Chapter One - Angel's POV

"Oh my gosh, can you believe it?" Lani's face lit up as she talked about her friend Mathew. "They've been best friends since they were little kids, and now – boom! The Moon Goddess says they're meant to be together!"

"That's really nice," I said quietly, trying to sound happy. But inside, my stomach felt like it was tied in knots.

"Hey, maybe we'll find our special someone soon too!" Lani nudged me with her elbow.

I wanted to believe her, but the mean voices in my head wouldn't stop. Everyone kept saying I wasn't good enough. Too big, too plain, too weak – even my own brother Michael thought so. Our pack leader just walked past me like I wasn't even there.

"Come on!" Lani grabbed my hand. "Let's get some lunch. I'm starving!"

Just as we stepped into the lunch room, something amazing happened. The most wonderful smell hit me – like fresh cookies and flowers all mixed together.

My wolf, Slade, started jumping around in my head. 'That's him! That's our mate! Can you smell him?'

I looked up and saw him across the room. For one tiny second, our eyes met. But then... oh no. His face changed completely. He looked at me like I was something gross on his shoe.

"Angel?" Lani poked my arm. "You okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Oh! Um... I'm fine," I lied. "Just thinking about... stuff."

Slade wouldn't give up though. 'Go talk to him! He's our mate – we have to!'

'No way,' I told her. 'Did you see how he looked at us? Like we're nothing.'

'Maybe we're wrong!' Slade said, but she didn't sound so sure anymore.

I couldn't help looking at him again. There he was, laughing with Danna. Everyone knew Danna – she was like a supermodel who could also kick butt in wolf form. My heart felt like it was breaking into tiny pieces.

'See?' I told Slade. 'He's already found someone better.'

Poor Slade got really quiet after that.

I sat down and just pushed my food around my plate. Of course Lani noticed – she notices everything.

"Okay, spill it," she said, leaning in close. "Something's definitely wrong. You look like someone just canceled Christmas."

I took a deep breath. "I... I found my mate."

"What? No way!" Lani almost fell off her chair. "This is huge! Who is it? Where is he? Why aren't you with him right now?"

The questions made my throat feel tight. "Can we... Can we not talk about it? I just needed to tell someone."

Lani's excited smile turned into a worried frown. "Of course, sweetie. But you know I'm here whenever you want to talk, right?"

Meanwhile, Slade was still trying to change my mind. 'We can't just sit here! He needs to know who we are!'

'If he wanted to know,' I thought back, 'he'd come talk to us himself.'

I watched as he laughed at something Danna said, and my chest hurt even more. Some mates we turned out to be.

"Want my cookie?" Lani offered, trying to cheer me up. "It's chocolate chips – your favorite."

But not even chocolate could fix this mess. Finding your mate was supposed to be the happiest moment of your life. So why did it feel like my world was falling apart?

‘If he won’t, then I will!’ Slade’s sudden dominance surprised me. I still hadn’t shifted, even at eighteen. Most wolves shifted at sixteen, but Slade always told me the time wasn’t right. Because of this, the pack saw me as weak. Worthless.

‘Fine,’ I gave in.

I saw him leave the cafeteria and hurried after him. My heart pounded as I followed him to the hallway near the locker rooms.

‘Hurry, Angel!’ Slade urged.

But what I saw made me freeze.

"Damn it!" he muttered, pulling away from Danna.

"Why did you stop, Gabriel?" Danna pouted. "We’re not finished."

‘I knew it! He’s a traitor! He—’

‘Slade, stop,’ I cut her off.

Gabriel’s voice was sharp. "Danna, leave."

She frowned. "Why?"

"Just go!" he snapped. Danna looked startled but quickly obeyed.

Then his eyes landed on me. "You. Come here. We need to talk."

I took a deep breath and approached him. But before I could say anything, he grabbed my arm and pushed me against the lockers. Pain shot up my back, but I refused to react. His intoxicating scent surrounded me, making it hard to think. His eyes glowed gold for a second before turning back to gray.

"Gabriel, you’re hurting me," I whispered. "You know who I am."

His jaw clenched. "Isn’t it obvious? I don’t want you. I’m ashamed that you’re my mate."

His words cut deeper than anything before. I knew he wouldn’t be happy, but this... this was worse than I ever imagined. Slade growled inside me, furious. I let her take over.

My eyes remained their usual color as Slade’s presence filled me. Gabriel’s eyes widened, shocked by the shift.

"What did you say?" Slade demanded.

Gabriel took a step back, struggling. His wolf wanted to come out too, but he fought it. Finally, he regained control, his expression cold.

"I said, I don’t want you. I’ve known you my whole life. You’re weak. Ugly. A clumsy little girl who is unfit to be my Luna."

I felt like my heart had been ripped out.

"I, Claw Gabriel Rennon, Alpha of the Moon Crescent Pack, reject you, Slade Angel Clinn, as my mate and Luna." His voice echoed through the empty hallway, each word cutting deeper than any physical wound.

Tears spilled down my cheeks as the rejection ripped through my very soul. The pain was unbearable - like someone had torn my heart out and crushed it right in front of me. Slade's anguished cries filled my mind, our shared agony almost too much to bear. Gabriel stood there, his handsome face twisted with revulsion as he stared down at me.

I wanted to speak, to ask why, to beg him to reconsider. But my voice was trapped, strangled by the overwhelming grief and shame.

"Say something!" he snarled, running his hands through his dark hair in frustration. When I remained silent, his anger exploded. He shoved me hard, sending me sprawling onto the cold floor. "You're pathetic. Can't even defend yourself."

I curled into myself, trying to make my body as small as possible. His next words came out like poison.

"If you're too stupid to accept my rejection, fine. But let me make this crystal clear." He crouched down, forcing me to look into his cold blue eyes. "Stay. Away. From. Me. And if you breathe a word of this to anyone - if you so much as hint that we're mates - I'll make your life even more miserable than it already is. The Moon Goddess must be playing some sick joke, pairing me with... with this." He gestured at me with disgust.

"My pack respects me. They look up to me. And I won't let some weak, worthless excuse for a wolf ruin everything I've built." He straightened up, adjusting his leather jacket. "You're nothing but an embarrassment."

With that final blow, he stormed off, leaving me broken on the floor. His footsteps faded, but his words kept echoing in my head.

'Get up,' Slade whispered. 'Please, Angel. We need to move.'

My body felt like lead, but somehow I managed to stand. My legs were shaking so badly I could barely walk. I stumbled down the hallway, vision blurred by tears, just wanting to escape.

"Watch it!" A familiar voice snapped as I nearly collided with someone. Through my tears, I recognized my brother Michael. He stood with his usual group - the pack's elite warriors. They were all laughing at some joke, probably at my expense.

"Michael," I whispered, reaching for him. "Please..."

He took one look at my tear-stained face and turned away, continuing his conversation as if I didn't exist. His friends snickered, one of them muttering, "Pathetic as always."

'I can't do this anymore, Slade,' I thought as I finally made it outside. 'Gabriel hates us. My own brother won't even look at me. What's the point of staying where we're not wanted?'

'Then we leave,' Slade's voice was stronger now, determined. 'We deserve better than this. All of this.'

Back home, I moved on autopilot, pulling out my old backpack. Mom and Dad had left us a decent inheritance before the rogue attack that took their lives. I'd been saving it, hoping someday... but those dreams were dead now.

I packed quickly - clothes, toiletries, the emergency cash. My hand paused over the family photo on my nightstand. We were all smiling - Mom, Dad, Michael, and me. Back when we were actually a family. Back when Michael still called me his baby sister instead of pretending I didn't exist.

'Don't forget Lani's bracelet,' Slade reminded me. My best friend had given it to me on my last birthday. "So you'll always remember you're not alone," she'd said. The irony made me want to cry all over again.

I scribbled a quick note to Lani. She deserved at least that much.

"Dear Lani,

I'm sorry to leave like this, but I can't stay. Please don't try to find me. I'll be okay, I promise. Thank you for being the only real friend I've ever had.

Love, Angel"

Standing in my doorway one last time, memories flooded back. Movie nights with Lani on my bed. Mom braiding my hair by the window. Dad teaching me and Michael to play chess at the little desk. Even the corner where I used to hide and cry after particularly bad days at school.

'Do you think Gabriel will be happy now?' I asked Slade as we headed for my car. 'Now that he won't have to see his embarrassment of a mate anymore?'

'Stop,' Slade growled. 'Don't think about him. Think about us. About our future.'

I took one final look at the house, then the territory beyond. The only home I'd ever known. Somewhere in there, Gabriel was probably already celebrating his freedom. Maybe he'd finally ask Danna out - everyone knew she'd been hoping for that.

"Goodbye," I whispered to no one in particular. Then I started the car and drove away, leaving behind everything I'd ever known, heading toward an uncertain future that had to be better than the pain I was leaving behind.

At least, I hoped it would be.