Rejection Day

**Vanya

I pushed myself up from the damp earth, my knees shaking. The crushing weight of the Alpha aura still hung heavy in the air, keeping the enraged pack pinned to the dirt. I forced my feet to move. Those last few steps toward the altar felt exactly like wading through a thick, suffocating swamp. Unseen silt sucked at my ruined shoes, dragging me down with every inch. The crowd glared up at