THE ALPHA'S REJECTED HEIR

THE LUNA'S WOLVES

*Lyra’s POV*

Selene’s text burned in my phone.

*Unknown Number: You let him touch them. Mistake. Silver Luna or not, you’ll bleed for this. -S*

I didn’t delete it. I screenshot it. Sent it to my head of security. Then to Rhett.

*Me: She threatens my pups again, you put her down. Pack law or human law. I don’t care.*

*Rhett: Kade will lose it.*

*Me: Then he better lose it in her direction.*

I locked my phone. Checked the monitors.

Aria and Ash, asleep in their room. Moon nightlight on. Dinosaur guarding the door.

Safe.

For now.

My wolf paced. Threat. Threat. Threat.

Silver Lunas didn’t get to be mothers. We were weapons. Political bombs. The last one started a pack war that killed 200 wolves.

Now I had twins. And every broken, bitter wolf in Manhattan wanted to test me.

Let them.

The elevator dinged. 9:47 PM.

Kade. Early for his second hour tomorrow.

Rule #1: Separate bedrooms.

Rule #2: No touching.

Rule #3: No claiming.

Rule #4: I control access to the twins.

Rule #5: He calls me Ms. King.

Rule #6: He obeys me.

He was about to break three of them.

I opened the door before he knocked.

He stood there in jeans and a black Henley. No suit. Like I asked. Arms full of books. Hair wet from rain. Eyes pure ice gray, no gold. No wolf. Just... man.

And desperate.

“Ms. King,” he said, voice rough. “I know I’m early.”

“You are.” I didn’t move. Didn’t let him in. “State your business, Alpha.”

He flinched at the title. Good.

“Selene texted me.” He held up his phone. Same number. Same threat. *He’s mine. The pups will be too. One way or another.* “She’s escalating.”

“I know.”

“I’m not asking for an hour.” His jaw clenched. “I’m asking for the night. On your couch. On the floor. I don’t care. I’m not leaving them unguarded.”

Rule #1. Broken.

“Your wolf’s been unstable for five years,” I said coldly. “You think I’m letting you sleep ten feet from my children?”

“I think you’re letting the man who would die for them sleep ten feet from them,” he shot back. “Lyra Ms. King please.”

Please.

Kade Volkov didn’t beg. Not five years ago when his pack was crumbling. Not when I took his company.

But he was begging now. For them.

My wolf sat up. Mate protects pups. Mate good.

I shut that down.

“Floor,” I said. “Living room. You snore, you’re out. You shift, you’re dead. You touch them without my permission, I put you down myself.”

Relief crashed through his face. He nodded once. Sharp. “Yes, Luna.”

“Ms. King.”

“Ms. King,” he corrected. Hoarse.

He stepped inside. Paused.

“Kade.”

He froze.

“You bleed on my carpet,” I said, eyeing the books, “Aria will make you clean it. With a toothbrush.”

His mouth twitched. Almost a smile. “Understood.”

---

*Kade’s POV - 2:14 AM*

I didn’t sleep.

Couldn’t.

Every creak of the penthouse had me on my feet, claws half-out, wolf scanning.

Selene was unhinged. Blackwood Pack was leaderless since her father died. If she rallied them—

A sound.

Soft. From the kids’ room.

I was at their door in two seconds.

Aria. Crying. Nightmare.

Rule #4. _I control access._

Fuck the rules.

I pushed the door open.

She was tangled in blankets, little fists pressed to her eyes. “Mommy... mommy...”

Ash sat up, blinking. Saw me. Didn’t scream. Just pointed at his sister. “Sad. Fix.”

I crossed the room. Sank to my knees beside her bed.

“Aria, baby. It’s me.” Stupid. She didn’t know ‘me.’ “It’s... Dad.”

The word felt foreign. Sacred.

Her crying hitched. She peeked at me through fingers.

“Bad lady,” she whispered. “With the knife. She hurt Mommy.”

Selene. She’d seen the news.

Rage. White hot. My vision bled gold.

No. Not here. Not in front of them.

I shoved the wolf down. Breathed.

“Hey.” I kept my voice low. Human. “No bad lady is getting past me. Ever. You know why?”

She shook her head.

“Because I’m bigger. And meaner. And your mommy’s scarier than me.”

A wet laugh.

“Can... can you stay?” Small voice. “Till the moon goes away?”

Rule #1. Rule #3. Rule #6. All of them.

I looked at the door.

Lyra stood there.

Arms crossed. Face unreadable. She’d been there how long?

She met my eyes. Gave one sharp nod.

Permission.

I exhaled. Carefully, like she’d break, I lifted Aria into my lap. She was so light. So warm. She smelled like moonflowers and Lyra.

Ash crawled over, T-Rex in hand. Plopped down beside me. Used my leg as a pillow.

My pups. In my arms.

For the first time in five years, the wolf went quiet.

Not feral. Not raging.

Just... home.

Lyra didn’t leave. She leaned against the doorframe. Watching.

“You’re breaking three rules,” she said softly.

“I know.”

“You touch her hair and you break four.”

I froze. My hand was halfway to Aria’s curls.

Lyra pushed off the doorframe. Walked to us. Knelt.

She took my hand. Guided it to Aria’s hair. Laced our fingers together on top of her head.

“Rule #7,” Lyra whispered. “You hurt them, I end you. But you comfort them...”

Her silver eyes met mine.

“You can stay.”

The bond. Snapped taut. Sizzling. Alive.

Her wolf brushed mine. Not fighting. Recognizing.

Mates. Pups. Pack.

I bowed my head. Pressed my forehead to Lyra’s. Breaking Rule #2. Breaking Rule #3.

She let me.

For thirty seconds, we were just a mother and father. With sleeping pups between us.

Then her phone buzzed.

She pulled back. Checked it. Face went ice cold.

Security feed. Lobby camera.

Selene. Downstairs. With six Blackwood wolves. And silver.

“She’s here,” Lyra said.

My wolf surged.

“Wake the pups,” I snarled, standing. “Get them in the safe room. Now.”

Lyra was already moving. But she stopped. Looked at me.

“Kade.”

“Yeah?”

“Rule #8.” Her smile was all Luna. All lethal. “You let her touch my children...”

“I’ll paint your floors with her,” I finished.

“Good Alpha.” She kissed Aria’s head. “Let’s hunt.”