From Rejected Mate to Royal Queen

The moon hung low and red over the castle as if watching silently, waiting.

Raina stood at the edge of the stone balcony, the wind pulling at her cloak, her thoughts tangled in the chaos of the day. Assassins disguised as emissaries? Her mother once a royal healer? Her power tied to ancient queens?

The threads of her life were unraveling and being rewoven into something completely new. Something terrifying. Something unstoppable.

"You should be resting," Cassian's voice came from behind her, quiet, but edged with concern.

She didn't turn. "Do you ever get the feeling everything is about to change… and there's no way back?"

"All the time," he said, stepping beside her. "But you don't seem afraid."

"I am," she said softly. "But I'm more afraid of doing nothing."

Cassian studied her for a long moment. "Then you're already more of a queen than most who wear crowns."

The next morning, Theron summoned her to the inner war chamber. Unlike the grand strategy halls, this one was sealed — private, ancient, and lined with shields from generations of rulers.

He wasn't alone.

Three elders stood with him: one cloaked in green and gold, one in wolfskin, and the third—an old woman with eyes like molten silver. She stared at Raina as if seeing through her skin, her soul, her blood.

"She is the one?" the old woman asked.

Theron nodded once.

The woman stepped forward and raised a withered hand. "Come closer, child."

Raina hesitated but obeyed. As she approached, the woman pressed her palm flat against Raina's chest, directly over her heartbeat.

"No mark," she whispered. "But the fire's there. Dormant. Untrained. Still unclaimed."

"What fire?" Raina asked.

"The fire of the Lunaris. The queen's flame."

She turned to Theron. "If she is to survive the assassination attempt, she must complete the rite."

"Rite?" Raina repeated.

"A blood oath," the elder said. "Sworn by Lunaris queens to awaken their true strength. It will hurt. It will cost you. But it will make you impossible to kill."

Raina blinked. "What's the cost?"

The old woman's voice dropped. "Once the fire awakens, it will never sleep again. You'll feel everything. Pain. Anger. Hunger. Desire. There is no peace for a Lunaris queen. Only power."

Raina glanced at Theron. "You knew?"

"I didn't want you forced into it," he said. "But we're out of time."

Cassian entered then, his face pale. "The emissaries are inside the palace. They claimed diplomatic immunity. But we found poison in one of their bags."

Theron's jaw tightened. "We delay no longer. Prepare the circle."

The ritual chamber was underground, beneath the oldest wing of the castle. The air was thick with incense and memory. Symbols were carved into the walls in ancient language—glyphs of fire, moonlight, and fate.

Raina stood in the center of a circle made of salt and ash, her hands open at her sides.

The three elders chanted softly, voices echoing around the chamber like wind in a canyon. Theron stood at the edge, silent. Cassian too.

The old woman stepped forward again, this time holding a silver dagger.

Raina didn't flinch.

"You must bleed," the woman said. "Not for death… but for rebirth."

Raina nodded.

The dagger sliced her palm—sharp, cold, clean. Blood dripped into a silver bowl at her feet.

The glyphs on the walls began to glow.

The woman raised her voice, chanting in a language older than the throne. "Let the blood of the forgotten call to the flame of the first queen. Let her soul awaken. Let her past return. Let her power rise."

Suddenly, Raina gasped.

A burning sensation spread through her chest, crawling up her neck, flooding her head with pressure. She fell to her knees, the world spinning, her wolf howling from within her.

Memories—not hers—rushed through her mind.

A queen in golden armor… a battlefield soaked in silver blood… a betrayal in the royal court… a child hidden under moonlight… a crown melting in fire…

Raina screamed.

And then—

Silence.

The glow faded.

Her vision cleared.

She stood slowly, wiping the blood from her palm. The cut had already healed.

The old woman stared at her, stunned. "You saw them, didn't you?"

"Yes," Raina whispered. "I saw all of them."

Theron stepped forward, eyes wide. "Your aura… it's—"

"Different," Cassian finished. "Sharper. Wilder."

"I feel…" Raina said slowly, "everything."

The old woman nodded. "Your bloodline has returned. The Alpha King cannot kill you now."

Raina's eyes flashed. "Then let him try."

Hours later, the emissaries were brought into the throne room under the guise of diplomacy. Two men in royal garb, both smirking with false politeness, bowed to Theron.

One of them turned to Raina and offered a mocking smile. "And this must be the little queen."

Raina didn't blink.

In one breath, she stepped forward and slapped him so hard he staggered back. The guards flinched. The court gasped.

"No," she said coldly. "I'm not your queen."

She stepped closer, letting the fire in her blood rise just beneath her skin. The man's eyes widened — not in pain, but fear. His wolf instinctively shrank back.

"I'm your warning."