Claimed By The Alpha King

Today was supposed to be the happiest day of my life. Instead, it became the worst day of my life. I stood in front of the mirror while the maids fixed my hair. A smile appeared on my face. Today was my mating ceremony. Today, I would finally become Damien's Luna. I had loved Damien for years. Ever since we were children. Everyone knew it. Including my stepsister, Sophia. "Stop smiling like that. It's embarrassing." I turned around and saw Sophia standing at the door. She looked beautiful as always. Beautiful and annoying. "What do you want?" I asked. Sophia smirked. "Nothing." That was a lie. Whenever Sophia said "nothing," trouble always followed. Her eyes traveled over my dress. "It's a shame." I frowned. "What is?" She smiled. "You'll find out soon." Then she turned and left. I stared at the door. Something about her smile made me uncomfortable. Very uncomfortable. A few minutes later, one of the maids entered. "The ceremony is ready." My heart started beating faster. This was it. I took a deep breath and followed her outside. The mating hall was already full. Pack members filled every seat. Everyone was smiling. Everyone looked excited. I looked toward the front. Damien was standing there. For some reason, he wasn't smiling. My heart sank. For the past few weeks, he had been acting strange. Avoiding me. Ignoring me. Whenever I asked what was wrong, he always changed the subject. I told myself I was imagining things. Now I wasn't so sure. The elder stepped forward. "Today, we gather to witness the union between Damien Blackwood and Elena Rivers." Applause filled the hall. I looked at Damien. He didn't look at me. The uneasy feeling inside me grew stronger. The elder smiled. "Damien Blackwood, do you accept Elena Rivers as your mate and future Luna?" The hall became silent. Everyone waited for his answer. Including me. Damien finally looked at me. His eyes were cold. So cold. Then he spoke. "No." My smile disappeared. The room became silent. Completely silent. I blinked. Surely I heard him wrong. "What?" The word escaped my mouth. Damien looked away. "I reject Elena Rivers as my mate." Gasps filled the hall. Whispers started immediately. I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. I just stared at him. Waiting for someone to laugh. Waiting for someone to say it was a joke. But nobody did. Because it wasn't a joke. My mate was rejecting me. In front of everyone. "Damien..." My voice shook. "What are you doing?" His expression didn't change. "I don't love you." The words hit me harder than a slap. Tears filled my eyes. But I refused to cry. Not here. Not in front of everyone. "Why?" That was the only thing I could ask. Why? Then I heard a familiar laugh. Sophia. My stomach dropped. Slowly, I turned around. Sophia walked into the hall with a smile on her face. A victorious smile. The kind of smile that made me sick. She walked straight to Damien. Then she wrapped her arm around his. The entire hall exploded with whispers. "No..." I whispered. Sophia looked at me and smiled. "Yes." I felt like the ground had disappeared beneath my feet. "You knew?" I asked Damien. He didn't answer. That was answer enough. Sophia laughed softly. "I told you before, Elena." She stepped closer. "Not everyone gets a happy ending." I looked around desperately. Surely someone would stop this. Surely someone would say something. Then my eyes landed on my father. Relief filled me. For a second. "Father..." He looked at me. Then looked away. Just like that. My heart broke. More than Damien's rejection. More than Sophia's betrayal. My own father didn't care. He didn't even try to defend me. The hall suddenly felt too small. Too crowded. Everyone was staring. Everyone was watching my humiliation. I wanted to disappear. The elder cleared his throat. "Damien Blackwood, are you certain of your decision?" "Yes." No hesitation. No regret. Nothing. The bond snapped. Pain exploded through my chest. "Ah!" I grabbed my chest immediately. The pain was unbearable. Tears finally rolled down my cheeks. People watched. Nobody helped. Nobody cared. At that moment, I hated all of them. Sophia smiled. Damien stood beside her. My father remained silent. And I was completely alone. Then suddenly— The doors burst open. A powerful scent filled the hall. The atmosphere changed instantly. Every Alpha in the room stiffened. Fear appeared on several faces. Heavy footsteps echoed through the hall. One. Two. Three. Then a deep voice spoke. Cold. Dangerous. Powerful. "What exactly is happening here?" The entire room froze. I slowly looked toward the entrance. A tall man stood there dressed in black. His golden eyes swept across the room. Then they landed on me. And for the first time that day— Someone looked shocked to see me.