The Rejected Luna And Her Cursed Alpha Brothers

RILEY's POV. Congratulations, Ms. Sinclair. We are pleased to formally offer you the position of Executive Operations Coordinator at Hale Industries. I read the email three times before it finally sank in. "Oh my God!" I exclaimed, nearly dropping my phone as I jumped from my bed in excitement. I smiled so hard that my cheeks started to hurt but I didn't care. I hadn't felt this happy in years. Hale Industries. I couldn't believe I got the job. This wasn't some internship or an entry-level position they'd eventually replace me in. It was a real position at one of the biggest companies on the East Coast and they weren't known for giving opportunities to people who didn't earn them. Their CEO, I'd learned, was a ruthless, brilliant, and demanding man. And very impossible to impress too. The final round of applicants usually made it to his table and ultimately it was him who decided who got hired. I worked so hard for this over the last three months. Three months of waking before sunrise to train and working my shifts as a Beta warrior then staying up late again to study corporate operations until my eyes closed. I'd nearly convinced myself I'd failed the final interview but apparently, I was wrong. I fell back into my bed and hugged my phone to my chest. The first person that came to my mind was my boyfriend. I had to tell Mason and I needed to see his face when I did. So I got out of bed and waltzed in and out of the shower. I put on my prettiest blue dress with light makeup and I let my curls fall onto my shoulders rather than the usual bun. I paused in front of the mirror. The dress hugged my curves, making my stomach and hips more noticeable than I usually preferred. Being plus-sized in Silvercrest meant I'd grown used to the occasional stare, the whispers, and the little comments people thought I didn't hear. Some women in the pack never failed to remind me that I didn't have the body they considered beautiful. Even some of the warriors usually joked that I was too soft-looking to be one of the strongest Betas in the pack but I learned to ignore them. At least, I'd tried. I smoothed my hands over the dress and lifted my chin. "You've got this." I stared into the mirror when I was done, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. Tomorrow night was supposed to be the best night of my life. It was the annual mating ceremony and after years of waiting, Mason was finally going to publicly accept me as his mate. Mason Lockwood wasn't just my boyfriend. He was Alpha Killian's only son and the future Alpha of Silvercrest. Which meant that when he accepted me as his mate, I would become Luna and his father, the Alpha would be there to bless it. I'd imagined that moment more times than I could count. Mason standing beside me with his hand in mine and the entire Pack watching as we officially became one. For years, I'd believed that being chosen by Mason would finally silence all the people who had made me feel like I wasn't enough. Maybe then they'd see what he saw in me. Now I had a new job waiting for me on top of it and my entire future suddenly looked perfect. I heaved a deep breath before grabbing my jacket and keys. Mason was going to be so proud of me. I couldn't wait to tell him. Fifteen minutes later, I pulled into Mason's driveway and parked beside his car which was already there. "He's home. Perfect!" I muttered under my breath. I came out of the car and walked up the front steps with a smile on my face. He'd probably pull me into one of his tight hugs the minute he saw me and maybe even tell me that he'd always known I could do it. Maybe he'd kiss me and remind me that after tomorrow, we wouldn't have to wait for anything anymore. When I got to the front door, I didn't bother knocking. I noticed it was slightly open which was odd but I just headed inside. "Mason?" I called out but no answer. I pulled my brows together as I walked up the stairs. The house was unusually quiet until I heard it—a laughter, soft and feminine and it was a voice I recognized. "Serena?" I called out and my shoulders relaxed slightly. Of course. Serena must have come over. Maybe they were preparing something for tomorrow night. Maybe Mason had planned some surprise for me and Serena was helping him. That had to be it, I thought. Serena had been my best friend for nine years and over time, she'd gotten closer to Mason too, helping him out with his duties. Finally, I reached the top of the stairs and their voices grew louder. I heard Mason's first and then Serena's and I halted in front of his bedroom door which was left slightly open. When I pushed it, my entire world stopped. Right there on his bed was Mason and Serena, wrapped inside his sheets. For several seconds, I couldn't breathe until the wolf screamed inside me, loud enough to make me gasp. "Riley!" Serena exclaimed and she didn't even bother moving away from Mason. "You're home early." She added. "Clearly." I let out a bitter laugh as I stared at the scattered clothes across the floor before my gaze moved between them. My boyfriend of four years and my best friend of nine. "Well," I said slowly. "This is awkward." "Riley..." Mason's jaw tightened but I scoffed. "No, go ahead." I gestured toward the bed. "Please. I wouldn't want to interrupt. I can always come back when you're done ruining my life." Serena rolled her eyes and somehow, that hurt seeing them together. "You're being dramatic." I looked at her and could barely believe it. "I'm standing in my boyfriend's bedroom while he's in bed with my best friend. I think I've earned a little drama." I said. "So this is what you've been doing behind my back?" I asked. "Here she goes..." He sighed but I interrupted. "No, I'm quite impressed. The coordination, the timing, the commitment to make me look like an idiot." I clutched my phone in my hand, the email from Hale Industries still on the screen. I had come here to tell Mason I'd gotten the job but instead, here he was with Serena in his bed. "How long has this been going on?" I asked and they both fell silent. "Come on. Surely you can manage a number." I looked between them and ultimately, it was Serena who sat up. "Four months," she said. "Four months?" My smile disappeared and she shrugged. "And you were going to tell me when?" I looked at Mason. "This whole time, you knew I was busy and barely getting by with the million job applications I had to fill daily and you were busy betraying me with my best friend?" My voice cracked. "When were you going to tell me, Mason?" I asked. "Tomorrow." "The mating ceremony?" My stomach dropped and I knew immediately. "You were going to reject me." His silence only confirmed it and I took a step back. "In front of the whole pack." "You weren't supposed to find out until tomorrow night," He said. Serena laughed softly, slipping her hand around his arm and I stared at them. It was obvious now that this wasn't a mistake. They'd planned it. My best friend had spent four months betraying me while smiling in my face while Mason planned to humiliate me in front of everyone. "You could've just told me." I swallowed hard and Mason nearly chuckled. "And give you time to make a scene?" He scoffed. I stared at him, waiting for something else. An apology. An explanation. Anything. Instead, his eyes moved over me, lingering on the curves of my body before his expression twisted with something that looked almost like disgust. "Did you really think I was going to make you my Luna?" He asked. "Mason..." My throat tightened. "I'm going to be Alpha, Riley. You think I can stand beside you in front of the entire pack and make you my Luna?" His eyes moved over my body, and the disgust in them made my stomach twist. "Look at Serena. She's everything a Luna should be. Beautiful. Elegant and what an Alpha's mate is supposed to look like. Someone the pack can actually look up to." He looked back at me. "You're a great warrior, Riley. But that's all you'll ever be." He turned to her but Serena didn't say a word. Something inside me cracked. For years, I'd told myself the whispers didn't matter. That the jokes didn't matter. That the way women in the pack looked at Serena and then looked at me didn't matter. But hearing it from Mason made every cruel comment I ever swallowed feel like a knife twisting deeper. I stared at him and a laugh escaped my lips. Not because it was funny but because if I didn't, I might break. "You thought I'd made a scene," I scoffed quietly. "Don't worry, I won't give you one." I turned around and stormed out. I couldn't even bear to look at both of them. I made it to my car before the tears came and the moment the door shut behind me, I broke. I pressed both hands over my mouth as a sob tore through me. Four years. Four years of loving Mason and nine years trusting Serena. All gone. They threw it all away like it meant nothing. I wiped my face, but the tears wouldn't stop. I'd spent my entire life learning how to fight, how to take a hit and keep standing but no one had taught me what to do when the people you trusted most were the ones holding the knife. My phone lit up and I stared at the email with blurry eyes. Congratulations, Ms. Sinclair. Hale Industries. A few hours ago, I'd thought today was the beginning of everything I'd ever wanted. The perfect future I'd envisioned for myself but now, I wasn't sure what was left. And tomorrow was still the mating ceremony. I took one last look at the pack grounds before I started the car. Then I wiped my tears and straightened my shoulders. They could keep my mate. They could even keep each other. But they weren't taking the rest of my life with them.