Ouch!!
She stumbled back, her hand flying to her head, She looked up and froze when her eyes met Martin's.
"Oh… I'm sorry!" she stammered, eyes darting downward as her fingers twisted together.
"It's alright, Romilda," Martin muttered, his smile faded the moment his father's eyes locked with his.
He stepped past her and disappeared into the crowd.
Romilda stood there, her smile lingering a second too long before it faded.
"'Look at her, still chasing the Alpha like some stray dog,' Lisa's voice rang out
Romilda turned slowly.
Lisa stood with her friends, arms crossed, a smirk on their lips.
"I'm not sure which will be uglier," Lisa went on, her friends snickering, "you or your wolf."
"Considering how small your eyes are," Romilda sneered, crossing her arms. "I hope you don't get mistaken for a mole."
Lisa's smile cracked. Her friends went silent.
"You're going to regret what you just said," Lisa growled, walking away with her friends,
Romilda let out a short satisfied laugh and then followed the pack outside.
The pack clapped in unison to the sound of the drum. At the center, the altar shone brightly beneath the full moon.
Romilda joined in, clapping along.
A grin spread across her face as she stood among the first-time shifters.
She closed her eyes, picturing the wolf she wanted to become.
"So when are you going to reject her," Luther whispered to Martin.
"I don't know," Martin said, his voice low.
His gaze flicked toward Romilda, just for a second.
His chest tightened.
Though he had just been crowned Alpha, his father still held ways to control him.
"I'll reject her when the ceremony is over," Martin vowed.
"You'd better or else you lose the throne." The father threatened, his eyes fixed on the ceremony.
The pack howled to the moon as the wolf transformation began.
One by one, wolves step forward.
It was Lisa's turn, she transformed into a fierce red wolf, and everyone cheered at her.
Her turn came. Romilda's legs shook as she stepped onto the altar.
Minutes stretched into hours
Cheers died out, their interest fading from waiting for Romilda to turn
"Romilda, get off the altar!" Beta Adrain cut through the growing murmurs of the pack.
She ignored him.
Her muscles ached, sweat running down her skin as she spent hours forcing the shift into her wolf form.
One moment she felt it coming, the next she collapsed, still fully human
"Even her wolf has given up on her," a voice mocked and laughter spread through the crowd
"Father, I think you're right, she's too weak to be my luna," Alpha Martin said, his eyes cold as he stepped onto the altar
The pack's laughter faded as all attention snapped to their Alpha.
Everyone asked if I had found my mate." Martin shouted, "I lied because I was too ashamed to admit that it was Romilda,"
Gasp and whispers rippled through the crowd.
Her eyes stayed on him, soft and trusting, as he stood before the pack and claimed her.
"He is trying to protect me," She thought.
"This bond was a mistake and I'm ending it." he sneered, his face hard as stone. "And I'm going to fix it right now."
Romilda gasped, shaking her head. "Martin, please…don't…"
"I, Martin Williams, reject you, Romilda Cosgrove, as my mate and future Luna of Stone Haven."
The words hit her like a blade in her heart, and tears slid down her face.
She drew a shaky breath and wiped the tears from her cheek.
She lifted her head and met Martin's cold stare with fire.
"I, Romilda Cosgrove accept your rejection," Whispers died, and all eyes turned to her.
"You… you accept?" Martin stammered. He had braced for tears, but her calm hit him hard.
"If neither my wolf nor my mate wants me," Romilda said, her eyes burning, "then I don't want either of you."
She turned her back on him and walked off the stage, head held high, leaving him standing in the silence he created.
Romilda kept walking until the trees swallowed the noise of the pack. Only then did she breathe out.
She wrapped her arms around herself, fingers digging into her skin like she could hold herself together. She couldn't.
The bond still burned deep and uncontrollably.
She wiped her eyes, pinching her mouth shut.
Her head snapped at the sound of the branches.
The shadow vanished in a blink before she could track it, Her eyes narrowed as she tilted her head, straining to hear anything.
"Who's there," she questioned but nobody replied.
"Maybe it's just my imagination," she whispered.
Suddenly, a figure slammed into her, knocking her to the ground.
She gasped, expecting a pack member, but froze when her eyes landed on a vampire instead.
His fangs and claws looked sharp like penknives.
The vampire lunged toward her but Romilda dodged before he could touch her.
He came again, but she was faster.
Claws that look nothing like a werewolf slid from Romilda's fingers. She bared her teeth.
She stared at them, caught off guard. She didn't know she had them.
The vampire stared strangely at her as well.
Before he could get closer, Romilda slammed both hands into his chest. The force threw him back into a tree.
The vampire stayed still for a moment, then his lips curled back, baring his fangs.
"You're the Heiress?,"
Romilda's breath came fast. "What are you talking about?"
"The King must know," Dark wings tore free from his back, and he shot into the night.
Romilda stared at her hands, surprised to see that the claws were gone.