The Billionaire Alpha's Cold Rejection

Ivy's POV

"Ivy, this is your chance," Lena’s voice crackled through the mind-link, jolting me out of my swirling thoughts. "The Alpha’s right there. You’ve been waiting for this moment your whole life."

swallowed hard, my gaze fixed on Damien Steele. He stood across the grand ballroom, commanding the room like a king surveying his kingdom. Dressed in a sharp black suit that fit him like a second skin, he was effortlessly intimidating, his dark hair perfectly styled, his broad shoulders a silent reminder of his power. I gripped the hem of my dress, my palms clammy. "Lena, I can’t. He’s…he’s Damien Steele. What if—" "Don’t think about what ifs, Ivy. The bond will do the talking. Trust it."

he mate bond pulsed faintly inside me, a tether I had felt the moment I stepped into this glittering world of Alphas, Betas, and Omegas. It whispered one word over and over, a promise written in the stars: Mate.

My mate.

But the man at the other end of that bond looked untouchable, his icy blue eyes scanning the crowd as if he were hunting prey. A crowd of werewolves flitted around him, hoping for a sliver of his attention. It made my stomach churn.

My heart hammered as I took a shaky step forward, navigating through the throng of wolves who barely noticed me. Being an Omega meant I was invisible here. An afterthought. A speck in their world of dominance and hierarchy.

"Ivy, do it now," Lena urged, her voice softening. "You deserve this."

I took a deep breath. She was right. This was my destiny, wasn’t it?

As I approached Damien, I caught snippets of conversation. His name carried weight, a name spoken with reverence or fear. Steele Enterprises, the billion-dollar conglomerate he controlled, wasn’t just a company—it was an empire. And he was its ruthless king.

I stopped a few feet from him, my nerves threatening to undo me.

"Damien Steele," I said softly, my voice almost drowned out by the chatter around us.

He turned slowly, his gaze landing on me like a sharp blade.

For a moment, I thought I saw something flicker in his eyes—a hint of recognition, perhaps. The bond between us thrummed, louder now, as if it had been waiting for this moment.

"Yes?" His voice was low, clipped, and cold.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I…I’m Ivy Ravenswood. I think…we’re—"

Before I could finish, his lips curled into a smirk that didn’t reach his eyes.

"We’re what?" he drawled, his tone dripping with disdain.

The air between us grew heavy, suffocating. My heart screamed at me to stop, but I couldn’t.

"I think we’re mates," I said, the words tumbling out like a fragile confession.

A hush fell over the immediate crowd. Conversations ceased, and dozens of eyes turned toward us. My cheeks burned under their scrutiny.

Damien’s gaze hardened. His smirk vanished, replaced by a glacial expression that froze me in place.

"Mates?" he repeated, as if the word were foreign.

"Yes," I whispered, my voice barely audible.

The silence stretched unbearably. Then he laughed—a cruel, biting sound that cut through me like a dagger.

"Mates," he scoffed, shaking his head. "An Omega like you? You must be delusional."

My stomach dropped, the weight of his words crashing down on me.

"I’m not—I’m telling the truth. The bond—"

"The bond means nothing," he snapped, his voice sharp and commanding. "I don’t need an Omega dragging me down."

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. Not here. Not in front of him.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked, my voice trembling.

"Why?" He stepped closer, his towering frame looming over me. His scent—pine and smoke—washed over me, a cruel reminder of the bond we shared. "Because you’re nothing to me, Ivy. Nothing."

Each word was a lash against my soul.

I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came. The room blurred around me, my humiliation a living, breathing thing that wrapped itself around me like a suffocating shroud.

Damien leaned in, his lips brushing against my ear as he whispered, "You’re nothing to me, Omega."

And with that, he turned and walked away, his footsteps echoing in the stunned silence.

I stood frozen, the weight of his rejection pressing down on me until I could barely breathe.

"Damien," someone called after him, their voice breaking the silence. It was Raegan, his sister. She glanced at me briefly, sympathy flickering in her eyes, before chasing after him.

The crowd began to murmur, their whispers cutting through me like knives.

"Did you see that?"

"An Omega thinking she could be the Alpha’s mate? Pathetic."

"She should’ve known better."

I clenched my fists, the sting of their words fueling a fire in my chest. I wanted to scream, to tell them all that the mate bond wasn’t something I had chosen. It was fate. Destiny. But what did any of that matter if Damien didn’t believe in it?

"Ivy," Lena’s voice broke through the haze. "Get out of there. Now."

I didn’t need to be told twice. I turned on my heel and pushed through the crowd, ignoring the whispers and the stares. My vision blurred with unshed tears as I stumbled out of the ballroom and into the cool night air.

The moon hung high above, its silver light casting a soft glow over the garden. I leaned against a stone pillar, my breaths coming in shaky gasps.

How had everything gone so wrong?

I pressed a hand to my chest, where the bond still pulsed faintly. Even now, after everything, it refused to let go.

"Ivy?"

I turned to see Lena hurrying toward me, her face etched with worry.

"I told you this was a bad idea," she said, wrapping an arm around me.

"You told me to do it," I muttered, my voice hoarse.

"And now I regret it." She sighed, pulling me into a hug. "I’m so sorry, Ivy. You didn’t deserve that."

I let myself collapse into her embrace, the weight of Damien’s rejection finally breaking through my defenses.

"He said I was nothing," I whispered, the words tasting like ash.

Lena pulled back, her eyes blazing with anger. "He’s wrong. You hear me? He’s wrong. Damien Steele doesn’t define your worth. You’re stronger than this, Ivy. You’re stronger than him."

I nodded, though the words felt hollow.

But deep down, a spark of determination began to flicker. If Damien thought I was nothing, I’d prove him wrong.

I straightened, wiping away my tears.

"I’m done," I said, my voice steadier now. "I’m done chasing after him. If he doesn’t want me, fine. I’ll build a life without him."

Lena smiled, her pride evident. "That’s the Ivy I know."

As we walked away from the garden, I couldn’t shake the lingering ache in my chest. Damien’s words haunted me, but so did the mate bond.

No matter how much I wanted to move on, fate wasn’t done with me. And deep down, I knew this was just the beginning.

Ivy's POV

“You can’t just leave, Ivy. Not like this,” Lena said, her voice breaking as she stood in the doorway of my small room.

I was pacing back and forth, throwing what little I owned into a battered duffel bag. My hands trembled, but I clenched them tightly around the fabric to keep myself steady. The ache in my chest was unbearable, but I had to push through it. I couldn’t stay here, not after what happened last night.

“I have to, Lena,” I replied, my voice hoarse from crying all night. “I can’t stay here and be reminded every single day that I’m nothing to them. To him.”

Lena stepped into the room, her hazel eyes filled with worry. “You’re not nothing. Damien’s just... He’s a b*st*rd, Ivy. A cold-hearted b*st*rd. But you’re stronger than this. Don’t let him win by running away.”

I stopped and looked at her, my best friend who had been by my side through everything. She didn’t deserve this either—to watch me fall apart. “I’m not running away,