2

The weight of the mate bond pressed against Selene’s chest like an iron shackle, an invisible force that wrapped around her, binding her to three men who had no idea she even existed until this moment. Her breaths came in ragged gasps as the realization of what had just happened settled over her like a storm cloud.

Three mates.

Not one. Not two. Three.

The bond burned through her veins, demanding recognition, urging her to find them. To claim them. But the moment the connection solidified, she felt something else—shock, resistance, and something far colder.

Rejection.

It hit her like a gut-wrenching blow, knocking the air from her lungs as if she had been punched in the stomach.

No. No, this wasn’t how it was supposed to happen.

Selene staggered to her feet, heart pounding like a wild drum in her chest. She could feel them now, their emotions flickering through the mate bond like scattered embers, their presence so strong it was suffocating.

Alec.

Kael.

Lucian.

The bond pulled her forward, forcing her feet to move. Her body felt detached, moving on instinct rather than logic, as if some unseen force was guiding her straight into the lion’s den.

The first presence was close. Too close.

A deep, guttural growl cut through the air, stopping her in her tracks.

Selene barely had time to react before a massive figure emerged from the trees, golden eyes glowing with something raw and dangerous.

Alec Stormbane.

The Alpha of Shadowfang stood before her, tall and imposing, his muscular frame tense as he assessed her with an unreadable expression. His dark hair was tousled from the wind, and his chiseled features were set in an unforgiving mask.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The bond between them crackled like a live wire, but Alec’s expression remained unchanged.

Selene swallowed hard, her voice barely above a whisper. “You felt it too.”

Alec’s jaw tightened. His golden eyes flashed with something unreadable before hardening into pure steel. “No.”

Her breath hitched. “What?”

“I don’t accept this.” His voice was firm, cold, devoid of emotion.

Selene took a shaky step forward. “You can’t just—”

“I can.” His tone left no room for argument. “I don’t need a mate. And I sure as hell don’t need you.”

The words sliced through her like a blade.

Selene flinched, but Alec wasn’t done.

“The mate bond means nothing to me.” He crossed his arms over his chest, muscles flexing as if bracing himself for her reaction. “You’re weak. A wolf who hasn’t even shifted. Tell me, how could the goddess have made such a mistake?”

Selene opened her mouth, but no words came out. A mistake.

That’s what he thought she was.

Before she could speak, Alec turned away, walking back into the darkness as if the moment they shared—the bond they now shared—meant absolutely nothing.

The rejection hit her in the chest like a wrecking ball, but before she could process it, the next presence surged through her awareness.

Kael.

His emotions were a whirlwind of chaos, flickering between anger and disbelief.

Selene barely had time to recover before she heard footsteps—swift and deadly.

And then he was there.

Kael Raventhorn stood before her, his storm-gray eyes locked onto hers, his expression a mixture of confusion and fury. He was taller than she expected, lean but strong, his dark hair tousled from the wind. There was an effortless kind of danger about him, something wild and untamed, like a beast that refused to be caged.

Selene met his gaze, searching for something—anything—that wasn’t rejection.

But all she found was frustration.

“This has to be a joke.” Kael let out a humorless laugh, raking a hand through his hair. “No. This isn’t happening.”

Selene clenched her fists. “It is happening.”

Kael’s lips curled into a smirk, but there was no warmth behind it. “The Moon Goddess must have a twisted sense of humor.”

The words stung.

She had spent her whole life waiting for this—hoping for it. And now, the very people she was destined to be with were treating her like some kind of cosmic mistake.

Kael took a step closer, his gaze assessing, cold. “You’re telling me that you—you—are my mate?”

Selene lifted her chin. “That’s what the bond says.”

“Well, the bond is wrong.” His words were sharp, final.

Selene inhaled sharply. “You don’t get to decide that.”

Kael tilted his head, the smirk never leaving his face. “No? Watch me.”

And then he was gone, vanishing into the night as if she had never existed at all.

Selene stood frozen, barely able to breathe. The pain in her chest doubled, the mate bond tightening like a noose around her heart.

Two rejections.

Two bonds severing before they ever had the chance to form.

And then there was one.

Lucian.

Selene didn’t know where she found the strength to move, but before she knew it, she was standing in front of the healer’s cabin at the edge of Shadowfang territory. The small home was quiet, the warm glow of candlelight flickering behind the window.

Her pulse pounded in her ears as she reached for the door, pushing it open without hesitation.

Lucian Vale sat at a wooden table, his hands wrapped around a steaming cup of tea. He didn’t look up immediately, as if he had already expected her to be there.

Selene swallowed hard. “You felt it.”

Lucian finally met her gaze, his emerald-green eyes unreadable. He was the most composed of the three, but there was something in his expression—something distant, controlled.

“Yes,” he said simply.

Selene stepped forward. “Then you know what this means.”

Lucian let out a slow breath, setting his cup down. “It means nothing.”

Her stomach dropped. “Lucian—”

“I can’t give you what you want, Selene.” His voice was softer than Alec’s and Kael’s, but no less final.

Selene shook her head. “I didn’t ask for this. The bond chose us.”

Lucian’s expression darkened. “The bond is a chain.”

Selene’s chest ached. “So that’s it?”

Lucian stood, walking toward her. He reached out, but before he could touch her, he hesitated, as if even that would be too much. “I won’t be your mate. I can’t.”

Selene fought back the lump rising in her throat. “Why?”

Lucian’s gaze flickered with something unreadable—pain, perhaps. Regret.

“You deserve someone who can love you back,” he said softly. “And I don’t have anything left to give.”

The words settled between them like a slow-burning wound.

Lucian took a step back, turning away. Just like Alec. Just like Kael.

Selene stood there for what felt like forever, waiting for something—anything—that would tell her this was all a nightmare.

But the only thing she felt was the mate bond fraying, unraveling.

The rejection was complete.

One night.

One moment.

Three mates.

Three rejections.

And Selene?

She had never felt more alone.