Chapter 1
1.Rejected In Front Of Everyone
The moment Lucien Blackwood walked into the coronation hall, Lena’s wolf started screaming.
Mate.
Her breath caught. No. It couldn’t be. She stood frozen at the edge of the crowd, staring at the man every woman in Moonridge had dreamed about at least once. Lucien was the Alpha’s son. The future Alpha. The most desired wolf in the pack. And he was looking straight at her.
Her heart slammed against her ribs. Then her wolf howled again. Our mate. The noise around her disappeared. She couldn’t hear the music anymore. Couldn’t hear the nobles talking or the guards moving or the servants carrying trays of wine. All she could see was Lucien.
For one beautiful, stupid second, she forgot who she was. She forgot that she was a low-ranking wolf who had spent most of her life being overlooked. She forgot that Lucien was already promised to someone else. She thought the Moon Goddess had finally chosen her.
Lucien started walking toward her. Her hands trembled. Someone behind her whispered, “It’s his mate.” Another voice gasped, “But that’s Lena.” As if her name explained everything.
Lucien kept coming. The closer he got, the more nervous she became. Then she saw his face. He wasn’t happy. He looked like a man walking toward his own execution. Her smile slowly disappeared.
“Lucien?”
He stopped in front of her. For a second, neither of them spoke. His eyes looked almost apologetic. Then he said the words that shattered her entire world.
“I reject you.”
She stared at him. “What?”
He swallowed. “I reject you as my mate.”
The hall went silent. Not quiet. Silent. She could hear her own heartbeat. Her wolf whimpered inside her. No. She shook her head.
“You can’t.”
Lucien’s jaw tightened. “You heard me.”
“No.” Her voice cracked. “You can’t just…”
She looked around. Hundreds of wolves were watching her. Some looked shocked. Some looked amused. Others had already started whispering. Her face burned.
“But we’re mates.”
“I know.”
“Then why?”
His eyes flickered toward his father. Just for a second. She noticed it. But before she could ask what it meant, a soft laugh came from behind him.
Seraphina. She walked toward them wearing a silver gown that probably cost more than everything Lena owned. She slipped her hand into Lucien’s. Lena’s stomach dropped. His fiancée. Of course. She had been so blinded by the mate bond that she’d forgotten.
Seraphina smiled at her. It wasn’t a kind smile. It was the smile of someone who had just won. “Don’t look so heartbroken,” she murmured. “Some women are simply not meant to be queens.”
Something inside her cracked. She looked at Lucien. “Is this what you want?”
His expression twisted. For one second, she thought he might say no. Instead, he looked away. “Yes.”
That single word hurt more than the rejection. She nodded slowly. “Okay.” Her voice barely sounded like hers. Then she turned and ran. She didn’t wait for permission. She didn’t care who saw her. She pushed through the doors and stumbled outside, tears already blurring her vision.
Behind her, the celebration continued. Music. Laughter. Applause. As if her heart hadn’t just been ripped out in front of everyone.
She ran until the lights of the packhouse disappeared behind the trees. Only then did she stop. She bent over, clutching her stomach as a sob tore through her.
“Why?”
Her wolf curled into herself. He rejected us. “I know.” He chose her. “I know!”
She slammed her fist against a tree. Pain shot through her knuckles. Good. At least that pain belonged to her. She wiped her face angrily. She wasn’t going to cry over him. She wasn’t going to—
A branch snapped behind her. She spun around. Her heart jumped.
A man stood between the trees. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Dressed entirely in black. His golden eyes seemed to glow in the darkness. She knew that face. Everyone did. Her blood ran cold.
“Dragon King Kael.”
He stepped out of the shadows. He looked completely out of place in wolf territory. “What are you doing here?”
“Watching.”
Her stomach tightened. “You watched that?”
“Yes.”
He said it so calmly that anger flashed through her. “Then you came to laugh at me?”
“No.”
“Congratulations. You got a good show.” She turned away. “I don’t need your pity.”
“I didn’t come here to pity you.”
His voice stopped her. She looked back. Kael’s gaze was fixed on her. There was something strange in his expression. Something almost familiar.
“What do you want?”
He took one slow step closer. “I came to give you a choice.”
She laughed bitterly. “Between what? Dying of embarrassment or throwing myself into a river?”
His mouth twitched. “Between going back to the man who rejected you…” He stepped closer. “…and becoming my queen.”
She stared at him. For a moment, she honestly wondered if the rejection had finally driven her insane. “You’re joking.”
“I don’t joke about queens.”
“You barely know me.”
“I know enough.”
“How?”
His eyes darkened. “That isn’t important right now.”
Of course. Another powerful man with secrets. She shook her head. “No.”
Kael’s expression didn’t change. “No?”
“I don’t want your pity. I don’t want your crown. And I definitely don’t want to become anyone’s replacement.”
“You wouldn’t be.”
“Then what would I be?”
“My queen.”
The certainty in his voice made her chest tighten. She should have walked away. Instead, she whispered, “Why me?”
Kael didn’t answer. He simply reached for her face. She should have stopped him. She didn’t. His lips touched hers. And the world exploded.
Heat rushed through her body. She gasped. But her wolf didn’t move. She didn’t howl. She didn’t recognize him as a mate. Something else awakened. Something ancient. A searing pain ripped across her stomach. She broke away with a cry.
“What is happening?”
Kael’s face changed. For the first time, the Dragon King looked terrified. She grabbed the bottom of her dress and lifted it just enough to see her stomach. A glowing red-gold mark was spreading across her skin. It looked like flames curling around a crescent moon.
Her breathing stopped. Kael stared at it. “No.”
“What?”
He stepped backward. His eyes were fixed on the mark. Then he whispered the words that made her blood run cold.
“The Last Flame has awakened.”