After My Mate Rejected Me for a Fake Heiress

The room's atmosphere shifted as I stood frozen by the champagne tray. The crowd's attention had moved elsewhere, leaving me isolated in a corner of the opulent suite. My wolf stirred restlessly beneath my skin, sensing danger before I could process it.

"Well, well," a deep voice rumbled behind me. "What do we have here? A little Omega all alone?"

I turned slowly, coming face to face with a man whose reputation preceded him. Cayden Gordon—notorious rogue leader, known for preying on vulnerable she-wolves without pack protection. He stood well over six feet tall, his broad shoulders blocking out the light from the chandelier above. His eyes, a cold amber, assessed me with predatory interest.

"I'm working," I said, trying to keep my voice steady as I moved to step around him.

Cayden's massive arm shot out, slamming against the wall beside me. I found myself trapped in the narrow space between his body and the decorative paneling.

"Working, are you?" His breath reeked of expensive whiskey and something feral. "I've always wondered what services a wolfless Omega provides at these events."

My heart hammered against my ribs as his hand reached out to brush a strand of hair from my face. I flinched away, but he grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up at him.

"You know," he whispered, his voice dropping to a guttural growl, "I've always had a special interest in she-wolves without packs. No protection. No consequences."

His fingers trailed down my neck, leaving a sickening trail of heat in their wake. I swallowed hard, fighting the urge to scream.

"Please," I whispered, hating the tremor in my voice. "I'm here on official business."

"Of course you are," Cayden laughed, the sound devoid of humor. His eyes glittered with malice as he leaned closer, his lips nearly brushing my ear. "Tell me, little Omega, what happens when a wolfless bitch like you gets cornered by a rogue with no rules?"

I looked desperately toward Mckenzie, who stood just ten feet away, deep in conversation with a producer. Our eyes met briefly—hers flickered with something like guilt before she deliberately turned away, lifting her champagne flute in a mock toast to avoid my gaze.

"She's not going to help you," Cayden observed, following my line of sight. "No one here will. That's why they invited me tonight—to handle problems like you."

His hand slid lower, his fingers brushing the neckline of my dress. I jerked backward, but there was nowhere to go.

"Stop," I hissed, my wolf snarling in the back of my mind.

"Or what?" Cayden's grin widened, revealing yellowed canines. "You'll call for your Alpha? Oh wait—you don't have one. You're nothing but a rejected, wolfless stray."

Across the room, Sterling's laugh cut through the murmur of conversation. He stood with Aura tucked against his side, both of them watching my predicament with open amusement.

"Look at her," Aura's voice carried just far enough for me to hear. "Pathetic little Skylar, always needing rescue."

Sterling's arm tightened around her waist as he leaned down to kiss her temple. "She should be grateful we're allowing her to work here at all."

They clinked champagne glasses in a mocking toast, their eyes never leaving my face as Cayden's hand slid lower down my body.

"See?" Cayden whispered, his voice hot against my skin. "No one cares what happens to you. No one even notices when rogues like me take what we want."

Something inside me snapped. The fear that had been freezing my limbs melted away, replaced by a white-hot rage that burned through my veins like acid.

My wolf surged forward, no longer content to be caged. *Let me out. Let me tear his throat out.*

"Your eyes," Cayden murmured, his expression shifting from lust to curiosity. "They're changing color."

I felt it happening—the golden flecks in my irises expanding, glowing with an inner light that had nothing to do with the suite's ambient lighting. Power coursed through me, raw and untamed after three years of suppression.

"You want to know what happens when you corner a she-wolf?" I asked, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.

Cayden's eyes widened slightly, but his predatory smile remained fixed. "I'm about to find out."

My hands curled into fists at my sides, nails lengthening into claws as my wolf pushed closer to the surface. The air around us seemed to thicken with Alpha energy—my energy.

"I'm going to tear your throat out," I growled, feeling my canines extend beyond human limits.

Cayden's smile faltered as he finally sensed the shift in power. His eyes darted to Sterling and Aura, seeking confirmation of what he was witnessing.

But it was too late for him to retreat. My wolf had tasted freedom, and there was no going back now.