REJECTED BY THE MAFIA ALPHA

Chapter 1 — The Girl Nobody Wanted The first time I realized nobody would ever choose me, I was twelve years old. It was raining that afternoon. I stood outside the pack house, soaked from head to toe, while the other girls my age ran past me laughing. "Don't let her touch you," one of them whispered. "Why?" "Because she's cursed." I lowered my eyes and pretended I hadn't heard them. I had gotten used to it. For as long as I could remember, I had been the girl nobody wanted. My name was Liana Hale, and I was the daughter of a woman the Blackthorn Pack preferred to forget. My mother had died when I was five. My father had never been part of my life. Nobody knew who my real father was, and the pack Alpha had taken me in only because my mother had once saved his life. That didn't make me family. It made me a debt. And everyone reminded me of that whenever they got the chance. "Liana!" I looked up. Mrs. Greer, the pack housekeeper, stood at the doorway with her hands on her hips. "Are you planning to stand there all day?" "No, ma'am." "Then get inside. The Alpha's guests are arriving tonight. I don't want you embarrassing us." I nodded and hurried inside. Tonight was important. The most powerful Alpha in the supernatural world was coming to our territory. Kane Voss. The Mafia Alpha. Even I had heard stories about him. He was the ruler of the Dark Moon Pack, but that wasn't what made people afraid of him. Kane Voss controlled an underground empire that stretched across several cities. His enemies disappeared. His allies became rich. And no Alpha had ever successfully challenged him. People said he was ruthless. Cold. Heartless. I had never seen him before. And I had no reason to ever expect that I would. Until that night. --- By sunset, the pack house was filled with people. I spent hours carrying food and drinks from the kitchen while everyone else dressed for the celebration. I didn't mind. I was used to being invisible. Then the sound of several cars approaching made everyone stop. "The Mafia Alpha is here." The words spread through the house. I carried a tray toward the dining room when someone suddenly grabbed my arm. It was Selene, the Alpha's daughter. "Listen carefully," she whispered. I looked at her. "Yes?" "Kane Voss will be here tonight. Stay away from him." I frowned. "Why would I go near him?" "Because girls like you always think powerful men will notice them." Her words stung. I looked away. "I'm not interested in him." "Good." She released my arm. "And don't embarrass me." She walked away. I swallowed the lump in my throat and continued toward the dining room. I had almost reached the doorway when the entire room suddenly became silent. I stopped. A strange scent filled the air. Dark. Warm. Dangerous. My wolf stirred for the first time in years. Mate. The tray slipped from my hands. It crashed onto the floor. Everyone turned toward me. Then I looked up. And saw him. Kane Voss stood at the entrance. He wore a black suit that seemed perfectly tailored to his broad shoulders. His dark hair was slightly messy, and his eyes were the coldest eyes I had ever seen. But it wasn't his appearance that terrified me. It was the way my entire body reacted to him. My heart slammed against my chest. My wolf was screaming. Mate. No. I shook my head. It couldn't be. Not him. Kane's gaze moved through the room. Then it stopped on me. His expression changed. For one brief second, the coldness disappeared. His eyes widened. He had felt it too. The bond. Our mate bond. Nobody spoke. Kane slowly walked toward me. Every step made my heart beat faster. When he stopped in front of me, I couldn't breathe. His scent surrounded me. I lowered my eyes. "Look at me." His voice was deep. I slowly raised my head. Our eyes met. Something inside me broke open. Warmth rushed through my body. My wolf whimpered happily. I almost smiled. I had spent my entire life believing I would never be wanted. But fate had finally chosen me. And she had chosen the most powerful man in the world. "What's your name?" he asked. "Liana." His jaw tightened. "Liana what?" "Hale." His expression suddenly changed. The warmth vanished. His eyes became cold again. He stepped back. "Hale?" I nodded nervously. He stared at me for several seconds. Then, in front of the entire room, he said the words that would change my life forever. "I reject you." My heart stopped. Someone gasped. I stared at him. "I... I'm sorry?" Kane's face remained emotionless. "You heard me." My wolf cried inside my head. I felt as though someone had ripped my heart from my chest. "But you're my mate." "I know." "Then why?" His eyes hardened. "Because I will never accept a Hale as my mate." The room went silent. I didn't understand. "What did my family do to you?" Kane leaned closer. His voice dropped to a whisper only I could hear. "Your family destroyed mine." I stared at him in confusion. "My mother died when I was five." "I know." "My father isn't even part of my life." "I know that too." "Then why are you blaming me?" For the first time, pain flashed across his face. But it disappeared immediately. "Because blood doesn't forget." He turned away. I stood frozen. Then I heard someone whisper behind me. "The Mafia Alpha rejected her." Another voice followed. "Poor Liana." Someone laughed. I looked around the room. Everyone was staring at me. Some looked shocked. Others looked amused. Tears burned my eyes. I refused to let them fall. Kane began walking away. I don't know where the courage came from, but I called after him. "Wait." He stopped. I wiped my eyes. "You don't have to accept me." He turned around. I forced myself to meet his gaze. "But don't ever look at me like I'm guilty for something I didn't do." For the first time that night, Kane looked genuinely surprised. I turned away before he could see my tears. I walked out of the room. I didn't know where I was going. I only knew I couldn't stay there. I ran through the back door and into the forest. The moment I was alone, I collapsed against a tree. My chest hurt. My wolf was crying. I pressed my hands against my face. "Why me?" There was no answer. Only the sound of the rain beginning to fall. Then I heard footsteps behind me. I froze. Someone was coming. I turned around. A tall figure stood between the trees. It wasn't Kane. It was an unfamiliar man dressed completely in black. He smiled. "Finally." I backed away. "Who are you?" He stepped closer. "We've been searching for you for twenty years." My heart stopped. "Searching for me?" He nodded. "Your mother hid you well." I couldn't speak. The man looked at the mark on my wrist. His smile disappeared. "She never told you, did she?" "Told me what?" He took another step. "That you're not really Liana Hale." Thunder cracked across the sky. I stared at him. "What do you mean?" His eyes darkened. "You're the missing daughter of the most powerful wolf bloodline in existence." I couldn't breathe. Then he whispered the words that would change everything. "And Kane Voss just rejected the woman his enemies have spent twenty years trying to find." Chapter 2 — The Secret My Mother Buried I couldn't move. The stranger's words kept repeating inside my head. You're the missing daughter of the most powerful wolf bloodline in existence. I wanted to laugh. It had to be a joke. My mother had been a nobody. At least, that was what everyone had always told me. "My mother was a servant," I whispered. The stranger shook his head. "That's what she wanted everyone to believe." "Who are you?" "My name is Darius." He stepped into the moonlight. He looked to be in his early thirties, with dark hair and a scar running from his left eyebrow to his cheek. "I served your mother." My heart tightened. "You knew her?" "I knew the real woman she was." I stared at him. "What was she?" Darius hesitated. "Your mother was Princess Amara of the Silver Moon Bloodline." I almost laughed. "That's impossible." "Is it?" He pulled something from inside his coat. A small silver pendant. My breath caught. I knew that pendant. My mother had worn it every day. After she died, I had kept it hidden beneath my mattress. Darius held it toward me. "She gave this to you when you were five." I took a step backward. "How do you know about it?" "Because I was there when she gave it to you." My hands began trembling. "What happened to her?" Darius looked away. "She was murdered." The world seemed to stop. "My mother died from an illness." "That's what the pack wanted you to believe." I swallowed hard. "Who killed her?" "That's the question you should be asking." Before I could answer, a branch snapped behind us. Darius immediately became alert. "We have to go." "Why?" "Because Kane Voss isn't the only person who knows you're here." I heard footsteps. Darius grabbed my wrist. "Run." We barely made it three steps before a deep voice echoed through the forest. "Let her go." I froze. Kane. Darius turned slowly. Kane stood between the trees. His face was terrifying. Two men stood behind him. His guards. Kane's eyes moved from Darius to me. "What did you tell her?" Darius smiled. "The truth." Kane's jaw tightened. "Liana, come here." I didn't move. He looked at me. "Now." I shook my head. "You rejected me." Something flickered in his eyes. "I know." "Then why are you following me?" He didn't answer. Darius stepped in front of me. "Because he knows who you are." Kane's gaze hardened. "Darius." "Still protecting Amara's daughter after all these years?" I looked at Kane. He went completely still. "You know him?" Darius laughed. "Kane knows much more than he's telling you." Kane's eyes became darker. "Enough." He looked at me. "You need to leave with me." "Why?" "Because you're in danger." I stared at him. "From who?" Before Kane could answer, a gunshot exploded through the forest. Darius shoved me to the ground. Another shot followed. Kane's guards immediately pulled out their weapons. I covered my ears. Men appeared between the trees. There were at least six of them. Kane moved in front of me. "Stay behind me." The man who seemed to be their leader smiled. "Hello, Princess." My blood ran cold. Princess. He knew. Kane looked at him. "You've made a mistake coming here." The man laughed. "No, Alpha. We've finally found what we've been looking for." He pointed his weapon at me. "The last Silver Moon heir." Kane's body went rigid. Then his wolf surfaced in his eyes. His voice became dangerously low. "Nobody touches her." The men attacked. Everything happened so quickly. Kane moved like a shadow. One man fell. Then another. His guards fought beside him. Darius grabbed my hand. "We have to go." "But Kane—" "He's an Alpha. He can handle himself." I looked back. Kane was fighting three men at once. Then one of the attackers pulled out a silver blade. He wasn't aiming at Kane. He was aiming at me. Darius pushed me away. The blade missed my heart by inches. It cut my arm. Pain exploded through me. Blood dripped onto the ground. Then something impossible happened. The forest went silent. Every wolf froze. A silver light began glowing beneath my skin. Kane turned toward me. His eyes widened. Familiar. My daughter... My breath caught. "Mom?" The voice whispered again. Run. Then everything went black "Liana..." The light grew brighter. And then I heard a voice inside my head. A woman's voice. Soft.. Chapter 3 — The Mafia King's Prisoner I woke up in a strange room. For several seconds, I didn't remember where I was. Then everything came rushing back. The rejection. Darius. The attackers. The silver light. My mother's voice. I sat up quickly. The room spun. "Easy." I looked toward the door. Kane stood there. My heart immediately tightened. I pulled the blanket around myself. "Where am I?" "My estate." "You brought me here?" "Yes." "Why?" He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he walked toward the window. "You were unconscious for almost twelve hours." I stared at him. "Why didn't you leave me?" His shoulders stiffened. "I couldn't." "Because I'm your mate?" He turned around. "No." The answer hurt more than I expected. "Then why?" "Because you're the Silver Moon heir." I looked away. "So that's all I am to you?" He didn't answer. I pushed the blanket aside and stood. "I want to leave." "You can't." I stared at him. "Excuse me?" "You are no longer safe outside this estate." "You should." "I don't need you to protect me." He walked toward me. "You don't understand what's happening." "Then explain it!" Silence. I stepped closer. "You knew my mother." His eyes hardened. "Yes." "You knew who I was." "Yes." "And you still rejected me." Kane looked away. "I had no choice." I laughed bitterly. "Everyone always has a choice." He looked back at me. "You think I wanted to reject you?" "Didn't you?" His jaw clenched. "No." That single word surprised me. Kane took another step. "When I first saw you tonight, I wanted to claim you." My heart skipped. "But I knew what would happen if I did." "What?" "You would become a target." I stared at him. Chapter 4 — The Woman in the Photograph I stared at Kane. "Then tell me the truth." He didn't answer. For several seconds, neither of us moved. The silence between us felt heavier than anything he could have said. "You said you wanted to claim me," I finally whispered. "Then you rejected me in front of everyone. You humiliated me." His eyes darkened. "I know." "You don't get to say that like it means nothing." "It doesn't mean nothing." "Then what does it mean?" Kane stepped closer. For the first time since I had met him, he looked less like the terrifying Mafia Alpha everyone feared and more like a man carrying a secret too heavy for him to hold. "If I had accepted you last night, you would already be dead." I frowned. "Why?" "Because the moment the mate bond was recognized, the people hunting your bloodline would have known exactly where you were." I stared at him. "How do you know so much about my family?" His expression tightened. "Because my father was involved in your mother's disappearance." My breath caught. "Your father?" Kane nodded. "Years ago, the Silver Moon Bloodline was attacked. Your mother escaped with you. My father was one of the men ordered to find her." "And you?" "I was a child." He looked away. "I didn't understand what was happening." I studied his face. "Did you know my mother?" "Yes." "Did you hate her?" "No." His answer came immediately. "I respected her." "Then why did your family hurt her?" "Power." His voice became bitter. "Everyone wanted the Silver Moon throne." I looked down at the photograph still in my hand. My mother was smiling in it. She looked happy. Nothing like the woman I remembered from my childhood. "Why did she hide me?" "Because she knew someone would eventually come for you." "And now they've found me." "Yes." A cold feeling settled in my stomach. "Who are they?" Kane's expression hardened. "The Red Fang Syndicate." I had heard the name. Everyone had. They were rumored to be the most dangerous organization in the supernatural world. But I had never imagined they were looking for me. "Why?" Kane looked directly into my eyes. "Because your blood can awaken the Moon Crown." I shook my head. "I don't understand." "The Moon Crown isn't a physical crown. It's an ancient power passed down through your bloodline. Whoever possesses it can command every wolf in existence." I laughed nervously. "That sounds impossible." "Your silver light wasn't impossible." I went silent. He was right. Kane walked toward the door. "Get dressed." "Why?" "We're leaving." "Where?" "To Blackthorn." My heart sank. "Why would I go back there?" "Because your guardian has answers." "And if he refuses to tell me?" Kane opened the door. "Then I'll make him." We returned to Blackthorn Pack before sunset. The moment I stepped out of Kane's car, everyone stared. Whispers followed me everywhere. "That's her." "The rejected mate." "Why is she with him?" I ignored them. Kane walked beside me, his presence enough to silence everyone. We entered the pack house. The Alpha was waiting. His face became pale when he saw me. "Liana." I stopped. "You knew." He looked away. "Knew what?" "Everything." His eyes moved toward Kane. Kane crossed his arms. "Tell her." The Alpha swallowed. "I was protecting you." "From what?" "From your enemies." "No." My voice shook. "You were hiding the truth from me." He said nothing. I stepped closer. "My mother didn't die, did she?" His silence was answer enough. Tears filled my eyes. "You lied to me." "Liana, listen—" "Where is she?" He looked at me. "I don't know." "You're lying!" My wolf suddenly surged. Silver light spread across my hands. Everyone in the room stepped backward. Kane's eyes widened. The Alpha stared at me in terror. "She's awakening." "What does that mean?" I demanded. Before he could answer, a gunshot shattered the window. Kane grabbed me and pulled me down. More shots followed. The pack house erupted into chaos. Kane's men drew their weapons. Then a voice came from outside. "Give us the Silver Moon heir!" Kane stood. His eyes turned black. "Nobody is taking her." He looked at me. "Stay here." "No." "Liana." "I said no." For some reason, I wasn't afraid anymore. I looked at the silver light glowing around my hands. Something inside me had changed. I wasn't the weak girl everyone had bullied anymore. I just didn't know what I was becoming. Then the Alpha whispered behind me. "Your mother wasn't running from them." I turned. "What?" His face was filled with fear. "She was running from you." My blood ran cold. "Why would my mother run from me?" The Alpha looked at Kane. Then back at me. "Because when your powers awaken completely, you won't just inherit the Silver Moon throne." He swallowed. "You'll become the most dangerous wolf alive." Chapter 5 — The Truth About My Mother I couldn't hear anything after that. My mother's face appeared in my mind. The woman who had held me when I was sick. The woman who had whispered bedtime stories to me. The woman who had told me I was special. Could she really have been afraid of me? "No." I shook my head. "You're lying." The Alpha didn't answer. Kane stepped closer. "Liana." I turned toward him. "Did you know?" He hesitated. That was enough. "You knew." "I knew some of it." My chest tightened. "How much?" "I knew your mother was alive." Tears slipped down my cheeks. "You knew she was alive and you didn't tell me?" "I didn't know where she was." "But you knew!" Kane reached for me. I stepped away. "Don't." His hand dropped. For the first time, I saw hurt in his eyes. But I didn't care. Not then. My entire life had been a lie. Suddenly, the silver pendant around my neck became hot. I grabbed it. It began glowing. Kane noticed. "Liana, take it off." "I can't." The pendant burned brighter. A strange wind swept through the room. Then a woman's voice filled the air. "Liana." I froze. Everyone froze. My mother's voice. It was impossible. Yet I knew it. "Mom?" The room disappeared. I found myself standing in a dark forest. A woman stood several feet away. She had long silver hair and eyes exactly like mine. My knees almost gave way. "Mom?" She smiled sadly. "My little moon." I ran toward her. But my hands passed straight through her. I fell to my knees. "What is this?" "A memory." She looked at me. "I don't have much time." "Where are you?" "I can't tell you." "Why?" "Because they are listening." I looked around. "Who?" "The people who destroyed our family." Her expression became serious. "Liana, you must never trust the Silver Council." "The council?" "They will tell you they want to protect you." She shook her head. "They want your power." I swallowed. "What power?" Her eyes filled with tears. "The power I sealed inside you." I stared at her. "You did this?" "I had no choice." "Why?" "Because your father wanted to use you." I froze. "My father?" She nodded. "Your father is still alive." My heart stopped. "Who is he?" Before she could answer, the forest began shaking. My mother's face filled with fear. "They've found me." "Mom!" "Listen to me." She reached toward me. "When the time comes, Kane will betray you." My heart sank. "Kane?" "Yes." "Why?" "Because his family and ours are connected by a blood oath." The memory began fading. "Mom!" She looked at me one last time. "Don't fall in love with him." Then she disappeared. I woke up on the floor of the pack house. Kane was kneeling beside me. "Liana!" I pushed him away. His expression changed. "What happened?" I stared at him. "My mother warned me about you." He went completely still. "What did she say?" I stood slowly. "She said you'll betray me." Kane's face became unreadable. Then his phone rang. He answered. His expression changed after hearing the voice on the other end. "What happened?" A pause. Then his eyes moved toward me. "My father has escaped." I frowned. "What does that have to do with me?" Kane lowered the phone. His voice was barely a whisper. "Everything." "Why?" He stared at me. "Because he left one message." I waited. Kane's eyes darkened. "He said the Silver Moon Princess belongs to him." My blood ran cold. Then Kane said the words that terrified me more than anything else. "He is coming for you." Chapter 6 — The Man Who Called Me His Daughter The words echoed through my head. He is coming for you. I stared at Kane. "Your father." He nodded. "Where is he?" "We don't know." "Then how do you know he's coming for me?" Kane's jaw tightened. "Because he wants what is inside your blood." I wrapped my arms around myself. "I don't understand." "You don't need to." "I think I do." I stepped closer. "You've been keeping secrets from me since the moment we met. My mother is alive. My father is alive. My family is connected to yours. And somehow I'm supposed to stand here and trust you?" Kane didn't answer. "Tell me the truth." His eyes met mine. "My father was one of the men responsible for hunting your mother." I swallowed. "And you?" "I spent years trying to find out what he did." "Why?" "Because I knew something was wrong." His voice softened. "I was fourteen when I discovered that your mother had saved my life." I stared at him. "What?" "My father wanted me dead." Kane looked away. "Your mother found me after an attack. She protected me and helped me escape." "Then why would you reject me?" His expression became painful. "Because I thought accepting you would put you in greater danger." I shook my head. "You could have told me." "I couldn't." "Why?" "Because there was a traitor in my organization." Before I could respond, the doors burst open. One of Kane's men rushed inside. "Alpha!" Kane turned. "What?" "We've been attacked." "By who?" The man's face was pale. "The Red Fang Syndicate." Kane immediately reached for his gun. "How many?" "Too many." A loud explosion shook the building. I screamed. Kane grabbed my hand. "Stay with me." We ran through the hallway. People were shouting. Gunshots echoed outside. Then a window shattered. A man climbed through. Kane moved instantly. He knocked the weapon from the man's hand and threw him against the wall. I stepped backward. Then I saw something. A tattoo on the man's neck. A silver crescent surrounded by three black lines. My pendant suddenly became hot. The man looked at me. His eyes widened. "Princess..." Kane grabbed him by the collar. "Who sent you?" The man smiled. "The king." Kane's face changed. "What king?" The man looked directly at me. "Your father." Then he bit down hard. His body went limp. Kane released him. I stared at the dead man. "My father sent him?" Kane nodded. Then another explosion shook the house. Kane pulled me toward the basement. "We're leaving." "Where?" "Somewhere they can't find you." I stopped. "No." Kane turned. "Liana." "I'm tired of running." "You don't understand." "No. You don't understand." I looked at my glowing hands. "I've been running my entire life because everyone told me I was weak." My voice shook. "But I'm done." Kane stared at me. "What are you going to do?" I looked toward the destroyed doorway. "I'm going to find my father." Kane's eyes narrowed. "Why?" "Because I want answers." A strange smile appeared on his face. "Then you'll need an army." I frowned. "What do you mean?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a black ring. "The moment I put this on your finger, every member of my organization will know you're under my protection." I stared at the ring. "But I'm your rejected mate." Kane's gaze softened. "Not anymore." My heart skipped. "What?" He stepped closer. "I made a mistake." Before I could answer, a voice echoed through the building. "Kane!" We both turned. A man stood at the end of the hallway. He was older than Kane, with silver hair and terrifying golden eyes. Kane's face went pale. "Dad." The man smiled. Then his eyes moved to me. "There she is." He looked at Kane. "You really did find her." I couldn't move. The man looked at me like I belonged to him. Then he smiled. "Come to me, daughter." My blood froze. --- Chapter 7 — My Father's Offer Nobody moved. I stared at the man standing across the hallway. My father. After twenty years of believing I was an orphan, the man who had given me life was standing right in front of me. And he looked nothing like the father I had imagined. He wasn't warm. He wasn't kind. There was nothing familiar about him except the strange feeling that passed through my body when our eyes met. My wolf became restless. Father. I hated that my wolf recognized him. Kane stepped in front of me. "You won't touch her." The older man laughed. "Still protecting the enemy's daughter?" "She's not an enemy." "She is the heir to the throne your family tried to destroy." Kane's hands tightened into fists. "My family made mistakes." "No." The man's smile disappeared. "Your family made choices." He looked at me. "And now you have to pay for them." I stepped around Kane. "What do you want from me?" Kane immediately looked at me. "Liana, don't." I ignored him. My father smiled. "Good. You have your mother's courage." "You knew my mother." "Better than anyone." "Where is she?" His expression changed. "Still asking about her." "She's alive." "Yes." My heart jumped. "Where?" He took a step forward. "I can take you to her." Kane grabbed my arm. "Don't listen to him." I pulled away. "You don't get to decide for me." My father laughed. "You see? She's already beginning to understand." Kane glared at him. "Stay away from her." My father looked at him. "Why? Because you rejected her?" Kane froze. My father smiled. "You rejected your own mate because you were afraid of what her blood would do to your empire." I looked at Kane. "Is that true?" He said nothing. My father continued. "You thought if you rejected her, the bond would disappear." Kane's expression hardened. "But it didn't." My heart began pounding. "What does that mean?" My father looked directly at me. "The mate bond can be rejected." He paused. "But the Silver Moon bloodline cannot be rejected." A strange silence followed. "What are you saying?" He smiled. "Your power has already chosen Kane." I looked at Kane. His eyes were fixed on me. My father continued. "Every time he gets close to you, your power grows." I remembered the silver light. The voice. The strange dreams. Was that why? "Why would my power choose him?" "Because our bloodlines were joined centuries ago." Kane stepped forward. "Enough." My father ignored him. "Your ancestors created a blood oath. The Silver Moon heir and the Dark Moon Alpha were destined to rule together." My heart pounded. "So I'm supposed to rule with Kane?" My father smiled. "That's what the prophecy says." Kane shook his head. "Prophecies can be broken." My father looked at him. "Not this one." Suddenly, the silver mark on my wrist began glowing. Pain shot through my body. I cried out. Kane rushed toward me. "Liana!" My father smiled. "She's awakening." I fell to my knees. Images flashed through my mind. A throne. A battlefield. My mother crying. Kane standing beside me. And a crown made of silver fire. Then another image appeared. Kane was covered in blood. I screamed. The vision disappeared. Kane caught me before I hit the ground. "What did you see?" I stared at him. "You." His face changed. "What about me?" "You were standing over a dead body." His expression became unreadable. My father laughed softly. "Now you understand." Kane looked at him.