Rejected by the Alpha's Choice

I was seven years old when I came to the Taylor pack, only because my father had done a great service to Alpha Taylor, and they had become close allies.

After my parents tragically died at the hands of rogues, Alpha Taylor brought me into their household. But both Alpha Taylor and his Luna, Margaret, were often busy, and their care for me was inevitably a bit lacking.

Added to that, when I first arrived, I was unfamiliar with the pack and extremely timid.

I tiptoed through every day, careful in everything I did, even afraid to eat too much at meals.

Being an orphan, the pack's lower-ranking members gradually began to bully me.

Once, I remember an Omega slacked off and forgot to bring me food, and I went hungry for an entire day.

Starving, I snuck into the kitchen to get something to eat.

But I was caught by the kitchen staff, who accused me of stealing.

Just as I was in despair, it was Axton who helped me. He scolded them fiercely:

"Victoria is the daughter of our pack's savior. Who dares to treat her like this?"

He reprimanded the staff and reported it to Luna Margaret.

Luna was furious and exiled several of the Omegas who had been bullying me. After that, my life improved.

That was the first time I met him, and later I learned he was the eldest son of the Taylor pack, the future Alpha.

He was also the one with whom I had a verbal promise of becoming mates.

After that, he would ask about me every day when he returned to the packhouse, taking great care of me.

He always said, "Victoria, don't be afraid. From now on, I’m your family."

On the day of my Come of Age Ceremony, he was drunk and, uncharacteristically bold, barged into my room, holding me tightly in his arms.

He said he loved me and wanted me to be his Luna.

At that moment, I was overjoyed and couldn’t help but nod.

From then on, I always dreamed of becoming his mate.

Back in my room, I was still lost in those memories when the door suddenly burst open.

It was Camila.

She was wearing a stunning dress, her eyes brimming with a mix of feigned innocence and hidden triumph as she said to me:

"Victoria, you’re back. I have something to tell you. Axton has taken me as his chosen mate, and we’ve had a child. Once you join the pack, he’ll formally mark me as his mate."

"I’m sorry, Victoria, but Axton fell for me, and I couldn’t refuse…"

She shed two tears, her eyes red, but deep within them was a glint of challenge.

In that moment, she finally revealed the ambition she had been hiding all along.