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

Perry's POV

I woke up before Richard did. He'd wrapped himself around me like a human straightjacket, and I had to carefully wiggle free from his arms.

The room was still pitch black - the heavy curtains shut out all the light. I avoided looking at his face, not wanting to confirm what Gina told me: this was Richard Scott's room, so that meant he had to be the wolf from last night.

I crouched down to grab whatever was left of my shredded clothes, trying to cover myself with the torn fabric. They looked more like ripped napkins than clothing.

"I came here to tell him no, and now... now I've ended up in his damn bed," I hissed under my breath as I shoved the door open. "Fated mate? Screw that. I'd rather suffer than be tied to him."

I touched my face, surprised to feel tears rolling down. I thought, just for a second, I could maybe kill him and be done with it. But no - I couldn't even do that.

His breathing behind me was heavy, dragging me back into that horrible moment. I had to get out.

Once I made it down the hall and ducked into a corner, I called Gina. "Gina, please, I need you."

"Perry? Oh my god-what happened?" She must've heard my voice cracking because she immediately panicked. "I'm coming. Right now."

She wasn't lying. Gina showed up fast, sprinting out of the elevator still in her slippers.

When I looked up and saw her eyes full of worry, I completely lost it. "Gina..."

"Oh baby, please, don't cry like that," she squatted down and hugged me tight, totally thrown off. "You're breaking my heart."

"What happened to you?" Her eyes went wide as she got a better look at my mess of a body.

I stayed quiet, couldn't bring myself to speak. Only when she frowned and gently helped me stand did I find the strength to say anything.

Fighting to keep the tears down, I sniffled and muttered, "Something awful... The wolf... not now. I'll explain soon."

With a sigh, Gina didn't push. She guided me to the elevator and brought me back to her room.

She worked nearby and didn't like going home much, so keeping a hotel room had always made sense for her.

During the walk, I just hugged myself in silence while Gina softly patted my back.

"I need a proper shower," I said, drained, when we reached her door. "Do you have something I can wear?"

"Of course, honey, I'll get you something right now," she yelled, already on her way to the wardrobe.

Dragging my exhausted self to the bathroom, I stood under the water, trying to scrub that feeling off me. The smell lingered - faint booze mixed with something else. Maybe it was just in my head, but I couldn't shake it.

Gina brought me a soft set of pajamas, obviously worried sick. She sat close, her voice urgent. "Perry, please, tell me what happened. I need to understand what's hurting you."

"I went into the room, and then," I paused, gripping the fabric of the shirt tightly, "I ran into a rutted-out alpha. Richard."

"What?!" Gina practically screamed, staring at me like I'd grown another head, completely thrown.

She paced back and forth like her thoughts were spiraling, then suddenly stopped. "No. That can't be right. Perry, I... I need to say something..."

"That wasn't Alpha Richard!" Gina looked like she might actually faint. "You hadn't been in the room long when I bumped into Byron from the Bloodmoon Pack. He told me that Richard isn't even in the hotel tonight. I tried calling you, but you didn't pick up."

My eyes went wide, a chill running straight through me. Panic gripped my chest. "Then who the hell was the guy who screwed me?"

Gina inhaled sharply, clutching my hand like it was the only thing grounding her. "I'm so sorry, Perry. I have no clue. That top-floor suite's usually booked under Alpha Richard's name-if he's not using it, it goes to other high-ranking wolves."

"No..." I bit my lip and buried my face in my hands, feeling like the whole world was crashing down on me.

"If you want, I can try to find out who he was," Gina offered quickly.

I didn't say anything right away. And once I'd calmed down a little, I wasn't sure it would even matter.

When I walked into that room, that unknown alpha was already in heat. Burning hot all over like someone had triggered it on purpose-just waiting for a she-wolf. I must've walked in at the worst possible moment.

Gina must've noticed how zoned out I was. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "So... he's probably still in the room, right? Perry, if you care, we could go check. Wanna give it a shot?"

"Terrible idea," I muttered. "Even if I find out who he is, what am I supposed to do? He's still an alpha."

There was another reason I didn't tell Gina-we'd smelled each other. That scent meant something. And I kept that to myself.

I had no idea how to make him take responsibility or even apologize. Honestly, if I could, I'd walk right up to him and punch him in the face. No way I'd forgive an alpha who forced me into something like that.

I couldn't help but smile at the thought of it. Right then, my phone rang, dragging me back to reality. I frowned and glanced at the screen.

Francis Lake. Of course.

Just seeing his name made my blood boil. I hit 'decline' hard, like it would make up for everything.

If it weren't for Francis, I never would've gone to meet Alpha Richard. None of this would've happened. He'd completely screwed up my life. He wasn't even half the father he pretended to be.

Less than a minute later, Francis started calling again. Relentless, like an annoying fly. I just kept rejecting his calls, on repeat.

The ringtone was grating as hell, made my mood crash even lower. I finally gave in, took a deep breath, and jabbed the screen. "What do you want, Francis? Stop blowing up my phone-are you trying to wear me down?"

"Sweetheart," he said, cheerful as ever, not the least bit rattled. "Your grandfather told me you'd left the countryside. I've been waiting for you at the train station. Honestly, can't wait to see you. But it's been a while and you're still not here. Come on, tell me where you are?"

"I'm not there yet." I rolled my eyes so hard it hurt. "And more importantly, I don't need you picking me up."

He went quiet for a second. Then, sounding all faux-concerned, he said, "Don't be like that, Perry. So... when are you getting here?"

"I'm done talking. If you wanna stay there, fine, stay there. Just stop calling me!" I said flatly.

Everything Francis ever did was just to shove me into being Richard Scott's mate, so he could cozy up to the Bloodmoon Pack. No matter how much he pretended to be this caring father, I wasn't buying it.

"But Perry," Francis switched up his tone, now sounding more like an alpha than a dad-stern, commanding. I knew he was trying to intimidate me. "I've set everything up with the Bloodmoon Pack. Tomorrow, you'll meet Alpha Richard. I've picked out a nice dress for you, something really flattering and-"

"Shut up!" I snapped, my voice cracking under the strain. "The only time you even remember you have a daughter is when you need something. If you miss me so much, Francis, then where the hell have you been all this time?"

I didn't wait for a reply. I hung up on him without a second thought.

"Perry," Gina stepped closer, lowering her voice. "What are you going to do now? Are you really meeting Richard tomorrow?"

"I don't want to be his mate. Especially after all this, I can't face him. I've gotta figure something else out."

"But..." Gina looked at me, worry written all over her face. After overhearing my call with Francis, she finally understood where I was coming from. "Even so, you'll have to deal with him sooner or later. He's an alpha. You can't just run forever."

Maybe she was right.

As much as Francis was a manipulative jerk, he wasn't dumb. If he already arranged things with the Bloodmoon Pack and I flaked, it could cause real problems. I'd be poking the beehive.

I let out a heavy sigh. "Alright, Gina. I'll meet him, but I'm gonna tell Richard there's someone else. That I'm already with another alpha. Maybe that'll make him back off. And if Francis finds out, maybe he'll finally give up on me."

Gina squeezed my hand in support. "There you go. Stay strong, Perry."

She gave me a quick but warm hug before rushing off-there was always something going on at the hotel, and Gina practically ran the place.

Left alone in her room, I just sat there.

I'd never felt this drained. My body ached like I'd been tossed around in a fight. That alpha I slept with-whoever he was-didn't hold back. It was still messing with me.

He'd overwhelmed me, yeah, but not just with force. There'd been pleasure too, intense and confusing. And that scared me even more.