Rejected by Alpha, Reborn in Craft

The full moon hung heavy in the night sky, casting silver light across the ceremonial clearing. My chest ached with a hollow pain as I stood among the other servants, watching pack members gather for the monthly moon ceremony. The pain had been growing worse each day, my connection to Luna—my wolf spirit—flickering like a candle in the wind.

"Attention!" Alpha Marcus's voice boomed across the clearing. "Tonight we honor the Moon Goddess and seek her blessing for our pack's prosperity."

I pressed my hand against my chest, trying to steady my breathing as I prepared to serve the ceremonial wine. My fingers trembled slightly—a symptom of my worsening condition that I desperately tried to hide.

Duke entered the ceremonial circle, his tall figure commanding attention. But it wasn't his presence that made my heart stutter—it was Dallas walking beside him, her hand possessively looped through his arm. She wore a silver gown that caught the moonlight, her blonde hair cascading down her back in perfect waves.

"Tonight," Alpha Marcus continued, "we celebrate not only the full moon but also the strength of our pack bonds."

I moved forward with the other servers, carrying trays of ceremonial wine. As I approached Duke's table, Dallas's eyes met mine, a smirk playing on her perfectly painted lips.

"Ah, our little Omega server," she purred, loud enough for nearby tables to hear. "How convenient to have someone so... devoted to service."

Duke didn't even glance my way as I set down his wine. Instead, he pulled out the chair beside him—the place of honor traditionally reserved for a mate—and gestured for Dallas to sit.

"Aren't you going to serve us properly?" Dallas asked, her voice honey-sweet with poison underneath. "We're quite thirsty after all this standing."

I poured their wine, my hands shaking slightly. Dallas deliberately bumped my arm as I leaned forward, causing me to stumble. The wine sloshed dangerously close to the rim.

"Careful," she hissed. "Though I suppose accidents happen when one is so... beneath notice."

Duke finally looked at me, his expression hardening. "Can't you do anything right?" he snapped, loud enough for everyone nearby to hear. "This is a sacred ceremony, not your personal clumsy showcase."

Heat rushed to my face as several pack members turned to stare. I lowered my eyes, murmuring apologies as I steadied the tray.

"Perhaps," Dallas suggested, her fingers trailing possessively up Duke's arm, "she should be reminded of her place more often."

---

Alpha Marcus raised his hands for silence, his powerful presence commanding immediate attention.

"Tonight marks a new chapter for our pack," he announced, his voice carrying across the now-hushed clearing. "I present to you the future Alpha pair of Silvermoon Pack—my son, Duke Harris, and his chosen mate, Dallas Bennett of the Goldcrest Pack!"

The crowd erupted in cheers and howls of approval. My tray slipped from my fingers, clattering to the ground as I stumbled backward.

"Through this union," Alpha Marcus continued, "our packs will form an unbreakable alliance. The future of Silvermoon is secure!"

Duke stood, pulling Dallas to her feet beside him. From his pocket, he produced a golden bracelet studded with moonstones—the very bracelet I had admired in the market months ago, saving every spare coin in hopes that one day...

"This symbol of our bond will mark our commitment," Duke announced, sliding the bracelet onto Dallas's wrist.

My vision blurred as memories flooded back—me showing Duke the bracelet in the market window, him promising that one day, when his position was secure...

"You like it?" Dallas called out to the crowd, extending her arm to display the glittering band. "Duke has such exquisite taste in gifts for those who matter."

The crowd cheered again as she kissed him deeply, her eyes finding mine over his shoulder, triumphant.

I backed away, retreating to the servants' area as my heart shattered into pieces too small to ever reassemble.

---

In the kitchen, away from the celebration, I found a bottle of clear liquid tucked behind the storage shelves. The label read "Wolfsbane Extract—Poison" in faded letters.

"Wolfsbane," I whispered, uncorking the bottle. "They say it eases the pain of a dying wolf spirit."

My hands shook as I raised the bottle to my lips. One drink—perhaps it would end this suffering. One drink to silence the hollow ache in my chest.

I tilted my head back and swallowed.

Fire immediately spread through my veins, burning from my throat to my stomach. I doubled over, clutching the edge of the counter as violent convulsions wracked my body.

"Lila?" Mira's concerned voice seemed to come from far away. "What's wrong?"

I tried to answer, but only a wet cough escaped my lips—blood spattering across the kitchen floor.

Through the door to the main hall, I could see Duke and Dallas accepting congratulations, his arm proudly around her waist as they moved among the celebrating pack members.

He never looked back. Not once.

More blood rose in my throat, metallic and warm. As darkness edged my vision, I wondered if this was how it would end—alone in a kitchen while my mate celebrated his future with another.

The last thing I saw before collapsing was Dallas's triumphant smile as she raised her wrist, the golden bracelet catching the light of the full moon.