Rejected by the Alpha on Midwinter NightChapter 1

1

This year, my mate claimed he had territory negotiations and couldn't return to the den for Midwinter Turning Night.

He insisted I go celebrate with my birth pack instead.

But a blizzard sealed all the mountain passes.

So I turned back toward the Nightclaw central den, planning to surprise them for the holiday.

When I approached the great longhouse with my arms full of offerings, I heard laughter and the clink of bone cups from inside—a full celebration in progress.

"Daughter of our pack, eat more! Your pack-mother prepared this whole feast just for you."

Then I heard my mate's voice: "Mother and Father have been waiting all year for you to come home."

My body went stiff. My paws—my hands—turned to ice. My mind went empty.

I couldn't stop myself—I kicked the heavy oak door open.

And there was my mate, the one supposedly away on pack business, with his arms wrapped around a young Omega.

They looked comfortable together. Close. Like bonded wolves who'd shared a den for years.

——

The air left my lungs. The scene before me was claws tearing through my chest.

For a long moment, I couldn't breathe.

Then I forced it all down. Forced myself to stay calm.

"Mother, Father, Ronan—I'm home."

I glanced around the firelit hall with practiced ease. "Oh, we have a guest?"

My eyes landed on the Omega tucked against my mate's side, and I smiled. "Isn't this Raven Ashthorne?"

I slipped off my fur-lined cloak and sat down at the feasting table like nothing was wrong.

Inside, I was bleeding out. The pain was more than I could bear.

But my pride—my dignity—demanded composure.

I picked up my eating knife, took a bite of roasted elk, and gave my pack-mother an appreciative nod.

"Mother, this herb-crusted elk is my absolute favorite. Thank you for the wonderful surprise."

I lifted a cup of warmed honey mead and let it burn down my throat.

Then I turned a bright smile toward my pack-father.

"I do love a good strong mead. This is excellent—thank you for warming it, Father."

The drink hit my stomach, and warmth spread through my veins.

I wasn't cold anymore. Feeling returned to my fingers and toes. And the tension in the longhouse? I'd wound it tight as a wolf ready to spring.

Ronan Nightclaw finally cracked. A muscle in his jaw twitched, and I caught the faint glow of his Alpha eyes.

"Lyra Nightclaw, weren't you supposed to be at your birth pack's den?"