Claimed By The Alpha King

CHAPTER 1 - A Substitute

Scarlet’s POV

“So, Caspian, now that your Luna is back, what are you gonna do with the step-sister you’ve been fooling around with?” I froze before I could even knock at the door. His words felt like a bucket of ice poured on my soul. I knew that voice, it was one of Caspian’s friends…

It’s been five years since I became Caspian’s girlfriend—but only in secret.

‘In secret’, yet little did I know I was their topic of discussion when he was with his friend—speaking of me like I was a laughing stock, used to pleasure him.

I was a fool.

Alpha Caspian was my brother’s best friend and the Alpha of Hawthorn Pack, I met him at my brother’s graduation, and since then, I knew I was in love, and we’ve been planning to get married.

Or that’s what I thought…

I didn’t hear a reply from Caspian, yet the chuckles of his friends already gave me an idea of what he thought. But I was hoping, I wasn’t right.

“Well, Scarlet was just a substitute, her wolf was weak far different from her brother who possessed a raw power that despite not carrying their step-father’s blood, was acknowledged to lead the pack. Scarlet was the runt of the litter. Unlike Sarah who is an Alpha bloodline.”

A third chimed in, sounding too pleased with himself, “But Sarah deserves a little payback, she left Caspian without a word, and for years. Using Scarlet would be fun to irritate her, don’t you think?”

The next day, Caspian met me at the pack’s welcome celebration for Sarah. Still, I believed the words he had spoken to me in the past years, and his promise that he would marry me.

“Hello, gorgeous,” he placed a kiss on my cheek as his hands slid around my waist, pulling me closer, feeling the warmth from his body.

As we watched the live band playing, his lips remained lingering at the side of my head as if nothing had ever changed. And for tonight, I let it, to be in his arms, to feel his affection.

Sarah entered the room with all the grace of a queen reclaiming her throne.

Caspian’s hold on me loosened almost instantly. His entire body went rigid, and I felt his attention snapping away from me like a broken thread.

Then as Sarah’s gaze fell on us, her tears began to fall, and she spun around, running out of the celebration. Without a word, Caspian let go of me, his hands slipping from my waist so suddenly.

“Sarah!” he called, and shoved past me, so forceful that I stumbled backward. I bumped into a passing waiter, sending a tray of hot soup and appetizers flying.

The searing heat of the spilled soup splashed across my arm and chest, burning through the thin fabric of my dress. I gasped, the pain slicing through me, and stumbled again, my vision blurring with tears.

Caspian did not even look back. He was gone, chasing after Sarah like she was his entire world.

I swallowed down the bitter taste of shame, ignoring the sting of burns and the ache in my chest. Somehow, I managed to gather myself, muttering apologies to the waiter, before slipping out of the celebration.

I returned to our apartment and changed my clothes until I found myself standing in front of his office. The one room he never let me enter. He always had an excuse. But tonight, I couldn’t stop myself. I pushed the door open and scanned his shelves, but what drew my attention was his laptop monitor, left on, showing his display picture.

It was a picture of Caspian and Sarah. They looked happy, young, and utterly perfect together. His arm was wrapped around her shoulders, and his smile was wide and genuine in a way I hadn’t seen in years.

The sight of it stole the breath from my lungs. My knees nearly buckled, and my heart felt as if it had turned to ash, crumbling under the weight of betrayal.

I backed out of the office, shutting the door behind me with a trembling hand. My vision blurred, but I managed to find my phone. Without thinking, I dialed the number I hadn’t used in ages.

“George,” I said. My brother, George, had been my protector when we were younger, the one constant in my life, sadly, he had been away for long, making alliances around the world.

“Scarlet? You called, is everything okay?”

I took a shaky breath, fighting to keep my composure. “I’ve made up my mind,” I whispered, “About the arranged mate bond. I agree. I’ll do it.”

“Why now? Did something happen?”

“I just… I realized there’s no point in waiting for something that was never meant to be. Set it up. The sooner we secure the alliance, the better.”

A long pause, then a resigned sigh. “All right,” he said softly. “I’ll make the arrangements. Do you wanna meet him first?”

“No, it’s fine, I trust you, and Mom’s judgment. Just… make it happen, please.”

“Okay. I’ll take care of everything… Anyway, I heard Sarah’s back already, Caspian must be thrilled. His Luna’s back,” George chuckled.

I see… George knew about them that’s why Caspian made me keep our relationship a secret. Was I the only one who never knew they had been together?

“Yeah, she’s back,” I replied.

“You should invite Caspian to attend with Sarah at your engagement party,” he suggested, and I frowned, the bitter thought clouding me.

“He doesn’t have to be there.”

I jolted in surprise, ending the call, when Caspian spoke, “Who are you talking to?”

“It was George,” I replied.

As he neared me, I could smell the scent of another she-wolf clinging onto him, it was Sarah’s favorite perfume mixed with her natural scent.

How close they had to be for her scent to be rubbed on him, and the hickey just below his earlobe…

My eyes burned with tears at the betrayal that I hoped wasn’t true. But the evidence was all in front of me, how could I deny it?

Caspian’s expression darkened grabbing my hand gently as he scanned the burn. “What happened?” he demanded, his voice shaking with concern as he rolled up my sleeve. “How did you get burned? Why didn’t you say anything?”

His panic was convincing, but I’d heard too much. Seen too much. I stayed silent, unwilling to point out his empty concern, and watched the mask he wore so well start to slip.