Rejected At The Altar, Claimed By The Lycan King

02

Zara’s POV

The silence after his words felt too heavy.

I stood there shaking in my torn wedding dress with blood running down my forehead as I stared at the most powerful man I had ever seen kneeling before me like I was someone important.

“Please,” I whispered my voice breaking. “What are you doing? You’re embarrassing yourself.”

He didn’t move.

Behind him thousands of warriors stayed on one knee. Their black armor shined under the moonlight no one dared to look up.

“Embarrassing?” the Lycan King said as he stood up smoothly a small smile touched his lips. “I have not knelt before anyone for three hundred years. I can handle a little embarrassment for my Queen.”

My Queen.

The words echoed in my mind.

“What!? You’re clearly mistaking me for someone,” I said quietly. “I’m a nobody. My mate just rejected me in front of the whole pack.”

Something dark flashed in his silver eyes.

“Your mate,” he said slowly.

I nodded trying to hold back my tears.

“I’ll take care of this” he said gently.

Before I could stop him he turned toward the pack gates. His warriors stood up at the same time and followed him.

“Open the gates,” the Lycan King ordered.

The guards looked at each other nervously from the walls.

“I said OPEN THE GATES!”

His voice roared across the courtyard the huge iron gates slowly opened as if an invisible force had pushed them.

The Lycan King walked inside without waiting for permission army followed behind him.

I should have ran, I should have disappeared into the forest but instead I followed the man who had called me his Queen.

The ceremony hall was still in chaos when we entered.

The guests were whispering, the elders looked worried, and Selena was smiling proudly as if she had won. Kael stood beside her with his arm around her waist.

They both froze when the doors flew open.

The Lycan King walked in first his warriors stood on both sides of him, their hands resting on their weapons.

The whole room became silent.

“Who dares—” Kael started but stopped when he recognized the silver eyes, the black cloak, and the royal mark on the Lycan King’s chest.

The Alpha of the pack quickly stepped forward and bowed deeply.

“Your Majesty,” he said nervously. “We didn’t expect your visit. We are honored to have you here please accept our hospitality.”

“I’m not here for hospitality,” the Lycan King said coldly. “I’m here for her.”

He pointed at me causing everyone turned to look at me.

Selena frowned in disbelief.

“Her? You must be mistaken. She’s a nobody just an omega and a failure—”

“I suggest you choose your next words carefully,” the Lycan King warned looking at her. “Or I’ll choose them for you.”

Selena quickly fell silent.

Kael stepped forward.

“With all due respect Your Majesty, Zara is still a member of this pack. You can’t just take her.”

“She is under my protection now.” His words were calm but powerful.

Kael stared at him. “What?”

“Did I stutter?” the Lycan King asked. “Zara Ashthorne is under the protection of the Lycan Crown. Anyone who hurts her, threatens her, or insults her will answer to me.”

The hall filled with shocked whispers.

“My King,” my father said with a shaking voice, “there must be a mistake. Zara is just—”

“She is my Queen.”

His words shook the room causing everyone to remain silent then Kael laughed.

“Your Queen? Her? She can’t even shift! She’s weaker than a human child! She’s—”

The Lycan King moved so fast I couldn’t see him.

One second he was across the room the next he had Kael by the throat holding him against a pillar.

“Say one more bad word about her,” he growled, “and I’ll tear out your tongue and feed it to my wolves.”

Kael grabbed his wrist struggling to breathe.

“You… can’t…”

“I am the Lycan King,” he said calmly. “I can do whatever I want.”

Then he released his aura a heavy pressure filled the room making It became hard to breathe.

One by one the werewolves dropped to their knees, elders, warriors and guards.

Even Kael fell to the floor gasping for air.

Selena dropped beside him her silver dress spreading across the ground. My father also fell to his knees his face filled with fear.

Within seconds, everyone in the hall was kneeling everyone except me.

I stood there in my torn wedding dress, covered in dirt and blood, watching the same people who had mocked me bow before the man who had called me his Queen.

The Lycan King looked at me and his expression became gentle.

“Are you alright?”

I tried to answer but no words came out. The pain finally caught up with me causing my vision blurred.

“Zara?” the Lycan King called his voice full of concern.

I swayed where I stood.

Then everything went black.