After My Alpha Rejected Me, I Stole His Pack

I felt Maverick's eyes on me as I scrubbed the kitchen floors. It was the third time today he'd found some excuse to pass through, his gaze lingering on my bent form before he quickly looked away.

"The floors need to be spotless before the Summit guests arrive," Beta Marcus barked, though his voice lacked its usual conviction.

I kept my head down, focusing on the harsh soap burning my cracked hands. The silver collar around my neck had worn raw skin, a constant reminder of my place.

"Mama works too hard," Mabel whispered to the elderly Omega beside her. The old woman had taken pity on my daughter, allowing her to sit in the corner while I worked.

I heard Maverick's footsteps pause at the doorway. "The kitchen smells like jasmine again," he muttered, almost to himself.

My heart stuttered. The jasmine scent—my scent—had been slowly returning as my body adjusted to the silver collar. It wasn't as strong as before, but it was there, beneath the metallic tang of burning silver.

"Alpha?" Beta Marcus questioned.

Maverick's jaw tightened visibly. "Nothing. Just memories."

But I'd seen something flicker in his eyes—recognition, perhaps. Or longing. His wolf paced restlessly behind those ice-blue eyes, and for a moment, our gazes locked.

Silver stirred within me. *He still feels us.*

"Get out," Maverick ordered suddenly, his voice rough. "All of you. I need a moment."

The kitchen staff scattered, leaving me alone with him. The air thickened with tension as he approached, crouching beside me.

"Why did you really come back?" he asked quietly.

I met his gaze steadily. "This is my home."

His fingers reached out, almost touching my cheek before he jerked back. "Your scent... it's changing."

"The silver can't suppress what the Moon Goddess ordained," I whispered.

Something wild flashed in his eyes—his wolf, fighting against his control. He stood abruptly. "Prepare the VIP guest list for the Alpha Summit. I want every neighboring Alpha King to meet Amora."

---

"The Summit preparations are complete, Alpha," Beta Marcus reported the next morning.

Maverick stood in his office, adjusting his formal Alpha attire. The room gleamed from my thorough cleaning the day before.

"Good. Amora will accompany me as Luna representative."

I kept my eyes down as I entered with a stack of freshly pressed shirts. The silver collar made it difficult to shift, but I'd managed to clean his clothes as ordered.

"Where is Amora?" Maverick asked, noticing her absence.

"Preparing her travel wardrobe, Alpha," I replied mechanically.

He nodded, then turned to me. "While we're gone, you'll take double shifts in the kitchens."

"Double shifts?" I couldn't hide my surprise. "But Mabel—"

"Will be cared for by the Omegas," he cut me off. "And the Omega quarters will receive no firewood until we return."

The cruelty of it stole my breath. Winter had settled in, and the Omega quarters were already freezing. Without firewood...

"Is that all, Alpha?" I managed to ask, my voice steady despite the rage building inside me.

He studied me for a long moment. "Yes. Oh, and Lilith?"

I paused at the door.

"Make sure Amora has everything she needs for the trip."

---

I was elbow-deep in soapy water when Amora slipped into the laundry room. The other workers quickly found excuses to leave, sensing danger.

"You're still here," she observed, circling me like a predator. "Like a bad scent that won't fade."

I said nothing, focusing on my work.

"It's annoying," she continued, examining her perfectly manicured nails. "The way he looks at you sometimes."

My hands stilled in the water. So I wasn't imagining it.

"Kira!" Amora's voice suddenly hardened as she spotted an Omega girl entering with a basket of linens.

The young woman froze, her eyes widening with fear. "Luna Amora."

"Come here," Amora commanded, her voice dripping with false sweetness.

Kira approached cautiously, setting down her basket. She couldn't have been more than sixteen—young, vulnerable, with family members who depended on pack protection.

"I have a special task for you," Amora said, glancing at me meaningfully before leaning close to Kira's ear.

I strained to hear, but Amora's voice was deliberately pitched too low.

Kira's face drained of color. "No, please—my brother, he needs—"

"Your brother will be well taken care of," Amora interrupted smoothly. "Unless, of course, you prefer I mention to Maverick how your family has been stealing from the pack stores?"

Tears filled Kira's eyes. "What do you want me to do?"

Amora smiled, her voice dropping even lower. I caught only fragments: "...wolfsbane..." "...in her food..." "...no one will know..."

Kira's horrified gaze darted to me, then quickly away.

"Do it," Amora commanded, "or your entire family suffers."

As they left, Kira's trembling hands and tear-streaked face told me everything I needed to know.

Something terrible was coming.