Moonlit Scars

The full moon, a luminous orb in the inky sky, cast its ethereal glow over the Nightfall Pack grounds. Tonight was supposed to be a night of celebration, a culmination of eighteen years of whispered promises and dreams for Aurora Blackwood.
She stood at the edge of the jubilant crowd, fingers tightly clutched around the silver pendant her mother had left her. Her heart pounded a frantic rhythm as she scanned the faces, searching for him.
Then, he appeared. Alpha Kade Thorn, radiating power, his dark eyes unreadable. Their gazes locked, and a fierce, undeniable warmth surged through Aurora's chest. Her wolf howled in euphoria. He was her mate.
But before she could even smile, his voice, deep and cutting, echoed through the suddenly silent clearing.
"I, Kade Thorn, Alpha of the Nightfall Pack, reject you, Aurora Blackwood, as my mate."
The world shattered. Gasps rippled through the stunned onlookers. The warmth in her chest turned to ice, and Aurora staggered backward, her entire being trembling. Her wolf whimpered, retreating deep within her mind, as Kade turned and walked away, never looking back.
