Mate Unchosen

He rejected her once. Now he'll do anything to be hers again.

Kate Montgomery has always worn her heart on her sleeve - soft-spoken, emotional, and endlessly overlooked. As the Beta's youngest daughter, she was never expected to fight, never expected to lead, and definitely never expected to be mated to the Alpha of the Silver Woods Pack.

But fate doesn't care what others expect.

The night of her first shift, Kate's world turns upside down when she discovers her mate is none other than Lucian Blackthorn - her older brother's best friend, the cold, powerful Alpha who's never looked at her as anything more than a burden.

To her, it's the most beautiful night of her life.

To him, it's a mistake.

And in front of the entire pack, he makes his decision.

"I, Alpha of the Silver Woods Pack, reject you, Katie Montgomery, as my mate and my Luna."

Heartbroken but not broken, Katie doesn't run - she rises.

She throws herself into training. Into healing. Into forgetting him. Another wolf begins to catch her eye - kind, steady, safe - someone who doesn't flinch at her tears or question her strength.

But fate has a cruel sense of timing. As Lucian watches her slip away, the bond he severed starts to burn again. And now, the Alpha who shattered her is desperate to make things right.

But Kate isn't the same girl he rejected.

And if Lucian wants a second chance...
He'll have to earn her heart one apology at a time.
Teaser: The Grovel Scene

(Lucian's POV - The moment he finally cracks.)

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She didn't even look at me when I stepped into the training field.

Not a glance. Not a twitch. Just kept sparring with Camden - the quiet, steady warrior who'd been hanging around her more and more these days.

His hands lingered a little too long on her waist when correcting her stance. She let him.

I should've ripped him in half for it.
But I didn't have that right anymore.

So I watched.

Watched her smile - smile - at someone else.

That smile was MINE. And I'm getting it back.