Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by the King

Phoebe's apartment had become my sanctuary over the past week. The familiar scent of vanilla candles and her grandmother's old quilts wrapped around me like a protective cocoon as I sat curled on her oversized couch, nursing my third cup of coffee. The banishment from the pack house still stung, but here in Phoebe's space, I could think clearly without Oscar's Alpha presence clouding my judgment.

"I've been making calls all morning," Phoebe said, pacing across her living room with her phone pressed to her ear. Her Beta training showed in the way she moved—purposeful, controlled, like a predator tracking prey. "Yes, I'll hold."

She'd been at this for hours, working through her extensive network of contacts across multiple packs. Her Beta family connections ran deep, and she'd cultivated relationships during training sessions and pack gatherings that now proved invaluable. I watched her pace, admiring the fierce loyalty that had made her risk her own standing to help me.

"Thank you," Phoebe said into the phone, her tone sharp with frustration. "No, I understand. If you hear anything, please let me know." She ended the call and turned to me, her expression grim. "That was my contact in the Crescent Moon Pack leadership. Remi, they've never heard of an Eliana Bryant."

The coffee cup trembled in my hands. "What do you mean?"

"I mean she doesn't exist in their pack records. Never has." Phoebe's voice carried the weight of certainty. "I've spoken to three different sources now—their Beta, their record keeper, even someone who's lived there for twenty years. No Eliana Bryant has ever been registered as a pack member."

The implications hit me like a physical blow. If Eliana wasn't from the Crescent Moon Pack, then everything Oscar had told me was a lie. The alliance meetings, the diplomatic necessity—all fabrications to cover his betrayal.

"She's lying about her pack affiliation," I whispered, the pieces clicking into place. "But why would Oscar—"

A sharp knock at the door cut me off. Phoebe and I exchanged glances, both of us tensing. Few people knew I was staying here, and unexpected visitors rarely brought good news.

Phoebe opened the door to reveal Luna Margaret Ward—Oscar's mother, her silver hair perfectly coiffed and her posture radiating the authority of a former Luna. She swept into the apartment without invitation, her cold blue eyes immediately finding me on the couch.

"Remi," she said, her voice carrying decades of pack authority. "We need to talk."

I set down my coffee cup and stood, my spine straightening instinctively. Margaret had never liked me, barely tolerating my rise from Omega to Luna. Now, with her son's marriage in crisis, her disapproval radiated from her like winter frost.

"Luna Margaret," I replied carefully. "What brings you here?"

Her laugh was sharp and humorless. "What brings me here? My son's mate has publicly humiliated him, been banished from the pack house, and now hides away like a petulant child instead of fulfilling her Luna duties."

Phoebe stepped forward, her Beta instincts flaring. "With respect, Luna Margaret, Remi was defending her right to truth in her own marriage."

"Truth?" Margaret's eyes flashed with disdain. "The truth is that Alphas have needs beyond what one mate can provide. A proper Luna understands this. She gracefully accepts her Alpha's chosen companions for the strength of the pack."

The words hit me like a slap. "Chosen companions? You're talking about Oscar's affair like it's pack policy."

"It is pack tradition," Margaret replied coldly. "Alphas have always taken additional mates when necessary. Your problem, Remi, is that you're too proud for your former station. An Omega who became Luna should be grateful for what she has, not demanding more than she deserves."

The casual cruelty of her words—the reminder of my origins, the implication that I should accept betrayal as the price of my position—ignited something fierce in my chest. My wolf stirred, no longer the submissive creature she'd been during my Omega years.

"What I deserve," I said, my voice steady despite the fury building inside me, "is honesty from my mate. Respect from my pack. And the dignity that comes with the position I earned through three years of service."

Margaret's smile was cold as winter. "Earned? You think spreading your legs for my son earned you anything? You were a charity case, Remi. A pet project. And now you're destroying everything with your selfish demands."

Phoebe stepped between us, her own wolf rising to meet the challenge. "That's enough. You need to leave."

But Margaret wasn't finished. "Mark my words, girl. If you continue this path—if you force a rejection ceremony—you'll lose everything. Your status, your home, your place in this pack. And for what? Pride? You'll end up exactly where you started. Alone. Worthless. Omega."

She turned and swept toward the door, pausing only to deliver one final blow. "A wise Luna would apologize to her Alpha and accept his choices. But then again, wisdom was never your strong suit."

The door slammed behind her, leaving Phoebe and me in stunned silence. But Margaret's words, meant to break me, had done something else entirely. They'd crystallized my resolve.

I walked to Phoebe's desk and opened my laptop, my fingers steady as I accessed the pack's financial records—access I still retained as Luna. If Oscar was lying about Eliana's identity, what else was he hiding?

The numbers told a story that made my blood run cold. Jewelry purchases from high-end boutiques. Designer clothing orders. Restaurant charges from the city's most expensive establishments. All charged to pack accounts, all dated within the past six months.

All for someone who supposedly didn't exist in any pack records.

"Phoebe," I said quietly, my voice steady with newfound determination. "I think we need to dig deeper."