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Rejected at My Own Mating Ceremony
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At our mating ceremony, Rosalie Winfield suddenly fainted. Lucian Thornfell left me behind without hesitation and carried her to the healer’s den. I stayed to deal with the chaos alone. By the time ...
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第1章
Lucian Thornfell’s neighbor, Rosalie Winfield, fainted in the middle of our betrothal feast.
Before I could even rise from my seat as the future Luna, Lucian—the pack’s Alpha—was already moving. One moment he had been beside me beneath the silver moon lanterns, and the next he was kneeling at Rosalie’s side, lifting her into his arms as though I were no longer there.
Without a word to me.
Without regard for the elders.
Without care for the humiliation.
He carried her straight to the healer’s den.
And I was left behind.
The drums fell silent. The pack members froze. Elders whispered behind raised goblets of wine, and the long banquet tables remained untouched—food prepared for a celebration that ended before it truly began.
So I did what I had done too many times before.
I smiled.
I soothed the offended elders, dismissed the omegas, and oversaw the clearing of the feast hall myself. I stood beneath the moon lanterns until the last pack member left, until the last overturned goblet was cleared away, until nothing remained of the evening but the cold ache lodged in my chest.
By the time everything was settled, the night had grown deep and bitter. Frost clung to the stone courtyard, and the moon hung pale above the pack territory.
That was when Rosalie’s voice slipped into the pack mindlink.
Weak. Breathless. Fragile.
Yet unmistakably clear.
No matter what happens, in Lucian’s heart, I will always come first.
For a moment, I said nothing. Then I lowered my eyes and let out a quiet laugh.
My reply slipped back just as softly.
Then I wish the two of you happiness together.
After that, I sealed my mindlink to her.
I thought that would be the end of it.
I was wrong.
Past midnight, the communication stone on my bedside table flared repeatedly, pulsing with Lucian’s summons until pale light filled the room. I had no desire to answer, but he was persistent.
At last, I picked it up.
The moment the connection opened, his anger struck like claws.
“Selene Everhart, what are you trying to do now? Why did you shut Rosalie out? She fainted again because of it. You know how weak she is. How many times have I told you not to upset her? She cannot bear it.”
I did not answer at once.
Instead, I folded the last of my clothes and placed them into the traveling chest at the foot of my bed. Then I carried the stone with me onto the balcony.
The wind was sharp. Below, the pack territory lay silent beneath the moon.
Only then did I speak.
“Did you call me only to say this?”
There was a brief pause.
“Or what?” Lucian replied, his tone hard. “Are you going to accuse me and Rosalie again? I’ve told you countless times—she’s like a sister to me. If your own sister collapsed, would you not worry?”
Like a sister.
I had heard those words so often they no longer hurt.
Once, I argued.
Once, I cried.
Once, I asked why the woman he called a sister always came before the Luna he chose.
Now, I felt nothing.
My heart was no longer breaking.
It had simply gone numb.
“You should worry,” I said quietly.
Perhaps my calm unsettled him, because he fell silent again. When he spoke next, his voice had turned cold and commanding.
“Open your mindlink to Rosalie again.”
Then he severed the connection.
I looked down at the fading glow of the stone.
Naturally, I did no such thing.
Lucian and I had been together for eight years.
For nearly all of those years, Rosalie’s presence followed us like a shadow. From the beginning, I heard of her constantly. She was gentle, obedient, sweet-natured, delicate—everything wolves found irresistible.
Always close to him.
Always needing him.
At first, I assumed she truly was his younger sister.
Later, I learned Lucian was an only child.
Then I wondered if she was a distant cousin.
She was neither.
After our coming-of-age ceremony, Lucian and I began handling pack duties together. Not long after, Rosalie moved into the central territory. Lucian explained her mother had entrusted her to him because she had been born weak and needed protection.
At first, I pitied her.
I truly did.
But pity slowly turned into humiliation.
Whenever Lucian and I trained together, Rosalie sent for him.
Whenever we shared a meal, Rosalie fell ill.
Whenever we stole one quiet night beneath the moon, Rosalie somehow needed him before dawn.
A dizzy spell.
A twisted ankle.
A fever.
A sleepless night.
The reasons changed. The ending never did.
The moment Rosalie called, Lucian went.
I lost count of how many times we argued.
Each time, he held me close and promised things would change after our mating ceremony. He said I was the Luna he chose. He said Rosalie was someone he could not ignore. He said I was thinking too much.
And because I loved him, I endured.
I endured every slight, every ruined night, every swallowed grievance.
Because I believed there was a future worth waiting for.
But after that night, I no longer wished to wait.
At dawn, Lucian’s parents arrived with several elders from his bloodline.
The omegas had just finished laying out breakfast when they entered. His mother glanced around and immediately asked, “Has Lucian returned?”
I smiled faintly.
“He never came back last night.”
Her face paled.
One of the elder aunts caught her sleeve. “Sheena, call him back at once. This is unacceptable.”
Then she turned to me, patting my hand awkwardly.
“Selene, don’t be angry. Have you eaten? Sit with us.”
I looked at them quietly.
They were embarrassed. Ashamed for him. Sorry for me.
But none of that changed where he had spent the night.
I sat with them and ate breakfast as though it were an ordinary morning.
When Lucian finally answered his mother’s mindlink, his voice was low and impatient. He said he could not leave yet. Rosalie had not awakened, and he needed to remain by her side.
The room fell silent.
One aunt lowered her cup. Another looked away. Sheena’s fingers tightened against the table.
Everyone looked at me.
I only smiled.
“I’m due at the Alpha Hall,” I said as I rose. “You may wait for him here.”
I picked up my cloak and left.
The day passed in a blur of Luna duties—reports, patrol records, disputes among pack members. I buried myself in work until sunset stretched long shadows across the hall.
Lucian never returned.
Strangely, I felt no anger.
No disappointment.
Only relief.
Because this… was exactly what I had expected.
第2章
His family waited until nearly midnight before finally leaving.
By then, the Alpha house had gone still. The fire in the front room had burned low, leaving only a faint red glow beneath the ash, and the moonstone lamps along the walls shone dimly, their pale light washed thin against the stone. The evening meal prepared for Lucian sat untouched on the table, long gone cold. His mother and aunts lingered far longer than they should have, as though their presence alone might soften the humiliation he had left behind.
But some things could not be softened.
Not when the Alpha who should have returned never did.
Before she left, Lucian’s mother took both my hands in hers. Her palms were warm, but her grip trembled. Sheena Thornfell had always been kind to me. From the first day Lucian brought me before his family, she had treated me as though my place as Luna was already decided, as though I belonged to their pack and always would.
Now there was shame in her eyes—and helplessness too.
“Do not let this sit in your heart, child,” she said quietly. “I will speak to him.”
I lowered my eyes and gave a faint nod.
After they were gone, the silence deepened.
Not long after, the family moonstone began to glow. Silver light spilled across the darkened room. When I touched it, Sheena’s tired voice came through. She said I was the only Luna she had ever acknowledged. She promised Lucian would come to his senses. She said he would apologize.
I listened without expression.
Then I set the moonstone aside.
I had no desire for empty assurances.
I only sent back a brief reply that I was occupied.
After that, I sat alone, listening to the wind brush against the shutters. The Alpha house felt strangely hollow. For years, I had shaped my life around Lucian’s presence. I used to wait for his footsteps, for his scent drifting into the room, for the careless way he would loosen his collar and ask what I had prepared for supper.
That night, I waited for none of it.
When dawn came, I rose before first light.
I washed in cold water, dressed in silence, and braided my hair with steady hands. Then I lit the hearth myself and prepared a simple breakfast I barely touched. My body moved by habit, though my heart no longer followed.
By the time the eastern sky began to pale, I was already on my way to the administrative hall.
The pack territory was only just waking. Warriors changed watch at the gates, their spears catching the gray light. Omegas crossed the courtyard with baskets of bread and bundles of herbs. Young wolves hurried along the stone paths, cloaks pulled tight against the cold.
Everything looked the same.
Only I had changed.
I buried myself in work. Patrol reports from the southern border. Winter supply counts. Ledgers waiting for my seal. I kept my hands busy so my thoughts would remain quiet.
For the most part, they did.
Then, just before midday, a summons came from the High Steward.
I knew why before I even entered.
The post in Drelantia had already been offered to me twice.
It was no punishment, no exile—only an opportunity. Drelantia lay at the eastern borders, where multiple packs met for trade and diplomacy. It was difficult, but honorable. Anyone who served there well returned with rank and influence.
I had refused it before.
Each time, I gave the same answer.
My life was here.
And once, that had been true.
Lucian had already promised our mating before the pack. Once we were bonded, there would be ceremonies, shared duties, and perhaps pups of our own. I had imagined that future so often that I had shaped my life around it without realizing how much I was giving away.
The High Steward looked up when I entered.
“Have you truly decided against Drelantia?” she asked. “This is the last time I will offer it.”
I stood in silence.
Sunlight slanted through the tall windows, falling across sealed records and rolled parchments. On her desk lay the transfer papers, already prepared.
Two years.
Only two years.
A short time in a wolf’s life.
Yet long enough to change everything.
Lucian had never wanted me to leave. He said mates should not live apart. He said distance weakened bonds. Back then, I thought his words were tender.
Now I saw them clearly.
He wanted me near—only when it suited him.
I suddenly understood how much I had already given up.
I refused distant posts.
I turned down promotions.
I changed my duties to return home early and prepare his meals myself.
I had bent my entire life around him.
And in the end, none of it mattered.
The realization came without tears.
Only stillness.
“I’ll go,” I said.
The High Steward looked surprised, then satisfied. She pushed the parchment forward.
“Everything is ready. You only need to sign.”
I picked up the pen and wrote my name without hesitation.
“You leave on the ninth of next month,” she said.
I counted the days silently.
Less than twenty.
That was enough.
There was much to settle before then, and I had no wish to waste another moment entangled with Lucian Thornfell and Rosalie Winfield.
I would leave on the appointed day.
And on that same day—
I would end everything between the Alpha and his Luna.
第3章
As dusk approached, rain began to fall over the pack territory.
It began as a thin silver mist beyond the tall hall windows, drifting softly across the courtyard stones. Gradually, the mist thickened into steady rain, until the stone paths gleamed dark beneath the downpour and the torches along the walls hissed faintly in the damp air.
Just as I was sorting the last of the ledgers on my desk, the moonstone at my wrist warmed, glowing faintly with Lucian’s summons.
I paused for a moment before answering.
The moment I opened the connection, his voice came through, low and impatient.
“You’re finished at the hall, aren’t you? Come to the healer’s den and bring us home.”
He spoke as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
As though the future Luna should go out into the rain to fetch him and Rosalie.
As though I were some omega servant to be summoned whenever he pleased.
As though the humiliation of yesterday had never happened at all.
I almost laughed.
“There is a feast tonight for the stewards,” I said evenly. “I do not know when it will end.”
There was a brief pause, as though he had not expected refusal.
“You can bring us back first and return afterward.”
My fingers tightened slightly around the moonstone.
“You can ask for a carriage.”
Then I cut the connection.
I did not care whether he was angry.
That evening, I remained at the hall and shared supper with several stewards I was on good terms with. The long table glowed warmly with firelight, and cups of spiced wine passed easily from hand to hand. Someone told a story about a patrol captain slipping into the river during drills, and laughter rippled down the table.
For the first time in days, I smiled without effort.
The warmth of the hall, the quiet camaraderie, and the absence of tension felt strangely unfamiliar—yet comforting.
By the time I returned home, the rain had softened to a gentle drizzle. Water still clung to the eaves, dripping steadily into the courtyard below.
It was already late.
When I stepped inside, Lucian was sitting on the sofa in the front room, one arm resting along the back, his posture stiff.
He turned the moment he heard the door.
“Why are you back so late?”
I did not answer. I set aside my cloak, changed my damp shoes, and washed my hands at the basin near the entrance. My limbs ached with weariness, and the faint scent of rain clung to my clothes.
All I wanted was to return to my room, bathe, and sleep.
But as I turned toward the corridor, Lucian rose and stepped in front of me, blocking my way.
“Selene,” he said, his voice hardening. “What is the meaning of this?”
I lifted my eyes to look at him.
There was a time when his face alone stirred warmth in me. A single glance from him used to be enough to brighten my entire day.
Now, I felt nothing.
“What do you mean?” I asked calmly.
His expression darkened. “You refused to come for us, and now you return home at this hour. What exactly are you trying to do?”
Before I could answer, a soft voice drifted from the guest room.
“Selene… have you been drinking? The scent is making me uncomfortable.”
I turned sharply.
Rosalie stood in the doorway, pale beneath the lamplight, one hand resting lightly against the frame as though she needed support.
For a heartbeat, I simply stared.
I had thought Lucian had settled her elsewhere after bringing her back from the healer’s den.
I had not expected him to bring her into the Alpha house.
Into my home.
Absurd did not begin to cover it.
I looked at Lucian calmly.
“Would you like me to stay at an inn tonight?” I asked. “Or would you prefer to take Rosalie there yourselves?”
“Selene!” Lucian’s voice rose immediately. “How can you think so filthily?”
I almost laughed.
“Do not raise your voice to cover your guilty conscience,” I said coldly. “Am I the filthy-minded one?”
Then I turned to Rosalie.
“You fainted yesterday because I sealed my mindlink? Do not pretend to be so fragile. I sealed him out as well. And if the scent of wine bothers you, then close your door and sleep.”
Rosalie’s eyes reddened instantly.
Tears gathered with practiced ease.
But instead of replying to me, she turned to Lucian, her voice trembling.
“Perhaps I should leave… I do not want to upset Selene or make the two of you quarrel because of me.”
“It’s late,” Lucian said immediately, his tone softening. “Where would you go in weather like this? It isn’t safe outside. Go rest.”
So he did know that.
He did know a woman might be unsafe outside at night.
A bitter smile tugged faintly at my lips.
Once, when I lived far from the hall, I had walked home alone many nights. Rain or moonlight, it made little difference. One evening, I asked him to come for me.
He had laughed lightly.
There are people everywhere in the territory. What is there to fear?
He had been right.
Even deep into the night, the territory was never truly empty.
What was there to fear?
Rosalie lingered another moment, watching him as though waiting for more reassurance. When none came, she lowered her head and slipped quietly back into the guest room.
I had no strength left to continue.
I brushed past Lucian, entered my room, and shut the door behind me.
A moment later, he knocked.
“Selene.”
Then again, sharper.
“Selene, open the door.”
I ignored him.
After a while, the knocking stopped. Through the door, I could hear the faint murmur of his voice, followed by Rosalie’s softer replies from the other room. Eventually, even those sounds faded.
The house had two bedchambers.
I took the master chamber.
Rosalie remained in the guest room.
And the Alpha of the pack, left between the two, spent the night on the sofa.
第4章
The next morning, he was already awake.
Or perhaps he had never slept at all.
He sat on the sofa in yesterday’s clothes, shoulders slightly hunched, dark shadows beneath his eyes. His hair was faintly disordered, and there was tension in the line of his jaw, as though he had spent the night stewing in irritation rather than resting.
The moment he saw me step out of my room, he straightened.
“You’re awake,” he said. “I reserved passage to Blightmoor. You once said you wanted to go there, didn’t you? I’ll accompany you. Ask for leave from the hall today.”
His tone was almost casual, as though nothing had happened the night before. As though bringing Rosalie into our home, arguing at the door, and leaving me to shut myself away had been nothing more than a passing inconvenience.
“I cannot go,” I replied.
His brows tightened immediately.
“Are you still angry?” he asked, impatience creeping into his voice. “Selene, we’re already betrothed. We are not some young wolves in courtship. Must you be so childish?”
I said nothing.
I only looked at him quietly.
Then, very suddenly, a realization came with startling clarity.
When I argued, I was wrong.
When I stayed silent, I was wrong.
When I yielded, it was expected.
When I resisted, it was unreasonable.
No matter what I did, I was always the one expected to bend.
Perhaps the mistake had never been in my words at all.
Perhaps the mistake was loving him.
“Fine,” he exhaled at last, as though granting me a concession. “My fault, then. Is that enough?”
I shook my head faintly.
“You did nothing wrong,” I said calmly. “And I am not angry. Let us not speak of it anymore.”
I moved past him and went to the hearth to make coffee.
The kettle took time to warm, and the quiet stretched between us. I picked up my phone and opened Instagram, more out of habit than interest.
Rosalie had posted again.
The image showed her holding Lucian’s racing trophy against her cheek, her expression soft and gentle, as though she were cradling something precious. The lamplight behind her made the metal gleam faintly.
Below it, she had written:
[Sleeping peacefully beside Lucian’s most cherished possession.]
It was not the same account I had blocked yesterday.
This was a different one.
I opened the profile and saw we had never even exchanged a message. I could not remember when she had followed me—or when I had accepted.
For a moment, I only stared at the image.
Then I set the phone down.
There was no need to block her again.
I remembered too clearly the day I had moved that very trophy while cleaning. It had been sitting near the edge of the shelf, and I had only lifted it to wipe the dust beneath.
Lucian had walked in at that exact moment.
He had stopped cold.
Then his face darkened in a way I had never seen before.
“Who told you to touch that?” he had asked sharply.
I had been startled, apologizing at once, explaining that I was only cleaning. But he had taken the trophy from my hands with visible displeasure, setting it back in place himself as though I might damage it simply by holding it.
Back then, I had blamed myself.
I had thought I had crossed some boundary without realizing.
Now, it seemed the rule had never been that no one could touch it.
Only that I could not.
How ridiculous.
I used to tell myself that love required patience, understanding, and sacrifice. I had smoothed over every sharp edge until I could pretend it no longer hurt.
But love and indifference had never looked alike.
I had only been too blind to tell them apart.
“Selene,” Lucian said, watching me carefully, clearly displeased by my calm. “I know I shouldn’t have left that day. But it was a matter of life and death.”
Life and death.
The words sounded hollow now.
I picked up my phone again, opened Rosalie’s post, enlarged the image, and turned the screen toward him.
“Life and death is one thing,” I said quietly. “Then what is this?”
His expression shifted slightly.
“Lucian,” I continued softly, a faint trace of mockery threading through my voice, “do you remember the day you shouted at me for touching your first racing trophy?”
I held his gaze.
“Do you remember what you said to me back then?”