Normally, rejecting a mate requires naming one's pack and position, a ritual of acknowledgment and respect. But in Nevaeh's case, the Vicious Fangs had never truly accepted her or treated her as one of their own. Nevaeh intentionally omitted it, refusing to give them the validation they had always denied her.
"I, Nevaeh Reed, accept your rejection, Axel Vexton."
The pain that struck her was instant and absolute. Not the bone-breaking agony of the Awakening, but a soul-deep amputation. It ripped through her like liquid fire, sharper than anything she had ever known. If the failed Awakening had broken her, Axel's rejection shattered the very foundation of her spirit. She felt the tether snap, the warmth in her chest collapsing into a jagged, freezing void.
Axel staggered. A sharp grunt tore from him as he bent forward, one hand clamped to his chest as if to keep his heart in place. His face twisted, breath coming in ragged bursts as he fought to stay upright. Sweat beaded on his brow, his jaw locked against the backlash of the severed bond, painful, but nothing compared to the torment ripping through Nevaeh.
Nevaeh screamed as the agony swallowed her. Her knees slammed against the ritual stone with a sickening thud. Aurora lunged, catching her before her head struck the marble.
"Guards," Vexton ordered, his voice stripped of mercy. "Take Axel to his quarters. The bond's severing will pass.
And lock up this creature. She will be executed after the ceremony. The Vicious Fangs Pack has no use for a worthless, tainted thing."
Nevaeh's vision blurred. The world tilted, the noise of the crowd fading into a dull, underwater hum as the guards moved to seize her. Darkness swallowed her as her head fell back against Aurora's shoulder.
"Mmgh."
The sound slipped from Nevaeh before her eyes even opened. Cold was the first thing she felt—it seeped into her bones and settled in her lungs. Despite the freezing temperature, she was drenched in a thin layer of sweat that made her skin itch against the concrete floor.
"Nnh." She groaned, her lashes fluttering. Darkness pressed around her, thick and suffocating, barely revealing the peeling paint and the iron bars marking the limits of her world.
Memory returned like a blade dragged across her skin. The failed awakening. The rejection.
"Ahh." Her breath hitched as the bond-wound throbbed. It was no longer a blazing heat, but a hollow, jagged void where warmth had once lived. She rubbed her sternum, trying to soothe the sensation of having her center carved out.
"Ungh."
Every muscle protested. Her blood felt like lead. Gritting her teeth, she dug her nails into the cracks in the floor for leverage and dragged herself upright. Her back scraped against the damp wall as she forced her spine to straighten, her vision swimming. The cell was small—no bed, no blanket, just a dull gray light beyond the bars.
"So this is it," she whispered, her voice cracking.
Execution. The reality took hold like a crushing weight. How could fate be this cruel? She buried her face in her hands, her long, curly hair spilling over her shoulders as she trembled. "What have I done to deserve this?"
She had endured every misery, praying the Goddess would redeem her with a high-class wolf. When the stirring began two weeks ago, she had been beyond excited. Now, she realized it was all for nothing. She hadn't shifted, she'd been rejected by Axel Vexton, the boy she'd pined for her entire life, and now she was about to be executed.
Maybe it's for the best, she thought. What was a werewolf without a wolf? She truly was a curse. Every person that loved her ended up six feet under, and now she was just waiting to join them.
"Phss."
Nevaeh stiffened, squinting through the gloom.
"Over here," someone whispered.
She turned. Blue eyes stared back through the bars, filled with frantic worry. For the first time, no bangs shadowed Axel's face; he had pulled his hair back into a small bun, leaving his features completely exposed.
He looked haggard, his face pale and drawn. His fitted coat was gone, replaced by a simple dark shirt. His hair was a chaotic mess over his forehead. He looked less like a future Alpha and more like a man who had been dragged through the very depths of hell.
Despite the situation, the sight took her breath away.
He looks so gorgeous with his hair tied, Nevaeh thought. She found herself staring, her mind momentarily drifting to the sharp line of his jaw and the way the bun emphasized the structure of his face. She wondered why he ever bothered to hide half of that face. It was a beauty that deserved to be seen by the world. Then, she caught herself, mentally slapping her own face. What is wrong with me? She was hours away from death and she was admiring the jawline of the man who had just discarded her.
Nevaeh pushed herself up. Her movements were slow and agonizing as the pain in her chest flared. She moved toward the bars, her eyes wide as she finally asked the question her mouth could not wait to ask.
"Axel? What are you doing here?"
She realized this was only the third time she had ever said his name out loud to his face. Once as children, another during the rejection, and now. In her head, however, she had said it millions of times.
"I am so sorry, Nevaeh," Axel whispered, his knuckles white as he gripped the bars. "I did it because you asked me to. I didn't want to reject you. If anything, I was happy you were my mate."
Nevaeh stared in utter confusion. What the actual hell? Axel was apologizing? He was happy she was his mate?
"You need to leave the pack now," Axel continued, his words tumbling over each other. "I'll never survive if anything happens to you. You have to go to the Omnia Kingdom. Everyone is welcome there, it's the only place strong enough to protect you from my father. You'll be safe."