Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by the King

I stared at my reflection in the mirror, tracing the mate mark on my neck that had brought me nothing but pain for seven years. The mark that should have been a symbol of love and devotion had instead become a brand of rejection.

"Luna Elena?" My handmaiden's voice pulled me from my thoughts. "There's news from the pack gathering."

I turned, smoothing my expression into the neutral mask I'd perfected over years of public humiliation. "What is it, Lily?"

She hesitated, her eyes darting nervously to the door. "The Alpha has purchased an extravagant diamond necklace for Scarlett. It's said to be worth more than our annual pack budget for healing supplies."

My stomach clenched. Another gift for his chosen mate, another public declaration of his obsession.

"There's more," Lily whispered, stepping closer. "He plans to present it to her at the upcoming pack gathering, in front of all the allied packs."

The room seemed to tilt slightly. I gripped the edge of my vanity to steady myself. Seven years of rejection, of watching him parade his obsession before our pack, and now he would humiliate me before other Alphas as well.

"I need to speak with Beta Grant," I said, my voice surprisingly steady despite the storm raging inside me.

* * *

Grant's eyes widened when I closed the door to my private study behind us. As Beta, he was one of the few who still treated me with the respect due to a Luna, despite Byron's example to the contrary.

"Luna, this is highly irregular," he said, his voice low. "The Alpha could punish us both for meeting without his knowledge."

"He's too busy planning Scarlett's coronation to notice," I replied bitterly. "But I need your help, Grant. I can't bear another public humiliation."

Grant's expression softened slightly. "What do you need?"

"I need you to investigate Scarlett's background," I said, the words tumbling out before I could lose my courage. "There must be something—something that might explain his obsession or perhaps even break it."

"Are you suggesting she's not who she claims to be?" Grant asked carefully.

"I don't know what I'm suggesting," I admitted. "But a pack healer should have records, references, a history. And Scarlett appeared out of nowhere after the attack that injured Byron."

Grant nodded slowly. "I'll be discreet. Flynn can help—he has connections with neighboring packs."

"Thank you," I whispered, relief washing through me.

* * *

The pack meeting hall buzzed with tension as I took my seat beside Byron's empty chair. He would make an entrance, of course—he always did.

When he finally strode in, Scarlett followed two steps behind him, her fingers brushing his arm possessively. My mate mark burned at the sight.

"Border patrols," Byron announced without preamble. "The rogues are growing bolder."

I straightened, thinking of my father's business near the eastern border. "Alpha, there have been three attacks near Robinson territory in the past month alone. Perhaps we should increase patrols there?"

Byron's eyes flicked to me, cold and dismissive. "The eastern border is secure enough."

"But the reports—" I began.

"Are paranoid observations," he cut me off, his voice hardening. "Scarlett has provided valuable insights into rogue patterns that contradict your concerns."

Scarlett smiled sweetly at me from her seat—a seat that should have been filled by a pack elder, not his mistress.

"Alpha," I pressed, fighting to keep my voice steady, "my family's business employs twenty pack members. If we don't protect—"

"ENOUGH!" Byron's Alpha tone slammed into me like a physical blow, forcing me back into my seat. The council members flinched, some lowering their eyes to avoid witnessing my humiliation.

"Scarlett's healing insights are more valuable than your paranoid observations," he declared, his Alpha aura pulsing with anger. "This matter is closed."

* * *

"The healing records don't match," Grant whispered urgently, his eyes scanning the documents spread across my desk in my private study. "Look at these notes from before the attack—they're in a different handwriting entirely."

Flynn nodded grimly. "And I spoke with Elder Marissa. She says the healer who treated her for fifty years had a different scent entirely. She remembers the change but was afraid to speak up."

My heart raced with a dangerous mix of hope and fear. "So Scarlett isn't—"

The door crashed open with such force that it splintered against the wall. Byron stood in the doorway, his eyes blazing with Alpha fury, Scarlett hovering behind him with a triumphant gleam in her eyes.

"What is this?" he roared, storming toward us. "You dare harass my chosen mate?"

Grant and Flynn immediately moved protectively in front of me, but Byron's Alpha aura pushed them back effortlessly.

"Byron," I began, fighting to keep my voice steady, "we were just—"

"SNEAKING BEHIND MY BACK!" His roar shook the walls. "Investigating my chosen mate like some criminal!"

Scarlett's lips curved into a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I told you they were plotting against me, Byron."

His gaze locked onto mine, filled with a hatred that stole my breath. "Explain yourself, Elena. Now."