Rejected by my mate claimed by his king

Chapter 1 Elara’s POV Was my crime deep enough to have my head on a spike? . . . . The darkness that plunged this pack all rooted from the corrupt ground of the werewolf royals. They were like a plague eating, digging and biting deep into its victims. The werewolves were the victims of their wicked vice. Amidst all the suffering and sickness and poverty, they wasted food, hosted balls, and ate to their merry while an average werewolf barely had a cup of water. Where I stayed was the lowest of the chum. We suffered the most. My family and I had not had anything today at all, but up at the capital, there was a feast, a ball where the royal crown prince would choose a lady of his liking and take her in as his queen and mate. I was going to that feast. Not for anything too grand, not to meet some pristine werewolf or even my mate. No. But for food. They would have enough to spare and even at that, not everyone was invited. You had to get in by invitation. An invitation I had in my pocket that was stolen from an average, prestigious lady. I fastened the rope of my corset, did my auburn curly hair, and my eyes along with my lips. Staring at the mirror, I grinned. I looked like I belonged. Sneaking out through my window, I fastened a small knife in the straps of my thighs. My mother and siblings didn’t know what I was doing. They did not need to know where the food was coming from, they just needed to eat. Father was sick as well, the majority of it coming from starvation. With my last coin, I boarded a ride to the capital. It took roughly three hours to arrive. My stomach grumbled as I handed the driver my last coin. He cast a hard look at me and snatched the coins anyway. I know, I rubbed my stomach. I will feed you soon to your fill. Stealing was a skill I perfected till it looked like I was almost born with it. Hunger would subject you to the worst crime. I didn’t regret it though. Life was survival. Surviving means you have to trample on those weaker than you to eat. It was late in the evening and people, troops of people were arriving which wasn’t what I had heard. From what I heard the feast was for a select group of people. When I entered the hall they didn’t stop us at the door to check our invitation card which I noticed was weird. People walked in at will. However, the grandness of the pack house soon knocked the air right out of me. I had my eyes on one thing. Still stunned at the sheerness of the place, I wasn’t paying attention when I bumped into someone ... or rather someone bumped into me and I felt his coins sing to me from his pocket. Whirling around just in time, I grabbed their arms and spun them around. Quick reflexes due to my stealing skills. I stared with thinly veiled disgust at the man. “Are you blind?” I snapped before I could stop myself. The man’s eyes grey like mist sucked me. His eyes trailed my hands latched around his arms and slowly crept back to my steely gaze. “What did you say?” His voice was as smooth as his garment and just as alluring as his coins. He sounded stunned, startled by the mere sight of me glaring and holding him. Why? Hadn’t someone put him in his place before? I bet not, all these men lived off women who stroked their egos. They’ve never had to survive a day or more without food. He stared at me with sheer indignation and wonder. “You heard me, watch where you are going!” I said and then shoved him away. I planned to avoid everyone except those I came here for. “Do you know who I am?” He asked with utter bewilderment. “Do I need to?” I inquired with clear indignation. He was about to speak when I subtly added. “Let me be clear, even if you were the f*****g Alpha I will still not give a damn. Keep your eyes with you, in your about.” With a piece of my mind, I turned away from him and went in search of what I came here for. I hadn’t spotted him yet. When the harem of women strutted down the stairs I was more than convinced that the person who owned the dress I wore was a pauper. I looked so out of place amidst the silken, flowing ball gowns. I cast my glance down at my feet and made to escape their atrocity of stares. Suddenly a sweet smell of strawberry wafted through my nose that made my mouth water. That must be where the food was coming from. I waited for what felt like hours before the main event started and food began coming in. My eyes and mouth watered. I had my bag ready under my garment. There was a flower vase where I could hide my bag of food after gathering it. Before I could leave, I could steal some money from these rich, pristine werewolves. “Good evening ladies and gentlemen, let’s welcome the prince and soon-to-be Alpha of the Shadowclaw pack!” The whole room fell silent following the announcement. I watched with a hundred more people as the prince….descended the stairs with a handful of male werewolves accompanying him. The prince was none other than——the man I’d bumped into. And need I add, stolen from! Dead. I was f*****g dead. He stopped at the third step of the stairs and his eyes searched the crowds before they finally landed on me. He stared directly into me like he could very well hear my thoughts and see my soul. “f**k,” I breathed out. My eyes were trained on his set jawline, hard grey eyes and perfect lips paused into a thin line. My gaze drifted boldly to his impossibly broad shoulder, the defined line of his throat with veins lining his hand that was exposed and I imagined those hands doing sinful things to me. Screwed, that was what I was. Slowly, with an excruciating pace that made my skin itch like I wore a feathery garment, he made his way down. The crowd broke into a file, parting for him like water dividing. Everyone else watched as the prince and alpha king made their way towards a peasant she-wolf. He came to a halt mere inches away from me. Up close I saw his eyes. A pool of ice. Thick brows and impeccable scent that made my senses spike up, then sent a sliver of shiver down my spine, I flinched like one burned then swallowed down hard on my saliva with my heart running like a broken brake. Nose sniffing the air for him. But then he spoke and every fog in my head dissipated like I was slapped back to life. “Ladies and gentlemen I present to you my bride!” “WHAT?!” My eyes fell out of their sockets and my mouth hung loose, all the way to my feet as it grew parched. The f**k? He tilted his brow. Daring me to go against the proclamation if I could. “I am not——-“ My words were cut off by a singular line from him. “She will be my bride and Luna.” Again, “WHAT?” He was insane, he was mad. He was crazy. He took my hand and whirled me around then raised it above our heads. The crowd broke into murmuring and half baked cheers. “Escort her up to the elders, I’ll be with them shortly.” He ordered the guards while I shouted. I was still fighting when he leaned in and whispered something into my ear that made my spine lock in place. He stepped back and I followed the guards. My heart was in my throat as I crept up the stairs with cold feet. Shudder after shudder racked the entirety of my form as though I were lost in a blazing winter wind. This was not what I planned. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. Along the arched hallways, I caught the scent of the strawberry and vanilla once more which caused me to jerk to a stop. I had the notes in my hand, notes of the instructions I needed to do. But this was completely out of the plan. As I moved, the coins in my leather bag jingled and clattered amongst themselves. Some coins I’d achieved from the alpha king. I stole from the alpha king, insulted him, and laid my hands on him. How deep was my crime? Enough to have my head on a spike? As we approached the grand hall, the scent became apparent. My insides twisted and so did my neck. In the pit of my stomach, I felt current flow through me. Gathering more in my abdomen, I stilled as that electricity flowed from the pit of my stomach to my heart and then to my head. Everything stopped and started at the same time. By the door, a male wolf stared at me with glowing eyes, and then everything locked. Mate! My wolf growled and I snarled. “What the actual f**k?” I gasped. His eyes fastened on me, watched with precision as the guard showed me to the room. Lo and behold, the door my mate guided was the door we were approaching. About to die, declared as the prince’s prize, and now finding my mate? This night couldn’t get any more bizarre. He opened the door. My steps slowed as I walked past him, our eyes meeting. How was he my mate? The person I’d had the longest crush on? Worse, the best question was, what was the General of the rogue group doing here?