Beta Rejects His Royal Mate

The Obsidian Claw Pack's grand hall buzzed with excitement as I slipped through the crowd, my royal aura carefully suppressed beneath a simple gray dress. Ten years of secret support had led to this moment—Cristian's Beta induction ceremony. My fingers traced the small pendant at my throat, a gift from my late grandmother, as I positioned myself at the back of the assembly.

I'd chosen this modest appearance deliberately. After a decade of anonymous help, I wanted Cristian to know me as simply Rosemary before I revealed my true identity as Princess of the Lycan Royal Guard. The thought made my heart race with anticipation.

"Today marks a new chapter for our pack," Alpha Marcus announced, his voice carrying across the hall. "We welcome Cristian Blackwood as our new Beta."

Cristian stepped forward, his broad shoulders squared beneath the ceremonial cloak. My breath caught at the sight of him—stronger than when I'd first found him starving on the border of his conquered pack. Pride swelled within me as he took his oath, his voice steady and confident.

"I, Cristian Blackwood, pledge my loyalty to the Obsidian Claw Pack..."

That's when it happened. The mate bond flared between us like an electric current, impossible to ignore. His scent—pine and mountain air—hit me with intoxicating force. I knew the exact moment he felt it too; his words faltered, his head snapping toward me with wide eyes.

Our gazes locked across the crowded hall. For one heartbeat, I saw shock register on his face—then horror. Then disgust.

"Wait," he said, raising a hand to silence the Alpha. "Something's wrong."

The hall fell silent. I stepped forward, unable to stop myself.

"Cristian," I whispered, my voice barely audible even to werewolf hearing.

He recoiled visibly, then straightened his shoulders. "My fated mate is present today."

Gasps rippled through the crowd. Alpha Marcus's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"But there's something you should all know," Cristian continued, his voice hardening. "My so-called mate is a weak, wolfless commoner named Nellie. She's been stalking me for years, using her meager resources to try controlling me."

The room spun around me as whispers erupted. Wolfless? Me?

"She thought she could trap me into a bond I never wanted," he spat, his eyes cold as they met mine. "I rose to Beta despite her suffocating attempts to own me."

---

Three days later, I stood in the clearing before my secluded cabin, watching Cristian approach with Tiana at his side. My body still ached from the public humiliation, but I forced myself to stand tall.

"You shouldn't have come here," I said quietly.

"I came to end this properly," Cristian replied, his voice devoid of emotion. "Tiana is my chosen mate."

The Alpha's daughter smirked beside him, her perfectly manicured hand possessively clutching his arm.

"I've brought witnesses," Cristian added, gesturing to several pack members who lingered at the edge of the clearing.

He stepped closer, his eyes cold. "I, Cristian Blackwood, Beta of the Obsidian Claw Pack, reject you, Nellie, as my fated mate and sever the bond the Moon Goddess mistakenly placed between us."

Pain tore through me like physical claws, dropping me to my knees. I gasped, clutching my chest as the mate bond shredded inside me. Through tears of agony, I watched Cristian turn to Tiana.

"And I choose you," he murmured, leaning down to sink his teeth into her neck, marking her before my eyes.

---

Two weeks later, the Obsidian Claw Pack's annual Harvest Festival filled the air with music and laughter. I moved through the crowd in my "Nellie" persona, ignoring the whispers that followed me.

"Look, it's the rejected mate," someone hissed.

"The one who tried to trap our Beta," another replied.

I kept my head high despite the humiliation burning in my chest. Across the festival grounds, Cristian and Tiana were being celebrated as the pack's new power couple.

"Ladies and gentlemen," announced the festival master, "time for our traditional sparring exhibition!"

My stomach dropped as Tiana's eyes found mine across the crowd, a predatory smile playing on her lips.

"I challenge Nellie to a friendly match," she called out, her voice sweet with false innocence.

Before I could decline, the crowd parted, leaving me exposed in the center of the ring. Tiana approached, her movements fluid and confident.

"Don't worry," she whispered as we circled each other. "I'll make this quick."

What happened next blurred together—the flash of silver dust in my eyes, the illegal extension of her claws, the searing pain as they raked across my arm and face. I hit the ground hard, blood warm against my skin.

The crowd roared with laughter as I struggled to rise. Through blurred vision, I saw Cristian rush forward—not to help me, but to Tiana's side.

"Impressive skills," he praised loudly, wrapping an arm around his chosen mate's waist. "Our future Luna has quite the talent."

More laughter erupted around me as I knelt bleeding in the dirt, the taste of copper filling my mouth and humiliation burning through my veins.