Chapter 1 - HER REJECTION

Bella's POV 

It had been a long day, but fulfilling as I finished my washing. I was excited to meet my best friend in the pack, Max, the future Beta of the Goldcrest pack. 

It had been nearly three days since I last saw him since I've been busy with the pack’s business, but I was expecting he would come to see me today, which was my eighteenth birthday, and he didn’t show up.

I went to Max’s home not anticipating what was heading my way.

As I neared Max’s house, eagerness coursed through my veins as I sniffed my mate.

The lovely fragrance of my mate brought me into none other than Max’s room.

I was happy until the minute I went inside, everything around me froze.

I was stunned, my shoulders fell, and my heart plummeted into the depths of betrayal. 

“What...what?” I stammered, my words barely audible as I stood there, my legs feeling weak and shaky. My stomach twisted, and I was still finding it difficult to accept what was unfolding before my eyes.

“What...what are you doing?” I yelled with pain in my voice echoing around the room. I tightened my fist as I approached my best friend, who was now my mate, finding him and Malia, my Cousin, on the bed naked with Max on top of her.

Upon seeing me, Malia gave out a wicked sneer as she told Max not to stop digging deep into her. She was enjoying the pain she saw in my eyes.

As if that was not enough, right before my own eyes, Max marked my Cousin.

The air rushed out of my lungs as a surge of awful sensations shot through my chest, forcing me to collapse to the floor. I couldn't comprehend what had just happened.

Max had always been there for me in the Goldcrest pack, the only one who offered comfort when others ignored me. Despite being the Alpha's daughter, I was treated with cruelty by my Uncle, Alpha Damon, who favored my Cousins. And with my stepmother in the picture, she helped my uncle to fuel his wickedness. 

I was just an abandoned Alpha's daughter, but Max was different. He listened to me and fulfilled my desires, but the betrayal I just experienced left me bewildered and questioning everything.

Tears streamed down my face as I struggled to comprehend the depth of the betrayal I had just endured. My throat clenched with the agony of the worst kind of betrayal I had ever faced.

Backing away hesitantly, I felt myself sinking into darkness, my eyes burning with unshed tears as I turned towards the entrance, desperately seeking solace.

"This can't be true!" I cried out, rushing towards the pack's garden, my heart pounding in my chest. "It's not possible!" I repeated, running as fast as I could, demanding answers from my wolf Zoey, who shared my confusion and grief.

Despite being an Alpha's daughter, I had always been viewed as a freak by the pack, especially since my parents death. My life had taken a dark turn since then, with constant humiliation and bullying from everyone, including my stepfamily.

I had hoped that my coming-of-age birthday would bring relief, that I would finally find solace in my mate, but the Moon Goddess had other plans.

Arriving at the pack's garden, I leaned against a tree, letting out all the sorrow and misery that overwhelmed me, only to be suddenly grabbed by the neck and pushed violently.

"Max!" I choked out as he stood before me, his grip tightening around my wrist as I struggled in vain.

"What were you thinking, sitting there like a fool?" Max growled, his words dripping with disdain as he drew attention from the pack members nearby.

"Are you deaf? Answer me!" he demanded, his anger palpable.

"Is Malia your mate, Max?" I finally mustered the courage to ask, hoping for some semblance of compassion.

"She isn't, but what does it matter?" Max hissed, his grip on me tightening further.

"But I'm your mate," I whispered, my heart breaking at his rejection.

He scoffed in disgust, his words like daggers. "You think I would accept an abandoned Alpha's daughter as my mate? You will never be my mate. I've chosen Malia."

The pain of his words cut deep as I realized the truth. He had known all along, yet he remained silent, choosing power over love.

"Why are you with her then? It's not just about sex," I protested, my voice trembling with hurt.

"It's about power," he admitted coldly. "I can't be paired with a reject like you."

And then came the final blow. "I, Max, the next Beta of the Goldcrest pack, hereby reject Bella as my mate and sever every bond between us."

I screamed as the bond was severed, feeling as though my heart had been ripped from my chest. He sneered at me, taking Malia's hand as they left me behind.

I struggled to my feet, tears blurring my vision as I stumbled home, hoping against hope for some shred of support from my family, only to find strange cars leaving our house.

I never knew that things could get any worse.