Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by his brother

ARIA

It was the most anticipated night of the Silvermoon pack.

The night of the full moon and Ryker's party.

He was going to find his mate and crown her as the Luna of the pack.

It was the night everyone except I anticipated.

Not like I stood a chance anyways, I was just a lowlife orphan and Omega, who lived in the packs house all her life, volunteering at the packs clinic…

It was the least I could do for the pack.

My phone beeped on the table beside me and I growled, turning sideways to pick it up.

It was Jessica, my only bestfriend.

“Jess”, I whispered into you phone as the pack house was quite silent except the small noises from the children and the chirping of birds at night.

I couldn't risk getting caught.

All ladies of age were expected to be at the birthday party, but I decided to stay back at the packs house.

“Aria, what the hell, where are you?”, Jessica's phone cut through the phone, loud and clear.

I could hear the bubbling noises and the shouts from the party.

“Jessica, I told you I had something to do”, I said softly.

“Bitch, would you get your ass here,are you sulking because you didn't shift on your birthday”, she said, rubbing salt on the wound I had tried so hard to heal.

“Thought we were past that”,she said, sighing.

I took a deep breath, the memories of my birthday night flashing through my eyes.

I had turned 21 few days ago and it was the one time I really anticipated meeting my wolf.

It was the only thing I wanted, but I didn't get it.

“Aria….Aria”, her voice came jolting me out from the trance I was.

Only then did I remember I hadn't answered her question.

“No, Jess”, I replied her.

“I'm just a bit busy…i need to….”, I said.

“The only thing you do is volunteering and the packs clinic is closed for the day, so you really have no excuse”, she said.

“Not the packs clinic”, I muttered under my breath.

“Get up or I'd report you to the packs house keeper”, she said, grinning.

“Do you have to…”, I whispered under gritted teeths.

“Yes, I can”,she said and I could have sworn that I could see the satisfied grin on her face.

I ended the call and I wore a comfortable gown.

The plan was to see Jessica, then make my way out of the party silently.

As I stepped out to leave, my stomach grumbled.

I had just pasta all day.

I had to eat before leaving.

As I stepped into the kitchen to get something to eat, I felt a sharp pain, the pain I had been feeling for a while now, sharp and hot, it felt like someone was trying to rip my heart out.

I gasped, holding the hem of my gown tightly, breathing in and out as if it could stop the pain.

I stood up and the room spinned, making me stagger backwards as I fell back onto the bed.

I took deep breaths, breathing in and out as I tried to get myself to breathe.

Still the pain didn't reduce.

I bit on my lip to reduce the painful groaning sound that I was making, but a small whimper slipped out anyway.

“Why now?”,I thought desperately.

Why does it always have to hurt so much?

The pain wasn’t new…it had been a frequent pain I had been experiencing for about two years now,but this… this was different.

It felt more painful, like my soul was being separated apart from my body.

I laid on my bed,silently praying that it stops.

Tears streamed down my face, hot and silent, as I waited for the torment to subside.

That was what I always do each time it happens.

After few minutes even though it felt like hours, the burning feeling reduced and my breath steadied.

I wiped the tears on my face with sweaty hands,which was from the way I held my hands tight.

I needed air. I was hot.

I didn't want to eat anymore, I didn't want to go to the party anymore.

I just needed to receive the cool air outside.

I pushed myself to my feet, my legs shaky but holding, and made my way to the door.

The cool night air hit me as soon as I stepped outside, a welcome relief against the hell I just went though.

i took a deep breath, letting the scent of the forest fill my lungs.

The pack lawn was right before me and I walked towards it, In the distance, I could hear the faint sound of music from the Alpha’s birthday party.

I walked aimlessly across the grass, my feet brushing against the dew-covered grasses.

I found a spot near the edge of the lawn and I slumped down on the ground, my fingers playing with the petals I had plucked from a flower while walking.

“Why is my life like this?”, I thought bitterly.

My parents were gone, taken from me when I was too young to even remember their faces.

I was an Omega…the lowest of the low in our pack hierarchy.

I couldn’t shift like the others, and I had no mate to call my own.

I was alone in every sense of the word.

I sighed, bending my head to look up at the star.

The moon goddess had always felt distant to me.

“What did I do to deserve this?, I wondered silently.

“What did I do to suffer this much”, I said softly

The rustle of leaves behind me snapped me out of my thoughts.

My heart leapt into my throat as a familiar scent washed over me…dark musk laced with cedarwood.

My wolf stirred within me, a sensation I hadn’t felt in years. Her voice echoed in my mind, soft but unmistakable.

Mate.

It was the first time, she said something in a long while.

“Did I just find my mate for real”, I thought.

I froze, my breath catching in my throat. Slowly, I turned to look over my shoulder.

My eyes widened as they landed on him…Ryker Woods, the soon to be , Alpha of our pack.

He wasn't meant to be here.

He was supposed to be at the party.

He stood tall and imposing, his broad shoulders silhouetted against the moonlight.

His dark eyes locked onto mine, and I felt a shiver run down my spine.

I dropped my gaze immediately, cowering under the weight of his Alpha aura.

My body instinctively submitted, my head bowing low as I waited for him to speak.

“An Omega,” he said finally, his voice deep and commanding.