The Rejected & Claimed Novel – Nyqxee’s eyes are a shade of blue unlike any other, a deep, almost ethereal cerulean, with flecks of silver that shimmer like moonlight on water. A color that should have marked her as special, yet only made her stand out in a world that wanted her invisible. She had always been different, but she never imagined that difference would lead to her downfall.
Even before her first shift, she had felt the weight of being an outsider. The wary glances, the hushed whispers, the way her parents’ hands stiffened when she reached for them. Other pups played freely, forming bonds that would last lifetimes, but Nyqxee had always been alone. The pack, the very people meant to protect and nurture her, treated her as though she were something unnatural, something to be tolerated rather than cherished.
She would often find herself lingering at the edges of gatherings, watching as the others laughed and played. When she was younger, she had tried to join in, to pretend that the distance between her and them was only in her mind. But no matter how hard she tried, the gap never closed. They always found an excuse to leave her behind. Her parents, proud warriors of the pack, had never spoken the words aloud, but she saw the disappointment in their eyes.
They had done their duty, raising her, feeding her, ensuring she was strong. But love? Warmth? Acceptance? Those were things Nyqxee had only ever dreamed of. She told herself that it would all change when she shifted. That when she felt her wolf rise inside her, when she finally became what she was meant to be, the pack would see her differently. That they would have no choice but to acknowledge her as one of them.
The night of her first shift should have been a celebration. Sixteen years old, finally stepping into her birthright as a werewolf, finally feeling her wolf beneath her skin. But instead, it became a nightmare. The moon hung low in the midnight sky, casting silver shadows upon the forest. The wind whispered through the trees, carrying with it the scent of pine and something darker, something foreboding. Nyqxee ran.
Her legs burned with exhaustion, her lungs ached, but she didn’t dare stop. The icy ground beneath her feet blurred as she pushed forward, desperate to escape the horror that chased her. Her first shift had left her body weak and trembling, her wolf barely awakened, untested. She had dreamt of this moment her entire life, becoming one with Lum