I felt it slip away.
The night around me grew colder, and I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling the chill seeping into my bones. My vision blurred, and then, everything began to fade into darkness.
