The Alpha's Redemption

MELLISSA'S POV

“Breathe, Melissa, just breathe,” I tell myself as I take in a sharp breath before stepping into the royal courtroom.

I have always hated the courtyard because it always reeked of power, control, and dangerous ambition. I scan the room quickly before taking a seat at the center of the courtroom and try to remain composed as I unconsciously dig my fingers into the armrest of my chair. I force my spine to sit up straight with the intention of projecting the elegance the elders and pack members expect of the Alpha’s daughter. But inside, my heart beats wildly, desperate to break free.

“This is it,” I mutter. The moment I have bled for, and schemed for. Today, I either claim my crown… or lose everything.

Across the room, Marcel was standing at the podium, my mate, my partner, my chosen Alpha. His black and gold robes catch the chandelier’s glow, the silver clasp having a life of its own. He’s everything I molded him to be: tall, proud, and commanding. My lips curve into a tight smile as I watch him. I can almost hear my late father’s voice echoing in my skull: If they won’t accept a female Alpha, give them a male they can’t refuse. You’ll rule through him. It had been a bitter pill, but I swallowed it for Marcel, for us. I would do anything to keep my uncle Beta Leon, that venomous snake, from stealing my pack and my birthright.

The crowd’s murmur swells as the elders settle into their seats. Some nod at me, their smiles warm but fleeting. Others sneer, their eyes dripping with condescension, like I’m lucky even to be here. Let them stare- I sneer. After today, they will have no choice but to bow to me.

Marcel clears his throat, and the hall falls into silence. My pulse quickens in anticipation. “Here we go,” I mutter, barely audible.

“Today,” his voice booms, “I, Alpha Marcel of the Eden Pack, name my Luna, the one who will stand beside me to lead us into a new era.”

I lean forward, my chest tight with excitement. Every sacrifice, every secret plan, every sleepless night, it’s all for this. My hands are clammy, and I rub them together.

“I choose…”

I hold my breath, waiting for my name.

“…Linda Winters.”

The world tilts around me. My vision blurs, and I blink hard, certain I had misheard him. Linda! My cousin? That scheming, vulture-eyed traitor who’s been circling Marcel like prey? The hall explodes in applause, elders rising, their cheers a deafening roar. I am completely frozen in place, my smile cracks, splintering into nothing.

Linda steps forward, her blonde curls bouncing, with a smirk across her face. My stomach lurches. “No,” I whisper. “This is wrong, more like a sick joke.”

I am on my feet before I know it, my legs trembling with rage. “What the hell did you just say?” My voice slices through the noise, raw and shaking.

The clapping subsides as heads turn toward me. Marcel’s eyes, those eyes I have loved and trusted, flick to me, then slide away like I’m nothing. “You heard me, Melissa,” he says, smooth and cold, like he’s scolding a child. “Linda Winters is my chosen Luna.”

My knees nearly buckle. “Chosen Luna?” The words burn my throat. “I’m your mate, Marcel! The Alpha’s daughter who made you! You promised…”

“Melissa.” Leon’s voice cuts through, cold and final. My uncle is already standing, his face a mask of irritation. “You’re making a scene. Guards.”

Two warriors in gleaming armor step forward, the sight of them made my body coil instinctively, every muscle tightening, my wolf rising to the surface with a guttural snarl that vibrates through my chest. My hands curl into fists, nails digging into my palms until I nearly break skin.

They advance with caution, not the blind obedience of soldiers, but the wary steps of men who know exactly who I am. Their eyes flicker, not just to Marcel but to me, lingering for a fraction too long. Respect and recognition of my father’s bloodline burns between us. They know I am no ordinary Luna-to-be, no discarded lover. I am the Alpha’s daughter, born to rule.

And for a brief, fragile moment, they hesitate. Their shoulders stiffen, their grips tightening on their weapons, but their movements stall as if some invisible hand pulls them back. They’re waiting, not for Leon, not for the elders, but for Marcel. They want his word before they dare to lay a hand on me.

That pause is everything. It tells me I still matter, that I still command a sliver of fear and reverence in this hall. My wolf surges against the thin leash of my control, snarling in my mind: Fight! make them bleed before they touch us.

But all I can do is stand there, trembling with rage, staring at the man I built into an Alpha, the man whose voice alone can decide if these warriors will treat me like royalty… or drag me out like a criminal.

My eyes meet and lock with Marcels', pleading silently. Fix this. Tell me this isn’t real. But his jaw tightens, and in a voice like ice, he says, “Remove her.”

It feels like my gut is punched, almost stealing my breath. “You coward,” I spit, my voice quivering with fury. “You think you can toss me aside? After everything I…”

A guard’s hand clamps my arm. My wolf roars, and I jerk free, snarling, “Don’t touch me!” My shout echoes off the marble, but the crowd just stares, silent, and complicit. The second guard grabs me, harder. I twist, almost breaking loose, but they’re stronger, dragging me back. Linda’s smirk burns into me, her fake modesty a slap in the face as she sidles up to Marcel.

“Get off me!” My voice cracks as I scream and plead at the same time, which I absolutely hated. I swore I would never sound weak, not here, not now, and never in front of my uncle. But Marcel didn’t flinch as he watched me struggle; rather, he lifted Linda’s hand like a trophy, letting the elders cheer as if I were already erased.

Something in me breaks. If they want a fight, I’ll give them one. “You think this is over, Marcel?” I roar, my throat raw, my breathing ragged. “You think you can steal my father’s legacy and hand it to her? I swear on the moon, I’ll take it back, and when I do…”

“Enough!” Leon’s bellow drowns me out. “Take her away before she shames us further.”

The guards yank me toward the towering double doors, my boots scraping the polished floor. The sound drills into my skull, each step pulling me from the throne and life that was mine. "The room spins around me, the banners melting into faceless shadows, Linda’s smug smile burning in my vision, and yet all I can truly see is Marcel’s back, turned away from me, shutting me out as if I were nothing.

I dig my heels in one last time, wrenching my head toward him. “Look at me!” I scream. But he doesn't look at me, not even a glance.

The doors slam behind me, cutting me off from the life I was supposed to have.