I am the Alpha King's Luna

Chapter 1: She is just an adopted nobody (Amelia's POV) The bright, neon lights of the Moon Kiss Club flashed all around me, but they blurred together as I walked through the crowds. My heart raced. The thumping bass of the music seemed to echo my pulse. This club wasn’t really my kind of place, I felt uncomfortable just standing here. I was here to get Dominic to sign these medical supply papers and then I could leave. Dominic was the future Alpha King of the Northern Territory, the man I had silently loved since childhood. My parents were the best warriors in the pack but they died in the fight when I was a puppy. After that, I was adopted by Gamma. I have had a crush on him for more than 10 years, but I never dared to tell him. I just stayed by his side and supported him quietly. Although many people ridiculed an adopted daughter for wanting to be the future Luna, Dominic never believed about these rumors and told me not to mind them. I spotted him in his usual VIP booth, seated with a group of his friends. I hesitated for just a moment before walking toward him. But as I got closer, his voice broke through the music, and I froze mid-step. "Amelia?" Dominic's tone was carelessly dismissive. "She's just the adopted daughter of our pack's Gamma." I froze. The folder in my hands slipped just a little before I tightened my grip. My feet felt like they'd been glued to the floor. He continued, his voice loud and self-important, "I need a powerful, strong she-wolf to stand by my side as my Luna. Someone with impeccable bloodlines, someone who’ll elevate the entire pack—not an adopted nobody." A jolt of pain shot through my chest. My stomach twisted, and the air suddenly felt heavy, suffocating even. "Still…" one of his friends chuckled, leaning forward with a glint of mockery in his eyes. "She’s been making doe eyes at you for years. Like a little puppy chasing after its master." There was laughter all around the table, sharp and cruel. My heart pounded in my chest, and I felt my knees tremble. Dominic let out a dry laugh, his voice dripping with indifference. "Let her. It's amusing, really. She makes herself useful at the medical center, but that's all she'll ever be—useful." The laughter swelled again. I couldn’t breathe. My hands shook so hard I nearly dropped the folder of papers. I’d spent years—years—devoting myself to him. Every little thing I did had been to help him succeed, whether he noticed or not. I thought he hadn’t seen my feelings because he was too focused on his training and duties as the future Alpha King. But I was wrong. He knew. He’d known all this time but didn’t care. Worse, he found it funny. I couldn’t stay there. My legs moved on their own, carrying me away from the booth and from the sight of his false, handsome smile. I stumbled toward the bar, my vision blurring with unshed tears. The bartender looked at me curiously when I ordered a full bottle of whiskey. I didn’t care about the judgment in his eyes as he handed it to me. My fingers trembled as I poured my first shot and downed it in one go. Memories swirled as the whiskey burned its way through my throat. I thought about my parents, fierce warriors who had died in service to Thorn Pack when I was just a little girl. I thought of Gamma Winters and his wife Margaret, who had taken me in but never really made me feel like part of the family. Margaret had been distant, cold, but always ensured I had what I needed. William Winters was kinder, but rarely around, too busy with pack duties. Then there was Dominic—my childhood hero. I followed him everywhere, trailing behind him like a shadow, trying so hard to be as strong and dependable as he was. In high school, I’d made his lunches every single day. When we were at Werewolf Academy, I helped him with assignments and submissions, always telling myself it was fine he never noticed my efforts. This was love, wasn’t it? Just being there for someone without asking for anything in return. I thought I was patient. I thought eventually, he’d look my way. But now I knew. He never looked my way because he never considered me his equal. Because I didn’t have the bloodline to be worthy. I poured another shot, blinking rapidly to stop the tears from falling. "Amelia, you’re such an i***t," I muttered to myself. The whiskey bottle was halfway empty by the time I stood up, unsteady on my feet. The club felt too loud and suffocating, like the walls were closing in on me. I needed air. I weaved my way toward what I thought was the exit, but the hallway spun in my vision. My steps faltered, and suddenly, I collided with something—or someone. Strong hands grabbed my arms, steadying me before I could fall. My head tilted up, and I caught a scent. A scent unlike anything I’d ever experienced. Cool cedar mixed with peppermint, sharp and fresh, yet grounding. My breath hitched, and my wolf, Cora, stirred. No, she didn’t just stir—she howled. MATE! It wasn’t just a whisper. Cora’s voice blasted through my mind with undeniable certainty. My eyes locked onto the man standing before me. He was tall, broad-shouldered, radiating power in a way that made the air around him feel heavy. His dark hair fell just slightly across his forehead, but it was his piercing green eyes that held me captive. Without thinking, I stepped closer, driven by an instinct I couldn’t control. My hands moved on their own, sliding up to wrap around his neck as I nuzzled into him, inhaling his intoxicating scent. His grip on my waist tightened slightly, and I felt his body stiffen. "Careful," he said, his voice low and rich, vibrating straight through me. Cora whimpered like a needy pup, urging me closer to him. Heat built in my chest, overwhelming in its intensity. I couldn’t think. Couldn’t stop myself. And before I even knew what I was doing, my teeth sank into the firm, warm flesh of his neck. The taste of him sent a spark of something electric through my body, and for a second, everything around me faded. Then darkness swallowed me whole. The first thing I felt when I woke up was the pounding headache. The second was the blinding sunlight streaming through a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows. Shielding my eyes, I groaned and tried to sit up, but my body felt heavy, like I’d been hit by a truck. My brain felt like it was moving in slow motion as I tried to piece together where I was. I didn't recognize this room. The bed was enormous, far bigger than my tiny one back at Thorn Pack. The sheets smelled faintly of cedar and peppermint. Oh no. Scattered flashes of memory surfaced against the fog of my hangover. Dominic’s cruel words. The whiskey. Stumbling out of the club. The scent of cedar and peppermint. And then—I bit someone. Cora was unusually quiet in my mind, but her smug satisfaction lingered. "You’re awake." The voice pulled me out of my spiraling thoughts. My head snapped toward the doorway, and my breath caught. He was leaning against the frame, arms crossed over his bare chest. He wore nothing but a pair of low-riding gray shorts, and the sunlight highlighted his sharp features and toned physique. But what truly caught my attention—and horror—was the unmistakable imprint of my teeth on his neck. It wasn’t a full mating mark, but it was intimate enough to cause a stir in the pack community. If anyone saw it, rumors would spread like wildfire. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I stared at him, frozen in shame and rising panic as the realization hit. I had bitten Alexander Stone. The Alpha King of the Eastern Territories. And now, here he was, emerald eyes assessing me with an expression I couldn’t quite decipher. Amusement? Annoyance? Curiosity? "Little healer," he said, his voice dripping with mockery, "I believe you owe me an explanation." But I could say nothing. I could only look at him in horror, praying I hadn't caused a conflict between the packs.