Rejected by One, Claimed by Another.

The moon cast a silver glow over the pack's infirmary, softly illuminating the whole places as Cain placed unconscious Aria gently on the bed. Her eyes fluttered open for a moment, though her vision was blurred, she could still recognize the figure who stood in front of her.

Alpha Cain, the one who slightly made her forgot the pain that had crushed her just moments before.

"Aria, can you hear me?" His voice was a gentle and soothing that she had almost forgotten what had happened to her.

She nodded, her voice caught in her throat, as she met his gaze. His eyes gleamed gloomily, worry evident in his expression and with the look he gave her,Aria felt a flutter in her chest. It was a feeling she couldn't quite explain, but it was there, nonetheless

She tried to keep her eyes open, but she failed at it, as she drifted into sleep. The rejection still lingered, casting a dull ache in her chest.

The pack's healer, Lady Mana, knelt down beside the bed, gently tended to Aria, while Cain stood beside her, his eyes never leaving her pale unconscious body.

After ensuring that she was okay, she stood up, her gaze on the ground.

"She's going to be fine, Alpha," Lady Mana said, her voice low and soothing. "But she needs rest and care. The rejection has taken a toll on her body and mind, she might take a while for her to feel the bond between two of you as her heart is already been shattered and her wolf has shut itself out."

Cain nodded, his jaw clenched in determination and annoyance. "I'll take care of her," he said, his voice firm.

Lady Mana bowed. "If anything happens, please inform me. You can take her to a more comfortable room and bed."

He dismissed her with a nod.

*******

Back at the ceremonial ground, the air was tense. Whispers flew everywhere as pack members tried to make sense of what had just happened.

"I can't believe this,"someone from the right wing said loudly. "How could the moon goddess let Alpha Kael be mated to a wolfless unreliable omega."

Another nodded in agreement. "She won't be of any help, so why did she?"

"To think that Alpha Cain, got mated to her instantly feels so cringe and unreal." Another chipped in.

Facing the people from left wing, another asked with disgust. "Why did your Alpha, have to pick up someone else's trash."

A warrior from the left wing scoffed. "You wouldn't dare to call our Luna a trash."

"You're proud of that?" a woman from the right wing snapped. "Your Alpha claimed a rejected mate. It's a disgrace!"

Another from the left wing stepped forward. "Disgrace? The Moon Goddess chose her and Alpha Cain honored that. That's what a true leader does.

"True leader you say," someone else said bitterly. "Your so called Luna is about to cause enemity and division between the two wings of this pack."

"We are not dividing the pack, we are simply respecting our Alpha's decision." the left wing warrior growled. "The rejected stone has simply become the chief cornerstone."

Members of the left wing nodded proudly. The right wing looked furious.

Meanwhile, Lynn who fell into a trance during all the argument, quickly pushed through the crowd, running as fast as she could towards the infirmary, since she felt Alpha Cain could have taken her there.

"Aria... Please be fine." she begged her voice low as a whisper.

~~~~~~~~

Kael who had left the ceremonial ground as soon as Cain left, screamed in annoyance and frustration. He angrily shattered the wooden table that stood innocently at a corner in his room with his fist. The contents on the table spilling and breaking into debris on the ground.

He clenched his fist tightly, his nails growing longer piercing into his skin, drawing out blood. His face red and contorted with blazing fury, every muscle of him trembling in anger.

Firstly, the moon goddess had tied him with an omega- a wolfless omega at that. Just when he thought he had control by rejecting her, she was instantly tied to his brother.

How in the world was that making sense?

He felt a burning sensation within him as his thought trailed back to his brother's words.

"You have always been a coward."

"Arrrrggghh." He roared, loud and inhumane. His high pitched scream shaking the whole building, shattering things and stumbling book of the shelves.

He was angry.

It was his decision to reject, so why all the anger?

Why did he care if Cain was tied to the mate he had rejected?

He couldn't understand it. He couldn't explain it and that made something twist sharply in his chest.

*****

Lynn stepped quietly into Alpha Cain's room, careful not to make a sound.

Just as she was about entering the infirmary, she saw him walking out of the infirmary with Aria gently scooped in his arms in his arms. Concerned about her friend who was in a fragile state, she had to follow.

She watched as he gently placed, her unconscious friend on the bed, his movement slow and calm like he didn't want her to break. He was an Alpha everyone feared, but the way he stared at Aria like she was something fragile and precious made her think otherwise.

"Alpha Cain, please how is she?" she asked worriedly.

Cain raised his brow, as if to ask who she was.

Realizing, " I'm Lynn, Aria's friend."

He nodded in acknowledgement. "She is fine. Lady Mana said she need rest. No disturbance."

She nodded.

Just then, Kael huge frame figure, stood beside the door frame of Cain's room.

Lynn shifted closer to Aria in fright, as Kael's raspy breathing filled the air.

Cain walked towards Kael who looked like he was ready to kill someone.

"Kael, what are you doing here? What's wrong?"

"She's mine." Kael pronounced.

A frown appeared on Cain's face

"You rejected her already. The bond has been severed." Cain replied.

Kael growled slightly. "You had no right to claim her."

"If you need someone to blame, then why don't you blame the moon goddess for giving me what you threw away." Cain muttered.

His gaze locking with Kael's blazing eyes