Rejected Seven Times, I Chose The Alpha King

Catherine Webb's POV:

Today was supposed to be the seventh time that Derrick Vance and I held our bonding ceremony.

Even with a burning fever, I had personally checked every last detail of the venue.

Derrick barely noticed. His attention was entirely on Caroline Vance, his adopted sister, whom he was fussing over inside the dressing room.

Meanwhile, I could hear the guests whispering to each other.

"This makes seven attempts now, doesn't it? Think they'll actually finish the ceremony this time?"

"Hard to say. If Caroline doesn't feel well, Alpha Derrick might abandon the altar without a second thought."

"Does it matter? Catherine worships the ground Alpha Derrick walks on. He could reject her a hundred times, and she'd still come running back."

No one in the pack doubted how completely I loved Derrick.

Yet throughout our three years together, he had repeatedly called off our bonding ceremony at the last possible moment, and Caroline was always the reason.

Each rejection from an Alpha tore through me with unbearable physical pain, leaving my body so weak that sometimes I could barely get out of bed.

And Derrick's response was always the same.

"Carrie is my sister! She's been sickly since childhood, so why is it wrong for me to give her extra care? You're supposed to become the Luna of the Bloodmoon Pack. That means learning to accept every member of this pack without constantly making everything about yourself! Carrie is genuinely ill. How long are you going to keep putting on this miserable performance for everyone? You don't even have a wolf, so don't pretend you understand rejection pain. Stop making things up just to win sympathy!"

He always shut me out completely and ignore every bit of my suffering until I was the one forced to crawl back. I would apologize to him and Caroline just to keep us together, and only then would he graciously decide to forgive me.

I squeezed my eyes shut and forced down the familiar ache gathering behind them.

Seven attempts had already worn me down. At this point, I wanted nothing more than to see this ridiculous bonding ceremony finally reach the end.

Instead, only minutes before the ceremony was due to start, Derrick abandoned the altar and canceled on me yet again.

None of the guests even looked surprised as they began gathering their things and leaving.

I rushed toward the dressing room and arrived just in time to see Derrick lift Caroline into his arms and head for the exit.

"Carrie's having a serious allergic reaction! This could turn dangerous fast, so I'm taking her straight to the hospital!" Derrick looked impatient even through his worry. "We're canceling the bonding ceremony. I'll make it up to you another time."

"Another time?" I dug my teeth into my lower lip as heat burned behind my eyes. "You promised me, Rick. You swore before the Moon Goddess that this would be the last time. You said you'd never destroy our bonding ceremony again..."

That was enough to make Derrick snap. He stared at me with such fury that anyone watching would have thought I was his enemy instead of his fiancée. "This is an emergency! Carrie could die if I waste time here! Tell me what's supposed to matter more right now-her life, or some pointless ceremony?!"

His voice rose until every word felt like it struck me directly. "Catherine, I know you've never liked Carrie, but do you seriously have no compassion at all? Would you only be happy if she collapsed and died right in front of you? How can you be this cruel?"

Cruel?

Apparently, asking my own fiancé to stay long enough to finish our bonding ceremony was enough to make me cruel in his eyes.

The old me would have fallen apart. I would've cried until I couldn't breathe, grabbed his sleeve, and begged him to understand how badly another rejection would hurt and how desperately I needed us to complete the ceremony.

I had done that because I loved him and kept convincing myself that his obsession with protecting Caroline was the only thing clouding his judgment.

This time, though, I looked at Derrick glaring at me over another she-wolf and listened to him accuse me all over again, only to realize something inside me had gone completely still.

I held his gaze, and even I was surprised by how calm my voice sounded. "You're right. Her health comes first. Take her."

I stepped aside and left the doorway clear.

Derrick stopped cold.

He had obviously expected me to beg and argue like always. Judging from his expression, he had even prepared another round of lectures before realizing I wasn't going to give him the chance.

"You're finally acting reasonably, Cathy." Relief loosened his expression, and even his voice softened. "Don't worry. Once Carrie is safe, I'll make it up to you. Next time, I'll give you the most spectacular bonding ceremony you could ever ask for."

Next time.

There was always another next time.

I met his eyes and gave him a faint, almost gentle smile.

"There won't be another bonding ceremony for us, Derrick. If you don't want to bond with me, I'll simply find someone else," I said quietly.

By then, Derrick had already stopped paying attention.

With Caroline in his arms, he rushed down the hallway without looking back, and all I saw was his figure disappearing into the distance.

I kept watching until he finally vanished from view, feeling strangely detached from the entire scene.

Not a single tear fell, and I felt no urge to break down.

My hand slipped into the concealed pocket of my gown and pulled out my phone. Before I could reconsider, I dialed a number I hadn't touched in ages.

The man who answered was none other than Kellen Griffin, Alpha of the Shadow Pack. He also happened to be Derrick's most bitter rival.

Everyone knew Kellen as a ruthless, merciless leader who never hesitated to crush anyone standing in his way. He was known for avoiding she-wolves, and rumor claimed he wouldn't allow one to come within nine feet of him.

There had been one exception, though, at a banquet six months earlier.

Derrick had abandoned me that night in the middle of a gathering filled with powerful elites, all because Caroline called him in a panic. His sudden departure had left me humiliated in front of nearly the entire pack.

I had been preparing to escape the room when Kellen suddenly blocked my path, casually holding a glass of wine.

Right in front of everyone, he tore into Derrick without mercy. "A man who throws away his own fiancée whenever he feels like it has no business calling himself an Alpha. I'd never disgrace myself by abandoning mine. Catherine, if you're finally tired of that worthless bastard and want a mate, say the word. I'll bond with you tonight."

Silence had swallowed the ballroom instantly.

No one misunderstood his intention. Kellen had clearly made the offer to humiliate Derrick and provoke him in front of the entire crowd.

I hadn't believed he meant any of it, either.

Now, however, that reckless taunt had become the only escape route I could see.

The call went through.

"Hello."

Kellen's deep voice came through the phone with enough weight to send a chill along my spine.

I drew in a slow breath, steadied myself, and went straight to the point. "Kellen, do you still mean what you said six months ago? Derrick and I are finished, and I need someone else to bond with."

Silence stretched between us for five long seconds.

Then Kellen's deep, dangerous laugh sounded through the receiver.

"Catherine, are you sure you understand who you're talking to? If you become my mate, you won't get to change your mind later. So don't come regretting this."

My eyes lifted to the mirror, where a pale, exhausted bride in an immaculate white gown stared back at me. Then I asked him calmly, "Would you leave your fiancée at the altar because another she-wolf called for you?"

"Never." Kellen's reply turned hard and absolute, carrying the confidence of an Alpha who considered the very idea beneath him. "Only a coward would do something that pathetic."

"Then that's enough for me." I watched my own reflection as a bright, determined smile slowly spread across my face. "Come get me from the Bloodmoon Pack's ceremony hall. I won't regret choosing you."