Rejected by the Alpha of Fire

Crashing Down

Cindra’s POV

The word echoed through my mind and body, consuming me. It was like the answer to a question I never knew I’d asked, one I had so desperately wanted, one that gave me hope. I was entranced, yet so confused.

I knew who the man was instantly. Not Helio. Thank the Goddess. I couldn’t be mated to my cousin. That was against the rules.

Who would want to be mated to their bully, anyway?

Not me, I told myself. I’m stronger than that.

This man was just as regal, just as handsome. The cord on his shoulder was a deep black-gold, marking him as the crown prince of the Erupting Eclipse Pack.

Knox Toprak.

Knox was three years older than me and had a reputation that made any thoughts of warm, wedded bliss die a quick death. The man was as stoic as a mountain, not cruel but not kind. If there was any warmth in him, it was buried like the heart of a volcano that had been dormant for centuries. He was the spitting image of his father, King Seb.

My breath caught in my throat as I stared into his deep brown eyes. Our gaze still locked, the little bit of hope I held in my heart died as he grimaced at me. His gaze raked over me, appraising and dismissive, cutting what little confidence I may have had to ribbons before he pursed his lips. The sheer disdain in his expression was impossible to ignore. I wanted to be offended. I wanted to sneer back at him because—what right did he have to look at me like that, mate or not, crown prince or not?—but I couldn’t.

What right would I have to?

Me? The fake, outsider, bastard, not-quite princess, and the next king of Erupting Eclipse?

Shaking my head in disbelief, I looked away, not wanting to see the truth that was already crushing me in his eyes.

I wasn’t good enough.

I smiled wryly at the thought.

Story of my life.

I turned my gaze back to where Helio had been. He, of course, wasn’t looking at me any longer. Why would he look at me? I was just his bothersome younger cousin. He’d found his true mate in a real princess, a daughter of a king. Sure, they’d rub each other wrong based on what I’d heard about Kora, but the Moon Goddess had chosen them for some purpose.

Maybe King Olwen had been onto something. The Moon Goddess had to have some new direction planned for all of us. If Helio and Kora being mates didn’t illustrate where she wanted us to go, I wasn’t sure what would.

But me? A queen? That had to be some cruel joke. Even my desperate desire to get out of Ember Moon at any cost prevented me from believing it could be real.

I couldn’t explain it, and it didn’t matter. Knox’s reaction made it pretty obvious what he thought about me. I shook my head and turned away from all of them, not bothering to approach my alleged mate and embarrass myself.

Everywhere I looked, it felt like the Goddess was rubbing her twisted sense of humor in my face. I glanced over the dance floor, taking in the dancers. The hall was alive, with everyone else dancing and playing at niceties.

Kalinda and her friends were simpering and fawning, looking up at a group of dark-haired men who seemed just as interested in them. I rolled my eyes.

It’s all so unfair. What did I do wrong?

I turned and headed toward the nearest exit in need of air. Space. As I dodged a servant who sneered at me, I caught sight of my uncle’s expression. He looked absolutely bewildered, watching Helio and Kora dancing together. He frowned, though beside him, Queen Bridget had her nose in the air, a proud look on her face. She drummed long, glossy red nails on the arm of her adorned chair and leaned toward her husband, murmuring something in his ear that made him relax. Dimly, I wondered what she’d said. Knowing her, she’d reminded him people were watching them.

I turned away and saw Knox again. His eyes were narrowed.

I hesitated, searching for a way out, but there wasn’t one. He didn’t move toward me, only stared me down like he knew I would inevitably come to him. Feeling like stalked prey, my shoulders slumped as I realized his confidence was not misplaced. I should just go to him.

Wouldn’t it be better to get this over with now and escape as soon as possible? My hand automatically went to my forehead as I imagined the bright red R that would no doubt be burned into my flesh shortly.

Rejection.

I took a deep breath, gathering what little courage and pride I had left, and lifted my head to walk toward him.

Only two steps in, a force shoved me in the chest, hard, making me stumble a few steps. My head spinning, I looked into the eyes of the only person on the planet who had ever been as mean to me as Helio.

“I knew that was you, you wretch,” she sneered.

Biting down on my lip, I tried to decide what to do. As if tonight couldn’t get any more enjoyable, Meri Capri was in one of her moods. Her dark eyes threatened to swallow me whole as she glared at me, more vicious than usual. It seemed like things weren’t quite going her way either tonight.

At least I wasn’t alone in that regard.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing here? In those rags? Are you intent on embarrassing us even more by showing your ugly face?” Her sharp fingers bore into my chest again as she gave me another shove. I stumbled backward.

My head swiveled as I looked for an escape but saw none. She’d brought friends. Six other girls dressed in fancy gowns like the Beta’s daughter. Meri darted around behind me, stepping on the train of my gown. I stumbled, my gown pinned in place. I wanted to get away, but I didn’t tug because I didn’t want it to rip.

Meri snarled. ”You should have known better. Get out, you vile filth!”

She lifted her foot, freeing the skirt of my gown before slamming her heel into my ankle, sending pain up my leg and knocking me off balance. I didn’t realize how far she’d backed me up until my hand hit the table behind me, some ancient wooden thing. It wobbled for a moment, and then, in slow motion, I felt myself falling backward, the table tipping.

Glass shattered, an array of food in various colors and textures flying into the air, as well as the frothy pink contents of the punchbowl. A silent scream left my lips as the sapphire of my dress’s skirt, my feet, and my dignity went tumbling over my head as I flipped the table, dragging the tablecloth, the food, and the mood of the evening to the floor with me.

I closed my eyes against the bright lights of the ceiling, the feel of warm cream sliding off my face and dripping onto my mother’s dress as I held back my tears.

The strings screeched as the music abruptly stopped. I felt the weight of everyone’s eyes on me without even opening mine. When I finally dared to crack one eyelid, Meri stood over me, looking down with a crooked grin on her face, her hands on her hips. Her cackling laughter cut through murmurs of the crowd straight to my soul.

The thought that had been haunting me all evening screamed from the back of my mind.

I shouldn’t be here.