The Rejection

*Selene's POV*

Something wasn't right.

I could tell Something had gone horribly wrong by the way he looked at me tonight,by the way everyone looked at me tonight.

My eyes grazed over the attendants of tonight's claiming ceremony,brushing over the entitled faces of the packs elite,trying to discern their gazes.

It didn't help.

I steadied my breath and try not to fidget,I only did that when I was nervous,and I refuse to allow this little inconvenience to make me nervous.

I was here to by Luna,that's all that mattered.

“Selene Fortlyn."Alpha Ares said,his tone commanding the attention of everyone in the room.

I glanced up at him as he made his way down the stairs.

“Alpha Ares.”I replied confidently as I bowed gracefully before him.Confidence wasn't something I had always had always displayed so boldly,but there was something about watching my mate before me that gave me the audacity.

The lingering noise of gentle whispers was sucked dry out of the room,gently replaced by the metallic sound of Ares's walk.

He stared me deep in the eyes and watched,earlier I would have thought it romantic but there was something off about this look…It was almost ominous.

Its probably my excitement playing tricks on me.

“The Moon Goddess has made me your mate.”He started,still holding my gaze firm. “She made your hair white to indicate that you are the next luna…my luna.Is that not so?”

I felt sweat trickle down my back as he spoke.

Something was wrong.

“It is so.”I say quietly.Im not a quiet person and yet somehow in front of him,I melt,as I am now. It was interactions with him that made me a true believer of the moon goddess's matching skills.My entire personality flattered with a mere look from him,my walls dropped and I didnt feel the need to build it back up.

We seemed so perfect together,until now.He has become a statue overnight.He didn't even glance at me reassuringly during the entirey ceremony,I never noticed how attached i was till this very day.I kept glancing his way but he starved me of his caressing gaze.And now here it was,scorching my skin.

I hated this.

I hated how stoic he looked.I hated how fragile I felt.He wasn't like this when we met last night.I don't understand what changed.

“I,Alpha Ares Sinclair of the Ironclaw Pack…”

I hold my breath.

“Reject you.”

I don't release my breath,I dont even think I can if I wished.What just happened.

“You may go.”He adds.

Loud gasps echoed around the room as he turned away from me,pridefully making his way up the stairs.

The whispers were rising,the condensing words were getting into my ears but the only thing I could hear was the drumming of my own troubled heart.

I blinked and blinked again and yet no matter how much I shut my eyes,He was still walking away from me.

Like we didn't Matter,like I didnt matter.

“Wha–what do you mean you reject me?”I asked loudly,feeling my stomach churn into an unpleasant knot.

He froze for a moment,turned his head ever so slightly to glance at me and continue his stride to his throne.

“I deserve an explanation!”I yelled at him,my voice plagued with cracks.I sounded almost commanding.“You owe that to me at the very least!”

He scoffed and turned to me as the whispering ballroom quieted down again.

“You really want me to say why I rejected you?”He asked.His voice sounding baffled at my request,as if I was the one being unreasonable here.

“Not only that,”I argued shamelessly,cursed hot tears building at the corners of my eyes. “I want an explanation to everything up to this point–I do not understand–”

Alpha Ares took a step towards me,I almost backed away,but my feet were like logs in the ground.

“Take a guess.”He said lowly…cruelly.I could almost hear the disdain spelt in every syllable.

I opened my mouth to answer how clueless I was but my tongue got frozen…all I could think,breathe,say..was his name,not commanding or demanding.Just softly,almost fragile.

“Ares–”

“Alpha Ares.”he corrected curtly.

“What did I do?”I asked quietly,as a tear dropped from my left eye. “What happened?”

He chuckled dryly, backing away from me once more. “Selene Fortlyn…when you entered this Palace at first,you were using your step-sister's identity…is that not so?”

I freeze and glance at the royal family.We had agreed to keep this between us.Why is he bringing it up now.

“Yes.”I nod slowly. “But-”

“And I pardoned you.”He cuts me off and continues with his speech. “Then I asked you if you had other secrets to share…you said no.Right?”

I scrunch my eyebrows. “Where is this leading to?”

“Answer the question.”He said coldly.

“I did say no.”I said,forcing myself to stay calm and collected.I wasn't going to break here.

“Well,then you can imagine my surprise when I learnt that you worked at a brothel for four months.”

“A brothel?!”I screeched.

“The Red Velvet–do you want to lie about that too?”

My mind grew foggy.“I–I did not work there..I hid there.”I felt myself break. “I stayed there,I did not–”

“You strategically omitted that information though, didn't you?”

My eyes caught the unmistakable pretentious colour of white in the crowd of spectators behind him and finally realised what was so wrong with the room.My step mother was there…of course she was.This was her doing.It was always Yolanda’s doing.

“If Yolanda told you anything about me,it is a lie!!”

“This is not about Yolanda!”he yelled at me,making me jerk up a bit. “This is about you,how dishonest you are and how you have proven that you can do absolutely anything to be Luna.”

“I did not fight for this,I did not even want thjs.”I corrected, “I was chosen by the moon goddess herself and somehow that witch of a mother somehow convince you that the goddess herself was lying?”

“How dare you!”Yolanda yells from the crowd,clutching her ridiculously big white pearls. “I have done everything for you.”

“You she-devil!”I lash back at her,pointing my finger towards her. “You don't deserve to be called a mother!”

“My guards found white hair dye in your room.”Ares says to me,stopping me in my tracks.

I pause and turn to him. “What?”

“There is no more room for pretends Selene.”

It must have been planted there by someone,I could put my life on the line and say it was Yolanda again.

But who would believe me? The bastard child versus the epitome of perfection and a woman in high court.Even my own mate doesn't believe me.

I should have known.

I wipe my tears off my face vigorously and stared up at him

“Why am I here then?”I asked, dropping my shoulders. “Since I'm such a horrible person.A liar,a fraudster.”I let out a pained chuckle. “a prostitute.”

His eyes narrowed. “So you admit it.”

“Do you want me to?”I ask.

“I want the truth.”He persists.

“No you don't.”I return,my chest heaving with anger “You want to humiliate me,you could have rejected me in private–Heck no.You could have talked to me at least.But you rather jump into foolish conclusions because you are too blinded to look for the truth.”

The room collectively gasps at my words,this insubordination could have costs my life very few decades ago.

“Oh shut up.”I tell them dismissively and return my gaze to him.

“You never wanted me to be luna,that's why you happily jumped on the idea of me being unworthy.Admit it.”

“You are angry.”He says, like it wasn't obvious enough.He takes another set of mechanical steps towards me,and I take a step towards him too.But he freezes,as if he is scared to come closer

Hands on my hips,my eyes red,jutting out my chin out to him.He pauses,analyzing me and whispers so only I could hear.

“You are also hurt.”

I swallow nothing and vow that he wont see my tears fall ever again.

“I am going to forgive everything you said based on this fact only.”he says quietly. “You may go.”

With that he sends signals to the guards behind me to escort me.

They grab my arms and I fight to pull out their grip.

“Be gentle.”He orders firmly and they immediately ease up on me.

I stare at him confused.Why would he care how I was escorted after all he just said to me.After all the pain he is causing Me.Who was he fooling by pretending to be a gentleman now?

“You know what Ares?I am glad that these accusations came in.Imagine if we had actually married,and I would Have been stuck with an excuse of a man to call my husband!”

“Goodbye Selene.”He says and turns away from me.

“Screw you!”I yell at him before the door closes before me.