Rejected the Alpha, Now I'm the Most Beloved Luna

That morning, Irene and Sarah headed to the hospital to check on Mara. They walked in, expecting to offer her some comfort, but instead were met with Mara excitedly talking about her and Richard's "romance" like she was floating on clouds.

"You guys just don't get it," Mara said dreamily. "Alpha Richard is so incredibly accepting of me."

Irene blinked at her, clearly confused. Sarah looked like she'd just been slapped, then snapped, "Wait, when did this start? You and Alpha Richard? Why haven't we heard a single thing?"

Mara missed the bitter edge in Sarah's voice, her own face lighting up with this shy little smile. She almost let slip what happened last night, but Belen had warned her to keep their plan under wraps. So instead, she improvised.

"Not too long ago. It was kind of love at first sight, you know? He never chose Perry as his mate because-get this-he's been into me all along! He even said last night I'm his destined mate."

It was a total lie, of course. What really happened was Mara found out Richard's schedule and "accidentally" ran into him. She claimed she had dinner plans with Belen, so she and Richard ended up walking in together.

She moved in close, grabbed his hand, and to her delight, he didn't pull away. Maybe he actually felt something too?

What made her even giddier was the idea that people who saw them would think they were together. If enough folks believed she was Richard's true mate, maybe she'd really become the Bloodmoon Pack's Luna one day.

Sure, Richard left her on the second floor and didn't invite her to stay for dinner, which irked Mara a little-his face looked like he was still figuring things out. But her excitement drowned out any doubts.

After hearing Mara talk, Irene clapped her hands. "That's amazing, Mara! Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Mara hesitated, then threw out a quick excuse. "Richard told me to keep it quiet for now. We're still not official-just kind of... flirting, I guess."

Sarah glared at her like she'd just bitten into a lemon. The idea of Mara being loved by Richard while Sarah got completely ignored twisted her up inside. It just didn't sit right.

So she blurted out, "Yeah? Then does Richard know about you and Pierce?"

Mara instantly turned pale. Her eyes widened, and she hissed, "What are you even saying? There's nothing going on between me and Alpha Tom! Sarah, how could you just throw that out there like that?"

Irene jumped in, startled. "Exactly! Sarah, why would you say that? Mara doesn't even know Alpha Tom that well. The one who slept with him was Perry! That was totally her, Perry Lake. You've got it all wrong."

"Yeah, yeah," Sarah muttered, trying to hide her guilty conscience. She straightened up. "It was Pierce and Perry. I heard he kidnapped her again not long ago, took her to his villa. They might even end up being mates."

Irene gasped, putting on a fake cheerful front. "Really? Wow, good for her! That'd mean we'd have Stonepeak Pack's support. If Perry becomes their Luna, honestly, it's a win-win for all of us."

They both burst into laughter, but Mara suddenly felt uneasy. Her skin started to itch-especially her legs. She glanced down and saw red blotches popping up. She figured she must've eaten something she shouldn't have.

"What's going on with you?" Irene, sitting next to her, gave her a look.

Panic started bubbling inside Mara. She shook her head quickly. "I probably had something I'm allergic to."

"Just get the healer to look at you later," Irene said offhandedly. "You need to stay in top shape for Richard, got it?"

"Got it. Aunt Irene, are you sure Pierce and Perry are going to end up together?"

"Pfft, that lowlife isn't going anywhere. Give it time, and we'll see them stuck together as mates," Irene sneered.

Mara let out a quiet breath, reassured by Irene's smug confidence. Her thoughts drifted back to the run-in with Richard the night before-sweet and thrilling. Perry Lake was a threat to that. Annoying as hell. There was no way Mara was letting that woman mess with her shot at love.

After Irene and Sarah left, things only got worse. The itching intensified by the afternoon. She kept scratching at her legs and couldn't take it anymore-finally called in the healer.

He lifted her shirt slightly, frowning as he examined the rash. "This doesn't look like a typical allergic reaction. You might want a more thorough check-up."

"I-yeah, of course," Mara stammered, face draining of color. A sudden wave of dread hit her. Her mind flashed to Tom Pierce-he'd been with a lot of female wolves. What if he passed something to her?

-

Perry let go and looked closely at Benjamin's face. He looked a lot better today, and even his loose hospital gown couldn't hide his charisma. Benjamin watched her, his voice calm and smooth. "Miss Lake, I really appreciate everything you've done."

"Just doing my job," Perry grinned, visibly in a good mood. "I'm glad to see you recovering."

He locked eyes with her a little too long, and Perry, feeling nervous, quickly looked away-missing the flicker of disappointment across his face. Benjamin hoped for something more, but Perry always kept some distance.

And then, of course, Richard showed up. Again.

Right on cue, his brother walked in and immediately stepped between Perry and Benjamin. Perry had no choice but to stand. "What now?"

Over the past few days, the second it was just her and Benjamin, Richard would show up with any excuse. Today was no different.

"Nothing really," Richard said, avoiding her gaze. His jaw was tight, clearly irritated, and Perry didn't even know why. He shoved a box into her hands. "I wanted to give you something to thank you for helping Benjamin."

"I'd like to thank you, too," Benjamin said out of nowhere. He was still lying there but sat up a bit, flashing her a playful smile. "You've taken such good care of me. I owe you."

Just as Perry was about to turn them both down, Richard yanked her by the arm, pulling her back. She stumbled a step and glared at him. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I'll handle it," Richard said with a tight smile. "It's my responsibility."

He didn't even give Benjamin a chance to reply. Dragging a fuming Perry down the hallway, he stopped just outside the room. She shoved him off, tense with irritation. "I don't need you paying me off."

"You saved Benjamin," Richard said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "The least I can do is pay you properly."

Before Perry could snap, he pulled a check out of his pocket. Her eyes widened at the amount, shock quickly replacing the irritation on her face. "This is way too much, Alpha Richard. I have my own rates."

"The extra's just a tip for everything else," he said firmly.

Perry let out a quiet sigh and crossed her arms. "There's no way that qualifies as a tip. Once Benjamin is fully recovered, I'll send you a proper invoice."

She didn't move a muscle to take the check, just stared at him with that stubborn look. Richard hesitated, then finally tucked the check back into his pocket. "Alright then. I'll find another way to make sure you get it."

"Relax, I don't overcharge," Perry joked casually.

Just then, her phone buzzed. She glanced down.

It was Tom Pierce. She gave Richard a quick apologetic wave and rushed off. Richard tried to follow, but she shot him a warning glare that stopped him in his tracks. In the end, she left the hospital by herself.

Once she was out of Bloodmoon territory, she called Tom back. He answered instantly, his voice upbeat and impressed. "Oh, Miss Lake, that formula of yours worked wonders. I'm seriously feeling a lot better."

"It's just the beginning," Perry said, her tone serious. "You need to keep taking it every day."

"I will," Tom promised, then switched gears. "Also, Francis came to me. Apparently he's desperate to borrow some deltas, asked for my help. You're his daughter, and yeah, you're helping me out medically-but with the kind of crap he's pulled on you? I'm not sure I can bring myself to help him. I'm kinda stuck."

"Me treating you has nothing to do with him. It's your call," Perry said softly, voice calm but distant.

"Good. I was gonna turn him down anyway and let him stew in his own mess," Tom said with a snort. "Honestly, what kind of man uses his own daughter as some bargaining chip? Even I think he's scum."

Perry didn't respond. Her expression twisted into one of disgust, but Tom couldn't see that.

She knew exactly what kind of man Tom was-slick, opportunistic, another manipulative alpha no better than Francis.

After hanging up, she took a ride back to the Crown Regent Hotel.

Perry sat in the lobby, waiting on Gina to finish getting ready. They had dinner plans tonight-Gina wanted to celebrate the fact that Perry was out of danger, and Perry had agreed.

Just then, some new arrivals stepped through the doors. Francis walked in with Sarah by his side. He had a dinner meeting at the hotel's fancy restaurant, and Sarah had asked-no, begged-to come along.

Francis started making calls right after stepping inside, while Sarah zeroed in on Perry the second she spotted her.

With her chin held high and voice shrill, she strutted over. "Well, well-look who it is. Perry Pierce?"

Perry slowly looked up, her gaze sharpening to a deadly edge.

Sarah had come to humiliate her, tossing out snide remarks about her being Tom's supposed mate-and that hit a nerve deep.