Rejected and Reclaimed-Mated to the Alpha King

Eighteenth birthdays aren’t supposed to be a shitshow. But in my case, it was.

“Give a round of applause to my little princess, everyone!” Everybody in the pack looked up at me with smiles and awe as soon as my father brought me to his little stage.

“Happy eighteenth birthday, Fiona!” Every single one of them hurled their birthday greetings to me. I should feel happy. I should feel thankful.

But deep down, I still feel lost. I feel like some pig to be slaughtered for festivities.

“Smile,” my father, Alpha Talon of the Nightshade Pack, ordered. I did it right away.

My father never smiled at me throughout the night. Not even once. These are all just a part of his duty as an Alpha. He's just compelled to do all of this. He never did anything with a heart when it concerned me.

He may sound gentle to everyone else, but he was never gentle to me.

“You’re a useless piece of shit!” I can still remember his words last night, echoing in every inch of my mind and in every fiber of my soul. The sound of his whip cracking in the air and landing on my back and the back of my thighs was an excruciating pain that I taste every time he’s drunk—even when he’s not drunk.

“Be useful tomorrow and dress nicely. Be like your sister, Fiona. Be like Amber tomorrow.” He still dared to gulp a glass of whiskey even when he was holding the silver-tipped whip on his other hand. “You know what happens when you disobey and displease me, don't you?” He caressed my hair, ignoring my whimpering. The relentless streaming of my raging tears made me just bite my lip and nod submissively.

“Yes, fa—I mean yes, Alpha.”

Fiona, Little Princess of Nightshade Pack. That’s his mocking nickname to me. Even my elder sister Amber calls me that ridiculous nickname.

I held up my chin high and smoothened the skirt of my bluish silver dress when everyone clapped. In the moonlight, I look as if the moon herself came down and beamed at everyone.

I was shining. I was beautiful. My friends always tell me that I'm lucky to have everything. If only they knew what happens behind closed doors. If only they bear witness to my day-to-day suffering or the still-fresh wounds etched in my moon-white skin, covered by thick layers of fabric to hide from everyone’s sight. My father made sure of that.

A long-sleeve dress that reaches the floor was my armor tonight, my head and my hands are the only ones aren’t covered in this shimmering dress. A perfect unbroken doll to be displayed. That's what I was tonight.

Whereas my sister, Amber...she was wearing a sleeveless metallic red knee-length dress with an exposed back and front. Her cleavage could slap anyone who dared stare at it for too long.

Though both of us knew I was always the most beautiful and sexier one, my father and sister made sure that no one knew that.

I was suffocated in this dress while she, on the other hand, could breathe freely with her provocative attire. I think that my father made sure I would never be able to move carefree tonight by letting me wear this birthday mess of a dress.

I can understand why my family hates me, but I don’t understand why they have to hate me every single fucking minute. My mother died when she gave birth to me. And since then, they put the blame on me. Perhaps it was the Goddess of Fate who decided to take my mother as early as that age.

But no, my sister and father never think of that. They just see me as the sole one to be blamed for her death.

Sometimes, I think they just fucking hate me and my mother’s death is just their excuse to hate me more. Like I’m just disposable anytime and worthless all the time because of something I unknowingly did.

And I guess I have to live with this pain and burden for the rest of my life.

The round of greetings to pack elders, Betas, and other high-ranking pack officials has finally ended.

And here I am, back to my lonely self. Back to my castle of solitude.

“Fiona...This is Mira.” I sat up straight immediately when my wolf whispered to me. “Our mate is near,” her voice was full of excitement. “Let us look for him.”

I stood and found myself looking for someone I do not know amid the sea of crowds. Nevertheless, I kept walking.

“Keep searching!” Mira exclaimed.

Five minutes have passed and my feet are on the verge of giving up. “He is near. He is here—”

A pair of green eyes met my blue eyes. Everything, even the ones around us, seems to freeze. Time stopped itself. It was only me and him at this very moment. But what amazed me more was the owner of those eyes. My mate.

My mate, the first person to finally love me truly.

Our eyes kept on gazing at each other's souls. None of us dare to break that stare.

He was handsome in his plain white shirt and ripped jeans. His black ruffled hair, as if a woman held on tight on it while having sex, turned me on.

Mira was howling, jumping in all the corners of my mind.

“Mate,” I whispered—more like gasped—as he stopped where the moonlight struck his face, making him look more ethereal.

He stepped one foot forward as if to get closer to me. But Alpha Garrick of the Stoneheart Pack froze mid-step upon inhaling my scent. His face was kind and tame.

My dream of finding a worthy mate and escaping this living hell is over. I knew it the moment my mate approached with a polite smile on his face.

“Mate,” he breathed.

For the first time in eighteen years, seeing my mate in person finally brought genuine joy to my lonely heart.

“You must be Fiona.”

“Alpha Garrick,” I curtsied with a graceful bow and a warmer smile. “I’ve never thought you’d be my mate though I heard a lot about you.”

“I could say the same to you,” he reached for my hand and kissed it.

Though he lowered both of our hands, Alpha Garrick didn’t let go of mine.

I stroked the back of his hand with my thumb. “I’ll be the best mate and best Luna to you, Alpha Garrick.” I blinked, and the party and music around us came to life again as if our frozen moments had ended. “I have always hoped that one day, my mate will be able to save me from this hell—”

“Garrick!” A sharp sweet voice sounded behind me. A woman with wavy blonde hair and bright blue eyes, same as mine, rushed to my mate.