Banished By The Alpha King: Claimed By The Lycan Beast

Elara's POV

I had never been slapped before.

Not like this.

The sting exploded across my cheek, sharp and unexpected, sending a burst of heat through my skin. I staggered back a step in the dimly lit servants' corridor, the tray of silver goblets clattering against my hip. Blood bloomed on my tongue where my teeth had caught the inside of my lip.

Luna Seraphine's eyes narrowed, her voice low and clipped. "Careful, girl. Liora asked you to help the maids prepare the ballroom as your contribution to the Grand Mating Ball. If you can't manage even that without making a racket, perhaps you should stay out of sight entirely."

I blinked, stunned more by the strike than the words. In the Eclipse Pack, I wasn't beaten or starved. I wasn't locked in a dungeon or forced to sleep in a broom closet. I was simply... overlooked. Given chores, expected to serve quietly, treated with the same distant indifference most gave to a low-ranking wolf who hadn't shifted yet. Liora had always been the one to assign my tasks, brushing her hair, fetching her gowns, helping with preparations like tonight but even she usually kept it to sharp words, not hands. Her parents never let her maltreat me. They have always been very good to me. But since they died, everything changed. Sometimes I wondered how such kind people could raise a daughter like Liora.

"I'm really sorry, Luna," I murmured, lowering my gaze to the stone floor. "It will not happen again."

"See to it that it doesn't." She smoothed her emerald gown and swept away, leaving the faint scent of roses lingering like an accusation.

I touched my cheek gingerly. It throbbed, but the surprise hurt worse. Why tonight? Why now, when the entire realm was arriving for the mating ceremony? I had always done what was asked. I kept my head down. I never complained. The pack tolerated me well enough, no one went out of their way to hurt me. So this... this felt wrong. Personal.

I shook it off, straightened my gray dress, and picked up the tray again. Liora had summoned me at dawn with her usual sweet-sharp smile. "You will assist the maids today, Elara. It's important that everything looks perfect. You understand, don't you?" I had nodded, as always. She was the princess, after all, the golden daughter everyone adored. I was just her handmaid.

By evening the grand ballroom shimmered under crystal chandeliers. Music floated through the air, soft and elegant. Alphas in dark velvet, Lunas in jewel-toned gowns, unmated daughters laughing behind gloved hands. I slipped among them like a shadow, tray balanced, offering champagne with quiet "My lord" and "My lady." No one looked twice. That was how I preferred it. Being in the background, being unnoticed.

Then the scent crashed over me. I had never scented anything before. I didn't have my wolf yet. I was easily mistaken as a human most times. I even began to see myself as one since no one knew what I was. I was over 18 and still have never shifted. But this, this was a first.

I felt like my senses were heightened.

Pine sharpened by storm. Cedar smoke. Raw earth and lightning. It wrapped around my lungs, squeezed, pulled.

My fingers jerked. A flute tipped. Champagne splashed cold across my wrist and soaked the front of my dress.

The tray fell.

Crystal shattered in a glittering explosion across the marble. Liquid foamed around my bare feet.

Silence dropped like a guillotine.

Every eye turned.

Across the room, silver eyes locked on mine.

Alpha King Darius Thornwood stood on the dais-tall, broad, lethal. Black hair swept back, jaw like carved stone, midnight silk clinging to muscle. He radiated power so thick it pressed against my skin.

Our gazes met.

Heat detonated inside me.

A golden cord yanked taut between my ribs, stealing my breath. Fire raced down my spine, pooled low and insistent between my thighs. My nipples tightened against the damp fabric, visible now through the clinging material. A soft, involuntary whimper escaped before I could stop it.

Mate.

The word echoed in my head, deep, possessive, ancient.

My knees buckled. I caught the edge of a nearby table, knuckles white.

Darius's nostrils flared. His pupils expanded, silver swallowed by black. His claws flexed, scraping faintly against his palms. I felt his wolf surge, hot, hungry pressure shoving at me from across the hall.

He stepped down from the dais.

Once. Twice.

The crowd parted.

Liora moved first.

She glided forward in pale gold silk, hair cascading perfectly, smile dazzling. Her fingers curled around his forearm like she already belonged there.

"My..., my King," she purred, voice honeyed, "forgive the clumsiness. It's only my handmaid, Elara. She's here to serve, nothing more."

Her eyes flicked to me. For a split second the sweetness cracked, cold, sharp, almost triumphant. The same look she sometimes wore when no one else was watching. Like she knew a secret that made my existence an insult.

Darius didn't glance at her, it was almost as if she had not spoken.

His stare stayed on me, dragging slowly and deliberate down my body. Over the wet patch clinging to my breasts, over the rapid rise and fall of my chest, over the way my thighs pressed together against the humiliating slick heat building there.

I hated my body's betrayal. Hated how his gaze made my pulse throb between my legs.

His lip curled.

"A wolfless handmaid," he said, voice low and cutting, carrying to every corner, "dares meet my eyes?"

He closed the distance. Close enough that his scent drowned everything else-overwhelming, intoxicating. Close enough that I could see the vein in his neck pulsing, the faint tremor in his clenched fists.

The golden cord pulsed once-bright, desperate-then began to fray.

"This must be a joke! I will not have a wolfless nobody rule beside me." He said, amused and voice slightly raised. The guests laughed, some murmured quietly.

"I, Darius Thornwood, Alpha King of the Northern Realms," he declared, loud and final, "reject you, err...Elara, as my fated mate and any claim to my Luna."

The cord snapped.

Pain ripped through my chest like claws tearing flesh. I gasped, doubling over. Blood trickled from my nose, warm and coppery, dripping onto the shattered crystal.

Whispers erupted around us.

Liora's grip tightened on his arm. She leaned up, lips brushing his ear, murmuring something soft. The corner of his mouth twitched, almost a smirk.

I couldn't draw air.

I turned and ran.

Bare feet slapping marble, then stone corridors, then cold night air as I burst through a side door into the gardens.

Behind me the music swelled again, laughter covering the scandal.

But even as I fled, I felt it, his gaze burning into my back.

Hot. Furious. Unfinished.

Darius's POV

The ballroom music swelled behind me like nothing had happened.

Liora's fingers were still curled around my forearm, her perfume cloying, lilies and ambition. She leaned in closer, lips brushing the shell of my ear as she whispered, "Shall we continue the introductions, my King? Everyone is waiting."

I didn't answer.

My wolf was screaming.

MINE. MINE. MINE.

The word ricocheted through my skull, raw and relentless, drowning out every other thought. The golden bond I had just publicly severed still pulsed faintly in my chest like a severed artery leaking heat. Every beat sent another wave of her scent crashing over me, moonflowers crushed under rain, wild honey, something darker and older beneath it. Something that made my canines ache.

I had rejected her.

Out loud. In front of the entire realm.

And my body was punishing me for it.

I shook Liora's hand off, gently enough not to cause a scene and stepped away from the dais. "Excuse me."

Her smile faltered for half a second before she recovered, turning to charm the nearest Alpha instead.

I strode through the side corridor, claws digging into my palms until blood welled between my fingers. Guards snapped to attention as I passed, but I didn't acknowledge them. My wolf clawed at the inside of my skin, demanding I track her down, drag her back, pin her to the nearest wall and-

No.

I slammed the door of my private chambers behind me so hard the frame cracked.

The room was dim, lit only by the low fire in the hearth and moonlight spilling through tall windows. I braced both hands on the mantel, head bowed, breathing hard. My reflection stared back from the polished silver mirror above, eyes still half-shifted, silver irises ringed with black, pupils blown wide.

Her scent clung to me.

Even here, miles from where she had run, it wrapped around my throat like a noose. Sweet. Intoxicating. Impossible to ignore.

I had smelled thousands of she-wolves in my lifetime. None had ever done this.

My heart throbbed painfully, straining against my ribcage. I pressed the heel of my hand against it, trying to ease the ache. It only made it worse.

A knock.

"Enter," I growled.

Beta Rowan stepped inside, eyes wary. "My King. The ball continues without incident. Liora is... handling the guests."

"Good." My voice came out rougher than intended.

He hesitated. "The girl, Elara Voss. She fled into the gardens. Do you want guards sent after her?"

"No." The word snapped out too fast. Too sharp.

Rowan's brows lifted slightly.

I straightened, forcing calm into my tone. "She's banished from the hall tonight. That's enough. Let her sulk."

He nodded once and retreated.

The door clicked shut.

I waited exactly three heartbeats.

Then I summoned her.

I did not use the mind-link. It was too public, too traceable and she didn't even have her wolf yet. She was more or less a human. Instead I sent one of my personal guards with a quiet order: "Bring the wolfless handmaid to my chambers. Discreetly. Now."

Ten minutes later, the door opened again.

She stepped inside alone.

Elara Voss. I didn't even know her full name when I rejected her.

She was still in that damp gray dress, champagne stains dark against the fabric, clinging to the swell of her breasts and the dip of her waist. Her hair had come partially loose, strands sticking to her tear-streaked cheeks. Blood had dried beneath her nose in a thin rusty line. Her bare feet left faint wet prints on the rug.

She kept her eyes on the floor.

My wolf lunged so hard I almost shifted.

I crossed the room in three strides, stopping just short of touching her. Close enough that her scent flooded me again, overwhelming, addictive. My hands flexed at my sides, claws pricking my palms. Hadn't I just rejected her? Why does she still have this effect on me?

"Look at me."

She lifted her chin slowly.

Those eyes-storm-gray, rimmed with red from crying met mine.

She was breathtakingly beautiful, I wondered how I never noticed her.

The bond might have snapped on my command, but the pull was still there. As strong as ever.

Heat rolled off her in waves. I could smell her arousal beneath the salt of tears and fear...slick, sweet, undeniable. My mouth watered. I swallowed hard.

"You refused to kneel in the hall," I said, voice low. "But you'll kneel here."

Her lips parted on a soft inhale.

I stepped closer until our bodies were almost brushing against each other. The heat of her skin radiated through the thin dress. I could see the rapid flutter of her pulse at her throat, the way her chest moved up and down from her ragged breathing.

"I rejected you as Luna," I continued, letting my voice drop to a rumble. "But I did not reject this."

I dragged one knuckle slowly down the side of her neck, following the line of her pounding vein. She shivered-full-body, uncontrollable.

"My wolf wants you," I murmured. "Badly. And so do I."

Her breath hitched.

"Be my mistress."

The words hung between us.

"Hidden. Discreet. No crown, no title, no public claim. But you'll have my bed. My protection. Freedom whenever I want it." I leaned in until my lips brushed the shell of her ear. "You'll come when I call. Spread for me. Take me deep until you forget your own name. And in return, I'll make sure no one ever hurts you again."

Her body trembled.

I slid my hand to her waist, fingers splaying possessively. The dress was so thin I could feel the heat of her skin, the slight curve of her hip. I pulled her flush against me-let her feel exactly how my body needed her, how thick, how ready.

She gasped softly.

One of my hands slid up, cupping the back of her neck, thumb brushing the sensitive spot beneath her ear. I tilted her head back, forcing her to meet my gaze.

"Say yes." I nudged.

"You know I could take you by force if I had my way. But somehow my wolf restrains me. He wants us to be gentle with you for some reason."

"Any woman would jump at this offer." I said again when she wouldn't say anything.

For a long moment she was silent.

Then she spoke, voice quiet but steady.

"No."

The word hit like a slap.

My grip tightened involuntarily.

She didn't flinch.

"I will not be your secret," she said. "I will not be anyone's shame."

Rage and lust collided in my chest.

My wolf snarled.

I released her abruptly and stepped back, claws fully extended now, shredding the arms of the nearest chair as I gripped it to keep from grabbing her again.

"Get out."

She didn't hesitate.

She turned and walked to the door, shoulders straight despite everything.

The door closed behind her with a soft click.

I stood there, breathing hard, heart still aching, wolf howling in fury.

She had refused me.

No one refused me.

And yet the only thing I could think about was chasing her down, pinning her to the forest floor, and proving exactly who she belonged to.

Elara's POV

The corridors felt longer on the way back to the servants' quarters.

My legs shook with every step, but I kept my spine straight until the heavy oak door of the maids' dormitory closed behind me. Only then did I let myself slump against the wall, sliding down until I sat on the cold stone floor.

My chest still ached where the bond had torn. Not the sharp, ripping pain from the hall anymore-just a deep, hollow bruise that throbbed with every heartbeat. My dress clung uncomfortably to my skin, champagne and sweat and shame all mixed together. I could still feel the ghost of Darius's hand on my waist, the heat of his body pressed against mine, the low rumble of his voice promising things I refused to let myself imagine.

I pressed my palms to my eyes until spots danced behind my lids.

No.

I wouldn't cry again. Not over a king who looked at me like I was dirt one second and like he wanted to devour me the next.

The dormitory was quiet. Most of the maids were still working the ball, carrying trays, refilling goblets, smiling through exhaustion. I was alone with the echo of his words.

Be my mistress.

Hidden. Discreet. No crown. Just his bed.

I laughed. A humourless, wry laugh.

My skin flushed hot at the memory of his thumb brushing my neck, the way his breath had ghosted over my ear. My body had reacted before my mind could catch up-nipples tightening, thighs pressing together, a slick ache I hated admitting to. I'd wanted to lean into him. Just for a second. Just to feel something other than invisible.

But I'd said no.

And now the hollow in my chest felt even bigger.

I dragged myself to my narrow cot in the corner, peeled off the ruined dress, and pulled on the thin nightshift I kept folded beneath the pillow. The fabric was rough, but clean. I curled onto my side, knees to chest, trying to ignore the lingering scent of pine and storm that still clung to my hair.

Sleep didn't come.

Instead, memories flickered-small, confusing things. Liora's face when we were twelve, the way she'd suddenly stopped sharing secrets with me overnight. The way the pack had started looking past me like I wasn't there. I'd always assumed it was because I hadn't shifted yet. Wolfless. Weak. Easy to ignore.

But tonight felt different. Personal.

A soft knock startled me upright.

The door cracked open. One of the younger maids, Anya slipped inside, eyes wide.

"Elara," she whispered. "You're needed in the east wing. Liora sent for you. Said it's urgent."

My stomach twisted. "Now? The ball's still going."

"She said immediately." Anya bit her lip. "She didn't look happy."

I nodded once, pulled my gray dress back on over the nightshift, and followed her out.

The east wing was quieter, private guest suites for visiting Alphas. Liora waited in the corridor outside one of the larger rooms, arms crossed, golden hair still perfect despite the late hour. When she saw me, her lips curved into that familiar sweet-sharp smile.

"There you are," she said. "I was starting to think you'd run off for good after your little display."

I kept my voice even. "What do you need, Liora?"

She stepped closer, lowering her voice. "I felt... unwell during the toasts. Nauseous. Dizzy." She pressed a delicate hand to her stomach. "I think something I drank didn't agree with me."

I frowned. "I can fetch the healer-"

"No need." She waved a hand. "But I remembered you brought me that glass of wine earlier. The one from the special decanter."

My blood went cold. "I didn't. I was serving champagne. You asked for water after the first dance."

Her smile didn't waver. "Are you sure? Because the cup I drank from had your fingerprints all over it and your scent is strongly evident on it. And now there's a bitter aftertaste. Almost like... nightshade."

The word landed like a stone in my gut.

Nightshade. Poison.

"That's impossible," I said. "I never touched any wine tonight. I was barely around to even serve anyone wine."

Liora tilted her head. "Then how do you explain this?"

She opened the door behind her.

Inside, the suite was lit by low candles. On the low table sat an empty goblet, my fingerprints smudged clearly on the stem-and beside it, a small vial of dark liquid. The faint scent of bitter herbs drifted up.

My heart slammed against my ribs.

"I did not do this, and you know it." I whispered.

Liora's eyes gleamed. "Of course you didn't. I know you didn't. But it looks bad, doesn't it? A wolfless handmaid, rejected by the Alpha King in front of everyone, suddenly poisoning his chosen Luna-to-be? People will talk. It's the only reasonable conclusion."

She stepped inside and closed the door behind us, leaving Anya outside.

"I could scream right now," she continued softly. "Guards would come. They'd find the vial. They'd find you here. And Darius..." She let the name hang. "He already wants you gone. This would make it permanent."

My mouth went dry. "Why are you doing this?...What do you want?"

She studied me for a long moment. Then she smiled again-slow, satisfied.

"I want you out of my way. Permanently."

She rang a small bell on the table.

Within seconds, guards burst in-two of Darius's personal men, faces hard.

"Take her to the holding cells," Liora ordered. "She's under suspicion of attempting to poison me."

They grabbed my arms.

"Please Liora...don't do this Liora. I'm innocent and you know it."

I was on my knees now. I knew begging was useless, but I also knew that the punishment for treason was death. I had to try. Maybe, just maybe they would spare me.

Just then, Liora pretended to fall. She was coughing continuously. The healer appeared and checked her, confirming it was nightshade.

"Liora...Liora please!" I tried again, attempting to grab her hand.

Luna Seraphine, the Alpha king's mother, gave me another hard slap.

"Let go of her you treacherous thing. You attempted this inside my palace walls...this is unforgivable." She yelled.

"Mother..." Liora called sounding sick and weak.

"Save your breath child, take her to her room." Luna Seraphine ordered.

"Mother...please don't hurt Elara. She's my hand maid. There might have been some sort of misunderstanding. She probably got jealous that the Alpha King rejected her and chose me instead. I understand her completely."

"Oh poor sweet child. You have such a sweet heart. Do not worry. This will be properly investigated and this unfortunate creature will pay dearly."

I was stunned into silence. Liora was such a great actress. Even I started to believe her. As the maids helped her out, she lounged at me and hugged me tearfully.

"You should never have come here with me." She whispered.

Out loud she said "Don't worry, I know you're innocent, all this will be sorted out."

"You are such an ungrateful peasant. Look how she treats you so kindly and yet you commit this atrocity against her?!" Luna Seraphine's voice sounded distant. I was no longer there. I could not even move.

"Take this dirty creature out of my sight before I rip her apart." I heard Luna Seraphine say again.

This time I didn't fight, didn't struggle. I let them drag me.

As they dragged me down the corridor, Liora called after me, voice sweet as honey.

"Don't worry, Elara. I'll speak to the King. I'll beg for mercy. I'm sure he'll listen."

The cell door clanged shut behind me.

Dark. Damp. Cold stone under my bare feet.

I sank to the floor, back against the wall, knees drawn up.

Hours passed-or maybe minutes. Time blurred in the dark.

Then footsteps.

The door opened.

Darius stood there, silhouetted against the torchlight.

His eyes burned silver.

"The evidence is compelling," he said quietly. "Death is the sentence for treason."

My heart stuttered, I already knew this but it felt more real to hear him say it.

"But Liora has asked for leniency." His jaw tightened. "She begs that I banish you instead."

He stepped inside. The door closed behind him.

We were alone.

He crouched in front of me, close enough that his scent wrapped around me again, pine, storm, fury.

"You should have said yes," he murmured. "None of this would have happened."

I was still silent, staring into space.

"You know, I can still save you. I am after all the Alpha King of this realm. You just need to say yes to me."

His hands were on me now. His face deliberately close. I could here his heart beat, his breath was on my face.

I thought about it for some time. All the privileges and the freedom. I would still be a servant, but I would serve a greater master. But I could not bear to be his sidepiece. I'd rather be a servant of the lowest rank.

I met his gaze. "My answer remains the same. I will not be your mistress, I am ready to accept the consequences. I was framed, but I know my words mean nothing."

Something flickered in his eyes-regret? Hunger? Rage?

He let me go and stood abruptly.

"Take her to the border at dawn," he told the guards outside. "Banish her. If she returns, kill her on sight."

He left without another word.

The door slammed.

I pressed my forehead to my knees.

Banishment.

Not death. I was going to live. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. I would be without a pack, without a home.

I laughed, this wasn't a home after all. Yes, banishment wasn't the end of the world. I would find a pack some day.

I looked outside the cell window. It was a full moon tonight.

"Moon goddess, please let this be the dawn of a new beginning for me." I said out loud.

But as the hours ticked toward dawn, Liora's final whisper echoed in my mind-the one she'd breathed as the guards dragged me away.

"Run fast, handmaid. My friends will be waiting beyond the border."