REJECTED BY MY MATE, CLAIMED BY THE ALPHA KING.

CHAPTER 4: THE OTHER KINGS GATHER

The palace was loud the next morning.

Not with music. Not with laughter.

With wolves.

Hundreds of them, howling from outside the gates. The sound shook the windows.

I stood by the window in Xavier’s room in a black dress. My hands were shaking.

The red mark on my wrist burned like fire. Xavier’s mark.

A maid came in with a tray of breakfast. She set it down and whispered, “The other Kings have arrived, my lady.”

“Kings?” I turned to her. “What do you mean?”

“6 of them. From the other territories. They demand to see you.” She curtsied and ran out.

The doors opened before I could breathe.

Xavier walked in. He looked different today. Tired. Angry. His black coat was wrinkled like he hadn’t slept.

“Stay behind me today,” he said. No greeting. No smile.

“Why? What’s happening?” My voice was small.

“The other Kings heard I claimed a rejected omega. They think you’re weak. They want to test you.” He stepped closer. “And if they think you’re a threat... they’ll kill you.”

My blood went cold. “Me? But I’m nothing.”

“Exactly,” Xavier said. His eyes were black and serious. “That’s why they’re scared.”

He held out his hand. “Come.”

---

The throne room was freezing.

Torches burned on the walls. Skulls hung from the ceiling.

And 6 Alphas sat on 6 black thrones in a circle.

All of them huge. All of them old. All of them staring at me like I was dirt under their boots.

And in the middle... Damien.

My ex-mate.

He stood up when he saw me and laughed. Loud. Ugly.

“Well well. If it isn’t the barren kitchen girl.” He looked me up and down. “King Xavier, is this a joke? You brought a servant to the council?”

The other Kings laughed too.

“Where is her wolf?” one asked.

“She doesn’t have one,” another said. “Waste of space.”

I wanted to disappear. I wanted to run.

But Xavier’s hand landed on my lower back. Hot. Possessive.

“Watch your mouth,” he said quietly. But the whole room felt it. His power. Like a storm.

“Touch her and you die,” he added.

The room went silent.

The oldest King stood up. He had white hair and scars all over his face. Alpha King Marcus.

“The prophecy says the girl with no wolf will bring ruin to all 7 territories,” he said. His voice echoed. “Give her to us, Xavier. Let us kill her. And we won’t go to war.”

Xavier didn’t even blink.

“You want her?” He lifted my chin with two fingers so everyone could see the mark on my wrist. His mark. “Come take her.”

Magic exploded in the room.

I screamed.

Power hit me from all 6 Kings at once. Like knives. Like ice. Like fire.

They were testing me. Trying to break me. Trying to see if I was really worth anything.

I fell to my knees, crying out. My chest felt like it was splitting open.

I could hear Xavier growling. I could feel him moving to protect me.

But something else happened.

Heat.

Gold light came from my stomach. From the place the Seer said was "sealed".

It started small. Like a candle.

Then it grew. Bigger. Brighter.

The light exploded out of me and hit the 6 Kings.

They were thrown back.

Chairs flipped. Alphas hit the walls.

Silence.

I was shaking, but I was standing.

My hands were glowing faintly.

Xavier picked me up like I weighed nothing. His arms were around me, tight.

“Anyone else want to test my mate?” His voice was deadly calm.

No one answered