Rejected by My Fated Alpha

The evening had left me weary, and I lounged on the chaise, flipping through a book without much focus.

“Your Majesty, Gabriel Owens is here,” Claire’s soft voice broke the silence.

I frowned. “How did he get in? I denied his request to see me today.”

“The walls of your territory aren’t high enough, Your Majesty. Perhaps they should be reinforced,” Gabriel strode in, his presence filling the room. He didn’t bother with the usual formalities, his arrogance grating on me.

Most of the guards patrolling the pack borders were loyal to him, and if he wanted to force his way in, there was little I could do to stop him.

“Thank you for the advice, Alpha Owens. Though I must say, scaling pack borders in the dead of night doesn’t exactly reflect well on your reputation,” I said, my tone sharp.

Gabriel sat on the chaise beside me, his arm slipping around my waist with a firm tug. Before I could protest, I found myself seated on his lap.

“Why didn’t you call me Gabriel today?” he asked, his voice low and tinged with something I couldn’t quite place. “Was it because you saw Ahmir Jimenez earlier?”

I raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on my lips. “Are you jealous?”

So, that’s what this was about. His possessive nature was showing again.

“You’ve been avoiding me for days, yet you made time for him. Shouldn’t I be?” His grip on my waist tightened, and I winced slightly.

“I merely had the pack council discuss Seven’s upcoming mark ceremony. I didn’t expect Ahmir to be there,” I replied, my hands sliding up to rest on his shoulders, trying to placate him.

“Then why didn’t you see me?”

Ah, so this was about settling scores. First one grievance, now another.

“We’ve been seen together too often lately. The pack is starting to talk. I thought it best to be cautious,” I explained, though I knew he wouldn’t care.

“Let them talk. I’ll have their tongues removed if they dare,” Gabriel’s eyes bore into mine, unyielding. “But you should keep your distance from Ahmir. The way he looks at you… it’s not right.”

I laughed softly. “I’m old enough to be his mother. Do you really think he could harbor feelings for a widow?”

“Do you regret it? Marking Colton Walker?” The question hung in the air, though he didn’t voice the rest of it—*instead of me*. It was the last shred of pride he clung to in front of me.

“Of course, I regret it, Gabriel. Will you comfort me?”

I leaned in, capturing his lips with mine. His response was a mix of tenderness and ferocity, and before I knew it, he had coaxed me into a night of passion that left me exhausted and drifting into sleep.

---

I had gone to the Lycan King, armed with a litany of reasons why I should mark Laurel Walker. The King had agreed, and I had gone to the Blue Moon Pack’s territory to make the formal request.

Laurel hadn’t come out to greet me, claiming illness. I stayed for lunch anyway, and afterward, I spoke with her father, Watson Walker, in his den. I made sure to weave hints of my respect and deference into our conversation, knowing it would appeal to his sense of loyalty.

In the end, he agreed to the union, a sign of the Walker family’s allegiance to the pack’s hierarchy.

The day of our mark ceremony should have been the happiest of my life. But when I lifted her veil, I saw the redness in her eyes from crying.

She told me it was because she would miss her family.

But I knew the truth—she didn’t want this.

It didn’t matter. I could wait. With time, she would come to understand my feelings for her.

I was always patient with her, no matter how tired I was. I believed she would eventually soften. But when she found out that Gabriel had volunteered to lead a mission to the border, she panicked.

The usually composed and disciplined Laurel broke protocol, barging into a council meeting with a bowl of soup in hand.

That night, she asked me about Gabriel, pleading for him to stay.

I was furious, but I had long mastered the art of masking my emotions. She didn’t notice anything amiss.

I watched as she worried over Gabriel day and night, visiting the pack’s sacred grounds to pray for his safety. And when he returned, her joy was palpable.

I was jealous of Gabriel.

I hated how effortlessly he captured Laurel’s attention, how every move he made seemed to stir something in her.

So, I forced her to choose a mate for him myself.