Chapter 3: The Bond of Destiny

The day had just barely broken when Selene stirred awake, blinking against the soft morning light filtering through her small bedroom window. For a few moments, she simply lay there, taking in the silence, feeling the familiar chill of the early hours seep into her bones. She flipped onto her side and glared at the cracked wall opposite her bed—a grim reminder of the long years that had passed under the Blood Moon pack house, filled with endless chores, humiliation, and loneliness. But today was different. Today was a new beginning.

"Happy birthday," she whispered to herself, barely audible in the quiet room.

She was eighteen now, by pack standards officially an adult. Today should've been the day she finally met her wolf one companion she had spent her life waiting for, the day she was supposed to feel whole. A small part of her had always held onto the hope that meeting her wolf would change everything'd somehow be free of this suffocating life she lived under Alpha Jackson and Tiffany Harrington.

She sat up, her feet dangling off the edge of the bed as she stared at the floor. Her heart danced with nervous anticipation: today was finally going to be different.

As she would have risen from the bed, a warm, strong voice filled her mind.

"Happy birthday, Selene."

Selene froze. Her eyes were wide, and her breath hitched in her throat. She had heard tales from other pack members about what their first meeting with the wolf inside them was like, but nothing could have prepared her for this.

"Wh-who are you?" she stuttered in a quivering voice.

The voice chuckled softly. "I'm Lyla, your wolf. Nice to finally meet you."

Selene's heart welled with joy and relief. "Lyla," she breathed again, and the name was like a prayer on her lips. For the first time in years, Selene felt something other than fear and bitterness. She felt hope.

"I've waited so long for this," Selene said, her eyes welling up with tears. "I thought I'd never get to meet you."

"Well, here I am," Lyla replied warmly. "And we have so much to look forward to, Selene. We're strong together. And soon, we'll find our mate."

Selene's joy faltered, her heart skipping a beat. "Our mate?" she asked, her voice tinged with surprise and confusion. "We. We have a mate?"

"Yes," Lyla said with certainty. "He's here. It's Jackson Richford."

Selene's body went cold all over; her breath hitched as disbelief and shock surged through her. "Jackson?" she whispered, shaking her head in denial. "Lyla, that's not funny."

"It's the truth," Lyla said calmly. "He's our fated mate."

"No," Selene muttered, standing from her bed, her legs shaking. "No, this can't be right. Jackson can't be my mate. He hates me. He's cruel and heartless. He'll never accept me."

Lyla's voice gentled. "I know it's hard to believe, but we're destined to be together. You'll see."

She put her hands to her temples, trying to ward off the dizziness in her mind. How could this happen? How could the Moon Goddess have picked someone like Jackson for her? He was a monster. All those years of tormenting her, treating her as dirt under his feet, and humiliating her wherever he saw her. It made her stomach twist just to think of having him bonded to her, to think that he was her mate.

But before she could wrap her head around that bombshell revelation, her creaked door opened, and she whirled around, her heart thumping. It was Jackson who stood in the doorway. On his face, a nonchalant smirk played.

"Happy birthday, Selene," he said smoothly, the slightest undercurrent of condescension lacing his voice.

Selene's blood ran cold as her eyes found his. She could feel her heartbeat quicken, her skin prickling with unease. He was standing there, looking at her with that same predatory gaze he had stared at her with before like he knew something she didn't. Well, now she did, thanks to Lyla.

"You knew," Selene said, the words barely above a whisper. "You knew all this time we were mates."

Jackson's smirk deepened, but there was no warmth in his eyes. "And so what if I did?"

Selene's heart clenched painfully. She felt Lyla in the back of her mind, egging her onward, not to let him cow her. But the weight of his words, the reality of their bond seemed to hang heavy in the air between them.

She asked reproachfully, her voice cracking. "Why didn't you-"

"Because it doesn't matter," Jackson cut in coldly and with a dismissive overtone. "You and I are never going to be together."

Selene recoiled, the sting of his rejection piercing like a blade into her chest. She had expected this, hadn't she? Jackson had never shown her even a modicum of kindness or love. But to hear it spoken so bluntly, so cruelly, simply made the pain all the more unbearable.

Jackson stepped closer, his gaze hardening. "I reject you, Selene. We can never be together. You're weak. A maid. An orphan. You'll never be my Luna."

Selene's breath caught as the weight of his words crashed over her like a tidal wave. She felt as though the air had been sucked out of the room, her heart shattering in her chest. For years, she had dreamed of finding her mate, of having someone who would love her unconditionally, who would stand by her side and protect her. But now, that dream was being ripped away.

"I don't care," Selene spat, gathering every last ounce of strength she had. Her voice was quivering, but her eyes blazed with defiance. "I don't want to be your Luna. I'd rather die than be with someone like you."

"I, Selene accept your Rejection,

For one passing instant, Jackson's face seemed to flutter, some impenetrable emotion crossing his features before he quickly masked them with his usual arrogant mask. He leaned in closer to her, his warm breath caressing her cheek.

"Good," he whispered, his voice low and dangerous. "Because I would rather die than accept you as my mate." pack your things you're leaving this blood moon's pack once the engagement party is over.

I have been waiting for years to hear that, and I am finally happy U've said it. I leave after serving the pack today.

Selene's heart clenched in a painful spasm, but she refused to let him see that the razor-sharp edge of his words had cut her. Lifting her chin, she glared up at him with all the hatred she could find.

Jackson's smirk was back, but for a moment, something darker flickered in his eyes, sending a shiver down Selene's spine. "Careful what you wish for," he softly said, turning and leaving her room, leaving her standing there alone, broken.

The door clicked shut behind him, and the silence that followed deafened her.

Her legs buckled, and she went down to the floor as this all crashed down on her. She felt a burning in her cheeks and hot tears spilled down her cheeks, but she wiped them away, not allowing herself to break down. She had survived years of the cruelty of the Blood Moon pack; it had been a time of being so strong. She wouldn't break now, not because of him.

Lyla's voice was soft in her mind. "I'm so sorry, Selene. I wish it didn't have to go this way."

Selene fisted her hands at her sides, her nails biting into her palms. "It doesn't matter. I'll survive, just like I always have. I don't need him. I don't need anyone."