Chapter 1
Aurelia’s POV
“I, Alpha Theron of the Frost Whisper Pack, hereby reject you, Aurelia, as my mate and Luna of this pack.”
I stand there, watching the man I’ve loved for the past three years turn his back on me the moment he discovers I’m his destined mate.
“Fine! I accept your damn rejection. Screw you, and screw everyone here!” I shout at the pack, all of whom just stand by and do nothing as I’m cast aside.
For a moment, I notice a flicker in his expression. Clearly, he didn’t expect me to take it so well. Perfect.
There’s no way I’m giving him the pleasure of seeing me plead.
“Aurelia,” my so-called best friend mutters in a voice full of disbelief. She thought I’d crumble too.
“What!” I snap, glaring at her. “You’re all dead to me now.”
Tears begin to fall as the ache of rejection claws at me, so I bolt. No way am I letting them witness my pain.
I sprint with everything I’ve got, slamming the door behind me right before the agony knocks me off my feet.
THREE WEEKS EARLIER
I’ve always lived in the pack house. I never knew who my parents were, but it never really bothered me. People said they abandoned me, left me behind for the pack to find, nearly dying.
If they walked away from me, there’s no point in searching for them.
The pack gave me shelter, and I was treated just like everyone else. Things were good.
As I got ready for school, my phone buzzed with a message.
“You ready?” It’s from Theron—my boyfriend for the past three years, and the soon-to-be alpha in just three weeks.
“Yeah,” I replied quickly.
I couldn’t help but feel a little bounce in my step as I headed down the stairs.
“Hey there,” I greeted him with a grin.
He returned the smile, and just like always, my stomach fluttered.
“Hey, babe,” he said while opening the door for me. At 6’4″, he towered over my 5’6″ frame. His icy blue eyes scanned me. “Sleep okay?” he asked.
“Like a baby,” I answered, still smiling.
We headed off to school.
I walked the familiar school corridors, my arm looped through Theron’s.
“Babe,” I called out as we made our way to class.
“Yeah?” His tone was distant, but I’d gotten used to that—it’s how he acted when others were around.
“What should we do after school today?”
“I’ll be tied up for a bit, but I’ll come by once I’m done,” he said without even glancing at me.
“I get that your eighteenth birthday’s almost here, but that doesn’t mean you have to ignore me.”
“It’s mating season, Aurelia—you know how this goes. And you’re my mate. We’ll have plenty of time together,” he replied, offering reassurance before heading into his classroom.
I couldn’t help but smile. Alphas possess a unique gift — they’re able to sense who their destined mate is, sometimes weeks or even months before turning eighteen.
Given the strong connection we already shared, it wasn’t exactly a surprise that we were fated to be together.
The moment I found out, I felt like I was floating. I loved him deeply, and the thought of spending forever with him filled me with pure joy.
The school day had flown by, and I hurried out to meet Theron at our usual hangout, only to be told by his beta that he had already left.
I noticed the sympathetic look he gave me, but I brushed it off.
Theron wouldn’t just disappear without a reason — it wasn’t like him. Something urgent must have come up.
With his beta Callum stuck at football practice and Joyce held back in detention, I ended up walking home alone.
I texted Theron, “Hey, you just took off without saying anything.”
No answer. I tried to stay calm, but every step in the freezing, uncaring weather made my frustration boil.
“You could’ve at least told me,” I messaged again. This time, he read it — but still didn’t reply.
About ten minutes later, I arrived at the pack house, my fingers nearly numb from the cold. I saw Theron outside, dressed warmly, seemingly training with the pack warriors.
From where I stood, that’s exactly what it looked like.
“You’re such a jerk!” I stormed toward him, drawing everyone’s attention.
“You ditched me. A simple message would’ve been nice,” I said, standing right in front of him, my voice rising.
“We’ll talk later,” he muttered, clearly annoyed.
“No. I want to talk now,” I snapped. Furious didn’t even begin to cover it.
He stepped closer, lowering himself slightly to meet my eye level. “You’re making a scene. Why don’t you pull yourself together and wait until I’m ready?”
I glanced at him, then at the others who were now watching us intently. A flush crept up my face, and I turned away, heading straight to my room.
I began pacing back and forth, counting the minutes until night.
Eventually, exhaustion won, and I fell asleep, only waking when Theron entered.
“Theron?” I mumbled, groggy. My entire body ached from sleeping on the floor.
“You’re still awake?” he asked softly, brushing my hair aside as he knelt beside me.
“Sort of,” I replied.
“Okay,” he said, pulling me up so I was sitting. “We need to talk.”
I nodded, rubbing the last bit of sleep from my eyes.
“Alright… what is it?” From the look of him, he had just had a shower.
His hair was messy, but in a way that made me want to run my fingers through it. The gentle shimmer of moonlight outlined the definition of his muscles perfectly.
“I think it’s best if we take some time apart.”
My stomach twisted as my heart sank.
