Forsaken by My Mate, Chosen by the Beast

They say fate is carved into our bones before we even take our first breath. If that’s true, then I was destined to suffer from the very beginning.

My father had once been a powerful Alpha, respected and feared. But when betrayal struck, he lost everything. Some claimed he had conspired with rogues, others whispered of a crime so grave it warranted exile. Whatever the truth was, he vanished, and my mother—loyal to the end—followed him into the unknown.

I was left behind, an unborn child carrying the weight of his sins.

From the moment I could walk, the pack saw me as a burden. I wasn’t just an orphan—I was a disgrace. And when I failed to shift at sixteen, the whispers turned to open mockery.

"An Alpha’s daughter who can’t even shift? She’s nothing but a weak Omega."

I learned to live in the shadows, to lower my head, to expect nothing.

Then, on my eighteenth birthday, the impossible happened. I shifted.

The power that surged through me was undeniable. I wasn’t weak. I wasn’t an Omega. But after years of being told I was worthless, I hesitated. What would they do if they knew the truth? If they had already cast me aside as an Omega, how would they react to a secret I had kept from them?

So, I hid it. No one knew. No one, except Owen.

Alpha Owen. My mate.

He promised me everything—acceptance, love, a place by his side. Tonight was supposed to be the night he kept that promise. Tonight, after his father’s retirement ceremony, he would claim his title as Alpha. And once the celebrations settled, he would announce me as his mate.

At least, that was what I believed.

I made my way to his quarters, my heart pounding with anticipation. The halls were still filled with the echoes of celebration, but I barely heard them.

I reached his door. Took a breath. Pushed it open.

And the world as I knew it ended.

Mara lay on the floor, motionless, her lifeless eyes staring at nothing. The scent of blood hung thick in the air. Owen stood above her, his hands trembling, a bloodied knife clutched between his fingers.

I couldn’t breathe.

“What… what happened?” My voice barely came out.

Owen’s eyes darted to me, wild and desperate. “Ariana. It’s not—it’s not what it looks like.”

A pause. A shaky inhale. And then, “She came onto me. I told her no. She wouldn’t stop. There was a struggle, and—I didn’t mean to.”

I swallowed, my throat dry. “Owen…”

“If they find out,” he cut me off, stepping closer, “they’ll exile me. I’ll lose everything.” His voice was strained, urgent. “Ariana, you know how the pack is. You know how much this means to me.”

I just stared at him.

Then, his next words nearly made my knees buckle.

“You have to take the blame.”

My breath hitched. “What?”

“If you say it was you, they won’t question it,” he pressed on. “You’re already an outcast. They expect the worst from you.” His fingers curled around my wrist, his grip tight. “But if you do this for me, I swear, I’ll make it right. When I become Alpha in five days, I’ll fix everything. I’ll come for you.”

A lump formed in my throat. “You’re asking me to confess to murder.”

“I’m asking you to trust me.”

I wanted to believe him. I wanted to believe that, after everything, fate hadn’t been so cruel as to lead me to this moment just to shatter me.

I took a shaky breath. “If I do this… you promise you’ll come for me?”

His hands tightened around mine. “I promise.”

The door burst open.

Caleb, Owen’s Beta, stepped in with several warriors. His eyes took in the scene—Mara’s lifeless body, the knife in Owen’s hands, the horror on my face.

His voice was cold when he spoke. “What the hell happened here?”

I didn’t hesitate.

“It was me,” I said, my voice steady. “I killed her.”

A beat of silence. Then Caleb’s jaw clenched. “Take her to the cells.”

Rough hands grabbed me. I didn’t resist.

I barely registered Cynthia’s voice, distant but desperate. “Ariana! Tell them the truth! Tell them it wasn’t you!”

But I said nothing.

Even as the iron bars of my cell clanged shut, even as the weight of my choice settled on my chest, I clung to Owen’s words.

"Five days."

"I’ll come for you."

"I promise."

But deep down, in the place I had buried all my fears, I already knew.

Promises meant nothing to the Moon Goddess.

And tonight, she had been crueler than ever.