Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by the King

I stumbled through the emptying auditorium, my vision blurred by tears I refused to let fall. The congratulatory chatter and laughter around me felt like daggers to my heart. Four years. Four years of my life given to a man who had just discarded me like yesterday's trash.

Jessica caught up to me in the hallway, her face flushed with anger. "That absolute piece of—"

"I need to talk to him," I cut her off, my voice surprisingly steady despite the hurricane raging inside me.

"Lily, no. He doesn't deserve—"

"I need answers, Jess." I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. "Four years. I deserve at least that."

She grabbed my arm, her eyes fierce with protective fury. "I'm coming with you."

"No." I gently removed her hand. "This is between me and him."

I found Ethan in a deserted corridor near the reception hall. He was alone, adjusting his tie in front of a decorative mirror, looking every bit the triumphant Alpha. The sight of him—so calm, so unbothered—made my blood boil.

"Why?" The word escaped my lips before I could stop it, echoing in the empty hallway.

Ethan turned, his expression momentarily surprised before settling into something cool and detached. "Lily. I thought you'd left."

"Why?" I repeated, taking a step closer. "Four years, Ethan. Four years I gave you everything. I organized your life, I helped you study, I stood by your side at every pack function despite how they all looked at me. And you couldn't even give me the courtesy of a warning?"

He sighed, as if my pain was merely an inconvenience. "I assumed you understood the reality of our situation."

"What reality?" My voice cracked. "The reality where you let me believe I had a future with you?"

"Be reasonable, Lily." His tone hardened. "You're a wolfless omega. Did you honestly think you could be Luna of the Silver Moon Pack?"

The words hit me like a physical blow. "You made me believe it. Every time you kissed me, every time you told me you loved me—"

"I did care for you," he interrupted, his voice softening into something that might have fooled me once. "But an Alpha has responsibilities. The pack comes first. Always."

"Then why keep me around?" I demanded, anger finally overtaking hurt. "Why waste four years of my life?"

Something shifted in his eyes then—a flash of possessiveness, of irritation. "You were useful. And you were mine."

"Were," I emphasized, taking a step back. "I'm done, Ethan. I'm leaving the pack."

The change was instantaneous. His Alpha aura flared, pressing against me like a physical weight. His eyes flashed with his wolf's anger as he closed the distance between us in two long strides.

"You're not going anywhere," he growled, his voice dropping into that commanding Alpha tone that made lesser wolves cower. "You belong to the Silver Moon Pack. To me."

I pressed myself against the wall, my heart hammering. "You just announced Madison as your mate in front of everyone."

"Madison is my Luna," he said, placing his hands on either side of my head, caging me in. "That doesn't mean I'm letting you go. You still have your uses."

The implication made my stomach turn. "I won't be your side piece, Ethan."

His laugh was cold. "You don't have a choice. If you try to leave, I'll make sure no pack from here to the Canadian border will take you in. A wolfless omega with no family, no connections? You'll be rogue prey within a week."

Fear clutched at my throat, but something else was rising within me—a defiance I didn't know I possessed.

"I'd rather be alone than spend another minute being your doormat," I whispered.

His eyes narrowed dangerously. "We'll see how long that courage lasts when you're sleeping in alleyways." He pushed away from the wall. "Be at the pack house by sunset to collect your things. You'll be moving to the omega quarters. And Lily?" His voice dropped to a menacing whisper. "Don't test me."

He walked away, leaving me trembling against the wall, the full weight of my new reality crashing down around me. I wasn't just heartbroken—I was trapped.

And for the first time in my life, I was truly afraid of what tomorrow would bring.