Claimed By The Alpha’s Rival

Episode 03

Adira

It felt like invisible strings were wrapped around my heart, pulling tighter with every breath. The pain of rejection burned through me, raw and unrelenting. My wolf whimpered in the back of my mind, curling into herself, defeated. I had thought finding my mate would bring joy, a sense of belonging. But all I felt was shattered hope.

"Let's return to the palace." Alpha Kai’s voice was cold, distant, as if he hadn’t just severed the bond that tethered us. He barely spared me a glance before turning away, his guards falling into step beside him.

For a brief moment, he hesitated. If I wasn’t drowning in agony, I might have mistaken it for second thoughts. But I wasn’t foolish enough to believe he’d change his mind. The hatred in his eyes told me everything I needed to know. He despised me.

Rage simmered beneath my grief. I had spent my life yearning for acceptance, only to be cast aside like I was nothing. How could I have expected anything different? I was an outcast, an unwanted burden.

I clenched my fists, forcing my trembling body to stay upright. "Just go, then!" I shouted after him, my voice cracking. "Leave while you still have your pride! You won’t have to explain your actions—no one questions an Alpha, after all. You made your decision, so live with it!"

A thick silence followed. Then, a voice I had grown to despise sneered, "Insolent girl. You never know when to keep your mouth shut."

My uncle.

His smug face made my blood boil. Before I could react, I was yanked backward by my hair. A sharp sting exploded across my face as I was struck. My lip split open, the taste of iron filling my mouth.

"You have no right to talk back!" someone barked. Gamma Aldawolf. His voice was as cruel as his actions.

I was dragged across the clearing, my knees scraping against the rough ground. My struggling only earned me more blows until I was too weak to fight back. My uncle’s laughter rang in my ears as I was thrown into the darkness of the pack’s dungeons.

I couldn't understand why the Alpha wouldn't just let me go after rejecting. No! I think he found it oddly satisfying just to lock me up and punish me because I was his fated and he had a deep hatred for omegas.

Days Blurred Into Nights as I remained locked up in the dungeon.

They starved me, deprived me of water, left me in the cold with nothing but my tattered clothes. My platinum hair turned dull and matted, my body weak, but my will to survive burned stronger than ever.

I refused to break.

In the endless silence, I found resolve. I would not die here. I would not give them the satisfaction of seeing me crumble. If this world wanted me gone, then I would fight to exist.

I was nothing to them now, but one day, they would regret underestimating me.

On what I assumed was the seventh day, I heard the heavy door creak open. Footsteps echoed through the damp stone chamber before a figure stopped before my cell.

"You’ve been assigned to work as a servant in the pack house." The voice was emotionless.

I slowly lifted my head, my vision blurry from exhaustion. When I made out Kai standing there, my gut twisted with anger.

"I don’t recall asking for your generosity," I rasped. My throat was raw, my voice hoarse from lack of water. "Is this another form of punishment?"

His expression remained unreadable. "You will follow orders. Disobedience will not be tolerated."

I wanted to spit at his feet, to tell him to go to hell. But I held my tongue. Survival was my priority now, not pride.

Weeks Passed by and I was getting pretty good at surviving.

I adapted to my new role, cleaning, serving, being invisible. Every morning, I was woken before sunrise to scrub floors, wash dishes, and prepare meals for the very people who had thrown me away. I endured their whispers, their taunts, the way they looked at me like I was filth beneath their shoes.

One morning, as I wiped the sweat from my brow, a group of maids chattered near the kitchen. Their hushed voices carried across the room.

"Today is the Alpha’s celebration night. All the powerful Alphas from neighboring territories will be here."

"It’s going to be a nightmare," another muttered. "I heard they assigned Adira to serve the wine."

My grip on the cloth in my hands tightened. My stomach twisted. Serving at a table full of ruthless Alphas? This wasn’t just a duty—it was a setup for humiliation.

But refusing wasn’t an option. I had no choice but to face whatever awaited me.

Honestly, whose plan was this? Alpha Kai? To show everyone the disgrace the moon goddess mated him to? Is that it? To show everyone his reject? Gosh, he's even more petty than I think it is.

The grand hall was filled with laughter and clinking glasses, the air thick with the scent of expensive wine and roasted meat.

I moved carefully, avoiding eye contact as I filled goblets, my hands steady despite the way my heart pounded.

"It’s no surprise that trouble follows you," an elder sneered as I poured his drink. "Your existence alone disrupts the pack’s harmony."

I bit the inside of my cheek, forcing myself to stay silent. The urge to throw the wine in his face was strong, but I had to be smarter than that.

I moved to the next guest. As I poured, a deep voice rumbled, "Thank you."

I froze.

Alphas never thanked servants.

Curious, I looked up—and my breath caught. The man before me radiated power, his piercing gaze locked onto mine.

Something shifted in the air. A strange warmth spread through me. My wolf stirred, alert, eager.

Recognition flickered in his eyes, his expression unreadable, but I already knew.

This Alpha—he was my second chance mate.

Oh wow okay Adira. Keep yourself in check.

I tried not to blush but I'm not sure I'm doing a good job at it but suddenly, rememberance of how Alpha Kai rejected me did a little play back in my head and i sighed.

This is bullshit. I'll just keep serving and act like I don't know what's going on.