My Alpha Rejected Me for a Luna Who Poisoned Me

Jennifer came for me that night with a teacup in her hands and murder in her eyes.

I was in the Omega quarters—a cramped room in the basement that smelled like mildew and despair. The door opened without a knock. She never knocked anymore.

"Drink this," she said, her voice that false-sweet tone that used to fool me. "You look pale, dear. You need your strength."

The cup was fuller than usual. Darker. I could smell the wolfsbane even through the chamomile she used to mask it.

I knew what would happen if I drank it. I'd seen it in her eyes when she talked to Brittany. *Completely broken.* That's what she wanted. A shell. Something that couldn't speak, couldn't fight, couldn't tell anyone what I'd heard.

"I'm not thirsty," I said.

Her smile thinned. "Drink it, Olivia."

"No."

She moved fast for someone who pretended to be gentle. Her hand clamped around my jaw, fingers digging into my cheeks until my mouth opened. The liquid hit my tongue, bitter and burning, and I gagged.

But I didn't swallow.

The moment she let go, I turned and spat it onto the floor. It splattered across the concrete, dark and poisonous.

Jennifer's face twisted. "You little—"

I ran.

My legs were weak, my body still fighting the poison already in my system, but fear gave me speed. I bolted past her, up the stairs, through the kitchen where pack members turned to stare. I didn't stop. Couldn't stop.

I had to find Amelie.

She was on patrol rotation near the eastern perimeter. I'd memorized the schedules during my weeks of invisible servitude. I found her by the equipment shed, checking her gear before her shift.

"Amelie," I gasped, grabbing her arm. "I need help."

She looked at me—really looked—and something shifted in her expression. Maybe she saw the desperation. Maybe she'd always seen more than she let on.

"What do you need?"

"A distraction. Just... give me ten minutes. Please."

Amelie studied me for a long moment. Then she nodded. "There's a supply truck behind the garage. Keys are in the ignition. Go."

Thunder rumbled overhead as I ran. The storm had been building all evening, and now the first drops of rain began to fall. By the time I reached the truck, it was pouring.

I climbed in, hands shaking so hard I could barely grip the steering wheel. The engine coughed to life. Through the rain-streaked windshield, I saw Amelie near the perimeter, gesturing wildly at something in the trees. The guards turned to look.

I drove.

The truck lurched forward, tires spitting gravel. I didn't have a plan beyond *away*. Away from Jennifer's poison. Away from Brittany's lies. Away from David's cold indifference.

The pack lands blurred past. I pushed the accelerator harder, the truck rattling over the rough access road. The border was close. Just a few more miles to neutral territory.

Then I saw the headlights behind me.

They came fast, two vehicles closing the distance. I pressed the pedal to the floor, but the old truck couldn't outrun them. A wolf—massive and dark—leaped from one of the vehicles and landed on the road ahead of me.

I swerved. The truck fishtailed, and something sharp scraped against the tires. The sound was like a scream.

The vehicle lurched, pulling hard to the right. I fought the wheel, but it was useless. The truck careened off the road and slammed into a tree.

The impact threw me forward. Pain exploded through my ribs. For a moment, I couldn't breathe, couldn't think.

Then I heard them coming.

I kicked the door open and ran into the forest. Rain pounded down, turning the ground to mud. Branches tore at my clothes, my skin. Behind me, voices shouted orders.

I ran until my lungs burned. Until my legs gave out. Until the poison and exhaustion dragged me down into the mud and I couldn't get up again.

The last thing I remembered was the rain. Cold and relentless, washing away everything I'd been.

---

I woke to the smell of pine and something else. Something clean and wild, like the forest after a storm.

My body felt like it was made of lead. Every breath hurt. I tried to open my eyes, but the world was just gray fog and shadows.

Somewhere nearby, voices spoke in low tones.

"—could be a trap, Jesse. We don't know anything about her."

"Look at her, Marcus." The second voice was different. Calmer. "Does she look like a threat to you?"

"She looks half-dead. Which is exactly what someone would use as bait."

"She's not bait. She's... something else."

Footsteps approached. I felt warmth settle over me—a jacket that smelled like cedar and rain. Then hands, gentle but sure, lifted me from the mud.

"I'm invoking sanctuary," the calm voice said. "She's under my protection now."

"Jesse—"

"That's an order, Marcus."

I tried to speak, to thank whoever was carrying me, but the words wouldn't come. The world tilted and swayed, and then there was nothing but darkness and the steady rhythm of a heartbeat that wasn't mine.