Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by the King

When I turned eighteen, the Cole pack adopted me, beginning a decade-long silent yearning for my uncle, Truett Cole, the Alpha of the pack and two decades my senior. Before deciding to let go of this unspoken love, I asked him to spend one last birthday with me. That evening, we watched the pack’s ceremonial fireworks by the ocean, but his first love, Chloe Chavez, a Delta warrior, cried outside his house all night after being betrayed by her mate.

The next day, news of Chloe’s tragic death spread like wildfire through the pack. Truett said nothing after hearing the report, yet under the pressure from my adoptive parents, Jasper and Mariah, he reluctantly agreed to the mate pairing with me. Just as we were about to exchange the marking vows, an explosion shook the venue. Truett shifted into his wolf form and shielded me from the danger, but he fell into a pool of blood himself. With his dying breath, he tossed our mate certificate into the fire.

"You and Chloe both died because of you. Are you satisfied now?" It turned out he blamed me for Chloe’s death, despising me entirely. After he passed, my adoptive parents received an anonymous letter filled with false evidence suggesting I had orchestrated the blast. Fueled by their vendetta, they crippled me and exiled me to a rogue’s territory, where I died from their mistreatment.

Then I opened my eyes, back before the marking ceremony. This time, I vowed to steer clear of Truett and never love him again.

In the Alpha’s study at the Cole pack estate, Truett sat behind his desk, his Alpha aura heavy in the room, a deep frown etched on his face. "Charlotte, if it weren’t for your parents saving my father’s life back then, do you really think I would have let you into the Cole pack?"

"The Cole pack took you in, gave you comfort and stability, and yet you dared to manipulate the situation to force me into this mate pairing."

Looking at the man I had loved for ten years, memories of our past life flooded back. I swallowed the bitterness and spoke calmly, "Alpha, I know you don’t like me. I’ll let you have what you want."

He paused, surprise flickering in his eyes, then sneered. "Have what I want? The marking ceremony date is set, invitations sent out. How exactly do you plan to give me what I want?"

"If you hadn’t spoken ill of Chloe to my father back then, she and I wouldn’t have broken up. Now you’re pairing with me, so why the pretentious act?"

With those words, he left the study, his commanding presence lingering. I wiped away my tears and contacted the pack’s event planner, instructing them to replace the bride with Chloe.

Back in my bedroom, I retrieved the photo album hidden deep in my closet. It contained every photo of me and Truett from the past ten years. My parents had died saving Jasper, the former Alpha of the Cole pack, leaving me an orphan, lonely and withdrawn. When I first moved into the pack house, the staff and lower-ranking wolves abused and bullied me whenever they felt like it. One time, a group of rogue pups, led by a bully, pinned me down, stripped me, and forced me to drink from a puddle. In my despair, it was Truett who saved me, using his Alpha tone to command those pups to leave and teaching them a harsh lesson.

Since then, he took me everywhere he went, not allowing anyone to mistreat me. Even during pack runs, he ensured I was protected. Over time, no one dared to bully me again. My world became centered around him.

"Charlotte, you’re under my protection, and I won’t let them harm you," he once promised me, a promise I held onto dearly. I had etched my soul with the thought that I belonged to him. But the trap set at the marking ceremony was a wake-up call. He never loved me. In fact, he despised me.

I set the album aside, took a deep breath, and called our pack’s legal advisor. "Bailee Payne, I want to transfer my shares in the pack’s resources to Alpha Truett."

I wanted no further entanglements with the Cole pack. Ending the call, I knocked on Truett’s door.

"Alpha, I’d like to visit the marking ceremony venue. Can you come with me?"

Truett, knowing Chloe’s preferences best, opened the door, texting on his phone, his eyes never meeting mine. "Chloe’s not feeling well; she’s in pain. I need to take her some medication. I don’t have time to go with you."

After a moment, he looked up sharply and said coldly, "Charlotte, are you that eager to be my mate? We can pair, but don’t expect my love."

I swallowed my hurt, feigning calmness. "Go ahead; if Jasper asks, I’ll tell him you had to attend to pack matters."

Suspicion flickered in Truett’s eyes. "Usually, you’d be throwing a fit by now. Why are you so quiet today? Think being my mate gives you control over me?"

I smiled bitterly. Before I could respond, he had already left, his Alpha aura cold and unyielding.