Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by the King

My mate Darius looked at me as if I were something beneath him.

“Accept it, Serena,” he said. “This is bigger than you. I’m thinking of the pack, something you clearly wouldn’t understand.”

The laughter that followed was deafening, the sound ringing in my ears as I turned and ran.

The cool night air hit my face as I stumbled into the forest, tears streaming down my cheeks. My knees buckled, and I collapsed onto the ground, clutching my chest as the mate bond burned through me like fire.

Why? I asked, my voice shaking.

He’s a fool, Asha, my wolf growled, though her voice was tinged with pain. He’ll regret this.

But I wasn’t so sure.

The voices from the hall carried into the night, faint but sharp enough to pierce through my despair.

“She’s nothing,” Liana’s voice said, sweet and mocking. “Just a pebble under our feet.”

The words echoed in my mind as I curled into myself, the bond screaming its agony through every part of me.

The next morning, I stayed in my room, my body numb with exhaustion. But I couldn’t hide forever.

A sharp knock on the door jolted me from my thoughts.

When I opened it, Darius stood there, his presence as overwhelming as ever.

“What do you want?” I snapped, though my voice lacked strength.

He leaned against the doorframe, his lips curling into a smirk.

“I thought about it,” he said casually, as if last night hadn’t happened. “And I’ve decided I can’t let you go entirely.”

I blinked at him, stunned. “What?”

He stepped inside without waiting for permission, his dark eyes scanning the room.

“You feel it, don’t you?” he said, his voice soft but patronizing. “The bond. It’s still there. I can feel it too.”

My stomach churned. “So what?”

“So,” he said, his smirk widening, “I’ve come up with a solution. You’ll stay by my side. Secretly, of course. Liana doesn’t have to know.”

It took a moment for his words to sink in, but when they did, my chest burned with anger.

“You want me to be your mistress?” I asked, my voice rising.