The Lycan's Luna

‎Seris POV

‎The night I turned eighteen, the moon felt heavier than it ever had before.

‎It hung full and bright above Moonveil Pack, casting silver light over the clearing where the entire pack had gathered. Lanterns glowed softly between the trees, their warm light doing little to chase away the cold knot in my chest. Laughter echoed around me, excited murmurs, teasing remarks, the sound of celebration.

‎It was supposed to be my night.

‎The night my wolf awakened.

‎The night fate chose my mate.

‎I stood at the edge of the clearing, fingers twisting the fabric of my simple pale-blue dress. I hadn't chosen it for beauty. I chose it because it was quiet. Because it wouldn't draw attention. Because I already felt like I took up too much space just by existing.

‎"Omega Seris," someone whispered as they passed me, their tone sharp, amused.

‎I lowered my gaze.

‎Being an Omega meant surviving on the edges of everything - never loud, never demanding, never enough. My parents stood several feet away, my mother's lips pressed into a thin line, my father staring at the ground as if willing it to swallow him whole. They loved me, I knew that. But love didn't change what I was in this pack.

‎Weak. Replaceable. Forgettable.

‎Only one person stood firmly at my side.

‎Theo.

‎"You're shaking," he muttered under his breath, leaning closer. "And don't deny it. I can feel it."

‎I let out a weak huff. "You always can."

‎Theo was a year older than me, his wolf already awakened, his sarcasm sharpened by years of watching me be stepped on. He stood a little taller tonight, arms crossed, eyes scanning the clearing like he was daring someone to say something cruel.

‎He always protected me. Even when it cost him.

‎"Relax," he said. "If your mate turns out to be an idiot, I'll punch him."

‎That earned a small smile from me. "You can't punch an Alpha."

‎"I absolutely can," he replied. "I just won't survive it."

‎Before I could respond, a sudden hush rippled through the crowd.

‎The Alpha, Lucien, stepped forward, his presence commanding instant silence. Beside him stood Draven his son, the future Alpha of Moonveil Pack.

‎My heart skipped.

‎Draven was... everything the pack admired. Strong. Handsome. Confident. He had golden eyes that gleamed beneath the moonlight and a presence that pulled attention like gravity. I had known for years. Deep down, in that quiet place I never dared to speak from, I had hoped.

‎Not expected. Not demanded. Just hoped.

‎The moon pulsed.

‎The air shifted.

‎And then... Pain.

‎It slammed into my chest so suddenly I gasped, clutching at my heart as heat raced through my veins. My knees nearly buckled as something snapped into place, sharp and undeniable.

‎The mate bond.

‎My wolf - soft, timid, long-silent stirred for the first time. There, she whispered. Him.

‎I looked up.

‎Draven's head snapped in my direction at the same moment his eyes widened. For one terrifying second, hope flared so brightly in my chest it hurt.

‎We were mates.

‎The murmurs exploded.

‎An Omega.

‎Draven's mate is an Omega?

‎This has to be a mistake.

‎I took a shaky step forward, heart pounding so loud I was sure everyone could hear it. Theo's hand shot out, gripping my wrist, grounding me.

‎"Seris," he warned softly.

‎But it was too late.

‎Draven stepped forward, jaw tight, eyes cold not shocked, not confused.

‎Angry.

‎The pain that followed was worse than the bond snapping into place.

‎"I reject her."

‎The words rang through the clearing like a blade striking bone.

‎Silence fell so fast it felt suffocating.

‎"I, Draven of Moonveil Pack, reject Seris as my mate."

‎My world shattered.

‎The bond tore apart violently, ripping through me with white-hot agony. I screamed...couldn't stop it as I collapsed to the ground, clutching my chest as tears streamed freely down my face. My wolf whimpered, shrinking back into nothingness. Rejected. Publicly. Completely.

‎Gasps and whispers erupted around us, but none of them mattered. Not the pity. Not the shock. Not the thinly veiled satisfaction on certain faces.

‎Draven didn't even look at me.

‎"She is weak," he continued, voice sharp, final. "An Omega with no value to this pack. I will not bind my future to someone who cannot stand beside me."

‎That was when I saw Mira.

‎She stood near the front, lips curved into a triumphant smile, her friends clustered around her like vultures. Her eyes gleamed with victory.

‎Theo moved.

‎He was at my side instantly, kneeling, arms around me as I shook. "Hey. Hey, breathe. Look at me," he whispered fiercely. "You're okay. I've got you."

‎I wasn't okay.

‎I felt hollow. Broken. Like the moon itself had turned its back on me.

‎The Alpha cleared his throat, uncomfortable but unmoved. "The bond has been severed. The matter is settled."

‎Just like that.

‎My fate, discarded.

‎Theo helped me to my feet, his arm firm around my shoulders. I could feel eyes on us as we walked away - judging, whispering, dissecting my humiliation like it was entertainment.

‎Mira's laughter followed me.

‎That night, the Moonveil Pack celebrated.

‎Not my birthday.

‎Not my awakening.

‎My rejection.

‎I locked myself in my room and cried until my chest ached and my throat burned. The bond scar throbbed beneath my skin, a constant reminder that fate had chosen me once only to rip it away.

‎I didn't know then that fate wasn't finished.

‎I didn't know that this was only the breaking point.

‎I didn't know that the strongest Lycan to ever walk this land would soon step into Moonveil territory...

‎or that the same night my heart shattered, his fate would awaken.