Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by the King

Marcus's arm supported my trembling body as we left the meeting hall, his grip firm yet gentle against my weakening frame. The pack's whispers followed us like persistent shadows, their curious eyes burning into my back. Each step felt like walking through quicksand, my legs threatening to give way beneath me.

"You need to tell him the truth, Aria," Marcus whispered urgently through our mind-link, his mental voice tinged with desperation. "Gabriel needs to know what you sacrificed for him."

I shook my head weakly, wincing as pain shot through my temples. "No. Never."

The narrow corridor to my assigned Omega quarters seemed endless. The room they'd given me was little more than a storage closet with a cot—a far cry from the Luna suite I once dreamed of sharing with Gabriel.

"Look at what he's doing to you," Marcus continued, his mental voice breaking as he helped me sit on the thin mattress. "This cruelty... if he knew what his mother forced you to do, what you gave up to save his life—"

"And destroy him with guilt?" I countered, my actual voice barely audible. "Let him believe I betrayed him. It's easier than knowing his own mother manipulated me, that she—" A violent cough interrupted me, the metallic taste of blood filling my mouth.

Marcus knelt before me, his eyes reflecting the dim light from the single bulb overhead. "You're dying, Aria. The ritual took too much from you."

Luna, my wolf, whimpered weakly within me. Once vibrant and strong, she now felt like a fading echo. *We're fading faster now that we're near him again.*

"Swear to me," I gripped Marcus's hand with what little strength remained in mine. "Swear on your Beta oath that you'll never tell Gabriel. Promise me!"

His jaw clenched, conflict evident in every line of his face. "Aria—"

"Promise me!" I demanded, surprising even myself with the force behind my words.

"I swear," he finally whispered, the words seeming to physically pain him. "On my Beta oath, I will keep your secret."

The room spun suddenly, darkness creeping at the edges of my vision. I heard Marcus call my name as consciousness slipped away from me like water through cupped hands.

---

Three nights later, I stood against the wall of the grand dining hall, my hands clutching a crystal decanter of wine. Gabriel had arranged a formal dinner with the neighboring Silver Creek and Moonstone packs—a strategic alliance meeting that doubled as an opportunity to showcase his chosen mate.

Victoria sat beside him in a stunning white ceremonial gown, her dark hair cascading over her shoulders in the exact style I once wore mine. The resemblance was uncanny and deliberate—a cruel reminder of what I once was, what I could have been.

"Omega," Gabriel's cold voice cut through the dinner conversation. "Serve wine to our honored guests."

I moved forward on unsteady legs, feeling the weight of curious stares from the visiting Alphas. They knew who I was—or rather, who I had been. Gabriel's rejected mate, now reduced to serving staff.

My hands trembled violently as I approached the head table. Luna was particularly weak tonight, her presence flickering like a candle in strong wind. *Careful, Aria. We don't have the strength for this.*

I began pouring, fighting to keep the heavy crystal decanter steady. When I reached Victoria, her lips curled into a smug smile. She shifted suddenly, her elbow brushing against my arm just as I tilted the decanter.

Dark red wine splashed across the pristine white of her ceremonial gown, drawing gasps from around the table. The room fell silent.

"You clumsy, worthless Omega!" Victoria hissed, standing abruptly.

Gabriel rose slowly, his eyes burning gold with fury. "Kneel," he commanded, his Alpha tone washing over me like a physical force.

My knees hit the floor hard, the decanter slipping from my grasp and shattering beside me.

"Bare your neck," he continued, each word laced with power that my weakened body couldn't resist.

I tilted my head, exposing the vulnerable curve of my throat where his mate mark should have been. The ultimate gesture of submission. The ultimate humiliation.

A collective gasp rippled through the room. I felt something warm trickling from my nose, tasting copper on my lips. Blood. My body was failing faster than I'd anticipated.

Through blurred vision, I saw something flicker in Gabriel's eyes—confusion, perhaps even concern—before his mask of cold indifference returned.

---

"The ritual is consuming her faster than I expected," Elder Elara murmured, her weathered hands pressing gently against my forehead in her healing chamber. "The life force transfer was never meant to be permanent. It's remarkable she's survived this long."

Marcus paced the small room, his fists clenched at his sides. "There must be something we can do. Some way to reverse it."

"I'm bound by sacred oath," Elara replied, her ancient eyes filled with sorrow as she mixed herbs in a small stone bowl. "I can ease her pain, but I cannot undo what was done. The Moon Goddess's magic doesn't work that way."

"How long?" I whispered, already knowing the answer.

Elara's hands stilled. "Months, at most. Your return to the pack territory—to him—has accelerated the process."

Marcus slammed his fist against the wall. "This is madness! Gabriel tortures the very woman who saved his life, and we stand by watching her die for a secret we're sworn to keep."

"It was my choice," I reminded him weakly. "My sacrifice."

"A sacrifice he spits on daily," Marcus growled.

As Elder Elara pressed a bitter-tasting tincture to my lips, I closed my eyes, feeling Luna curl tighter within me, both of us conserving what little strength remained.

*We're running out of time,* she whispered in my mind. *And he still doesn't know why we left.*