Rejected Omega: Claimed By Her Ex's Uncle

Who Has Waited Twelve Years

Reina's POV

The capital was everything the stories had promised: a sprawling, glittering expanse of opportunity and danger. But as the car rolled through the iron gates of the inner city, I knew the darker truth. In this place, hierarchy was everything. Rogues were outcasts, omegas were overlooked, and those who dared to leave their packs were treated like traitors.

The Alpha King and the Royal Family had always been distant myths to me, figures of power I never imagined I’d see, let alone be associated with.

But after a brief conversation with Damon’s Beta earlier in the breakfast table, I realized my new reality. Damon didn't just have a "relationship" with them; he was their sword. I was about to be tangled in a web of politics that I was never prepared for.

"You've been staring outside for too long," Damon’s deep voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

I blinked, realizing I had been pressing my forehead against the glass of the car window.

"It's just... The city is bigger than I imagined," I whispered, pulling my hands into my lap.

"The capital is a place that never sleeps," Damon said, reaching out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind my ear. His touch was surprisingly gentle for a man who was a warlord.

The car turned off the main boulevard into a quieter, more secluded district, passing through massive iron gates onto a vast estate. After a while, the car came to a smooth halt in front of a sprawling, modern mansion. I pushed the door open to find Damon already waiting; he had moved with a speed that caught me off guard. He extended his hand, and I placed mine in his palm.

As I stepped out, my breath hitched. Rows of servants and staff were lined up in perfect formation on either side of the entrance, their heads bowed in deep respect.

"Welcome home, Luna Reina," they spoke in a unison that echoed across the estate grounds.

I froze, my eyes wide. Back at my old pack, I was barely noticed, let alone honored. The scale of this reception, the way they stood for me as if I were royalty, was overwhelming.

"Good evening, everyone," I managed to say, my voice small. I looked up at Damon, unsure of the protocol, who was looking at me with a warm smile.

"Let's go in," he said softly, his hand moving to the small of my back.

The interior of the house was a masterpiece of modern architecture: floor-to-ceiling glass walls, marble floors, and minimalist furniture that screamed wealth and power.

"Is all of this... Yours?" I whispered as we crossed the foyer.

"Ours, Reina," Damon corrected, his voice a low rumble. "Let's go to our bedroom. You're going to love it."

As we climbed the grand staircase, the glass railings and soft LED lighting making the house feel like something out of a magazine, Damien's voice turned serious, "I know I haven't given you the best wedding, but I will never step back from my duties. I intend to be the best husband you could ask for. We haven't had much time to talk, with everything moving so fast."

"You said marrying me was the easiest way to get me out of that house," I reminded him.

"Yes. That's true," he replied simply.

We came to a halt outside a set of massive, dark wood double doors. Before he could open them, I stopped. I couldn't go inside and pretend everything was fine. I needed him to understand the state of my soul.

"Damon, I don't think I'll fall in love again. I mean... It's difficult for me," I began, my gaze falling to the polished floor. "I gave so many years to the mate the Moon Goddess chose for me. For a whole year, he cheated on me while I lived in a fantasy, thinking he loved me. I know I’m married to you now, and I have duties to fulfill, but I want to be honest. I don’t want a bond where I’ll just be left hurt again. He was so good to me since we were children. I don’t know what changed or if I was just a fool, but I feel like I'm not lucky enough to even think about love."

I laid my heart bare, terrified that these promises of a "best husband" were just echoes of the lies I'd heard before. "So, if you want to let me go... I won't question you," I whispered, biting my lip to keep it from trembling.

Damon didn't pull away. Instead, his strong hands came up to cup my face. It wasn't an aggressive move, but there was a terrifying intensity behind it.

"Reina, don't ever compare me with your ex. I hate it," Damon declared. I could feel his wolf vibrating inside his chest, a low, powerful growl that seemed to rattle my very bones. I had pulled a string I shouldn't have.

"I understand what it feels like to be rejected," Damon said. The initial flash of anger in his eyes softened into something more profound, a shared understanding of pain. "It’s sad to me that you think I’m like your ex. That you think I could ever be that careless with you."

He leaned down until our foreheads rested against each other, his hands still framing my face with a possessive heat.

"Take your time. Heal yourself. I won't force your heart to move faster than it's ready to," he promised, his breath fanning over my lips. "But get one thing straight: you won't leave my side, Reina. I didn't pull you out of that place just to let you wander away. When a golden-eyed Alpha vows to his mate, that is a vow for eternity to fulfill. I am not a boy playing at love; I am a man who has waited twelve years to claim what is mine."

He let go of my face and reached for the door handle, pushing the heavy doors open to reveal a master suite that was ours now.

"This is your home now," he said, stepping aside to let me enter first. "And I am your husband. Those are the only two facts that matter tonight and ever."