Choose Rejection

Choose Rejection
The courtyard became so quiet that Nicole could hear the wind moving through the trees.
Everyone stared at her and Zandro, still shocked by what he had just said.
But Alicia's reaction stood out the most.
Her face had gone pale, and her eyes were wide with disbelief. For once, the calm and graceful expression she always wore was completely gone.
Nicole might have enjoyed seeing her like this before, but now she didn't care.
She wasn't going to fight Alicia over Zandro.
Not in this life.
“Impossible...” Jessica gasped, pressing a hand against her chest.
Alicia started shaking her head.
“T-that's not possible!” she cried. “You can't be her mate! You're supposed to be mine, Zandro. You're mine!”
Everyone turned toward her in surprise.
They were used to seeing Alicia as sweet, calm, and graceful. None of them expected her to lose control like this.
Zandro finally looked at her, but his arm remained firmly around Nicole's waist.
“Are you saying I made a mistake?”
His cold voice immediately made Alicia freeze.
“Who do you think you are to claim me?”
Alicia's anger disappeared as quickly as it had come.
She lowered her head. “I-I apologize, Prince Zandro. It was foolish of me to say that. I was just surprised.”
Zandro didn't bother answering her.
Instead, he looked at Nicole again.
His eyes moved over her face as though he was waiting for a reaction. Maybe he expected her to smile, cry, or show some kind of happiness after finding out that they were mates.
Nicole gave him nothing.
She had already lived through too many lifetimes believing in this bond and believing that the way he looked at her meant something.
She wouldn't make that mistake again.
The Alpha finally broke the uncomfortable silence with a laugh.
“Well, this is unexpected! Who would have thought Nicole would be Prince Zandro's mate?” He looked at Nicole with a wide smile. “Tell me, child. How do you feel? Are you happy?”
Before Nicole could answer, a woman in the crowd scoffed.
“Why wouldn't she be happy? Being the Prince's mate has been her dream for years. She's probably just pretending to be shy.”
Another woman quickly joined in.
“I still can't believe it's Nicole. When they said the Prince's mate was a Moonborn, I thought it would be Alicia. Alicia would make a much better Luna.”
Nicole ignored them.
She looked at Zandro instead.
His arm was still around her waist, holding her close as though he had every right to do so.
Nicole placed a hand against his chest.
“Let me go.”
Zandro didn't move.
“Your Highness,” she said again, this time more firmly. “Let me go.”
She tried to push him away, but he was much stronger than her.
For a moment, his arm tightened around her.
His eyes stayed on hers, and the corner of his mouth slowly lifted.
Then he leaned closer.
“You really are a different person, Nicole,” he said quietly.
“Thank you.”
“It wasn't a compliment.”
“I know.”
Their eyes remained locked for a few seconds.
Zandro seemed to be studying her, trying to understand what had changed.
Nicole refused to look away.
Finally, he released her and stepped back.
Nicole immediately took a breath.
She wanted nothing to do with him, but the mate bond didn't care what she wanted. Her skin still tingled where he had touched her, and that only annoyed her more.
Damn this mate bond.
Nicole rubbed her arms before turning toward the Alpha.
“Alpha,” she said, making sure everyone could hear her. “You promised to give me whatever I wanted after I won the contest against my sister, didn't you?”
The Alpha frowned.
Her question clearly surprised him.
“I did,” he answered. “But wasn't your wish to be with Zandro?”
Nicole shook her head.
“No, Alpha.”
The courtyard immediately filled with whispers again.
Only Zandro remained silent.
His eyes never left Nicole.
The Alpha leaned forward, now clearly curious.
“Then what do you want, Nicole?”
Before she could answer, Jessica spoke from behind him.
“Nicole!” she hissed. “What do you think you're doing? You're going to embarrass our family again. Your father hasn't even told you what to say yet!”
Nicole didn't bother looking at her.
Jessica's opinion no longer mattered to her.
“I wonder what she's going to ask for,” someone whispered.
“What else could she possibly want? Prince Zandro is already her mate.”
“Maybe she'll ask him to stay away from Alicia.”
“Or maybe she wants his loyalty. She must be worried about her sister.”
Nicole almost smiled.
They still thought they understood her.
She turned back to the Alpha and lowered her head respectfully.
“My wish is simple.”
The whispers slowly stopped.
Nicole raised her head.
“I want to reject my mate.”
Silence fell across the courtyard.
The Alpha stared at her.
For several seconds, he didn't seem to understand what she had said.
“What?”
Nicole felt Zandro's eyes on her.
The mood around him changed immediately.
He stepped toward her, his expression dark.
“What did you just say?”
Nicole turned to face him.
There had been a time when she would have given anything to hear Zandro call her his mate.
That Nicole was gone.
She looked straight into his green eyes.
“I said I want to reject you, Prince Zandro of the Golden Shine Pack.”