The Alpha's Rejected Mate

The morning of my eighteenth birthday began like any other day in the Bourne Pack, with me running late for my shift at the pack café.As I sprinted past the training grounds, my worn sneakers kicking up dust, I couldn't help but smile.Today was supposed to be special, the day when most wolves discovered their mate bonds, but I had long since accepted my likely mateless fate as an omega."Layla!"A familiar voice called out, making me skid to a stop.James, our Head Beta's son, jogged over with that easy smile that had half the pack swooning."Happy birthday!""Thanks," I said, tucking a strand of dark hair behind my ear. "But I'm really late...""I know, I know. But here." He thrust a small wrapped package into my hands. "Open it later yeah?"I clutched the gift, warmth spreading through my chest.James had been nothing but kind to me since his mate died two years ago, and sometimes I caught myself wondering if..."Layla."The deep, commanding voice froze me in place.Every wolf in

The packhouse was bustling with activity, the usual evening chatter filling the hallways. For everyone else, this was just another day, another night in the life of the Bourne Pack. But for me, everything had changed.I forced myself to walk calmly, to ignore the gnawing ache in my chest as Aiden’s rejection replayed in my mind.He was my mate, and he had thrown me away as if I meant nothing. And now, I had to pretend like it never happened, to carry on as though my world hadn’t just been flipped upside down.I pushed open the door to the omega quarters, a small area tucked in the back of the packhouse where those of us with lesser ranks lived.It wasn’t much, barely large enough for the few of us who stayed here, but it was home. The familiar scent of lavender and worn wood greeted me as I stepped inside.“Layla!” Sarah, my closest friend, called out from across the room. She had been my anchor since we were kids, always there with a smile and a joke when life got hard. She waved me

The words hit me like a punch to the gut, and I stumbled back, the weight of his claim crashing down on me.“No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “I’m not yours anymore. I’m with James.”Aiden’s eyes darkened, his face twisting with a mix of anger and something else, something possessive.“James?” he sneered. “You think he can protect you? You think he can give you what I can’t?”I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, Aiden grabbed my arm, pulling me against him.The bond flared again, stronger this time, and I felt the overwhelming pull of our connection, something primal and undeniable.“You will always be mine, Layla,” he whispered, his breath hot against my ear. “No matter what you do. No matter who you run to.”I struggled to pull away, but his grip was firm, his strength overpowering. And despite the fear coursing through me, I couldn’t deny the way my body reacted to him, the way the bond still tied us together.“Aiden, let me go,” I pleaded, my voice trembling.I wren

Anger surged inside me, cutting through the fear. “You don’t get to decide that. You rejected me, Aiden. You have no claim over me.”His eyes flashed with something primal, something possessive. “The bond says otherwise.”I opened my mouth to argue, but before I could speak, a sharp, burning pain shot through my chest.I gasped, clutching my side as the pain spread like wildfire, searing through my veins. My skin felt like it was on fire, and I fell to my knees, struggling to breathe.“Layla!” Aiden’s voice was distant, but I could feel his hands on me, trying to steady me.The pain intensified, and I looked down at my arm, my heart stopping at the sight.A glowing mark was appearing on my skin, twisting and curling like ancient runes. It pulsed with a strange, ethereal light, as if something deep within me was awakening.Aiden’s eyes widened in shock, his hands hovering over the mark but not touching it. “What... what is this?”“I don’t know,” I gasped, my body trembling from the int

“Aiden... stop,” I whispered, though my voice was weak.He released me, stepping back with a grim look on his face. “You can deny it all you want, Layla, but that won’t change what’s happening between us.”Frustration boiled inside me. “You rejected me, Aiden. You can’t just show up and act like we’re supposed to be together now.”His eyes flickered with something unreadable. “I rejected you because I thought it was the right thing to do. For you, for the pack, for everyone. But I was wrong.”“Wrong?” I echoed, disbelief flooding my chest.Aiden’s jaw clenched. “You’re my mate. The more I tried to push it away, the more I realized I can’t. And now, with this mark... it’s not just about the bond anymore. There’s something deeper happening, something neither of us can control.”I didn’t know what to say. Everything in me screamed to reject what he was saying, to push him away, but a small, traitorous part of me wanted to believe him.Wanted to believe that maybe this wasn’t all just the