THE LYCAN KING REJECTED LUNA

Chapter 1: The Alpha Who Rejected Me Seraphina's POV "Before this ceremony ends, I want Seraphina Vale out of my pack." My mate's voice carried across the ballroom, silencing hundreds of werewolves. I stopped at the entrance, my hand tightening around the small gift box in my purse. Draven Blackthorn stood on the ceremonial platform, dressed in a black suit with the silver crest of his pack pinned to his chest. Beside him stood Evelisse, the woman everyone believed was too fragile to survive a single night outside her protected home. She was holding his hand. I stared at their joined hands, waiting for Draven to notice me. When he did, his expression didn't change. "Draven?" I called. Several guests turned toward me. Whispers spread through the ballroom, but I ignored them and walked forward. This had to be some misunderstanding. Three nights ago, Draven had held me in his arms and promised that nothing would change between us after his coronation. He had even kissed my forehead before leaving for a meeting with the royal council. Now he was standing beside another woman, announcing that he wanted me gone. I stopped in front of the platform. "What is happening?" I asked him. Draven looked at me as if I were an unwanted guest who had interrupted an important meeting. "You're late." I almost laughed. "Late? Draven, I've been waiting outside for the ceremony to begin. Nobody told me you wanted me here." "That's because you weren't invited to stand with me." His answer left me speechless. Evelisse lowered her head, pressing closer to him. I looked at her, then back at my mate. "Why is she holding your hand?" "Because she's going to be my Luna." The gift box slipped from my fingers and landed on the marble floor. For a moment, I couldn't understand what he had said. His Luna? I was his mate. The pack had known about our bond for seven years. I had fought beside him, helped him survive challenges from rival Alphas, and spent countless nights tending to his injuries. When other wolves doubted his ability to lead, I stood up for him. When his enemies attacked, I had risked my life to protect him. And now he wanted another woman to take the position I had sacrificed so much to earn. "You're joking," I whispered. Draven's eyes narrowed. "Do I look like I'm joking?" "No." I swallowed. "But you can't be serious. We are mates." A few guests exchanged uncomfortable glances. Draven stepped down from the platform. "Being mates doesn't mean you're entitled to everything I own." "Everything you own?" I repeated. "Is that what I am to you? Someone trying to take your possessions?" "Don't twist my words." "Then explain them to me!" My voice rose before I could stop it. I had endured his coldness for months. I had excused his absence, his silence, and the way he sometimes looked at me as though loving him were a burden. But I had never imagined he would humiliate me in front of the entire kingdom. Draven glanced at the guests. "Seraphina, lower your voice. You're embarrassing yourself." I stared at him. "You're announcing another woman as your Luna, and I'm the one embarrassing myself?" Evelisse finally spoke. "Please, Seraphina. I know this is difficult, but Draven and I have feelings for each other. I never wanted to hurt you." I turned toward her. "Then why are you standing beside my mate?" Her eyes filled with tears. "I didn't ask him to reject you." "But you're happy to take my place." "That's enough!" Draven snapped. He moved between us, protecting Evelisse from me. Something inside my chest cracked. He had never stepped between us like that when she was absent. He had never looked so determined to defend anyone when I was the one being insulted. I looked at his face, searching for a hint of regret. There was none. "How long?" I asked quietly. Draven frowned. "What?" "How long have you been seeing her?" He didn't answer immediately. That hesitation told me more than his words ever could. "Six months," Evelisse admitted softly. Six months. I had spent six months wondering why my mate rarely came to my room anymore. I had blamed his responsibilities, the pressure of his coronation, and the endless problems within his pack. All that time, he had been with her. I looked at Draven. "Did you ever intend to tell me?" "I intended to handle this when the time was right." "The time was right?" I repeated. "You brought me here to watch you choose another woman?" "I didn't bring you here. You came on your own." The cruelty of his words silenced me. I glanced at the guests. Some were openly staring now. Others pretended to be interested in their drinks. Nobody defended me. Draven returned to the platform and held out his hand to Evelisse. "Tonight, I am choosing the future of this pack. Evelisse comes from a respected bloodline, and she has the support of the royal council. I will not allow a personal bond to interfere with my responsibilities." I understood then. He wasn't choosing her because she was kinder than me or because she understood him better. He was choosing her because she was useful. And he expected me to accept it quietly. I lifted my chin. "If your responsibilities are so important, why did you make promises you never intended to keep?" His expression hardened. "Because I thought you understood your place." The ballroom fell silent. My hands began to tremble. "My place?" "Yes. You were suitable when I needed someone beside me. But a High Alpha needs more than a woman who can fight. He needs a Luna who can strengthen his alliances." I looked at Evelisse's hand resting in his. "So seven years meant nothing to you?" "Seven years don't change the fact that you're not the woman I want." I felt those words deep in my chest. My wolf stirred painfully, reacting to the rejection she could sense coming. I had always believed our bond was strong enough to survive anything. Apparently, I had been the only one fighting for it. I bent down, picked up the gift box, and placed it back in my purse. Draven watched me. "What are you doing?" "What does it look like?" "If you think walking away will make me change my mind, you're mistaken." I met his eyes. "I'm not trying to change your mind." For the first time that evening, he looked uncertain. I turned toward the exit. Before I could take three steps, his voice stopped me. "Seraphina Vale." I looked back. "Since you insist on making this difficult, let us end it properly." He descended the platform and stood before me. The royal priest looked alarmed. "Alpha Draven, perhaps this should be handled privately….” "Silence." The priest immediately lowered his head. Draven's eyes locked onto mine. "Seraphina Vale, I reject you as my mate. From this moment forward, you have no claim to me, my title, or my pack." The pain hit me so suddenly that I had to grip the back of a chair. My wolf cried out inside me. I couldn't hear her clearly anymore. The bond that had connected me to Draven for seven years began to unravel, leaving me struggling to breathe. I pressed a hand against my chest. Draven watched without moving. "Leave Blackthorn territory before sunrise," he ordered. "If I see you here after that, my guards will remove you." I looked at him through my tears. "Is that what you want?" "Yes." "Then I hope Evelisse gives you everything you believe I couldn't." I turned away before he could answer. I had taken only a few steps when Evelisse called after me. "Seraphina, wait." I stopped reluctantly. She approached me, her expression filled with apparent concern. "I know you hate me right now, but I want you to understand something. Draven needs a woman who can stand beside him without constantly reminding him of the past." I stared at her. "Then why does he keep looking at you as if he's afraid you'll disappear?" Her smile faltered. I stepped closer. "You can have his title. You can have his palace. But don't mistake his choice for proof that you're better than me." Before she could respond, Draven grabbed my arm. "Apologize to her." I looked down at his hand. "Let go." "Apologize, Seraphina." "For what? Telling the truth?" His grip tightened. I pulled my arm free. "Don't touch me again." His expression turned murderous. "Get her out of my sight." Two guards approached, but before they could reach me, a deafening sound erupted outside the palace. The chandeliers shook. Every window rattled. Then a howl echoed across the grounds. It wasn't an ordinary wolf's howl. It was deeper, more powerful, and filled with an authority that made the wolves inside the ballroom drop their heads. One by one, Alphas fell to their knees. Draven froze. The royal priest stumbled backward, his face drained of color. "No," he whispered. "It can't be." The ballroom doors swung open. A line of black-clad warriors marched inside, their uniforms bearing a silver crown surrounded by a crescent moon. The royal guards immediately knelt. A tall man entered behind them. He wore a black coat over dark clothing, and his silver eyes swept across the room with such cold authority that nobody dared speak. I recognized him instantly. King Kael Veyron. The last Lycan King. The most powerful wolf alive. He had not attended a pack ceremony in twelve years. Rumors claimed he had executed three rebellious Alphas for challenging his authority. Others whispered that his wolf was so powerful that even the oldest Alpha couldn't withstand his presence. Yet he was here. And he looked furious. Draven hurried forward and bowed. "Your Majesty. We were not informed that you would be attending." Kael didn't acknowledge him. His gaze moved across the room until it settled on me. The moment our eyes met, he stopped walking. For a strange second, I felt something stir beneath my skin. My wolf, who had been silent since Draven rejected me, suddenly lifted her head. Him. I stumbled backward. What did she mean? Kael walked toward me, ignoring every noble who attempted to greet him. When he reached the center of the ballroom, he stopped directly in front of me. His eyes moved to my face. Then to the hand Draven had grabbed. A dangerous expression crossed his features. "Who hurt you?" I stared at him, confused by the question. "Nobody." His gaze shifted to Draven. "Is that so?" Draven swallowed. "Your Majesty, this is a private matter between me and my former mate." Kael slowly turned toward him. "Former mate?" Draven straightened, trying to recover his confidence. "I rejected her tonight. She is no longer connected to me." Kael studied him for several seconds. Then he laughed. It was a cold, humorless sound that made the remaining wolves lower their heads. "You rejected her?" "Yes, Your Majesty." "And you did so publicly?" Draven's jaw tightened. "I had my reasons." Kael stepped closer to him. "Whatever those reasons were, I suggest you pray they were worth the consequences." Draven's face paled. I had no idea what was happening, but I could feel the fear spreading through the room. Then Kael turned back to me. "Seraphina Vale?" I nodded cautiously. "Yes." He stared at me as if he had spent years searching for something he feared he would never find. Then, to my utter disbelief, the Lycan King lowered himself onto one knee before me. Gasps erupted throughout the ballroom. I froze. "Your Majesty, what are you doing?" He took my hand. His fingers were cold, but the moment they touched my skin, a strange warmth rushed through my body. Kael's silver eyes widened. For the first time since he entered the room, he looked genuinely shaken. "No," he whispered. I tried to pull my hand away. "What is it?" He looked at me again, and something in his expression frightened me more than his reputation ever could. "Where have you been hiding?" "I don't understand." His grip tightened slightly. Behind us, Draven shouted, "Your Majesty, release her! She is a rejected wolf. She has no title, no pack, and no right to stand before you!" Kael slowly rose to his feet. The entire ballroom went silent. He turned toward Draven, his expression colder than winter. "You are correct about one thing, Alpha Blackthorn." Draven looked relieved. That relief lasted only a second. Kael lifted my hand and placed it against his chest. "She no longer has a pack." He looked directly into Draven's eyes. "Because from this moment forward, she belongs under my protection." I stiffened. "Your Majesty…” He turned toward the gathered Alphas. "Let it be known throughout the kingdom that Seraphina Vale will be coming to my palace." Draven took a step forward. "You cannot simply take her!" Kael's eyes flashed silver. "Take her?" He looked at me, then back at Draven. "Did you believe she was something you owned?" Nobody answered. Kael raised his voice. "From this night onward, anyone who threatens this woman will answer directly to me." Then he did something none of us expected. He bowed his head toward me. "My queen." I stopped breathing. The royal priest dropped his staff. Draven stared at us as if the world had just collapsed around him. I shook my head. "No. You must have mistaken me for someone else." Kael's expression changed. For the briefest moment, I saw grief in his eyes. "I wish I had." He released my hand and reached into his coat, pulling out a small, ancient-looking pendant. The moment I saw it, my entire body went cold. I recognized it. I had seen that pendant once before, in the only photograph my grandmother had ever kept of my mother. But my mother had supposedly died before I was old enough to remember her. Kael held the pendant between us. "Tell me something, Seraphina." His voice was quiet enough that only those standing nearby could hear. "Has your grandmother ever told you why your mother disappeared?" I stared at the pendant, unable to speak. Then Kael leaned closer and whispered the words that shattered everything I thought I knew about myself. "Because the woman who gave birth to you was the last queen of the First Moon and someone in this room has been trying to kill you since the day you were born." End of Chapter 1.