REJECTED BY THE ALPHA. CLAIMED BY THE LYCAN KING

### *CHAPTER 1: THE REJECTION* I counted down to this day for 18 years. Eighteen years of being the pack's joke. The wolfless Omega. The girl who couldn't shift, couldn't smell, couldn't hear her wolf. But today, I turned 18. Today, I would find my mate. Today, everything would change. The Pack Hall of Blood Moon was full. All unmated 18-year-olds stood in line. My best friend Jax was at the front - he turned 18 three months ago and already became Alpha after his father died. He was handsome, strong, every she-wolf's dream. And he was my secret love since we were 6. When I was 8 and wolves bullied me for being wolfless, Jax protected me. He said "When we get mates, I hope it's you, Elara." I held onto that promise for 10 years. Alpha Jax stepped forward for the Mate Ceremony. He closed his eyes to scent. The Moon Goddess was cruel. His eyes landed on me. I felt spark, I felt my chest heat up even without a wolf. Mate! He is my mate! He stared at me. Then his face changed. From shock, to disgust, to anger. He walked towards me. Everyone silent. I was crying happy tears. Then he said it. "I, Alpha Jax of the Blood Moon Pack, reject you, Elara, as my mate and Luna." The hall exploded. Not with gasp. With laughter. The words echoed. Rejection is rare. Rejection in front of whole pack is death sentence for she-wolf. I fell to knees. My white dress - my mother sewed for this day - stained with dirt. My knees bleeding. "Why?" My voice was so small even I couldn't hear it. He crouched, not to help me, but to make sure only I heard. "Why? You really ask why? Look at you. You're weak. You're wolfless. You can't even shift. My father was Alpha, I am Alpha. A pack needs strong Luna, daughter of Alpha, not Omega trash like you. My Luna should be like Selene - strong, can shift, daughter of Northern Alpha." Behind him, Selene appeared. Tall, brown wolf, beautiful. Daughter of Alpha of North. She held Jax's hand. "You're too late, Omega," she whispered. "He already chose me. He marked me last night." Marked? He marked her before even rejecting me? That means he cheated the Mate bond. "You're lying..." I looked at Jax. "You said... when we were kids..." "Kids talk is kids talk, Elara. Grow up. You're not Luna material. You're not even wolf material." He stood up. "I, Alpha Jax, reject you for the second time. I break all bonds." Second rejection breaks bond completely. Pain like thousand knives stabbed my heart. I screamed. No wolf to help me ease pain because I had no wolf. Selene laughed loud. "Let's go, Jax. Don't waste time with her. The pack is waiting for REAL Luna ceremony." The whole pack walked away. My own parents walked away. My mother didn't even look back. She was the one who told me I was born without wolf to keep me humble. I was alone on cold floor. I ran. I didn't know where. My feet brought me to Forbidden Forest border. Sign said: DO NOT ENTER. LYCAN KING TERRITORY. ALL WOLVES WHO ENTER NEVER RETURN. Good. Let me die then. If Moon Goddess doesn't want me, let Lycan King eat me. I entered forest, bleeding, crying, heart broken. Thorns cut my feet. I tripped on root and fell. Blood dripped from my leg onto black soil. Then forest went silent. Birds stopped. Wind stopped. And I heard low, dangerous growl behind me. "Who dares enter my forest and bleed on my land?" --- ### *CHAPTER 2: THE SECOND CHANCE MATE* I slowly turned around, still on ground. I thought Lycan King would be old monster from story books. But he was not. He was 7 feet tall. Not old. Young, maybe 200 years but looked 27 in human. Long black hair, muscles under black shirt, face like god but scar on left eye. And eyes - red glowing eyes, like blood. He was not werewolf. Werewolves shift to wolf. Lycans are bigger, stronger, ancient race that rules all werewolves. They don't need moon to shift. And he was sniffing air, looking at me like I was ghost. His red eyes widened. Then turned to gold. Gold means mate for Lycan. "Mate," he whispered, voice shaking forest. "No!" I shouted, crawling back. "I don't have mate! My mate rejected me! He rejected me! Go away!" He was in front of me in one blink. Too fast. He lifted my chin with claw - not hurting, but firm. He inhaled my neck. I should be scared, but strange heat went through body. "The Moon Goddess... after 200 years... I thought I was cursed to be mateless..." "I am not your mate! I'm wolfless! I'm Omega! I'm nothing!" "The boy Alpha?" He growled and whole forest shook, trees losing leaves. "What did he say to you?" "He said I'm weak! Wolfless! Disgrace!" He closed eyes and sniffed again. Deeper. He pressed forehead to mine. And pain exploded, but not rejection pain. Different. Like something locked inside chest for 18 years was breaking free. "AHHH!" I screamed. For first time in life, I heard voice inside head. Not mine. _LET ME OUT! LET HIM IN! HE IS OURS!_ Wolf? I have wolf? "That's her," he whispered, holding my shaking body. "Your wolf. She's been hiding. Suppressed. White Wolf." "White Wolf? Extinct legend? Impossible! My mother said-" "Your mother lied to protect you," he said. "White Wolves are hunted because they can command all Alphas. If Alphas knew what you are, they would kill you as pup." He picked me up bridal style like I weigh nothing. I was 5'4", he was giant. I should struggle, but his scent - pine, blood, night - calmed me. "You are bleeding, little mate. You are not safe here. Forbidden Forest has rogues. If they smell White Wolf blood, they will come." "Who are you?" I asked, tears still falling but now for different reason. "I am King Kade. Lycan King of all Werewolves. Alpha of Alphas. And you... you are my second chance, but first and only Queen." Second chance mate is rare. When first mate rejects or dies, Moon Goddess gives second chance but only if you're strong enough to survive rejection pain. Most die. "I don't want mate," I whispered. "Mates hurt." He looked at me, red eyes soft now. "I know. I was rejected too. 200 years ago. My first mate chose my brother. So I killed my brother and became King with no Luna. I know how rejection pain feels." He held me tighter. "I won't reject you. I waited 200 years. I will not let anyone hurt you again. Even Moon Goddess can't take you from me now." He started walking deeper into forest, to his palace I never saw before. "Where are you taking me?" "Home. To Lycan Palace. Where you belong. As my Queen." And as he walked, I felt it - my chest heating, my broken mate bond with Jax slowly being replaced by golden thread connecting me to Kade. Thicker, stronger, impossible to break. My wolf howled inside for first time: _Mate! Our Mate!_ ---