Rejected Omega: Claimed By Her Ex's Uncle

A Luna who brought power

Damon's POV

I watched her for a moment, my heart tightening at the sight of her small, trembling form. My gaze dropped to her feet. She had run out here barefoot. The thought of her skin being cut or bruised by the gravel path made my protective instincts flare.

"Give me a chance to prove my loyalty to you," I said softly. I slowly closed the remaining distance and reached for her hands, which were icy cold.

"Just because Zayne betrayed you and broke your heart doesn't mean that I am the same. Not every man is built from the same mold, Reina. And I urge you, please, do not compare me with your ex. I am sorry you endured such pain. I blame myself for not finding you sooner."

Her jagged sobs began to quiet, tapering off into small, hitching breaths. Emboldened by her silence, I brought my hand to the back of her head, my fingers tangling gently in her hair to pull her forehead against my chest.

"I wish I had known this yesterday," I growled, the vibration of my voice rumbling against her. "I would have confronted Zayne right then and there. But don't fret. Tomorrow, he will answer for what he has done to you. No one discards my mate and remains unscathed."

"I don't want an uncle to fight with his nephew," Reina murmured against my shirt, her voice muffled and exhausted.

I tightened my grip on her, my jaw setting into a hard line. To her, it was a family dispute. To me, it was a debt of blood. Zayne hadn't just rejected a girl; he had tried to destroy the woman who was fated to lead by my side.

I swept her up into my arms, carrying her toward the warm glow of the house. She didn't fight me this time; she simply leaned her head against my shoulder. I took her straight to our room and made her sit on the mattress.

Examining her feet, I felt angry. "Look, what you've done to yourself. I'll call the doctor."

"No. I'll wash them. Sorry for troubling you. But Damon, you should know that falling in love once again isn't easy for you."

"I never asked you to fall in love with me instantly," I corrected her. "I told you to take your time. Reina, do you love arguing with me?"

"You married me forcefully. You aren't a nice man either," Reina told me. Rising to her feet, she went to the washroom, and I could not stop her. I heard the water being turned on, but my focus drifted somewhere else.

Grabbing my phone from the table, I called Oliver and said, "I found out who her mate was. It was my nephew. I will handle the matter now in my own way." With that, I hung up and called Zayne.

~~~~

Zayne's POV

Ever since the rejection and that final, messy confrontation with Reina, a strange restlessness had been clawing at my gut. I tried to tell myself it was just the weight of the Alpha transition, the sudden influx of pack links and responsibilities, but her crying face kept flashing in my mind. I pushed it down. I had a pack to lead now, and I needed a Luna who brought power, not a woman who needed my constant protection.

Business for the Black Shadow Pack had brought me to the capital earlier than expected. I had just finished a hot shower to wash off the grime of the journey and stepped out of the bathroom, a towel draped around my neck. The vibration of my phone on the nightstand caught my attention.

When I saw the caller ID, I felt genuine happiness. It was my uncle. The Warlord.

I slumped into the upholstered chair, leaning back as I answered.

"Good evening, Uncle. I was actually about to call you," I said, unable to keep the excitement out of my voice. Among the Kingsley line, Damon was the legend I looked up to. "I'm in the capital for a few days and was hoping to see you. But since you're always on the move, I wanted to check if you were even in the city before I dropped by."

I waited for his usual gruff but steady greeting. I wanted to tell him about my ascension to Alpha, that I was finally stepping into the shoes he had once worn. I figured he'd be proud. After all, we were family.

"Good evening, Zayne," my uncle's voice finally came through the silence. It wasn't the warm greeting I expected. It was cold. "Yes, I heard about your ascension. Come to the estate in the morning. It is late at night, so I will hang up."

The line went dead before I could even get another word out.

I pulled the phone away from my ear, staring at the darkened screen in genuine shock. Uncle Damon had never talked to me like that. Even when he was busy with the King's military campaigns, he always had time for a bit of banter or a piece of advice. This level of brevity was unsettling. It felt less like a conversation and more like a summons from a superior officer.

"Did I do something to piss him off?" I muttered to the empty room.

I tried to shake the feeling. "I think he's just exhausted from the journey. Last I heard, he was deep in the southern territories."

Trying to ease the sudden knot of anxiety in my chest, I walked over to the sideboard and reached for a bottle of expensive red wine. I poured myself a glass. I needed to relax. Tomorrow I would see him, and I'd show him the Alpha I had become. He'd come around.

I set the glass down and picked up the phone again, dialing a different number, one that usually made me feel much better about myself.

"Mariana?" I said when she picked up, a small smile finally returning to my face as I leaned back against the desk.