Rejected by My Fated Alpha

“Does it still hurt here?”

Hearing those words, I was so furious that I hurled a pillow across the room, sending him storming out of the palace. I immediately ordered that no one was to enter without my explicit summons.

---

It’s been three years since I took over as the Lycan Queen, and the packhouse has practically become Gabriel Owens’ personal playground. He comes and goes as he pleases, as if he owns the place. This time, I’m determined to put him in his place.

“Every time Alpha Gabriel comes, he only visits your chambers, Your Majesty. He doesn’t go anywhere else,” Claire, my loyal Omega, pointed out the obvious.

I don’t care. I don’t want to hear it, not a word of it!

That man used to at least pretend to have official business when he came to see me. But yesterday, after the morning pack meeting, he followed me straight into my study without even waiting for me to dismiss my attendants.

Before I could even react, he had me pinned against the wall, his lips claiming mine in a way that left me breathless.

“So, the Lycan Queen has taken an interest in young Ahmir Jimenez, has she? You were so busy admiring him during the pack meeting that you forgot all about me,” he growled, his Alpha tone sharp and accusing.

Ahmir, the newly recognized Delta from the Red Claw Pack, had just joined the council. As the Lycan Queen, it was only natural for me to show some interest in his progress, especially since he reminded me so much of Gabriel in his younger days. But I merely asked if he was mated yet. Was that really such a big deal?

Thankfully, the attendants in the room were all trusted members of my inner circle, and they discreetly exited, leaving us alone.

What followed was a day of chaos, with the Lycan Queen and the Alpha of the Silver Fang Pack tangled up amidst the paperwork and files in my study.

I couldn’t understand what had gotten into him, so I decided to avoid him altogether. For three days, I refused to accept any of his requests for an audience.

Today, I summoned the council to discuss the upcoming marking ceremony for my son, Seven Walker’s fifth birthday. Ahmir was among those in attendance.

“Delta Ahmir, how are you finding your new role in the council?” I asked, admiring the young werewolf in his formal attire.

He looked so much like Gabriel in his youth—the same sharp features, the same commanding presence. Though, back then, Gabriel had joined the warriors, not the council.

But there was that same youthful vigor, the same fire in his eyes.

---

I’ve been the Lycan Queen’s heir since I was a child, and I’ve always known I was different. My father, the Lycan King, would personally oversee my studies, and my tutor, Watson Walker, was relentless in his teachings. My mother, the Lycan Queen, insisted I spend most of my time in the study, mastering everything from pack laws to combat strategies.

I wasn’t allowed to play with the other pups. I could only watch from the window as they laughed and ran through the pack grounds. I wanted to join them, but I couldn’t.

One day, while my tutor was summoned by my father, I slipped out of the study. I saw her—the girl who always laughed the loudest, the one who seemed to carry the sun with her. Her name was Laurel Walker, and she was the daughter of the Gamma of the Blue Moon Pack.

My tutor had brought her to the study once, but she had immediately run off to play. He hadn’t scolded her, just shook his head and let her be.

I envied her freedom, her joy.

I tried to approach her, to join in her laughter, but she was too engrossed in her conversation with Gabriel Owens to notice me. Frustrated, I returned to the study, vowing never to seek her out again.

But her laughter lingered in my mind, haunting me.

Years later, I saw her again at a pack run. She had grown into a stunning young woman, her smile as radiant as ever. She insisted on trying to keep up with the front runners, despite clearly being inexperienced. Gabriel, as always, was there to steady her, to keep her safe.

When she stumbled, he caught her before she could fall, and she scolded him for his “incompetence.” He took it all in stride, his affection for her evident in every word, every gesture.

I watched them from a distance, my heart heavy with the knowledge of what they shared.

I knew they were childhood friends, inseparable since they were pups. But I couldn’t help it—I wanted to compete for her attention, for her heart. Even if it was just for myself.