AFTER REJECTION: THE OMEGA RISES

Still in shock, I left the hospital, my mind heavy with unanswered questions.

It had been a week since the accident, and Darius had not once reached out. Not a single call or message to ask where I was or if I was even alive. The silence from him hurt more than the wounds I was recovering from.

Tears welled up in my eyes, burning as they spilled onto my cheeks. The doctor had warned me to avoid stress and crying to help my brain heal after the surgery, but how could I stop? They said it was a miracle I had survived, especially when the driver, who had fewer injuries than me, had died.

Sitting on a bench outside the hospital, I clutched my phone tightly. I tried calling Darius, hoping he would come and pick me up. After what happened, the thought of getting into another public car made my stomach churn with fear. The accident had left me with a phobia I couldn’t shake.

As the phone rang and rang, unanswered, a pit of dread formed in my stomach.

My fingers trembled as I tried mindlinking him, ignoring the pounding headache that flared up as I strained my already fragile mind. But the link remained blocked. He had shut me out.

Just as I was about to call my assistant, an anonymous message popped up on my screen. It came with pictures, a voice note, and links.

My heart pounded as I hesitated, unsure whether to open it. A mix of dread and curiosity pushed me to click on the first image.

The photos sent my world crashing down.

Selene and Darius kissing passionately, locked in an embrace that spoke of more than just betrayal. Another picture showed them in bed, sheets tangled around their bodies. The final image was from the mating ceremony– the ceremony that was supposed to be for us, for me., where they kissed on stage as if declaring their love to the world.

My hands shook uncontrollably as I stared at the images. My wolf stirred angrily within me, growling and clawing to get out.

The betrayal stung like a thousand needles piercing my heart. Eight years of love and loyalty shattered in an instant.

With trembling fingers, I opened the voice note. A voice inside me urged me to listen, even as fear threatened to stop me.

Darius’s voice, once warm and familiar, now sounded cold and calculating.

“Aren’t you worried Nia will be upset about this?” someone asked cautiously.

Darius sighed, his tone dismissive. “What choice do I have? If I don’t marry Selene, her family will force her to marry some stranger. I can’t let that happen.”

“But Nia...” the voice persisted. “She’s been with you for years. Doesn’t that matter?”

Darius chuckled—a sound that once comforted me but now felt like a blade twisting in my chest. “Nia’s been mine for eight years. Everyone knows that. What choice does she have but to wait for me?”

His words hit me harder than any physical blow could.

Eight years.

Eight years of love, patience, and unwavering support—and this was how he saw me? As someone who had no other option but to stay?

Tears streamed down my face as my heart broke all over again.

Was it wrong to fall in love? Why did he have to treat me this way?

—

I wasn’t sure how I left the hospital.

My legs felt weak. Every step I took was unsteady, as if the ground might give way beneath me.

My chest felt tight, my breaths shallow.

The confident woman I had always been was gone, replaced by someone fragile and broken.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry until there were no tears left.

Why me? Why did Darius choose to hurt me like this?

Before I knew it, I was standing at a busy crosswalk. My mind was so foggy that I didn’t notice the car speeding toward me until its horn blared loudly. I froze, blinded by the glare of its headlights.

The car screeched to a stop, and the driver stepped out. I thought the driver was coming to lash out at me, but the driver wasn’t a stranger—it was my mom.

“Nia!” she called, her voice filled with worry.

Seeing her, all the pain I had bottled up burst free. The tears I’d been holding back poured out, unstoppable. She rushed to me, pulling me into her arms. I buried my face in her shoulder as sobs wracked my body.

“It’s okay,” she whispered, stroking my hair. “I’ve got you.”

She led me into the car, her arm wrapped protectively around me. I cried the entire way to my parents’ house, the sadness and betrayal too overwhelming to hold in.

By the time my tears finally dried, we were inside. My mom handed me a glass of water and sat beside me, her eyes full of concern.

“Mom,” I said quietly, my voice hoarse from crying. “Does the Cortez family’s proposal still stand?”

Her hands froze mid-movement, the teacup she was holding trembling slightly. “Why are you asking about that?” she asked, her voice cautious.

I hesitated, but I needed to say it. “Darius doesn’t want me. He never did. I want to move on.”

Her face softened, but there was a flicker of doubt in her eyes. “Nia, this isn’t something you should decide in the heat of the moment. Marriage is a big step, and you’re hurting right now. Don’t rush into this just because of what Darius did.”

“I’m not rushing,” I said, though my voice shook. “You didn’t reject the proposal, Mom. That means you thought Frederick might be good for me. Right now, I trust your judgment more than my own.”

She sighed and placed her hand over mine. “Frederick is a good man, but marriage isn’t just about logic. You need to meet him, talk to him, and see if there’s something there. Are you sure you don’t want to take time for yourself first?”

I shook my head. “I don’t want time. I want to move forward. Please, just make the arrangements.”

Her eyes searched mine, looking for doubt, but I held firm. Finally, she nodded, though her expression remained uneasy.

Later, when I was alone, I checked my phone. There was a message from Darius:

Mating ceremony canceled. Something came up.

I stared at the words, feeling a bitter laugh rise in my throat. Of course, he’d already made his excuses. As if that could erase what I had seen earlier.

It's been a week already, since the entire world had seen the same thing: Darius on one knee, proposing to Selene Darkmoor. The news of their engagement had spread like wildfire. The Nightfang family’s heir was getting married, and the bride wasn’t me—the woman who had been by his side for eight years.

I decided to return back to my apartment. My mom pleaded with me to stay back, worried that I would do something crazy. I had to promise her that I was okay and I didn't have any crazy thoughts. Despite that, my mom, still worried, wanted to follow me as well, but I refused.

I just wanted some alone time to myself, it isn’t something too hard to ask for, right?

When I returned to my apartment, I wasn’t expecting to see him there. But there he was, sitting on my couch, acting like everything was fine.

“Nia,” he said casually, like he hadn’t just destroyed my life.

The sight of him, so calm and unaffected, made my blood boil. How dare he?