Rejecting My Alpha Before Death Claims Me

The late afternoon sun slanted through the tall windows of Alpha Sebastian's office, casting long shadows across the polished oak floor. I stood by the window, watching pack members bustle in the courtyard below. Six years. Six years I'd been standing in the shadows of this man's life, waiting for him to acknowledge me as more than just his hidden lover. Sebastian didn't look up from the treaty documents spread across his mahogany desk. His dark hair fell across his forehead as he reviewed the papers, his expression focused and cold. The Alpha of Silver Moon Pack had always been handsome in that dangerous way—all sharp angles and calculated charm—but today, something in his demeanor made my stomach twist with unease. "Emily," he said finally, setting down his pen. "I need to discuss something important with you." I turned from the window, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "What is it?" "Megan Hill's father requires a show of good faith before signing the alliance treaty." Sebastian leaned back in his leather chair, fingers steepled beneath his chin.

My boyfriend got into Oxford, but he decided to repeat a year of high school instead. I encouraged him to pursue his studies at Oxford. Later, we both went abroad for our master's degrees and came back to start a successful and happy life. But then, after his high school sweetheart was beaten to death by her husband, he ended up killing me. "It's all your fault, Gabrielle, for pushing me to go to Oxford." "If I had stayed back with Adrianna, she would have married me, and she wouldn’t have suffered from the abuse." So, she was his true love all along. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back at the time right after the college entrance exams. "Gabrielle, I'm thinking about repeating the year." "Go ahead." ============================== Luca was pleased to hear my support. "Adrianna is going to repeat the year too. With my scores, I can request to be in the same class as her. There shouldn't be any issue." I nodded in agreement.

Freya was a fierce, untamed woman who swore no alpha could ever break her spirit—until she met Aric. Unlike any man she had ever known, he was powerful, relentless, and dangerously magnetic. From the moment their paths collided, resisting him became impossible. His presence ignited a hunger in her she never wanted to admit, a craving that only grew stronger with every clash of wills and every stolen touch. Aric was determined to claim her—not with gentleness, but with a raw, primal passion that left no part of her untouched. Freya fought him, yet her body betrayed her, surrendering to the fire only he could set ablaze. With every encounter, every breathless night, he pushed her past her limits, leaving her marked in ways she could never escape. In this tale of dominance and desire, two powerful souls collide in a storm of passion, danger, and unyielding obsession—where love is as fierce as the battle to claim it.

Deep within the palace, there was no soul unaware of the Seventh Prince Jason's devotion to the maid Nova. Once, he had solemnly vowed that if he ever became Crown Prince, she would be his principal consort. On the very day he first gained an audience with the Emperor, his foremost request was for permission to marry her. Though he knew full well the contempt he’d endured due to his own mother’s lowly origins as a maid, he stubbornly insisted on wedding a palace maid anyway—throwing the imperial court into an uproar. In those days, his eyes held only her. Yet, on the day he was officially named Crown Prince, he returned with a woman from another world: Kimberly. Spouting strange ideas about “equality for all,” she effortlessly won the adoration of every servant in the Crown Prince’s Palace. On her very first day, she took it upon herself to gather all the gold, silver, jewelry, and even the love tokens Jason had given Nova over the years—and distributed everything to the servants. “Since we all live under the same roof,” she declared, “we’re one family. We should share the wealth!” Nova’s eyes stung with furious tears. And Jason, standing beside her, turned a blind eye. Back when they could barely keep food on the table, he had forbidden her from selling even a single keepsake. Now, he let Kimberly give them all away. When Nova looked at him, her eyes brimming, he merely said calmly, “Kimberly has a point. This is how we win loyalty. As the future mistress here, you should lead by example.” Later, when assassins struck, Nova threw herself in front of Jason, taking a fatal arrow meant for his heart. In the chaos, a guard was also gravely wounded protecting his master. With only one life-saving pill left, Kimberly spoke up. “Isn’t a guard’s life a life too? Without this pill, his arm is ruined forever. But Miss Nova’s injury is too severe. Even if she takes it, she might not survive.” She gently took Jason’s hand, her voice soft and persuasive. “You understand, don’t you? Which choice truly wins hearts?” So Nova watched, helpless, as the pill that had nearly reached her lips was taken back by Jason. Tears streamed silently down her face as he met her gaze, cold and indifferent. “Kimberly is right. Public favor is everything—and so easily lost. You know better than anyone how hard this road has been for me. Today, whether you live or die is in fate’s hands.” With that, he turned and left with Kimberly. From a distance, his tender murmur reached her: “You are always so clever, Kimberly, easing my burdens at the most critical moment.” Watching their retreating figures, the pain in Nova’s chest became unbearable. More agonizing than the arrow wound was the gradual chilling of her heart. Her whole body grew cold, trembling, as she felt life slipping away. In her delirium, she remembered the days before Kimberly appeared. Back then, Jason was a discarded son whom everyone could bully. His mother’s lowly status as a maid meant he was overlooked by the Emperor and humiliated even by other palace servants. It was Nova who stole food to pull him back from death’s door when he lay dying. On her deathbed, his mother had personally entrusted him to Nova’s care. She taught him how to conduct himself before the Emperor, how to win imperial favor, how to survive in a palace that devoured the weak. So when he knelt before the throne to ask for her hand, she was terrified. “Have you lost your mind? You’ve finally earned the Emperor’s notice—now you want to throw it all away?” But he gazed at her, gentle yet intense. “I know the cost. But I promised I would marry you, Nova. If I become Crown Prince, you will be my Crown Princess. If I become Emperor, you *will* be my Empress.” “For now, I can only ask you to bear the shame of being my concubine.” That day, the Emperor’s wrath was terrible. Jason was beaten until his flesh was torn and bloody. Once again, he fell out of favor—yet he never showed a hint of regret. Ultimately, he proved his worth and regained the Emperor’s approval, earning a single concession: “Youthful folly. If in six months you still insist on this, I will permit it.” Before that half-year had passed, Jason brought Kimberly back to the Crown Prince’s Palace. The first time that woman laid eyes on Nova, she looked her up and down with an undisguised, appraising stare—one that felt deeply unsettling. “So you’re Jason’s concubine?” Her tone was flippant, a slight smile on her lips. “I heard you’ve pinned your entire existence on a man.”

I am the biological daughter of the wealthy Fitzpatrick family, but I spent my childhood eating out of dumpsters. When I was finally brought back to the estate at age seven, I thought I would experience my parents' love. Instead, my biological parents looked at my dirty clothes with raw disgust. They only cared about Hallie, the fake daughter who lived like a princess. The moment I walked in, Hallie hurled a heavy ceramic cup at my head, slicing my hand open. "Get out of my house!" My father didn't even look at the blood. He raised his hand to strike me, accusing me of bringing trailer park rules into his home. In my past life, I dropped to my knees and begged for their forgiveness. I endured their abuse, hoping they would eventually love me. But they let the maids humiliate me, let Hallie steal my identity, and eventually threw me back onto the streets to die. Even my playboy Uncle Byron, the only person who ever showed me mercy, was driven to suicide by them. I didn't understand why my own flesh and blood hated me so much, or why a vicious liar deserved everything while I was treated like a jinx. Opening my eyes again, I was back on the exact day I first returned to the estate. As my father raised his hand to hit me, I didn't cower. Instead, I looked at the family patriarch and pointed directly at my notorious, alcoholic uncle. "I want him to be my new guardian."

The scent of rain lingered in the air as Kyle's black SUV pulled into our driveway, three days later than expected from the Northern Territories alliance meeting. I watched from the kitchen window as he sat motionless in the driver's seat for several minutes, his hands gripping the steering wheel like it might anchor him to something solid. When he finally entered through the back door, everything about him felt wrong. His usual confident stride had been replaced by careful, measured steps. His storm-gray eyes, which once sought mine the moment he walked into any room, now darted everywhere except my face. "How did the meeting go?" I asked, setting down the mug of chamomile tea I'd been nursing while waiting for him. Kyle's jaw tightened. "Fine. Standard territory discussions." His voice carried none of the warmth that usually colored our conversations after his returns from pack business. "I need to shower." He moved past me without the customary kiss on my forehead, without even brushing his fingers against mine.