After My Brothers Rejected Me, My Prince Claimed Me

My trembling fingers smoothed down the simple gown I'd spent weeks sewing, incorporating threads from Luna Catherine's old robes—a symbol of the family I desperately wanted to officially join. Tonight was my Coming of Age Ceremony, the night I'd finally discover which of the Harrison brothers was my fated mate. After fourteen years of being raised alongside them, the answer would finally be revealed.

*Are you nervous?* Hope, my inner wolf, whispered through our mental connection.

"Terrified," I admitted, adjusting the silver crescent moon pendant around my neck—a gift from Alpha Marcus on my sixteenth birthday. "But excited too. We'll finally know where we truly belong."

The grand hall of the Silver Moon Pack house was illuminated with hundreds of candles, casting a warm glow over the gathered pack members. I stood at the entrance, heart thundering in my chest as all eyes turned to me. The Harrison family waited on the raised dais—Alpha Marcus and Luna Catherine standing tall and proud, their three sons lined up beside them.

Marcus Jr., the future Alpha, stood with his shoulders squared, his dark eyes scanning the crowd with the confidence of a born leader. Ethan, the future Beta, offered me a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. And Noah, the youngest, fidgeted slightly, his gaze darting around the room.

With each step I took toward the dais, Hope's excitement grew. *One of them is ours*, she whispered. *Our mate. Our forever.*

I believed her with every fiber of my being. Why else would the Harrisons have raised me with such care after my parents' death in that brutal rogue attack? Why else would they have treated me as one of their own, if not because the Moon Goddess had destined me to truly become family?

"Grace Mitchell," Alpha Marcus's voice boomed across the hall as I reached the dais and bowed my head respectfully. "Today marks your eighteenth birthday and your Coming of Age. It is time to discover which of my sons recognizes you as their fated mate."

The crowd fell silent. My pulse raced. Hope paced anxiously within me.

"Marcus Harrison Jr.," Alpha Marcus called, "do you recognize Grace Mitchell as your fated mate?"

Marcus Jr. stepped forward, his expression unreadable. I held my breath, our eyes meeting briefly before he looked away.

"I, Marcus Harrison Jr. of the Silver Moon Pack, reject you, Grace Mitchell," he stated clearly, his voice carrying across the silent hall. "You are merely an adopted pack member with no bloodline worthy of the future Alpha."

The words struck like physical blows. Hope whimpered in confusion and pain.

*No, this can't be right*, she cried. *One of them must be ours.*

"Ethan Harrison," Alpha Marcus continued, his voice betraying no emotion, "do you recognize Grace Mitchell as your fated mate?"

Ethan stepped forward, his eyes briefly meeting mine with what almost looked like pity.

"I, Ethan Harrison of the Silver Moon Pack, reject you, Grace Mitchell," he said, his tone gentler but no less devastating. "We have grown up as pack siblings, and that is all we shall ever be."

Hope's howl of agony tore through my mind as my knees weakened. Two rejections. But Noah remained. Sweet Noah, who had once promised to protect me always.

"Noah Harrison," Alpha Marcus called, "do you recognize Grace Mitchell as your fated mate?"

Noah stepped forward, his eyes not meeting mine at all.

"I, Noah Harrison of the Silver Moon Pack, reject you, Grace Mitchell," he declared, following his brothers' lead without hesitation.

Three rejections. Complete and utter humiliation.

Hope collapsed within me, her twilight-colored fur dulling before my inner eye as she curled into herself, whimpering in pain so intense I could barely breathe.

I stumbled backward off the dais, my vision blurred with tears. The whispers began immediately—pitying, mocking, shocked. Fourteen years of believing I belonged, shattered in three simple sentences.

I searched desperately for Luna Catherine's eyes, the woman who had brushed my hair and tended my scrapes, who had read me bedtime stories alongside her own sons. She watched me silently, her expression unreadable, offering no comfort to the girl she had raised as a daughter.

Somehow, I made it back to my room, collapsing onto my bed as sobs wracked my body. Hope's cries echoed my own, our shared pain creating a symphony of despair that lasted through the night.

When morning came, a formal summons arrived. Alpha Marcus requested my presence in his study immediately. With swollen eyes and a shattered heart, I made my way there, wondering what more could possibly be taken from me.

Alpha Marcus sat behind his massive oak desk, his expression grave. "Grace," he began, "I know last night was... difficult. But I must speak with you about an important matter that concerns the future of our pack."

I stood silently, waiting, feeling hollow.

"The Silver Moon Pack is weakening," he continued. "The rogue attacks have cost us territory and members. We need a powerful alliance." He paused, studying my face. "The Lycan Royal family has expressed interest in arranging a mating between you and their prince, Alexander Sterling."

My breath caught. The Lycans were the most powerful werewolves in existence, practically royalty among our kind.

"This alliance would save our pack," Alpha Marcus said solemnly. "After last night's... events, I believe this is the best path forward. For everyone."

For everyone except me, I thought bitterly. But what choice did I have? The pack that had raised me needed me, even if they didn't want me.

"I'll do it," I whispered, a tear sliding down my cheek. "For the pack."

Alpha Marcus nodded, relief evident in his eyes—relief that I would still be useful, even after being discarded by his sons.

Little did I know that this arrangement, born from rejection and desperation, would lead me to a destiny far greater than anything the Harrison brothers could have offered.