BLOOD ON THE CROWN
1518 Words
The throne was never meant for me.
That's what they whispered when I was 16 and Damien rejected me in front of 500 wolves.
"Too weak." "Too human." "Not his mate."
Tonight, the same throne sat beneath me, and the same wolves were on their knees.
I let the silence stretch. Let them feel the weight of every insult, every bruise, every night I slept in the kennels because the Luna house had "no room for strays."
"Rise," I said.
200 wolves stood. 200 pairs of eyes. Not one of them met mine.
Except his.
Damien stood at the back of the hall, arms crossed, jaw tight. The Alpha King who threw me away like trash. The man whose rejection nearly killed me.
Elder Rowan stepped forward first, his cane hitting the marble with a crack.
"You cannot rule, girl. The law is clear. A rejected Luna has no claim."
I smiled. It wasn't a nice smile.
"The law?" My voice echoed. "Which law, Elder? The one that says an Alpha can reject his mate without consequence? The one that says a Luna can be beaten and no one speaks?"
Murmurs.
I stood from the throne. The gown I wore was black. The color of mourning. The color of war.
And across my collarbone, glowing faintly in the torchlight, were three silver lines.
Mating marks.
The room went dead quiet.
"Impossible," someone breathed. "A rejected wolf can't be claimed again."
"Tell that to the North King," I said. "Or the East King. Or the West King."
The great doors boomed open.
Three men entered. Tall. Crowned. Eyes glowing with Alpha power.
King Aldric of the North. King Marek of the East. King Silas of the West.
They didn't look at anyone but me.
"We claim her," Aldric said, his voice rolling through the hall like thunder. "As our ally. As our queen. As the woman the gods chose after you fools cast her aside."
Damien took a step forward. "She's mine."
All three Kings laughed.
"She was yours," Marek said. "For five minutes. Then you broke her. Now she's ours to protect."
I raised a hand and the Kings fell silent.
This was my moment. Not theirs.
I walked down the steps of the throne. Bare feet on cold stone. Just like the night he dragged me out.
I stopped in front of Damien. Up close I could see it - the gold in his eyes flickering. The wolf behind them, panicking.
"You want to know what rejection feels like?" I whispered. Only he could hear. "Let me show you."
I reached up and tore the Alpha crest off his chest. The fabric ripped.
The entire pack gasped.
"No Alpha touches a Luna without consent," I said, loud enough for everyone. "Not anymore. Not in my pack."
"Your pack?" Damien snarled. "You don't have a pack."
"Don't I?" I turned to the crowd. "How many of you were beaten? How many of your daughters were told they weren't good enough? How many of you watched and did nothing?"
Hands went up. Slowly. Then more. Then almost all of them.
"Then you are my pack now," I said. "And I protect what's mine."
I turned back to the throne and sat. The wood was still cold. But this time, it felt like power.
Elder Rowan tried one last time. "The council will never--"
"The council is dissolved," I cut him off. "Effective immediately. New law: Any wolf who harms a weaker wolf answers to me. Any Alpha who rejects a mate pays weregild in land and gold."
Damien's face went white. That would cost him everything.
"And you," I said, looking right at him. "You will stay. As my advisor. To watch what a 'weak' rejected Luna does with the power you gave up."
His wolf surged. I could smell his anger. His regret.
Good.
The hall erupted in cheers. My pack.
But the moment was cut short by a sound at the door.
A young she-wolf ran in, bleeding, eyes wild.
"My Luna!" she cried, falling to her knees. "They're coming. The Rogues. They heard you took the throne. They want blood."
The three Kings stepped forward instantly.
"The West borders are already moving," Silas said.
"North is 10 minutes out," Aldric added.
I stood again. The crown felt heavier now.
"Then let them come," I said. "And let them learn what happens when you try to take what belongs to a Queen."
I looked at Damien one last time.
"You wanted to see me weak. Watch me now."
The throne was never meant for me.
That's what they whispered when I was 16 and Damien rejected me in front of 500 wolves.
"Too weak." "Too human." "Not his mate."
Tonight, the same throne sat beneath me, and the same wolves were on their knees.
I let the silence stretch. Let them feel the weight of every insult, every bruise, every night I slept in the kennels because the Luna house had "no room for strays."
"Rise," I said.
200 wolves stood. 200 pairs of eyes. Not one of them met mine.
Except his.
Damien stood at the back of the hall, arms crossed, jaw tight. The Alpha King who threw me away like trash. The man whose rejection nearly killed me.
Elder Rowan stepped forward first, his cane hitting the marble with a crack.
"You cannot rule, girl. The law is clear. A rejected Luna has no claim."
I smiled. It wasn't a nice smile.
"The law?" My voice echoed. "Which law, Elder? The one that says an Alpha can reject his mate without consequence? The one that says a Luna can be beaten and no one speaks?"
Murmurs.
I stood from the throne. The gown I wore was black. The color of mourning. The color of war.
And across my collarbone, glowing faintly in the torchlight, were three silver lines.
Mating marks.
The room went dead quiet.
"Impossible," someone breathed. "A rejected wolf can't be claimed again."
"Tell that to the North King," I said. "Or the East King. Or the West King."
The great doors boomed open.
Three men entered. Tall. Crowned. Eyes glowing with Alpha power.
King Aldric of the North. King Marek of the East. King Silas of the West.
They didn't look at anyone but me.
"We claim her," Aldric said, his voice rolling through the hall like thunder. "As our ally. As our queen. As the woman the gods chose after you fools cast her aside."
Damien took a step forward. "She's mine."
All three Kings laughed.
"She was yours," Marek said. "For five minutes. Then you broke her. Now she's ours to protect."
I raised a hand and the Kings fell silent.
This was my moment. Not theirs.
I walked down the steps of the throne. Bare feet on cold stone. Just like the night he dragged me out.
I stopped in front of Damien. Up close I could see it - the gold in his eyes flickering. The wolf behind them, panicking.
"You want to know what rejection feels like?" I whispered. Only he could hear. "Let me show you."
I reached up and tore the Alpha crest off his chest. The fabric ripped.
The entire pack gasped.
"No Alpha touches a Luna without consent," I said, loud enough for everyone. "Not anymore. Not in my pack."
"Your pack?" Damien snarled. "You don't have a pack."
"Don't I?" I turned to the crowd. "How many of you were beaten? How many of your daughters were told they weren't good enough? How many of you watched and did nothing?"
Hands went up. Slowly. Then more. Then almost all of them.
"Then you are my pack now," I said. "And I protect what's mine."
I turned back to the throne and sat. The wood was still cold. But this time, it felt like power.
Elder Rowan tried one last time. "The council will never--"
"The council is dissolved," I cut him off. "Effective immediately. New law: Any wolf who harms a weaker wolf answers to me. Any Alpha who rejects a mate pays weregild in land and gold."
Damien's face went white. That would cost him everything.
"And you," I said, looking right at him. "You will stay. As my advisor. To watch what a 'weak' rejected Luna does with the power you gave up."
His wolf surged. I could smell his anger. His regret.
Good.
The hall erupted in cheers. My pack.
But the moment was cut short by a sound at the door.
A young she-wolf ran in, bleeding, eyes wild.
"My Luna!" she cried, falling to her knees. "They're coming. The Rogues. They heard you took the throne. They want blood."
The three Kings stepped forward instantly.
"The West borders are already moving," Silas said.
"North is 10 minutes out," Aldric added.
I stood again. The crown felt heavier now.
"Then let them come," I said. "And let them learn what happens when you try to take what belongs to a Queen."
I looked at Damien one last time.
"You wanted to see me weak. Watch me now."
- Writer
