Rejected by Alpha, Chosen by Prince

Three days later, Ace called a mandatory pack meeting in the main hall. I sat in the back row, trying to make myself invisible while Maxine occupied the Luna's chair beside him—the chair that should have been mine.

The silver car from yesterday belonged to Bennett Coleman, though Ace had refused to tell me why the Lycan Prince had come calling. Whatever their conversation entailed, it had left Ace in a foul mood that seemed to darken with each passing hour.

"Pack members," Ace's voice cut through the murmur of conversations. "It's time we discussed the future of Moonstone Pack. We've been living in the past for too long, clinging to outdated traditions that hold us back from true progress."

My wolf stirred uneasily. Something in his tone made my skin crawl.

"To that end, I've decided we need significant territory improvements. The old memorial shrine in the eastern grove takes up valuable space that could be better utilized for training grounds and pack housing."

The blood in my veins turned to ice. The memorial shrine—my father's memorial shrine, the sacred space where pack members came to honor his sacrifice.

"Alpha," Elder Morrison spoke up hesitantly, "that memorial has stood for fifteen years. It's where we honor Alpha Thomas Adams' sacrifice for the pack."

Ace's green eyes flashed with irritation. "Ancient history, Morrison. My father-in-law died a long time ago. We can't let sentiment prevent us from moving forward."

Father-in-law. He called my father his father-in-law, as if their connection meant nothing more than a legal technicality. As if the man who'd saved his worthless life was just an inconvenience to be swept aside.

I shot to my feet before I could stop myself. "You can't destroy my father's memorial."

The hall fell silent. Every eye turned to me, but I only saw Ace's face—cold, calculating, and utterly without remorse.

"Sit down, Sadie," he said quietly, but his Alpha power leaked into the words.

I fought against the compulsion, my wolf snarling in defiance. "He saved your life. He saved this entire pack. That memorial is sacred ground."

"Sit. Down." This time, his Alpha command hit me like a physical blow.

My knees buckled against my will, the power of his authority forcing my body into submission even as my mind screamed in protest. I found myself kneeling on the cold stone floor, my hands pressed flat against the ground in a position of complete surrender.

Humiliation burned through me like acid. Around the hall, pack members shifted uncomfortably, some looking away as if they couldn't bear to witness my degradation.

"This is exactly what I'm talking about," Ace continued, his voice carrying easily through the silent hall. "We're so busy worshiping the dead that we forget to serve the living. Thomas Adams was a decent Alpha for his time, but his time is over. I am your Alpha now, and I won't have my authority questioned by someone living in the past."

Tears of rage and shame blurred my vision. The marble floor was cold against my palms, each second of forced submission another crack in what remained of my spirit.

"The memorial will be demolished tomorrow," Ace announced. "The space will be cleared for a new training facility that will actually benefit this pack's future."

"You bastard," I whispered, the words slipping out before I could stop them.

Ace's power pressed down harder, making it difficult to breathe. "What was that?"

I lifted my head, meeting his gaze despite the crushing weight of his command. "I said you're a bastard. My father died saving your miserable life, and this is how you repay him?"

"Your father was weak," Ace snarled, his mask of civility finally slipping. "He died because he couldn't make the hard choices. He died because he put sentiment over strategy. I won't make the same mistakes."

The hall erupted in shocked murmurs. Even his most loyal supporters looked uncomfortable with his casual dismissal of their former Alpha's sacrifice.

That's when I heard the slow, deliberate sound of clapping from the back of the hall.

Every head turned toward the entrance, where a figure emerged from the shadows. Bennett Coleman stepped into the light, his silver eyes blazing with barely contained fury.

"Fascinating display of leadership, Alpha Robinson," Bennett said, his voice carrying the refined courtesy that only made his words more cutting. "Though I have to wonder—is forcing pack members to grovel really the mark of a strong Alpha, or just a weak man desperate to feel powerful?"

Ace's hold on me wavered, his attention shifting to this new threat. I gasped, finally able to draw a full breath.

"Prince Coleman," Ace's voice was carefully controlled, but I could see the tension in his shoulders. "This is pack business. It doesn't concern you."

Bennett's gaze found mine across the crowded hall, and something passed between us—a moment of understanding that made my wolf purr despite everything.

"Actually," Bennett said softly, "I think it concerns me very much indeed."