REJECTED FOR MY CURVES, CLAIMED BY THREE KINGS

SHANNA

My breath caught.

For one impossible second, it felt as though the entire clearing disappeared, leaving only those silver eyes fixed on mine.

They weren't cold.

They weren't mocking.

They were... curious.

Then reality slammed back into me.

Moon Goddess!

What was I doing?

Dad's hand clamped around my elbow so tightly I nearly yelped.

"Lower your head, Shanna," he whispered, panic thick in his voice. "Do not look directly at the Kings."

I immediately dropped my gaze.

"Sorry."

His grip loosened, but only slightly.

Around us, every wolf remained kneeling. Even the children had gone silent. The only sound was the steady rhythm of boots against the stone path as the Three Kings made their way toward the Moon Altar.

I'd grown up hearing stories about them.

Every pup in every pack had.

King Kif, the Vampire King whose enemies vanished without leaving behind so much as a drop of blood.

King Conrad,the Lycan King who had conquered entire territories with nothing but his warriors and his own terrifying strength.

And King Mariteo...

The oldest of them all.

The King no one dared speak about for too long, as though saying his name too often might somehow summon him.

They were living legends.

The kind of rulers wolves like me weren't supposed to meet.

So what were they doing in Cord Moon Pack?

"Our deepest gratitude for honoring us with your presence, Your Majesties," Alpha Gregory said, bowing until his forehead nearly touched the ground.

A deep voice answered.

"You may rise."

The voice carried enough authority to silence even the wind and a shiver ran down my spine instantly.

Slowly, the crowd stood.

I kept my head lowered, refusing to make the same mistake twice.

Even Vanessa, Alpha Gregory's spoiled daughter, wasn't wearing her usual arrogant smile. She stood quietly beside her family, looking almost... nervous.

That alone told me just how powerful the Kings truly were.

My own world had always been painfully small hence I had never met them in person.

My family had made sure I knew how to defend myself. Dad insisted I train with the warriors from the time I could throw a proper punch. Killian made sure I never skipped a session.

"You'll never win every fight," he'd always say.

"But you'll never lose because you refused to fight."

Tonight was supposed to change everything.

Tonight I'd finally have my wolf.

Maybe even my mate.

The thought sent butterflies tumbling through my stomach.

The Chief Elder stepped toward the ancient altar, lifting his carved ceremonial staff high into the moonlight.

"As tradition demands," he announced, his aged voice carrying across the clearing, "every young wolf who reaches their eighteenth year this night shall awaken beneath the blessing of the Moon Goddess."

The ceremony began.

One by one, the newly eighteen-year-olds stepped onto the altar.

The first was Thomas, the blacksmith's son.

He knelt beneath the full moon.

For several long seconds...

Nothing happened.

Then his body jerked violently.

A cry tore from his throat.

His eyes flashed brilliant amber.

The scent of fresh wolf filled the air.

"I can feel him!" Thomas shouted, tears streaming down his face. "I have a wolf!"

The crowd erupted into cheers.

His parents rushed forward, crying just as hard as he was.

Another girl stepped up.

Her awakening was gentler.

She swayed as silver light surrounded her before smiling through her tears.

"I hear her..."

More applause.

And another.

Each successful awakening tightened the knot in my stomach.

Soon...

It would be my turn.

I rubbed my sweaty palms against my dress.

Why were my hands shaking so much?

What if nothing happens?

The terrifying thought slipped into my mind before I could stop it.

What if everyone is right?

What if I don't have a wolf?

I'd always been different.

Larger than every girl my age.

Slower to shift during training.

Unable to sense things other wolves claimed came naturally.

What if...

What if I'd been fooling myself all these years?

What if tonight proved I didn't belong?

"Shanna."

I didn't move.

I was too lost inside my own head.

"Shanna!"

Still nothing.

A familiar voice laughed.

"Move it, fatso."

Darius.

"Even the Moon Goddess is getting tired of waiting."

Snickers rippled through the crowd.

Heat flooded my face.

I looked up just as one of the Kings turned toward him.

"Is this," the King asked quietly, "how members of Cord Moon Pack treat one of their own?"

The question wasn't loud.

It didn't need to be.

The entire clearing froze.

Darius went deathly pale before dropping to one knee.

"N-No, Your Majesty."

"Then explain why it is that you deem it fit to bully a pack member"

"I... I was only trying to get her attention."

The King's gaze lingered on him for another long moment.

Darius didn't dare breathe.

Finally, the King looked away.

The tension eased, but only slightly.

No one laughed anymore.

Hundreds of eyes shifted toward me instead.

I felt every stare.

Every judgment.

Every whispered insult I'd endured over the years seemed to settle on my shoulders all at once.

My heart pounded so violently I thought everyone around me could hear it.

Then I felt warm arms wrap around me.

Mom.

"It's time, baby."

She kissed my forehead.

"No matter what happens tonight..."

She pulled back just enough to smile at me.

"...your father, Killian and I love you."

Dad rested a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

"Nothing changes that."

Killian bumped my arm gently.

"And if anyone gives you trouble afterward..."

He cracked his knuckles with a grin.

"...I'll happily remind them why I'm the future Beta."

Despite everything, I laughed.

Just a little.

I drew in one long, shaky breath. What if everything goes wrong tonight? What would become of me?

Straightening my shoulders, I stepped away from my family.

Toward the ancient Moon Altar.

Toward my destiny.

And somehow...

I couldn't shake the strange feeling that the Three Kings were still watching my every step.