Rejecting the Alpha's Claim

My mother and I had spent years treating the Luna’s chronic headaches, and in gratitude, Luna Dayana Vasquez bestowed upon me the Luna’s insignia—a rare honor—and offered to arrange my mating. Without hesitation, I chose the fifth Lycan Prince, Rhys Mason.

The pack was abuzz with whispers of disbelief. After all, it was no secret that I had adored the ninth Lycan Prince, Karson Mason, for sixteen years, even declaring that I would never mate anyone but him. In my past life, Luna Dayana had indeed arranged my mating with Karson. But on the night of our mark ceremony, he had humiliated me in front of the entire pack, accusing me of tearing him apart from my adopted sister, Tallulah Powell, and leaving me alone in the mating chamber.

For three years, he refused to let me near him. When Luna Dayana learned of this, she sent Tallulah to a distant territory. Karson believed I had conspired to separate them out of jealousy, and in retaliation, he forced me to drink a concoction that left me barren. He filled our home with other she-wolves, binding me outside his room to witness his infidelity. The poison from that drink caused my body to fester, and his mates took pleasure in reopening my wounds until I finally succumbed to the pain.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the moment Luna Dayana offered to arrange my mating. But this time, I chose differently.

---

“Simone Mason, are you certain? Once the decree is made, there will be no turning back,” Luna Dayana asked, her voice steady but probing.

I knelt before her, my head bowed. “I am resolved, Your Grace. I humbly request the mating decree.”

As I left the Luna’s chambers with the decree in hand, the pack’s murmurs followed me like a shadow. I held my head high, my steps measured as I made my way out of the packhouse.

In the gardens, I stumbled upon Karson and Tallulah. They were laughing softly, their closeness unmistakable. The warmth in Karson’s eyes as he looked at Tallulah was something I had never seen directed at me.

But the moment he noticed me, his expression turned cold.

“Simone,” he said, his voice sharp. “What are you doing here? Did you follow us?”

Tallulah flashed me a smug smile, her voice dripping with false concern. “Karson, please don’t be so harsh. Simone… she just cares for you deeply. Perhaps she feels threatened by my presence.”

Karson’s jaw tightened. “She’s always been petty! As her sister, you’ve done nothing but endure her jealousy.”

I smiled faintly, offering no defense. In my past life, I had tried to explain, even brought my mother, Jacqueline Alvarez, to vouch for me. But Karson had accused us of conspiring to slander Tallulah. There was no point in explaining now.

“If you’ll excuse me, Lycan Prince Karson, I’ll take my leave,” I said, my tone polite but distant.

His anger faltered for a moment, his gaze narrowing as he studied me. “What did you just call me?”

Before I could respond, he let out a derisive laugh. “You’ve already begged the Luna for a mating decree with me, and now you’re pretending to be aloof? Who are you trying to fool?”

He didn’t yet know the decree wasn’t for him. I shook my head calmly. “The decree I sought was not for you.”

His brows furrowed in disbelief. “The entire pack knows you’ve been obsessed with me for sixteen years. Who else could you possibly mate?”

I smiled faintly, deciding against further explanation. Tallulah, however, had been eyeing the decree in my hands. She burst into tears, her voice trembling. “Karson, if the decree is already issued, then I’ll leave. We should never see each other again…”

Karson immediately grabbed her hand, his voice urgent. “Even if she forces me into a mating bond, I’ll never truly be hers! Tallulah, I promise you, I’ll keep my word.”

I found the entire exchange tedious and turned to leave. Just then, a group of she-wolves approached, congratulating me on the Luna’s decree. Karson, not bothering to wait for them to finish, declared loudly, “Simone, if you insist on mating with me, I’ll make Tallulah my second mate!”

The she-wolves exchanged uneasy glances, one of them starting to say, “Lycan Prince Karson, you seem mistaken. Simone’s mating decree is with the fifth Lycan Prince—”

I interrupted her calmly. “It’s unnecessary to explain. Whomever you choose as your mate is of no concern to me.”

He looked momentarily pleased, but I didn’t give him a chance to respond. I turned and walked away, leaving the garden and its echoes of my past behind.