Rejected Luna: Desired by the Lycan King

Chapter 8

Eliana's POV

The silence inside the luxury SUV was beautiful. I pulled a lace-trimmed handkerchief from my designer handbag and gently dabbed at the corners of my eyes, making sure not to smudge my freshly done mascara.

Through the corner of my eye, I watched Mom’s face twist with a mixture of rage and heartbreaking sympathy. She turned in her seat, covering my hand with her own, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Oh, sweetheart, please don't cry," Mom pleaded, her voice cracking with emotion.

"Elena has always been stubborn and vicious. You cannot let her ruin your day. Not today."

"But Mom," I whimpered, letting my voice tremble just enough to sound completely fragile. "It is my fault. Maybe if I wasn't here, Elena wouldn't be so angry. Maybe... maybe I should just leave the family. I’m not your real daughter anyway. I don’t want to cause any more pain."

"That is absolute nonsense!" Mom snapped, her grip tightening on my hand. "Don't you ever say that, Eliana. You have been a blessing to this family from the moment we brought you home. You are my daughter, and nothing will ever change that."

I lowered my head, hiding the victorious smirk that threatened to break across my face. It was so easy. A few tears, a soft sigh, and I had them exactly where I wanted them.

"I just... I feel so terrible," I whispered into my handkerchief. "If it weren't for me, Elena wouldn't have felt forced to... to sell her body. Whatever filthy, shameful thing she did just to buy that dress... it’s because she wants to hurt me."

My plan is absolutely perfect, I thought to myself, a thrill of dark excitement rushing through my veins. Elena was completely isolated now. No mate, no family, and a reputation dragged so low through the mud she would never be able to look a pack member in the eye again.

"Elena was raised by savage rogues, Eliana," Mom said, her voice dripping with disgust as the car pulled through the large iron gates of the Alpha mansion.

"Her manners are rotten, and her soul is corrupted. It is not your fault she chose to live like an animal."

When the car came to a stop, we hurried inside the grand estate. Dad was pacing the floor of the main living room, looking at his watch, but he stopped the moment he saw us.

"Did you get the dress, Eliana?" Dad asked, his eyes scanning our hands.

Before I could answer, I forced a fresh tear to spill over my eyelashes. Mom instantly stepped forward, her face flushed with anger. "No, she didn't! And it’s all because of Elena. She was at the boutique."

Dad’s expression darkened instantly, his Alpha aura flaring in pure fury. "What do you mean she was there? I blocked her pack accounts!"

"She had a gold card, Dad," I spoke up, my voice small and hesitant, playing the protective sister flawlessly.

"She... she was trying to buy the same dress. I tried to tell her to come home, to stop whatever she was doing, but she screamed at me."

"Where would she get that kind of money?" Dad growled, running a hand through his hair.

"Well..." I trailed off dramatically, looking down at the floorboards. "She could have sold her body like Mom said... or maybe... maybe she sold the assets Grandma left her."

Just mentioning Grandma made bitterness coat the back of my throat. I had spent years trying to win that old woman’s heart. I baked for her, I sat with her, I played the perfect granddaughter. But no matter what I did, she always doted on Elena.

Even after Elena went missing, Grandma refused to look at me the same way. And when the old hag finally died, she left me absolutely nothing. Everything—the vast inheritance, the private accounts, the properties—was left entirely to Elena.

Dad and Mom had already promised me they would find a legal loophole to seize those assets and give them to me, but we hadn't been able to touch them yet.

Hearing that Elena might have accessed them made Dad explode.

"She touched the inheritance?!" he roared, turning toward the stairs where Ethan was just walking down. "Ethan! Call the pack bankers right now. Check every single account your grandmother left. If Elena has withdrawn a single cent, I want those assets frozen immediately!"

"Calm down, honey," Mom said, placing a hand on Dad’s chest to soothe his anger. "Don't let her ruin tonight. The Lycan King arrives in just a few hours. We can deal with Elena and her stolen money later. Right now, we need to look flawless for the royal arrival." She turned to me with a warm smile. "Eliana, sweetheart, go upstairs and get ready."

"Okay, Mom," I murmured softly.

I turned and walked up the grand staircase, maintaining my heavy, sorrowful posture until I finally reached my bedroom. The moment I stepped inside and closed the heavy wooden door behind me, I dropped the act completely.

I let out a loud, exhausted groan and tossed my designer bag onto the armchair. God, playing the victim is so tiring sometimes, I thought, stretching my arms.

A sharp chime echoed from my bed. I walked over and picked up my phone. A text notification from Caleb was glowing on the screen. I rolled my eyes so hard it practically hurt.

Honestly, it had been fun to steal Caleb from Elena. Watching her face fall when he ran to me at the hospital was a highlight of my life. But now that I actually had him? He was getting incredibly boring. He was just a standard border-pack Alpha. I wanted more. I deserved more.

I opened his text.

Caleb: Are you ready, beautiful? I’m picking you up soon. Tonight, you stand by my side as the future Luna when we welcome the King. I love you.

I tossed the phone face-down onto my mattress without replying.

I walked into my massive, custom-built walk-in closet. Sure, I didn't get that specific black dress at the mall, but my racks were overflowing with hundreds of other designer gowns. I searched through the fabrics until my fingers landed on a stunning, jewel-toned emerald dress with a plunging neckline.

I pulled it out, a slow, predatory smile spreading across my lips.

Tonight wasn't just about celebrating Elena's downfall. Tonight was the perfect chance to get close to the Lycan King. Nobody in the outer packs knew his true name—he was a myth shrouded in ultimate power and silver light.

Rumor had it he hadn't found his fated mate yet, and although he wasn't publicly searching, I knew what I was capable of.

If I could capture the heart of the King, I wouldn't just be a Luna. I would be the Queen of the entire supernatural world. Caleb was just my ticket into the room.

I walked back into the bedroom, picked up my phone, and typed a quick, sweet reply to Caleb.

Eliana:I’m almost ready, my love! I can’t wait to make you proud tonight.

Setting the phone down, I looked at my reflection in the full-length mirror. Tonight, the King was going to see me, and the world would finally forget Elena ever existed.