Moonlit Legacy: Claimed By The Alpha King

CHAPTER 1: THE GREAT BETRAYALS.

"Silence!"

The sound of the Priestess's staff echoing, amplified by magic, as it hit the ground, reverberated throughout the noisy crowd gathered in the great hall.

Fiona, the Priestess of our pack, got everyone's attention. Everyone's interest was piqued.

Raya on the other hand, had both a mixture of anxiety and eagerness.

The Festival of Spirits - an annual event that was peculiar to just the Greyhound pack, the second most powerful pack in all of the domain of the king. But this time, it doubled as the Nuptial Ceremony of Jamey, the newly appointed Alpha of the pack, and Raya.

"Worry not, child. It'll all be over soon," Ingrid, the oldest maid in Raya's father's household, said to her as she stood beside her. Raya cracked a mild smile, but her anxiety was visible.

Turning to the side, she met the haughty smirk of Victoria, her childhood nemesis. Furrowing her brow, she looked away, wondering why her Victoria had that smug look on her face.

Shrugging, she cast off the thought. Tonight was her night. Her status in the pack was about to change.

Her father and two older siblings stood some meters away from her but didn't spare her a look. She was hoping the night would be different.

Standing on the dais, the Priestess and the elders stood before the people, with the Priestess in front of them.

"Tonight, we all stand here to bear witness as the oldest and most sacred duty that has ensured the perpetuity of our kind be fulfilled, in accordance with the will of the Moon goddess," Fiona began speaking.

"Raya, daughter of Lamdan, and Alpha Jamey, of house Koll, please step forward," she instructed.

Sighing, Raya stepped forward, doing her best to suppress her happiness. Jamey walked forward, looking a bit cold. They both faced the Priestess.

"Do both of you accept each other as mates, according to the will of the Moon goddess?" Fiona asked.

The whole congregation of people got quiet at this point, such that only the flickering sound of the torches' fire was heard. In the past three centuries, no Nuptial Ceremony drew this level of curiosity from the members of the pack.

"Yes, I accept Jamey as my mate," Raya answered, smiling, and her heart filled with happiness. Fiona nodded and faced Jamey.

"Jamey?" Fiona called, checking in to see how he had delayed a bit.

"I, Jamey, of House Koll, reject you, Raya, as my mate!"

The whole congregation gasped with wide eyes when they heard that. Raya's smile began to wear off, and her heart raced as she got nervous.

Looking around, she saw the people chattering amongst themselves, laughing as they looked at her. She looked at her father, but all he did was glare at her.

"But, it is the will of the goddess," Fiona protested.

"And I dare to defy her!" Jamey's voice thundered, startling me. Scoffing, he turned to me.

"Is this who you expect me to accept as the progenitor of my bloodline, the runt of the pack?" he said, then chuckled disdainfully. He then walked to the congregation and took hold of Victoria, bringing her close to the dais where the Priestess stood.

"This is who I shall make my Luna, and the progenitor of my bloodline," he announced. The pack exploded in cheers, jubilating. It was a heartrending sight for Raya.

Jamey walked and stood before Raya, looking her dead in the eye. Tears welled up in them.

"My father would roll in his grave if I went through with this," he said unremorsefully.

Raya's weakened bones could barely hold her weight at this point. She fell to the ground sobbing, as tears ran down my cheeks. Yes, she was wolfless and couldn't fully grasp the concept of mate bonds. But her heart was shattered.

She looked at her father, but he fumed. Irked at the sight of his daughter, Raya's father made his way out of the great hall, passing through the crowd.

"Victoria. So do you accept your Alpha, Jamey, as your mate?" Fiona asked.

"With all my heart," she answered, wearing a wide grin. Fiona went ahead and offered them.

"As said before the members of the Greyhound pack, so shall it be."

With that pronouncement, Raya got up and ran out of the great hall, crying. She couldn't bear to witness what she hoped was meant to be hers given to someone else.

She ran to her mother's grave and fell in front of the headstone, crying profusely, as the moon shone brightly. She soon began hearing the pack howling and cheering. Jamey and Victoria were finally mated. The thought of it broke her heart.

"How dare you desecrate your mother's grave?!" a firm voice yelled, startling her. Looking up, she saw it was her father.

"I- I'm sorry Father. I couldn't-"

"Save your breath!" he cut her off. "You are no daughter of mine. You never were to begin with. No child of mine would have deprived me of my happiness, my mate."

Raya's father then walked away at that point, leaving her there as she cried her heart out. He had never been loved and accepted by her father after her mother died giving birth to her. She hoped becoming Jamey's mate would help her earn her father's affection for the first time.

After a while, she heard footsteps approaching her. It was Victoria, accompanied by her clique of friends.

"I thought I'd find you here," she said, smiling. Raya got up and looked at Victoria, sulking.

Victoria chuckled shaking her head. Then she slapped Raya across her face.

"You have a death wish, don't you, vermin?" Victoria asked. "Do you feel like fighting back, as you used to attempt to before? Hmm?"

Raya was more hurt internally than externally. And yes, she couldn't retaliate. Victoria was now her Luna.

"You thought Jamey would choose you? How delusional. Nobody wants you. No one wants a wolfless omega who killed her own mother," Victoria said, laughing with her friends.

Oh, that struck a nerve! Raya clenched her fists, holding back her anger.

"For desiring what was never yours, I'm going to make your life miserable. Just you wait and see," Victoria assured. Then she headed back with her friends to join the celebration.

Alone once again, Raya was finally done believing and hoping in pack loyalty, mate bonds, and family ties.

She began walking into the dark forest. She would rather take her chances out there than remain where she no longer considered her home, despite the dangers that lurked without.