Rejected by my alpha claimed by the lycan king

Chapter 3

The gates of Iron-Spire weren't just doors; they were fifty-foot slabs of enchanted obsidian that hummed with ancient spells. But as I stood on the ramparts next to Viktor, I could hear the scratching and howling of a thousand wolves outside. The smell of wet dog and anger drifted up on the wind, sour and familiar.

"Alina!" Damon’s voice boomed through a megaphone, or maybe he was just using his Alpha-command. "Give yourself up! You’re a pack deserter! You belong to the Blood-Moon, and I’m here to collect my property!"

Viktor stiffened beside me. His golden eyes bled into a dark, terrifying crimson, and his tattoos began to glow so bright they looked like neon veins. "Property?" he whispered, the stone beneath his boots spider-webbing from the sheer pressure of his aura. "He really has a death wish."

"Let me talk to him," I said. My voice didn't shake. The silver mist was still curling around my fingers like tiny, loyal snakes.

Viktor looked at me, surprised. "You don't have to face him, Little Queen. I can turn that entire field into a graveyard in ten seconds."

"I know you can," I said, looking down at the army of wolves below. "But I need to do this. I need him to see me."

Viktor nodded slowly, a smirk tugging at his lips. He raised his hand, and with a thunderous BOOM, the massive obsidian gates swung open.

The howling stopped instantly.

I walked out alone. The Lycan guards stayed back, their spears glowing with purple energy, but Viktor walked three paces behind me, a silent shadow of death.

Damon was at the front of the pack, flanked by six other Alphas from the neighboring territories. They all looked smug, like they were just here to pick up a stray cat. When Damon saw me, he stepped forward, his eyes scanning my silk dress and the King’s cloak over my shoulders.

"Look at you," Damon sneered, his lip curling. "Playing dress-up in the monster's castle. Come here, Alina. Now. If you crawl back and apologize, maybe I’ll only lock you in the cellar for a month."

"I'm not coming back, Damon," I said, my voice echoing off the mountain walls. "And I’m not your mate. You rejected me, remember? Snap." I mimicked the sound of the bond breaking with my fingers.

The other Alphas chuckled. "She’s got spirit, Blackwood," one of them said, a guy with a scar across his nose. "Too bad she's a dud. Give her to us, and we'll see if she can at least wash our cars."

Damon laughed, emboldened by his friends. He shifted halfway, his teeth growing into fangs. "Last chance, Alina. Or I’ll let the pack have their way with you."

Something inside me clicked. It wasn't just anger it was a literal explosion of ice and fire.

"You want to see a 'dud'?" I whispered.

I didn't think about what to do; I just let the silver mist take over. I slammed my palms against the ground.

The earth didn't just shake it screamed. A massive wave of silver fire erupted from the dirt, racing toward the Alphas like a tidal wave. It hit them before they could even blink. The shockwave sent the front line of wolves flying backward, tumbling over each other like bowling pins.

Damon was knocked off his feet, sliding through the mud until he hit a rock. He scrambled up, his face covered in dirt, his eyes wide with pure terror.

"What... what is that?" he gasped, staring at the silver flames dancing on my skin. "You’re a wolf-less freak! You can't have power!"

"I'm not a wolf, Damon," I said, walking toward him. Every step I took made the grass beneath my feet turn into silver crystal. "I’m something you’re too small to even understand."

I raised my hand, and the silver fire coiled into a shimmering whip. I lashed it out, and it cracked in the air with a sound like a lightning bolt.

"Alina, wait!" Damon cried out, his Alpha-pride vanishing instantly. He fell to his knees, the same way he’d forced me to do in the clearing. "I—I didn't know! We can try again! I'll take you back! You can be my Luna! We'll rule together!"

The Lycan King stepped up behind me, his heavy hand resting on my shoulder. His presence was so cold it made the air turn to mist.

"She already has a King, Alpha," Viktor growled. "And he doesn't like people touching his things."

Viktor looked at me, his eyes burning with pride. "Should I kill him now, or do you want to play with your food a little longer?"

I looked at Damon the boy who had made my life a living nightmare, the boy who thought I was nothing. He looked pathetic. He looked like the bug he used to call me.

"No," I said, a cold smile spreading across my face. "Killing him is too easy. I want him to go back to the Blood-Moon. I want him to tell everyone that the 'weak Omega' is coming back one day. And when I do, I’m not coming for a visit."

I leaned down, the silver fire in my eyes making Damon flinch.

"I'm coming for the crown."

Damon didn't wait. He turned and bolted, his tail between his legs, his "Alpha" friends running right after him like scared rabbits.

Viktor chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound that made my heart flutter. He turned me around to face him, his golden eyes searching mine. "The Silver Flame... and the heart of a warrior. Alina, you’re going to be the death of me."

"Is that a bad thing?" I asked, a bit of my old sass coming back.

"No," he whispered, leaning down until his forehead touched mine. "It’s the best thing that’s happened in a thousand years."

Suddenly, a loud, piercing scream echoed from the top of the Iron-Spire. It was Celeste.

"VIKTOR! THE VAULT! IT'S BEEN OPENED!"

Viktor froze. His face went pale. "The Moon-Shard," he breathed. "If they have the shard, they can kill a Lycan."

He grabbed my hand, his grip tighter than ever. "We have to go. Now."