Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by the Apex

Clara’s POV "Clara, wait! He's in a private meeting, you can't go in there!" I ignored the panic in Sarah's voice, shifting the heavy leather folder to my other arm as I pushed past her desk. Twelve hours of negotiating with human bankers would exhaust anyone, but I didn't care. I actually got the land. I secured the commercial block that would keep our pack afloat. I pushed the heavy oak door open, stepping into David's sprawling office with a wide smile. "David, I got the signatures," I started to say, holding up the folder. "The banks finally agreed to—" The rest of the sentence vanished. David sat on the edge of his mahogany desk. He wasn't in a meeting. His hands were tangled in the long silver hair of a woman I had never seen before. She was pressed between his knees, wearing a tight designer dress, her hands gripping his shirt as they kissed. My fingers went numb. The leather folder slipped from my grasp, slapping hard against the floor. David pulled away from the woman. He didn't scramble to explain himself or jump back in guilt. He just let out a slow, irritated sigh, annoyed that I had interrupted him. "David?" I whispered. My stomach dropped, leaving a hollow, freezing ache in its place. The air in the room suddenly felt too thin to breathe. I stared at the woman as she turned around, trailing a manicured fingernail down David's chest. She was stunning, radiating a polished glamour that made my rumpled grey business suit feel like a trash bag. "You didn't knock," David said, crossing his arms over his chest. "What are you doing?" I asked, taking a step forward as hot tears pricked my eyes. I pointed a shaking finger at the woman. "Who is she? David, what is going on?" The woman let out a soft laugh, looking me up and down with a cruel smirk. "Oh, this is her? The pack accountant you were telling me about?" "I'm his mate," I snapped, a desperate edge sharpening my voice. I looked at David, praying this was a horrible joke. "Tell her. We're mates. I just spent the last twelve hours fighting for our company, and this is what I get?" David rolled his eyes. "Clara, Clara, Clara," he sighed, shaking his head as if he were dealing with a stubborn child. "Isn't it obvious what's going on? Let's not make this harder than it needs to be. When you're done here, you can leave." He turned his back on me, grabbing the woman by the waist to pull her back in, leaning down to kiss her neck. "David, what is wrong with you?" I yelled. A surge of hot, reckless anger washed over me. I lunged forward, grabbing a handful of the woman's silver hair, yanking her hard away from him. She shrieked, stumbling backward on her stilettos. David snarled. He grabbed my arm, twisting it forcefully before shoving me backward. My heels caught on the rug, throwing me off balance. I hit the polished marble floor hard, the cold stone sending a sharp jolt of pain up my wrists as I caught myself. I sat on the hard tiles, staring up at him through my tears. My wrists ached, but the realization that my own fated mate just attacked me hurt far worse. "David," I gasped, my voice breaking. "You actually pushed me?" The woman scrambled behind David, clutching his arm. "David, she attacked me," she whimpered, faking a loud sob as she buried her face in his shoulder. David glared at me, his expression turning to ice. He reached over to his desk, pressing the intercom button. "Security, send two guards up to my office." "David, think about this," I pleaded, my hands shaking as I reached out toward him. "Four years. We built this together. Are you really going to throw it all away for a stranger?" "She isn't a stranger," David shot back, his voice rising with harsh arrogance. "And I'm restructuring Silver Holdings. Chloe here is taking over public relations, and she will be standing by my side at the upcoming Gala." I flinched, my stomach twisting. "What?" "She is a proper wolf," David continued, looking down at me with disgust. "Look at yourself, Clara. You wear boring suits, you hide behind spreadsheets, and you lack the beauty to stand beside an Alpha. I need a Luna who projects power. I don't need a corporate drone holding me back." He raised his chin, his voice booming across the room. "I, Alpha David, reject you, Clara, as my fated mate and Luna." The bond snapped. A raw, broken scream tore out of my throat. It felt like a hot blade dragging through my ribs, ripping my chest open from the inside. I gasped, clawing at my shirt, unable to pull any air into my burning lungs. The pain was blinding, forcing me to curl into myself as violent tremors wrecked my body. "David, please," I choked out between ragged sobs, reaching a shaking hand toward his shoes. "It hurts. Please." He didn't move to help me. He just watched me writhe on the marble floor, his face an unreadable mask of indifference. The heavy office doors swung open, two large security guards stepping into the room. They looked from me to David, their posture stiffening. "Sir, you sent for us?" one of the guards asked. "Yes," David replied, pointing a finger at me. "Escort Clara out of the premises. She is hereby relieved from her position. Make sure she packs her belongings and leaves immediately." The guards stepped forward, grabbing my arms to haul me up from the floor. I couldn't walk straight, my knees still buckling from the phantom pain in my chest. They dragged me forward rather than escorting me. I didn't fight them. I let them pull me down the corridor, feeling the stares of the other employees as they peeked out of their cubicles, whispering to each other. The humiliation burned my cheeks. The guards shoved me into my small office, tossing a cardboard box onto my desk. "Pack it up," the guard ordered. I threw my pens, notebooks, and a few framed photos inside, my hands trembling hard while they watched my every move. Once I finished, they grabbed my arms again, escorting me to the elevators. They took me down to the lobby, pushing me through the glass doors of the corporate building. I stumbled onto the sidewalk, clutching my cardboard box, sniffing as the cold wind hit my tear-stained face. One of the guards pulled a set of keys from his pocket, tossing them onto the top of my box. "Where is my driver?" I asked, my voice shaking as I looked around the empty curb. "You no longer have one, ma'am," the guard replied, crossing his arms. "Alpha David revoked your privileges. Take your car and leave the premises immediately." I grabbed the keys, limped over to my sedan, and threw the box into the passenger seat. I got behind the wheel, gripping the steering wheel with shaking hands as I started the engine. My mind felt numb, the reality of the rejection refusing to settle in. I just needed to go home. It was stress. I had been working too many twelve-hour shifts, and I just needed to get to the mansion, lie down in my bed, and sleep until this horrible nightmare ended. I put the car in drive, pulling away from the curb.