1: DESPISED BY MY MATE

Werewolves with whom she had once exchanged smiles lay strewn across the battlefield drenched in blood in a macabre scene far worse than she could have imagined. The nauseating scent of it made her feel sick to her stomach. Yet, she kept running. Her legs trembled, not out of fear, but from the dread of losing the man who possessed her heart and soul. Their lives were already intertwined, and she couldn’t imagine existence without him.

She halted abruptly at the sight of his back a short distance ahead. Despite his ragged appearance, he still captivated her in every way. Slowly, he turned to her, and his dried, bloodied lips broke into a smile, bringing a glimmer of hope to her heart. “Kaliyah, my love,” he said into her mind.

At lightning speed, an arrow entered her vision. She watched in horror as it pierced his chest.

Kaliyah sprang out of bed, panting, with sweat covering her forehead, her mind grappling with a dream she could no longer recall. Yet, the lingering emotions of fear and pain remained, haunting her with an unsettling sense of foreboding. Anxiousness coursed through her veins, intensifying her unease.

“Kaliyah!” Her Aunt Era’s forceful knocks sounded on her bedroom door. “What are you doing? Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten what day it is. Everyone will be here soon!”

“I didn’t forget, Aunty! I’m getting ready now!” Kaliyah replied.

“Hurry up!”

A short while later, with the nightmare forgotten, she left her room, her plump, reddish lips spread into a wide grin. Her footsteps permeated the eerie silence as she descended the stairs to the bathroom to prepare for the day she had anticipated since she was six years old. She was to reunite with her betrothed, King Fenris of Eldon, a man renowned as one of the most influential monarchs in their kingdom’s history.

Discovering the young prince all those years ago was a lucky accident for her. Though Fenris exuded an air of indifference in childhood, to Kaliyah, he embodied the epitome of breathtaking beauty. In her eyes, he surpassed any other man she had encountered, resembling a god that had descended from the moon itself. Then, to everyone’s surprise, at their first meeting, Fenris pulled Kaliyah into his arms and claimed her, leaving a mark on her neck that symbolized the bond of a wolf’s mate.

Kaliyah’s memory grew hazy after that moment, as the intense pain she experienced rendered her unconscious. Upon coming to, she found herself in her own home under the care of her aunt, who delivered the startling news that she had been chosen as the future bride of the crown prince. They would wed on her eighteenth birthday, and all the kingdom’s elders recognized the bond between the two.

Now, one week shy of eighteen, Kaliyah unbuttoned her white nightgown and glanced at herself in the wood-framed mirror. The glistening lilac eyes of a naked woman met hers.

“We’ll finally meet again after twelve years. Have you longed for this day like I have every full moon? Have you ever thought of me? Have you ever missed me? Because I did… Every day… Fenris…”

mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-indent:18.0000pt;text-align:center;line-height:200%;">#

Kaliyah stood with her fair complexation radiating and accentuating her features as Aunt Era examined every inch of her. She touched Kaliyah’s flowing charcoal hair, hair that rested peacefully at the moment but gracefully swayed behind her and synchronized with the rhythm of the wind when she walked. With a scrutinizing gaze, her aunt worked her way down the violet dress that mirrored the color of Kaliyah’s eyes.

As always, Aunt Era’s frown deepened, as though she had just eaten a mouthful of lemons. “You would have been the most beautiful she-wolf in our kingdom if only you weren’t an incomplete wolf. You’re such a disappointment,” she said bitterly.

Kaliyah held absolute certainty that she was truly the most beautiful, a sentiment echoed by those around her. However, her beauty seemed futile when her people persistently looked down upon her.

She forced a smile, ignoring her aunt’s insult. “I think I should meet the palace guards now, Aunty. It won’t be good if I appear late before the king.”

Aunt Era nodded and swung their front door open, revealing a flood of brilliant sunlight that warmly embraced Kaliyah. As she stepped into the dazzling sun, a group of towering, impeccably dressed king’s guards greeted her.

Her neighbors were also present, though their expressions were far from welcoming.

She was happy to leave their disdainful faces behind as she went to meet her future husband at the palace. Surely, she would find a warm and loving home by his side.

mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-indent:18.0000pt;text-align:center;line-height:200%;">#

As the grand double doors opened, the herald’s voice rang out, “Lady Acalia of the Snow Clan!”

Though hundreds stared at Kaliyah, her attention focused on Fenris, a single alluring figure who exuded a majestic aura and bone-chilling power.

He returned her gaze, peering into the depths of her soul as if unraveling her most concealed secrets.

Captivated by the most strikingly handsome man she had ever seen, Kaliyah’s knees grew weak and her breath caught. How could her heart ever calm when he was her future husband?

As she walked, a cacophony of murmurs resonated through the hall, reaching a volume she couldn’t ignore. All eyes were on her, stealing the spotlight from the king, marking what she was sure was a rare occurrence in the regal ambiance of the palace’s grand hall.

Whispers ensued.

“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”

“Only such beauty deserves His Majesty.”

“She’s indeed beautiful, but I heard some rumors.”

“What rumors?”

“She still hasn’t shifted.”

“What?”

Kaliyah closed her eyes firmly. Though she’d expected those words, they still hurt.

“Then she’s a waste!”

“Right. I won’t ever accept such a weak queen!”

Kaliyah held her breath, attempting to regain her composure despite tears teetering on the brink. As she slowly opened her eyes, she met Fenris’ piercing gray gaze once again. Only now his eyes bore into her in an unsettling fashion that rendered her even more feeble than she already felt.

His eyes narrowed with impatience. Or was he annoyed by her weakness? Maybe he questioned her ability to serve as Luna?

Gathering her strength, Kaliyah made her way onto the carpet in the center and continued without breaking her stride until she stood before the king.

Then she curtseyed before him and boldly called out to him, “Fenris.”

A few onlookers gasped. Yet her greeting wasn’t entirely unexpected, considering their connection as mates and the expectation of intimacy. Still, her throat went dry as she nervously swallowed.     

He rose from his chair and, though she was tall, he towered over her, making her feel like a small child.

His gaze remained fixed on her while he spoke. “The elders should come with me to the meeting hall.” Then he turned, taking his eyes from hers for the first time and heading to a door that she assumed led to the meeting hall. The elders of their kingdom trailed behind as he abandoned her without a glance backward.

Kaliyah’s heart sank, and she clutched her skirt to avoid clutching the ache in her chest. She was used to people gossiping and looking down on her. However, her mate’s rejection caused an entirely different level of pain. It was as if her only reason to keep living had ceased to exist. How could she ever live without him?