Rejected by My Alpha, Claimed by the Lycan King

The banquet hall glowed with candlelight. Long tables stretched across the room, covered in white cloth. Silver platters held roasted meats, fresh bread, and bowls of fruit. The air smelled like rosemary and wine. Pack members filled the seats, dressed in their best. Laughter and conversation echoed off the stone walls.

This was Celeste's welcome banquet. Christopher had insisted on it. He wanted the whole pack to celebrate her return.

I sat at the head table. Christopher was beside me. Celeste sat on his other side. She wore a pale lavender dress that made her look even more delicate. Her hair was pinned up with small white flowers. She smiled at everyone who approached, thanking them softly.

Christopher barely looked at me all night. His attention was fixed on her. He made sure her glass was full. He asked if she was comfortable. He leaned in when she spoke, like her words were the only ones that mattered.

I picked at my food. My wolf was silent. She had been silent for days now. I didn't blame her.

The servers brought out the main course. A whole roasted boar, glazed and steaming. Vegetables arranged around it. The pack cheered. Christopher stood and raised his glass.

"To Celeste," he said. His voice carried across the hall. "Welcome home."

"To Celeste!" the pack echoed.

Glasses clinked. Everyone drank. I lifted mine but barely sipped.

Celeste smiled. She reached for her fork. She took a bite of the glazed meat.

Then she froze.

Her eyes went wide. Her hand flew to her throat. The fork clattered onto her plate.

"Celeste?" Christopher turned to her immediately.

She gasped. Her whole body started to shake. She clutched the edge of the table.

"I—I can't—" Her voice was strangled.

The hall went silent. Everyone stared.

Celeste's face twisted. She convulsed in her chair. Her breathing came in short, ragged bursts. Then she collapsed forward, her head hitting the table.

"Celeste!" Christopher caught her before she fell. "Get the healers! Now!"

Two wolves bolted from the room. The pack erupted into chaos. People stood, shouting. Some rushed forward. Others backed away.

I sat frozen. My heart pounded.

Christopher cradled Celeste in his arms. Her body was limp. Her eyes fluttered. She looked up at him, her lips moving.

"Poison," she whispered. Her voice was so faint I almost didn't hear it.

Christopher's head snapped up. "What?"

"Poison," she said again. Her hand trembled as she lifted it. Her finger pointed.

At me.

"I saw her," Celeste breathed. "Near my plate. Before dinner."

The room exploded.

"What?"

"The Luna?"

"She poisoned her?"

I stood so fast my chair tipped over. "No. I didn't—"

Christopher's eyes locked on mine. They were cold. Hard.

"Rosalia," he said. His voice was low. Dangerous.

"I didn't do anything," I said. My voice shook. "I swear—"

"You were near her plate?" he demanded.

"I walked past the table earlier. That's all. I didn't touch anything."

The healers rushed in. They surrounded Celeste, checking her pulse, her breathing. One of them pulled out a vial and pressed it to her lips.

Christopher didn't look away from me. His aura pressed down. Heavy. Suffocating. The Alpha command in it made my knees buckle.

"You will come with me," he said. "Now."

He didn't wait for an answer. He grabbed my arm. His grip was iron. He dragged me out of the hall. I stumbled, trying to keep up.

"Christopher, please—"

"Quiet."

He pulled me down the stairs. Down into the lower levels of the pack house. The stone walls were cold. Damp. The air smelled like earth and rust.

The cells.

My stomach dropped.

"You can't be serious," I said.

He shoved me into one of the cells. The door clanged shut. The lock clicked.

I grabbed the bars. "I didn't poison her. I didn't do anything!"

Christopher stood on the other side. His face was a mask. No warmth. No doubt.

"You'll stay here," he said. "Until we know for sure."

"Know what? I'm innocent!"

"Then you have nothing to worry about." His voice was flat.

He turned and walked away. His footsteps echoed down the hall. Then silence.

I sank onto the stone bench. My hands were shaking. My wolf stirred, just barely. A faint whimper.

I wrapped my arms around myself. The cell was dark. Cold. I could hear water dripping somewhere.

I didn't cry. I didn't scream. I just sat there.

All night.

***

The healers came at dawn. I heard their voices before I saw them.

"There's no poison in her system."

"Are you sure?"

"We tested everything. Her blood, her stomach contents. Nothing."

"Then what was it?"

"Could have been a panic attack. Or something she ate that didn't agree with her. But it wasn't poison."

Footsteps approached. Christopher appeared at the cell door. He looked tired. His shirt was wrinkled. His jaw was tight.

He unlocked the door. "You can go."

I stood slowly. My legs were stiff. "That's it?"

He didn't answer. He just stepped aside.

I walked past him. I didn't look back.

No apology. No acknowledgment that he'd locked me up for nothing.

I climbed the stairs. The pack house was quiet. Most wolves were still asleep.

I went to my room. I closed the door. I sat on the bed.

My hands were still shaking.

***

Weeks passed. Celeste recovered quickly. She moved through the pack house like a shadow. Always near Christopher. Always watching.

I kept my distance. I stopped going to pack events. I stayed in my room or walked the grounds alone.

Then one morning, Riley Tucker burst into the council room.

I was there with Christopher and the Beta, Daniel Voss. We were discussing border patrols. Routine stuff.

Riley didn't knock. She just stormed in, holding something in her hand.

"Look what I found," she said. Her voice was sharp. Triumphant.

She held up a necklace. Moonstone beads strung on a silver chain. The late Luna's necklace. The one that had been missing for months.

"Where did you find that?" Christopher stood.

"In her room." Riley pointed at me. "Hidden in her dresser."

My blood went cold.

"That's not possible," I said.

"I saw it myself." Riley's smile was vicious. "Tucked under her clothes. Like she was trying to hide it."

Christopher's eyes turned to me. That same cold look.

"Rosalia," he said slowly. "Do you have an explanation?"

"I didn't take it," I said. My voice was steady. Calm. "I've never even worn that necklace. You know that."

"Then how did it end up in your room?"

"I don't know. Someone put it there."

Riley laughed. "Of course. Blame someone else."

Christopher took the necklace from Riley. He turned it over in his hands. His jaw worked.

"This was my mother's," he said quietly. "It's irreplaceable."

"I know," I said. "That's why I would never—"

"Enough." He cut me off. His voice was hard. Final. "You're stripped of all ceremonial duties. Effective immediately."

The words hit me like a slap.

"Christopher—"

"You will not represent this pack at any official events. You will not attend council meetings. You will not speak on behalf of Ironveil."

Daniel shifted uncomfortably. He opened his mouth, then closed it.

Riley's smile widened.

I looked at Christopher. Really looked at him. Searching for any trace of the man I thought I knew.

There was nothing.

"Understood," I said quietly.

I turned and walked out.

Behind me, I heard Celeste's soft voice.

"I'm so sorry this happened, Christopher. It must be so hard for you."

I didn't look back.