<
Gabriel jumped up, his eyes red.
“Don’t talk like that! You’re going to be fine!”
I laughed, a strange calmness settling over me.
Fine? Who knows? Omegas rarely survived the
rejection.
With a sense of hollowness, I let Gabriel lead
me to the ceremony. Murmurs rippled through
the crowd when they saw me. The alpha
traditionally went first. Andrew stood on the
platform, backlit, his expression hidden.
Gabriel helped me up, his voice low and urgent.
“Does it have to be today? Can’t you wait?
Your wound…”
Andrew cut him off. “Gabriel, she’s not a child.
She knows what she’s doing.”
“Don’t worry, Gabriel. I’ll be fine.”
Gabriel, frustrated and worried, shifted, his eyes
slitting, then forced himself back. The shift was
a sign of extreme distress.
I squeezed his shoulder. “I’ll be okay.”
He didn’t reply. After a moment, he jumped off
the platform.
く
Moonlight broke through the clouds, illuminating
the statue of the Moon Goddess. The
goddess’s staff split the beam, bathing Andrew
and me in its light. The pack held its breath as I spoke.
“I, Elisabeth, reject Andrew as my mate!”
“I, Andrew, reject Elisabeth as my mate!” The crowd erupted. The statue hummed. Agony slammed into us. I screamed. Andrew shifted
involuntarily, his bandages ripping open, blood welling up.
It was excruciating, like every bone in my body was shattering and reforming. I could barely breathe. Someone scooped me up. The familiar scent calmed me. Gabriel.
He shifted and carried me to his room. The
door slammed shut. His scent filled the air. I
opened my eyes, blurry with pain, and saw him pacing.
“Come closer. Your scent…it helps.”
Only a mate’s scent could ease the pain. Gabriel’s eyes widened. My face burned. I knew how crazy it sounded, but it was true. His scent
<
soothed the burning.
He shifted back, his bare chest pressing against mine, his scent enveloping me. My mind began
to drift.
Everyone in the pack knew Andrew, the alpha, and I were meant to be. Hell, I thought so too. Until the night before the mating ceremony, when rogues attacked. Andrew shoved me aside to protect Elsa. Shattered, I chose Gabriel, my quiet, steady rock. And then, after I’d moved on, Andrew suddenly realized what he’d lost. He practically begged for a second glance. Leaning against Gabriel, I gave him my best blank stare. “Sorry,” I said, “do I know you?”
