From Nobody to Queen

I'm a wolf-less she-wolf, yet I'm the fated mate of Alpha Kayden of the Frostmoon Pack. Every time he stayed out late at night, I couldn't help but worry, and I'd reach for him through the mind link. But to Kayden, that was just proof of my weakness—that I could never handle the duties of a Luna. So he refused to acknowledge me. In front of the elder council, his voice was ice: "Ella has no wolf spirit. Low bloodline. And she's far too clingy. How could she possibly carry the weight of a Luna?" "Only when she stops jumping at shadows and can stand on her own as a Luna—only then does she deserve to wear my ring and bear the honor of a Luna." Half a year passed. I really did stop reporting every worry to him. I stopped chasing him down for proof of his love. Kayden was pleased. He thought I'd finally learned to obey. He announced to the entire pack that he would hold a coronation ceremony for me, making me his Luna in truth. But I no longer wanted to be his Luna. I'd already decided to leave him—for good. Chapter 1 The firelight in the elder council hall threw the wolf-head totem on the high walls into stark, snarling relief. I huddled in the corner, my thin coat the only shield against the first bite of winter. "On the night of the full moon, three days from now, I will hold a coronation ceremony for Ella." Kayden sat on the throne at the center of the hall, announcing his decision to the pack. The room erupted at once. The elders on both sides of the long table glanced at one another. Some sighed. Some shook their heads. And some let their eyes drift straight to me in the corner. "A wolf-less one—how could she ever be worthy of an Alpha…" "She can't even shift. Our Luna is a waste." No matter how low they kept their voices, a werewolf's ears catch everything. I sank my head lower. A wolf-less one doesn't deserve the Frostmoon Pack. I'd heard it for years. I should've been used to it by now. That topic closed. Next came border defense—the Alpha and the elders. As someone with no place in it, I was supposed to leave with the others. Then the doors swung open from outside, and Beta Lydia walked in. Snow still clinging to her from patrol, she headed straight for Kayden. "Alpha, the night patrols are arranged." Her voice rang bright and clear, pride and intimacy written all over her face. Kayden turned to her, and the coldness in his expression melted away. He shifted, gesturing to the empty seat beside the throne. "Sit. You've worked hard." Lydia settled in next to him, her shoulder nearly brushing his. A draft cut in through the window crack, and I couldn't help but hunch my shoulders again. Kayden pulled off his black coat and draped it over Lydia's shoulders without a second thought. "It's cold at night. Don't catch a chill." Lydia gathered the coat tight and gave him a sweet smile. The two of them sat side by side—one the powerful, commanding Alpha, the other the battle-hardened elite Beta. Anyone could see it. They were the perfect match. And me? His true fated mate—standing in a dark corner, shivering like an outsider. A bitter, choking ache rose in my throat. I reached for the mind link I hadn't used in so long, and in the end, I couldn't stop myself from sending him one question: [Kayden, if this is about defense, why do you have to sit so close to Lydia? Why did you have to give her your coat?] "Ella!" The second the message landed, Kayden's furious voice exploded through the hall. He whipped his head around, his sharp gaze cutting into me. "Lydia is one of our finest Betas. We're discussing real business! And you—you choose this moment to be jealous? To question something so trivial?" "A Luna can't be this small-minded. If you're going to chase shadows and doubt everything, how can you carry the pack's responsibilities?" "These past six months, I thought you'd finally grown into a proper Luna. That's why I decided to crown you. But why—why would you choose this critical moment to fall apart?" The hall went dead silent. Every eye snapped to me. Lydia nestled into Kayden's coat, the corners of her mouth curling into a smug little smile. I clenched my fists, cold shooting up from my feet straight into my chest. Kayden, I only wanted a little respect as your mate. Is that so wrong? I looked up again. Kayden had already turned away, back to discussing tomorrow's hunt with Lydia, that smile still on his face. Something inside me shattered completely. I wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes. I couldn't stand another second in that suffocating hall. I forced myself to turn and walk out. I waited outside until the meeting ended, but Kayden never came out. So I went back to our cabin alone. The room was empty. Not a trace of warmth. I lay down slowly, staring at the empty half of the bed beside me, tears sliding down in silence. These six months, I'd thought if I were obedient enough—if I learned the rules, the etiquette, how to be a proper Luna—one day Kayden would truly accept me. But seeing his coat on Lydia's shoulders, hearing the merciless words he threw at me in front of everyone, the last bit of hope I'd held for him died. Today he'd announced the coronation. But three days from now, did he really mean to acknowledge me? And if he'd decided I wasn't enough—then why go through the motions at all? A thousand thoughts surged and scattered just as fast. The place in my chest that once beat for Kayden was frozen ground now. Maybe this time, Kayden really did mean to accept me. But an Alpha's mind is too complicated. I was done guessing. I made up my mind. Whatever happened on coronation night, I was leaving him for good. Chapter 2 Half a year ago, none of this had happened yet. Back then, I still believed with my whole heart that if I tried hard enough, I could thaw Kayden's heart. Until that night of pounding rain. Kayden had gone to patrol the border and hadn't come back. Thunder rolled outside, louder with every strike, and I sat on the edge of the bed, my heart hammering in my throat. In the end, I couldn't hold back. I opened the mind link. [Kayden, are you safe? The rain's too heavy. When are you coming home?] Almost instantly, the Alpha's coldness came back through the link. [Checking up on me again? Ella, you need to learn to be independent. A Luna can't be some startled rabbit, jumping at every little sound.] [I was just worried about you…] A wave of hurt washed over me. [I don't need that kind of useless worry.] Kayden cut the connection. I pressed a hand to my chest and sat there in the dark the whole night. The next morning, the rain had stopped, and footsteps sounded outside the door. I threw it open, overjoyed—but it wasn't Kayden. It was unfamiliar pack soldiers. They told me the Alpha had taken Beta Lydia to the far western border. He wouldn't be back for two days. Only then did I understand. He was punishing me. Punishing my weakness. Punishing my "dependence." Then came the autumn hunt. The warriors of the Frostmoon Pack moved through the forest, hunting. I was wolf-less. All I could do was stay at camp and help process the kills. A beast that hadn't quite died suddenly thrashed to life, its claws slicing open my arm. The blood had barely welled up when Kayden returned with Lydia and their kills. I looked up, clutching my bleeding arm—and saw Kayden stride straight past me to Lydia. "A scratch?" His brow furrowed as he stared at the shallow red line on Lydia's calf, his voice carrying a rare note of panic. "Alpha, I'm fine. Just a branch that caught me." Lydia smiled, her eyes flicking toward me with a smug little glance. Only then did Kayden turn his head. His gaze swept over my sleeve, already soaked red, and he turned to the soldier beside him. "Take her back to get bandaged." From start to finish, he never took a single step toward me. That evening, I sat alone in the cabin, cleaning my own wound with shaking hands. The antiseptic hit the open flesh, and I shuddered from the sting. I looked in the mirror at that pale, hollow-eyed girl and felt nothing but ice. So this was it. When you're not the one someone loves, you don't even have the right to say it hurts. After that night, a bottle of healing salve appeared by my bed. The soldier said he'd made it on a whim. But the ointment carried the scent of silvermoon grass—and in the entire pack, only the Alpha knew how to make it. So what? A salve that came too late can't heal a wound that's already scarred over. It can't thaw a heart already frozen solid. What killed the last of it was the fever, deep in winter. I burned at 39 degrees, my whole body on fire, curled under the blankets, teeth chattering so hard I couldn't stop. When you're at your weakest, you reach for the person closest to you. It's instinct. I scraped together my last bit of strength and opened the mind link. [Kayden… I feel awful…] A few seconds of silence. Then Kayden's impatient voice. [I'm handling pack business. Ella, stop leaning on me all the time. It's just a fever. Have the healer give you something.] [But I—] The connection was cut again. One-sided. I burned until I passed out. I don't know how long it was. Somewhere between waking and dreaming, I heard a few pack members talking low outside the door. "The Alpha's gone to Moon Lake with Lydia. I hear it's beautiful this time of year." "But isn't Ella sick?" "The Alpha said she needs to learn to be independent. Can't go running to him every time she gets sick. She's going to be Luna, after all." They laughed and walked off. I lay under the blankets, burning up, and yet I felt so cold. I stared at the ceiling, my eyes dry and aching. Not a single tear would come. After that, I never reached for Kayden through the mind link again. He went on patrol—I stopped asking when he'd be back. He took Lydia to events—I smiled and stepped aside. I became the Luna he'd wanted. Independent. Sensible. Not clingy. But he never knew—I hadn't learned to be independent. I'd just stopped expecting anything from him. Chapter 3 The wind of the Forbidden Forest brushed against my cheeks. I pulled my cloak tighter and stepped over the carpet of dead branches, heading deeper and deeper into the woods. Without the strong constitution of a high-blooded werewolf, the journey was brutal. Thorns carved red lines across the backs of my bare hands, but I didn't even think about stopping to tend to them. Compared to the humiliation and coldness Kayden had dealt me all this time, a little flesh wound was nothing. At the end of the forest stood a broken-down wooden cabin. The door creaked open, and the thick smell of herbs hit me at once. By the fire in the corner, a wandering witch in a gray robe stirred a black iron pot. "Wolf-less one." She didn't look up. Her voice was low and hoarse. "This isn't a place you should be." I walked to the wooden table, untied the pouch at my waist, and poured out every coin inside. Coins of all sizes clinked and scattered across the wood. It was everything I'd saved over the years, doing odd jobs for the pack. "I need a rejection potion." My voice came out calm. Calmer than I'd expected. The witch stopped stirring. Her clouded eyes lifted and fixed on me, direct and unblinking. "Are you sure? Once this potion takes effect, the rules of fate will force it through. There's no reversing it. Your fated mate will endure the agony of a soul tearing in two—and you will carry the price of breaking the bond forever." "I'm sure." I answered without a heartbeat of hesitation. The witch let out a dry little laugh, turned, and pulled a small glass vial from a dust-caked shelf. She held it out to me. Inside, the liquid shimmered with an eerie silver light in the dim room—cold and sharp to the eye. "Take it." She watched me close my fingers around the vial, then spoke again, abrupt. "Little girl, your fate isn't a simple one. Once you cut the bond, there may be a surprise waiting for you." I gripped the vial tight and said nothing. Whether my fate was simple or not—it stopped mattering a long time ago. My only wish now was to leave Kayden completely. To walk out of this cage that called itself protection but was really just training. By the time I got back to our cabin in the Frostmoon Pack, the sky had gone fully dark. I stood in front of the mirror and looked at myself. Pale. Gaunt. Hollowed out. Was this the Luna Kayden wanted? Someone who couldn't ask for love. Couldn't show weakness. Couldn't have a mind of her own. Someone he could neglect when he pleased, scold when he pleased. I clutched the glass vial, my dry throat working. "I, Ella Gray…" The moment the words left me, my voice started to shake. I pulled in a few deep breaths, forced down the ache in my chest, and kept going. "…reject you, Kayden Ashford, as my mate…" A tear fell and struck the floor, spreading a dark, wet stain. I shouldn't be crying. But when I thought of all those hopes that died, one after another, these past six months—the fevers I'd burned through alone in the dark, all those moments he'd shoved me aside without a second thought… Let this tear be a farewell to the fool I used to be. I wiped the wetness from the corner of my eye with the back of my hand and tucked the vial carefully into a hidden slot beneath the bed. Then I dragged an old wicker trunk out from under it. Inside were only two plain sets of rough cloth clothes, some dried food, and a few things for self-defense. The things Kayden had sent—the fine dresses, the jewelry, even a single hairpin—I took none of it. If I was leaving, I was leaving clean. "Kayden." I looked at the mirror on the vanity, moonlight glinting off the glass, and spoke softly. "You said you'd wait until I was worthy of you. But now—I don't want you anymore." "Tomorrow night, on the full moon, at your coronation—I'll leave you forever." Chapter 4 On the night of the full moon, a massive bonfire blazed in the Frostmoon Pack's square. The whole pack had gathered early, waiting to witness the birth of their new Luna. The air was thick with roasting meat, voices and laughter everywhere. To them, this was just another celebration, another thing falling neatly into place. Only I knew. This ceremony was a goodbye. I took my place at the edge of the crowd and looked up at the platform in the center. Kayden stood there in a black ceremonial robe, the Alpha's totem embroidered across his chest. He stood at the heart of the firelight, spine straight, the whole pack's eyes fixed on him. What surprised me was how happy he looked. Like he was genuinely proud of me. In his mind, six months of "training" had finally shaped me into a perfect Luna. I quietly slid half a step back and tightened my grip on the small glass vial hidden in my wide sleeve. The glass was cold, and right now, it was the only thing holding me up. A long, drawn-out howl rose into the night, and the crowd gradually fell silent. The High Elder walked slowly onto the platform, staff in hand, his white beard trembling in the night wind, his expression solemn. "Tonight, the full moon bears witness." His voice rolled across the square. "Our Alpha, Kayden Ashford, will crown his fated mate as Luna of the Frostmoon Pack!" The crowd erupted in cheers. Kayden raised a hand for silence, his gaze cutting through the crowd to land on me. The coldness in his face softened, replaced by something I couldn't read. Expectation, maybe. [Ella. Come here.] He spoke through the mind link. Still an order. But gentler than I'd ever heard from him. Half a year ago, that voice would've made me happy for days. Now, my heart was nothing but still, dead water. I stepped forward, walking through pools of moonlight, one step at a time, until I stood before him on the platform. Kayden looked at my face, then reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. "You've finally learned to be independent." He lowered his voice, quiet praise. "The Luna's main residence has been renovated. After the ceremony, you'll move in." Something in me stalled, then I almost laughed. Did he really think I'd still light up over a scrap of affection thrown my way? The High Elder raised his staff on cue, his deep voice carrying across the square. "Kayden Ashford, do you swear to crown Ella Gray as your Luna, to protect her all her life, and to share with her the glory of the Frostmoon Pack?" Kayden looked into my eyes without a flicker of hesitation. "I do." The words landed, and the square went silent. Everyone held their breath. Because everyone knew what an unimaginable gift this was for a wolf-less one. Kayden leaned in, his Alpha scent wrapping around me completely. He reached for the Luna's crown, ready to place it on my head. The moment it was about to touch my hair, I stepped back. Kayden stared at me, stunned, his brows pulling tight. "Ella. What are you doing? Don't be ridiculous." The scolding came automatically. I ignored him. I pulled the small glass vial from my sleeve, uncorked it, and tipped it back. The silver liquid slid down my throat, and my stomach caught fire. "What did you drink?!" Kayden finally sensed something was wrong. He stepped forward, reaching to snatch the vial from my hand. I looked at him. At that face I'd once loved until I lost myself. "I, Ella Gray." The night wind carried my voice into every ear. Kayden's pupils shrank. A panic like nothing he'd ever known swept over him. "Shut up! Ella, have you lost your mind?!" He roared, hand flying up to cover my mouth. But it was too late. The witch's potion had already awakened the ancient rules of fate. An invisible barrier burst out from my body, throwing Kayden back two steps. I looked straight into his eyes and finished the vow. "Reject you, Kayden Ashford, as my mate." The second the last word left my lips, the rules of fate wrapped around him. His eyes went wide. He clenched his jaw shut with everything he had. But his throat wouldn't obey. The words he would rather die than say rolled out on their own. "I, Kayden Ashford…" His whole body shook, cold sweat pouring down his forehead, his voice hoarse. "…accept your rejection… Ella Gray…" Boom. The sound of the bond breaking exploded deep in our souls. Pain. Soul-tearing pain, surging in from every direction. I gritted my teeth. Even my breath tasted like blood. On his side, Kayden dropped to his knees with a thud. "Ahh—" A raw, piercing scream split the night. That Alpha who was always above everyone, always cold and controlled, the Kayden who valued his pride above all else, was now curled on the ground in agony. He clutched at his chest, in too much pain to get out a full sentence. "No… Ella… no…" He forced his head up, staring at me with utter despair, like a drowning man who'd just lost the whole world. The square erupted. Gasps everywhere. One elder dropped his staff. Lydia covered her mouth. At first, pure, unstoppable delight flickered in her eyes. But watching Kayden fall apart, that delight twisted into panic. While the whole square was in chaos, while no one had reacted yet. I turned and, with my head spinning, ran into the Forbidden Forest behind me. Wind roared past my ears. Behind me, Kayden's voice tore through the night, desperate, reckless. "Ella! Come back—" That voice carried pain and regret, echoing through the silent forest. I didn't stop. I vanished into the moonlight and never looked back.