Marked by Destiny: Rejected by my Fated Mate

LYRA POV

The first thing I felt when I woke up was the magic buzzing under my skin, louder, sharper, alive. Like the world itself was whispering, Today changes everything, today will be another journey and beginning of my life.

I lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling of my room, letting the realization sink in.

My eighteenth birthday.

The day every werewolf waited for.

But for me, it was more than that.

I wasn’t just a wolf.

I was a hybrid, born of a powerful witch mother and a dominant werewolf king father. From her, I had inherited the sight, the visions, the strange flashes of the future that had only grown stronger as today approached.

A Seer.

A rarity.

A blessing.

And a healer.

And tonight, at my celebration, I would finally discover who my mate was and also shifted into my wolf though I have been able to communicate with her since I was sixteen but today will be the day I finally shifted. The one destiny chose for me. The one soul I was created to love.

My wolf, Aira, paced excitedly inside me.

He’s close, she kept whispering. We will know soon. Today was the day I have always dreamed of and wish it arrived quickly now that it's here I am a bit nervous.

Butterflies swirled in my stomach. Excitement. Nerves. Hope. Fear.

Was he someone kind? Someone brave? Someone who would love me the way mates were meant to love each other?

I had always dreamed of a gentle bond, a warm smile, someone who would see me, not the princess, not the witch but just Lyra.

I wanted to believe today would give me that.

My parents have organized a party, and invited a lot of people so I can easily find my mate, am their only child, and was expected to be crowned the queen when I come of age to be crowned, so my mate will have to stay with me and become the king.

I trained which is compulsory every morning. And after I went to the spa to get a full body treatment and was dressed up by the beautician.

The celebration began and I was called to the hall. As the palace halls filled with music and laughter, I greeted guests, accepting gifts, blessings, and teasing smiles. Everywhere I went, I felt the pull gentle but insistent like an invisible thread tugging me forward.

He’s here.

My wolf purred.

Find him.

I swallowed hard, scanning the crowd. My heart thudded faster. My palms grew sweaty. The bond was getting stronger, gripping me tightly.

And then.

A scent hit me.

Warm. Powerful. Dark.

Like smoked pine, rain-soaked forest, and danger.

My breath caught.

He is here.

I could smell him.

Where is he?

I look around trying to locate the scent.

My heart was beating so fast, the pull getting stronger with every second. I have been looking for my mate since the celebration began. I didn’t know why, but something inside me kept telling me he was close, too close.

Then I saw him and froze.

Oh my god, Alpha Kabir is my mate. For a moment everything around me disappeared. Immediately our eyes meet and I feel the bond start to increase, pulling me to him like a force I couldn’t stop. I felt so happy right now.

My crush is my mate and he is my father's best friend. I had admired him secretly for years, dreaming of the day my mate's bond would reveal him to me. But will he like me? I am not his type. He loves strong women, older women, confident women not me.

Then he walked towards me. My breath got stuck in my throat. For a second, I thought he would smile or reach out to me.

“This can't happen, you can't be my mate,” he said immediately, his voice cold and sharp. His eyes held a storm I couldn’t understand.

“I, Alpha King Kabir of the Lycan Empire, rejected you, Lyra, the princess of the Werewolf Kingdom,” he said, and I stood frozen, not reacting. I couldn’t even breathe.

Until the pain engulfed me.

It hurt, it hurt so much, how can he do this to me? The rejection sliced through my chest like claws. My wolf whimpered inside me, weakened step by step, her cries fading into darkness. I reached out for her, for anything, but the bond was tearing apart too fast.

The room spun, my vision blurred, and before I could take another breath, I lost consciousness.