From His Rejected Omega to the Alpha King's Queen

My fated mate, Richard, and I were preparing for our sacred Mating Ceremony, a vow before the Moon Goddess meant to bind our souls for eternity.

But a psychic message slammed into my mind-a weaponized memory sent by his adopted sister, Eva. In it, she was wrapped in Richard's arms while his parents, the Alpha and Luna, beamed with approval.

For the next two weeks, I was forced to play the part of the adoring Omega bride. He would lie about "pack emergencies" to run to her, leaving me alone in a gown shop while she sent me visions of their trysts.

His parents stripped me of the project I had poured my soul into for two years, handing it to Eva as a gift. They called me a weak-blooded Omega, unworthy of their son.

Meanwhile, Eva sent me an audio clip of Richard promising her she would be the one to carry his strong heir, not me.

They all thought I was a pathetic, disposable pawn in their twisted game. They were waiting for me to break.

They had no idea I was secretly the heir to the most powerful pack on the continent. And I had already arranged for our Mating Ceremony to be broadcast globally, turning their sacred day into the stage for their ultimate humiliation.

Chapter 1

Isabella Brooks POV:

The image slammed into my mind without warning, a violation of the sacred space of our Mind-Link. It was a psychic message, a weaponized memory sent by Eva.

In it, my fated mate, my fiancé Richard, was laughing. His head was thrown back, his strong throat exposed, and his hand was tangled in Eva's blonde hair. She was pressed against him, her scent-a cheap mix of synthetic florals-clinging to his skin like a disease. Surrounding them were his parents, the Alpha and Luna of the Black Creek Pack, beaming with approval. His friends were there too, raising their glasses in a toast.

They were a perfect family. And I was the outsider.

My inner wolf, a beast I had suppressed for five long years, howled in my mind, a raw, guttural sound of pure agony. The bond the Moon Goddess had woven between Richard and me frayed at the edges, a searing pain that felt like my soul was being torn.

But I didn't let the pain show. I took a slow, steady breath, pushing the anguish down into a cold, hard knot in my stomach.

I closed my eyes and reached out through the Mind-Link, not to Richard, but to a connection I had kept hidden for years.

"Father."

The response was immediate, a voice as cold and sharp as a winter wind. "Isabella. What is it?"

"I need a favor," I sent back, my mental voice calm and even. "My mating ceremony is in two weeks. I want it broadcast. Globally. Every pack, every werewolf with a screen, needs to see it."

There was a long pause. I could feel his immense power, the authority of the Alpha of the Shadowfen Pack, weighing my request.

"It will be done," he finally replied. "But there is a condition. After the ceremony, you come home. You will stop this foolish game of playing an Omega and take your place as my heir."

"I accept," I said without hesitation.

"Good."

The connection severed.

Two hours later, Richard knelt before me in the pack's grand hall. He held a small velvet box, and inside, a moonstone ring glowed with a soft, ethereal light. This stone was a sacred symbol, meant to represent the purity and strength of a mate bond before the final Marking ceremony.

"Isabella Brooks," he said, his voice thick with an emotion I now knew was a lie. "You are my destiny, my other half. The Moon Goddess blessed me with you. Will you accept my Mark? Will you be my Luna?"

My wolf clawed at the inside of my mind, screaming "Traitor! Liar!"

I forced a smile, letting a single, perfectly timed tear roll down my cheek. "Yes, Richard," I whispered, my voice trembling with manufactured joy. "Yes, of course, I will."

He slid the ring onto my finger, and the crowd of Black Creek members erupted in applause. He stood, pulling me into his arms, his scent of pine and earth now tainted by Eva's cloying perfume. He was the perfect Alpha, the loving mate, and I was the perfect, adoring Omega.

It was all a beautiful, perfect lie.

For the next week, he played his part flawlessly, planning the ceremony with a passion that would have once made my heart ache with love. I watched him, a spectator to my own life.

Eva's taunts continued, little psychic daggers sent through the Mind-Link. A flash of them kissing. A whisper of a promise he made to her. She wanted me to break before the big day. She had no idea who she was dealing with.

The day we were meant to choose my ceremonial gown, Richard's attention was elsewhere. I saw the distant look in his eyes, the slight smile playing on his lips. He was in a private Mind-Link. With her.

"Isabella? Does this one please you?" he asked, gesturing vaguely at a dress.

"I want you now, Richie," Eva's voice echoed in his mind, sloppy and loud enough that the edges of it leaked into my own link with him.

He flinched. "I have to go," he said suddenly, his phone already to his ear. "Pack emergency. Beta needs me."

He kissed my forehead and was gone.

A moment later, a new message arrived in my mind. It was from Eva. A short, vivid clip of Richard storming into her room, his face flushed with desire. His lie, exposed in an instant.

My heart didn't break. It turned to ice. I calmly picked up my phone and sent a text to a number I hadn't used in five years.

The reply was instant. "Walter. At your command."

I typed my response, my fingers steady. "The plan is a go. It's time to begin."

Isabella Brooks POV:

"I will not fail you, Father," I sent through the Mind-Link later that night, my voice resonating with a confidence I hadn't allowed myself to feel in years. "I am your daughter. I carry the purest bloodline. I am your best heir."

His mental presence felt like a storm gathering on the horizon-immense, powerful, and unforgiving. "Prove it. Words are meaningless. This test you set for yourself, and for him, is the first of many. Do not disappoint me."

"I won't."

"My Beta, Walter, is now at your disposal. He will handle the logistics. Do not contact me again until it is done." The connection snapped shut, leaving me alone in the silence of my small apartment.

A moment later, a new Mind-Link message slithered into my thoughts. It was Eva. This time, it wasn't an image, but an audio recording. Her soft moans, and Richard's voice, rough with passion.

"She's just an Omega, Eva," he was panting. "Her blood is weak. It's you... you're the one who feels right. You're the one who could carry a strong heir."

The words were meant to shatter me. Instead, they forged my resolve into steel. I contacted Walter.

"The ceremony is in one week," I told him. "The live broadcast. That is the stage."

"Understood," Walter's reply was crisp and efficient. "Alpha Brooks has also given you your first task as heir-apparent. He requires you to pass his test. The Silver Moon Kingdom is hosting a charity ball tonight. You will attend as the representative of the Shadowfen Pack."

My heart gave a small jolt. The Silver Moon Kingdom was the ruling body of all packs, led by the Alpha King himself. This was a major political event.

"I understand," I replied.

Just then, Richard's voice entered my mind, laced with false regret. "Isabella, my love. I'm so sorry. This pack meeting is running late. I won't be able to make our dinner tonight."

"It's alright, Richard," I sent back, my tone soft and understanding. "Pack business comes first."

"You're the best, Bella. I'll make it up to you."

Liar.

At the ball, I was a ghost from another life. Dressed in a gown of midnight blue, I moved through the crowd of powerful Alphas and their Lunas, a silent predator in their midst. When the time came for donations, I stepped forward.

"The Shadowfen Pack pledges ten million dollars," I announced, my voice clear and steady.

A wave of murmurs rippled through the hall. The Shadowfen Pack was notoriously reclusive and powerful, their wealth legendary. No one knew who I was, but the name of my pack commanded instant respect.

Then I saw him.

Across the glittering ballroom, Richard stood with a glass of champagne in his hand. And clinging to his arm, wearing a ridiculously revealing red dress, was Eva.

My blood ran cold.

He was laughing, introducing her to the Alpha of the Crimson Fang Pack. "...and this is Eva Marsh," I overheard him say as I drew closer. "She's the brilliant mind behind our new flagship project, AO3. A true asset to Black Creek."

AO3. My project. The one I had poured my heart and soul into for the last two years. The project that was supposed to secure Black Creek's financial future and prove my worth to his parents.

He had given it to her.

I glided towards them, a serene smile fixed on my face.

"Richard, darling," I said, my voice sweet as honey. "What a surprise to see you here. I thought you had a pack meeting?"

Isabella Brooks POV:

Richard's face went pale, the color draining from his cheeks as if he'd seen a ghost. Panic flickered in his eyes. He quickly disentangled his arm from Eva's possessive grip.

"Isabella! What... what are you doing here?" he stammered, his composure crumbling.

"I could ask you the same thing," I replied, my smile never wavering, though my eyes were like chips of ice. "And more importantly, since when is Eva the head of the AO3 project?"

He glanced nervously at the other Alpha, who was watching our exchange with keen interest. "Bella, can we talk about this later? In private?" he pleaded through our Mind-Link.

"No," I said out loud, my voice dangerously soft. "Let's talk about it now."

Richard swallowed hard. "My parents... Alpha Danny and Luna Savannah... they felt it was for the best," he explained, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "They think, for our union to be strong, you should focus on your duties as Luna. Not on business."

I remembered the countless times his parents had looked at me with disdain, their words dripping with condescension about my "lowly" Omega status. They believed I would tarnish their precious Alpha bloodline. I had endured it all, for him. For this.

I feigned a look of hurt understanding. "Oh. I see. Of course. For our union."

Eva chose that moment to step forward, looping her arm back through Richard's. She leaned her head on his shoulder, a triumphant smirk playing on her lips. "Richard, darling, Alpha Stone was just telling us about his new trade route. We should listen."

She shot me a look that screamed, "He's mine. You've already lost."

Richard, weak and easily led, allowed himself to be pulled away. "We'll talk later, Bella," he tossed over his shoulder, leaving me standing alone in the middle of the crowded ballroom.

It was a familiar scene. How many dates had been cut short? How many nights had I spent alone because Eva sent a single Mind-Link message, and he ran to her side like a loyal dog? The memory of my own foolishness was a bitter taste in my mouth.

Shaking off the anger, I turned my attention back to the room. I spent the next hour networking, finalizing a lucrative deal with another powerful Alpha who was more than impressed by the Shadowfen name. I was not a weak Omega to be cast aside. I was a future Alpha, a queen in waiting.

When I finally left the ball, my heels clicking on the cool concrete of the underground parking garage, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Eva. Not a Mind-Link, but a simple text.

"Come to Level B3. I want to show you just how 'enthusiastic' Richard can be about pack business."