Rejected Fate Chapter 02
That night, I scrolled through PackNet, the exclusive social platform for all werewolf packs.
Daniel dropped a brand-new post right at the top of my feed.
In the photo, Nora held a full bouquet of bright red roses, grinning brightly and blissfully.
Daniel stood behind her, his eyes soft and tender as he gazed down solely at her.
The caption read: [My Chosen Mate. My True Love.]
I stared at the image for exactly three seconds.
Then I opened his profile, blocked his account and deleted his phone number in one smooth motion, without a shred of hesitation.
The next morning, I unlocked the door of my Moonwood Carving Studio to start business as usual.
Daniel was already waiting outside the door, holding a pistachio ice cream cake — my all-time favorite treat.
“I brought you cake.”
In the past, whenever I felt hurt or wronged, he would show up with this exact cake.
Taking it meant I forgave him, and all conflicts between us would vanish instantly.
Yet this time, I did not glance at him or the cake even once. I turned back to my workbench and tidied up my carving knives quietly.
“Oh.”
His patience snapped at once. He slammed the cake heavily on the wooden counter.
“Isabella, fix your attitude.”
“You have no reason to be angry about what happened yesterday, let alone block and delete me.”
“I order you to add me back right now.”
His voice grew sharper and more domineering with every word.
“You are my fated mate, and you once loved me to the point of obsession.”
“But you are nothing more than a stubborn pest who has clung to me for eight years.”
“I’m not giving up my true love just because you can’t move on.”
The tip of my carving knife paused mid-cleaning.
I lifted my head and met his arrogant gaze, my tone calm and cold without any ripple of emotion.
“You can chase whoever you want. It has nothing to do with me anymore.”
He clearly did not expect such indifferent words from me, and he looked stunned for a second.
He probed cautiously, voice laced with disbelief, “You do not love me anymore?”
I nodded plainly, no sadness or reluctance in my eyes.
“I don’t.”
He reached out and picked up an unfinished wooden snake on my table, only a few delicate strokes away from completion.
“Then what is this carving for?”
Seeing I kept silent, he let out a mocking, condescending snort.
“Isabella, you do not need to pull such petty stunts to grab my attention.”
“I know you far too well after eight years of your blind pursuit.”
“You carved this for my birthday, didn’t you? You always make these wooden trinkets year after year. Can’t you ever try something new?”
He tossed the delicate wooden snake back onto the workbench without a care if it got damaged.
“Since you are so fond of carving, make an identical moonwood rose for Nora and apologize to her.”
I stared at him, utterly baffled by his unreasonable demand.
“Why should I apologize to her?”
“You made her cry.”
“Daniel, that rose belonged to me. You know perfectly well how precious it was to me.”
My inner wolf let out a low, mournful whimper deep inside my chest.
I had loved him, chased him faithfully for eight whole years.
Every single confession over those years had been met with his deliberate delays and excuses.
The first confession, he said, “Wait until you grow older, Isabella.”
The second, he said, “We will bond once we enter pack college.”
Then Nora stepped into our lives, and his excuses turned even crueler.
“It’s Nora’s birthday today. Save your confession for another day.”
“Nora is sick. Your confession means nothing compared to her pain.”
……
A heavy awkward silence fell over the carving studio.
A faint flicker of guilt crossed Daniel’s face, but he refused to show it openly.
He was about to make up an excuse when his phone rang abruptly.
It was Nora.
Her soft, needy voice came through the speaker loud and clear.
“Daniel, I miss you.”
“Can you come to stay with me right now?”
Daniel’s tough tone melted instantly. He whispered gentle comfort to her and hung up the phone, then turned to leave without another glance at me.
Right before walking out the door, he glanced back and threw out a casual order without asking for my opinion.
“My birthday is early next month. My parents require your attendance at the party. I will come pick you up then.”
He left in a hurry before I could refuse him.
Daniel and I grew up side by side in the pack since childhood.
My parents travel across different werewolf packs all year round for business, so they left me in the care of Blackshadow Pack long ago.
Daniel’s parents, the former Alpha and Luna of Blackshadow Pack, treated me like their own daughter.
Once they found out Daniel and I were bound by the fated mate bond, they were overjoyed and even prepared our mating ceremony in advance.
Yet Daniel kept putting off the ceremony repeatedly. He once even flew into a violent rage over this innate bond.
“I have never loved Isabella! I hate this damned fated mate bond.”
“I would have cut ties with her long ago if my inner wolf didn’t still crave her so badly.”
The old harsh memory stung faintly. I pulled out my phone and dialed a number steadily.
“Master Sanders, I’ve made up my mind.”
“I want to leave Blackshadow Pack. And I will never return.”
