“Mate.”

The word shattered inside my head like thunder.

My breath caught instantly.

No.

No… this couldn’t be happening.

Not here.

Not with him.

The entire Black Moon Pack Hall blurred around me as my trembling eyes slowly lifted toward the man standing beside the Alpha throne.

Alpha Kael Draven.

Tall.

Cold.

Feared.

The most powerful Alpha in the northern territories.

And my mate.

The air suddenly became too heavy to breathe.

Around me, wolves laughed, drank, danced, and celebrated the annual Moon Ceremony without realizing my entire world had just changed.

My fingers tightened around the tray of wine glasses I carried.

An omega like me wasn’t allowed near the main celebration floor unless serving the higher-ranked wolves.

I should have stayed invisible.

I always did.

But fate was cruel.

Because out of every wolf in this cursed pack

The Moon Goddess chose him.

Kael’s sharp gray eyes suddenly snapped toward me.

The moment our gazes collided

Everything stopped.

His expression hardened.

Shock flashed across his face.

Then disgust.

Pure disgust.

My wolf whimpered painfully inside me.

“He’s our mate”

I swallowed hard, fighting the tears threatening to rise.

Kael stared at me like I was filth beneath his boots.

Like the Moon Goddess herself had insulted him.

The tray shook violently in my hands.

Please

Please don’t do this.

Not here.

Not in front of everyone.

But fate hated me too much for mercy.

“Lyra.”

His deep voice echoed across the hall.

The music stopped immediately.

Every head turned toward me.

My blood froze.

The Alpha was speaking to an omega servant.

Whispers instantly spread across the room.

“That’s the orphan omega.”

“The weak girl?”

“She barely has a wolf.”

“What does the Alpha want with her?”

I felt hundreds of eyes stabbing into me as Kael slowly descended the platform steps.

Every movement he made carried power.

Authority.

Danger.

Even his scent alone was enough to weaken most wolves.

And now he stood directly in front of me.

My mate.

Close enough for me to see the hatred burning inside his eyes.

The bond between us snapped painfully alive.

My wolf cried out desperately.

But Kael’s face darkened even more.

“You,” he said coldly.

The tray nearly slipped from my fingers.

“I…” My voice cracked. “Alpha…”

The room held its breath.

Kael suddenly leaned closer.

For one horrible second

I thought maybe he would keep our bond secret.

Maybe he would protect my dignity.

Maybe

“She’s my mate.”

The hall exploded.

Gasps echoed everywhere.

Shock.

Disbelief.

Laughter.

Cruel laughter.

I stood frozen as humiliation burned through every inch of my body.

“No way.”

“The Alpha got matched with HER?”

“A worthless omega?”

“This is embarrassing.”

Kael’s jaw tightened with fury.

Not at them.

At me.

Like this was somehow my fault.

Then another woman appeared beside him.

Selene.

Beautiful.

Elegant.

Daughter of Alpha Magnus.

The future Luna everyone already expected Kael to choose.

She wrapped herself around his arm possessively while glaring at me like I was dirt.

“You cannot be serious,” she whispered.

Kael never looked away from me.

His eyes were ice.

“I, Alpha Kael Draven,” he said loudly, “reject Lyra Hale as my mate.”

My world stopped.

The pain hit instantly.

A scream tore through my chest as the mate bond cracked violently.

The tray crashed onto the floor beside me.

My knees almost gave out.

It felt like someone had reached into my chest and ripped my heart apart with bare hands.

My wolf screamed in agony.

Tears blurred my vision.

But the worst part?

Everyone was watching.

Laughing.

Enjoying it.

Kael’s expression remained merciless.

“You are weak,” he continued coldly. “Pathetic. You could never stand beside me as Luna.”

Every word stabbed deeper.

“I would rather die than be bound to an omega like you.”

The entire hall fell silent.

Even Selene looked shocked by the cruelty of his words.

But Kael wasn’t finished.

“From this moment onward,” he declared, “you are exiled from the Black Moon Pack.”

My breathing stopped.

Exiled?

My eyes widened in horror.

Without a pack, an omega rarely survived.

The rogue lands beyond the territory were filled with hunters, rogues, and monsters.

Kael knew that.

Which meant he wasn’t just rejecting me.

He was sentencing me to death.

“Please…” My voice broke as tears streamed down my face. “Alpha please”

For one tiny second

Something flickered in his eyes.

Hesitation.

But it vanished instantly.

“Get out.”

The guards moved toward me immediately.

I looked around desperately.

No one helped me.

No one cared.

Because I was only Lyra.

The unwanted omega.

The orphan servant.

The girl nobody chose.

One of the guards grabbed my arm harshly.

“Move.”

Pain shot through my shoulder.

I stumbled forward as the entire hall watched my humiliation like entertainment.

Kael never stopped staring at me.

But there was no mercy in his face.

Only cold rejection.

My chest burned violently.

Something strange twisted beneath my skin.

My wolf growled weakly.

Then suddenly

The lights exploded.

Boom.

The entire hall shook violently.

Screams filled the room.

A terrifying pressure crashed through the building like a storm.

Every wolf froze instantly.

Even the Alphas.

The air itself became deadly.

Heavy.

Ancient.

Powerful.

The windows shattered at once.

And then

A howl echoed from the forest.

Not normal.

Not wolf.

Something far more dangerous.

Fear spread across every face in the room.

One of the elders turned pale instantly.

“That scent…” he whispered shakily.

“No…”

Another howl tore through the night.

Closer this time.

My heart slammed violently against my ribs.

Then the massive entrance doors burst open.

Silence.

Absolute silence filled the hall as a tall figure stepped out of the darkness.

Black coat.

Silver eyes.

Terrifying power.

Every wolf immediately lowered their heads in fear.

Even Alpha Kael stiffened.

I had never seen him afraid before.

Until now.

The stranger’s silver gaze slowly scanned the room…

Before stopping directly on me.

My breath caught.

The dangerous man inhaled once sharply.

Then his eyes darkened possessively.

Mine.

The word slammed into my head so powerfully I nearly collapsed.

Gasps filled the room.

Because the impossible had just happened.

The Alpha King

Had found his mate.

And it was me.