Rejected by My Fated Alpha

Outside the large window, snow was falling steadily. I focused on the pack inheritance document on the table, my fingers lightly trembling on the edge of the pages.

"Are you sure you want to transfer the 'Seventy-Two Transformations' technique to Ellis Henderson?" I looked up at Alpha Neo.

He was busy organizing his briefcase, not even glancing in my direction. "The agreement clearly states you are willingly giving up your rights to the inheritance."

I gripped the pen tightly. Just three years ago, I had been the youngest female Delta warrior in the Silver Moon Pack, the leading candidate for the inheritance. Now, here I was, signing away that future myself.

"Does the pack council even know that Ellis has moved into the ancestral training grounds?" I asked quietly.

Alpha Neo finally looked at me, his gaze sharp. "What are you getting at?"

I shook my head, knowing he was wary of the incident last month.

I had unwittingly discovered him trying to practice the ancient transformation technique alone at night, failing repeatedly.

The pack’s once-treasured technique had clearly been lost.

"Remember your promise," he said coolly. "Don’t think of using this as a bargaining chip."

I lowered my gaze, the secret feeling like a double-edged sword that cut both ways.

After signing the final line, I stood up, ready to leave. But Alpha Neo stopped me:

"Let Westley escort you back."

"No need, I can..."

"You haven’t forgotten what day it is, have you?" he interrupted impatiently. "There’s a full moon ceremony tonight at the training grounds, Ellis’s first demonstration of the 'Seventy-Two Transformations.'"

So that’s how it was. I felt a bitter smile tug at the corner of my mouth.

Today was the 15th, the day when the Silver Moon Pack traditionally showcased newcomers at every full moon.

"She needs a ceremonial cloak today." Alpha Neo took out a velvet box from his bag. "I have to deliver it myself."

I looked at the familiar box, remembering how he had crafted the cloak for me with his own hands for my first ceremony.

Now, the cloak had new embellishments, and the person beside him was someone else.

After helping Ellis prepare for her demonstration, I found myself stranded due to the snowstorm, forced to spend the night at the training grounds’ outbuilding.

When Westley led me to the guest room, his professional manner made me feel like an outsider.

"If you’re hungry, there’s hot stew in the kitchen," he paused, "but it’s best not to go to the main courtyard; they’re rehearsing there."

As I lay in bed, the faint sound of howls reached my ears, the eerie notes carrying through the thick curtain of snow.

Whenever I couldn’t sleep, I’d often practice my forms in the small training yard, a habit formed over three years. Tonight was likely my last chance.

Sneaking down the corridor, I overheard a conversation:

"Ellis is truly gifted. Her demonstration of the 'Seventy-Two Transformations' surpasses Kai Matthews’s."

"Who wouldn’t say so? Kai only got her position because of the Alpha’s favor..."

I quietly turned away, only to bump into Moses, the old Healer I had once revered as my mentor.

"Kai?" He seemed surprised but quickly regained his composure. "I heard you and Alpha Neo severed the mate bond over the inheritance issue?"

I lowered my head. "Healer Moses..."

"Don’t call me Healer anymore," he sighed. "You shouldn’t have been the successor. The Silver Moon Pack needs someone who truly embodies our warrior spirit."

Standing there, I felt warmth behind my eyes but held back the tears.

Moses was right; I wasn’t meant to be the 'successor.'

Not because I wasn’t skilled enough, but because I saw through the pack’s facade.

The so-called 'Seventy-Two Transformations,' venerated for generations, was nothing more than a beautiful lie.

As I turned to walk back, the howls continued to drift through the snowy night. It was the most poignant part of the transformation ritual, telling the tale of a young wolf yearning to break free from her cage.

Ironically, the countless times I had sung those lyrics, they mirrored my own journey.