My Mate Rejected Me, So I Married the Alpha King

On the night of the Full Moon Banquet, I stood in my mother's white silk dress, waiting for my childhood sweetheart, Chace, to finally claim me as his mate.

Instead, he stood on stage holding another woman's hand.

He didn't just reject me. He humiliated me before the entire pack.

"Ember is gentle," Chace announced, his eyes cold. "But a pack needs strength. She will serve Karyn. And because I am generous, she will stay on as a Breeder."

A mistress. A vessel for pups he would never acknowledge.

To prove his loyalty to his new Luna, Chace forced me to drink Wolfsbane wine.

As I convulsed on the floor, he laughed. He even threatened to dig up my dead mother's bones and feed them to wild dogs because Karyn called her a traitor.

He thought he had broken me.

He didn't know the poison hadn't killed me. It had dissolved the seal on my core, waking up a bloodline thought to be extinct.

I wasn't a weak Omega. I was a White Wolf.

And I had one card left to play-a debt owed to my mother by the Alpha King himself.

I clutched the obsidian token in my pocket and screamed into the mental void.

Keith Mosley, I am calling in the debt.

A dark, ancient voice answered immediately.

I hear you, little wolf. What do you desire?

I looked at Chace's smug face one last time.

Revenge.

Chapter 1

Ember POV:

The white silk of my dress felt less like a garment and more like a second skin. It was simple, elegant, and the only thing of value I owned. My mother, Liana, had left it for me before she passed, telling me to wear it on the night my life changed.

Tonight was the annual Full Moon Banquet for the Red Stone Pack.

My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird. Tonight, the moon was at its peak. If the Moon Goddess was kind, Chace Mcfarland, the future Alpha of our pack, would finally feel the pull. He would smell my scent, his wolf would call out to mine, and he would claim me.

I had loved Chace since we were pups. I had bandaged his wounds after training, cooked his meals when he was too tired, and stayed in the shadows so he could shine.

"Ember! Quit daydreaming and get your ass down here!"

The voice belonged to a Gamma warrior. I took a deep breath, smoothed my hair, and walked down the grand staircase of the Pack House.

The ballroom was suffocating. The scent of roasted meat, expensive perfume, and the musk of shifting wolves filled the air. But as I reached the bottom step, the noise died down.

Everyone was looking at the stage.

Chace stood there. He looked magnificent in his tuxedo, his sandy hair perfectly styled. But he wasn't looking for me. He was holding the hand of Karyn Warren.

Karyn was beautiful in a predatory way, with sharp eyes and a smile that didn't reach them. She was wearing a red dress that screamed dominance.

Then I saw the banner hanging above them.

Congratulations to Future Alpha Chace and Future Luna Karyn.

The air left my lungs. My knees shook.

"Brothers and sisters of the Red Stone Pack," Chace's voice boomed, amplified by his Alpha aura. "Tonight, I present to you my chosen mate. The woman who will lead this pack by my side. Karyn Warren!"

Applause erupted. It sounded like thunder, drowning out the sound of my heart breaking.

Chace raised a hand for silence. He pulled a small velvet box from his pocket. My breath hitched. I knew that box. It contained the Luna Ring-a silver band with a moonstone that had belonged to my mother. It was supposed to be mine.

He slid it onto Karyn's finger.

Karyn held up her hand, the stone glinting under the chandelier lights. She looked directly at me, her eyes flashing with triumph.

"Thank you, Chace," she purred, her voice dripping with fake sweetness. "I promise to be a strong Luna. Not like some... wolfless weaklings we know."

The crowd laughed. They knew who she meant. Me. The Omega who couldn't shift. The girl with no wolf.

Chace cleared his throat. "Ember Ford," he called out.

The crowd parted, leaving me exposed in my white dress. I felt naked.

"Front and center," Chace commanded.

I walked forward, my legs feeling like lead. I stopped at the edge of the stage.

"Ember has been my childhood friend," Chace announced, his tone dismissive. "But a pack needs strength. Karyn brings powerful bloodlines from the Warren family. Ember... well, Ember is gentle."

He looked down at me, his eyes devoid of the warmth I used to see.

"Ember, you will serve Karyn. And because I am generous, I will not cast you out. You have good hips. You'll stay on as a Breeder."

The word hung in the air. Breeder.

A mistress. A bed-warmer. A vessel to produce pups but never to be acknowledged.

Tears blurred my vision, but I refused to let them fall. The pain in my chest wasn't sharp like a knife; it was heavy, like a stone crushing my lungs.

I looked at Chace. I looked at the man I thought was my soulmate. And I saw nothing but a stranger.

My hand drifted to the pocket of my dress. Inside, my fingers brushed against a cold, rough object. It was a jagged piece of obsidian-a Blood Oath token.

My mother had given it to me on her deathbed. If you are ever in true despair, she had whispered, call upon the debt. The King owes us.

I had been too afraid to use it. The Alpha King, Keith Mosley, was a legend. A monster. The Lycan King who ruled over all packs with an iron fist.

But looking at Chace's smug face and Karyn's cruel smile, fear vanished. Only cold resolve remained.

I closed my eyes and focused on the token. I pushed my mental energy into it, opening a Mind-Link channel that shouldn't have been possible for a weak Omega.

Keith Mosley, I projected my thought, screaming it into the void. I am the daughter of Liana Ford. I am calling in the debt.

Silence.

Then, a voice echoed in my head. It was deep, dark, and tasted like rain and old blood. It made the fine hairs on my arms stand up.

I hear you, little wolf. What do you desire?

Sanctuary, I replied. Revenge.

The price for my protection is high, the King's voice rumbled. I do not run a charity. You want sanctuary? You become my Luna.

My breath hitched. The Alpha King needed a wife?

I looked up at Chace. He was whispering something in Karyn's ear, ignoring me completely.

Yes, I sent back.

Good, the King replied. The contract is sealed.

The connection cut off.

I stood straighter. The crushing weight on my chest lifted slightly. I wasn't just an Omega anymore. I was the betrothed of the Devil himself.

"Ember?" Chace asked, noticing my change in posture. "Did you hear me? You should be grateful."

I looked him in the eye. "I heard you, Chace."

I didn't bow. I didn't cry. I turned around and walked away, the white silk of my dress flowing behind me like a shroud for the girl I used to be.

Ember POV:

The banquet hall felt like a tomb as I walked toward the exit, but Karyn wasn't done with me yet.

"Wait!" she called out.

I froze. My instincts screamed at me to run, but I couldn't show weakness. Not anymore.

Karyn descended the stage stairs, her red dress swishing. She grabbed my arm, her grip bruising.

"We need a photo," she said, her voice loud enough for the reporters to hear. "To show the unity of the pack. The new Luna and her... humble servant."

A photographer flashed his camera in my face, blinding me.

Karyn leaned in close. I felt a wave of pressure hit me-her Pheromones. High-ranking wolves could use their scent to intimidate lower ranks. It smelled like rotting orchids, heavy and cloying. It was meant to make me cower, to force my neck bare in submission.

My knees trembled, but I locked them.

"Smile, trash," she hissed in my ear.

Chace walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He didn't even look at me. He pressed a kiss to Karyn's cheek, right in front of the camera.

"Don't worry, Ember," Chace said, his voice low. "I'll make sure you're taken care of. You'll have a room near mine. For... late-night needs."

My stomach turned. He truly believed I would accept this. He thought I was so desperate for his love that I would be his dirty little secret while she wore my mother's ring.

"Let's go," Chace said, steering Karyn toward the door. "The limo is waiting."

He gestured for me to follow. Like a dog.

Outside, the night air was cool. A long black limousine idled at the curb. The driver opened the back door for Chace and Karyn.

I moved to follow them, but Chace stopped me with a hand on my chest.

"Not in the back, Ember," he said with a chuckle. "That's for the Alpha and Luna. You sit up front with the driver."

Humiliation burned my cheeks. I climbed into the passenger seat, the leather cold against my legs.

As the car pulled away, the glass partition between the front and back was open. I could hear everything.

"We need to discuss the alliance with the Northern packs," Karyn said. "My father says they will only respect us if we show strength."

"We have strength," Chace replied. "I am the strongest Alpha this pack has seen in generations."

"And what about her?" Karyn asked. I could hear the sneer in her voice. "What if she gets pregnant? I won't have a bastard pup challenging our children."

"Don't worry," Chace said dismissively. "She's an Omega. Her genes are weak. Any pup she has will be a runt. A servant, just like her."

I stared out the window at the passing trees. The moon was huge and bright, mocking me.

Deep inside my chest, something snapped.

For years, my mother had placed a seal on my core. She told me it was to hide my scent, to keep me safe from the people who killed her. But tonight, under the weight of Chace's cruelty, that seal was cracking.

Pain radiated from my sternum, hot and searing. It felt like liquid fire pouring into my veins. I gasped, clutching my chest.

"What's wrong with her?" I heard Karyn ask.

"Probably just carsick," Chace said. "She's always been fragile."

I bit my lip until I tasted copper. Fragile. That's all he saw.

I wasn't carsick. My wolf was waking up. And she was angry.

The car turned onto the winding road leading to the Pack House. I looked at the dark forest rushing by. I wanted to open the door and jump. I wanted to run until my paws bled.

But I had a plan. I had a King waiting.

"Ember," Chace called out. "Quit sulking. It's pathetic."

I didn't answer. I just watched the moon, waiting for the fire in my blood to consume me or set me free.

Ember POV:

The Red Stone Pack House was a mansion built of stone and timber, standing imposing against the night sky. It used to feel like home. Now, it looked like a prison.

We entered the grand foyer. Servants bowed their heads as Chace and Karyn walked in.

"Move my things to the Alpha Suite," Karyn commanded a young Beta maid. "And burn whatever sheets were on the bed. I want everything new."

"Yes, Luna," the maid squeaked.

Chace turned to me. He was loosening his tie, looking relaxed, as if he hadn't just destroyed my life.

"Ember, go pack your things from your room. You're moving to the Omega Quarters in the basement. It's closer to the kitchens. It will be easier for you to work."

The Omega Quarters. Damp, windowless cells where the lowest of the pack slept.

"I understand," I said, my voice hollow.

"Good girl," Chace said, reaching out to pat my head. I flinched, and his hand froze in the air. He frowned. "Don't be difficult. You know you belong here. You're my Omega. You need the pack's protection."

Suddenly, a heavy, musky scent filled the room. It was Karyn. She was releasing pheromones that mimicked the early stages of Heat. It was artificial, chemically enhanced to drive Alphas crazy, but to me, it smelled like sulfur and desperation.

Chace's eyes dilated. His nostrils flared.

"You smell... intense," he groaned, pulling Karyn close.

Karyn smirked at me over his shoulder. "Unlike some people. You smell like nothing, Ember. Like tap water."

"I'm hungry," Chace muttered, nuzzling Karyn's neck.

"I made soup," I said automatically. It was a habit. I had spent all afternoon brewing a medicinal broth with herbs to help Chace's energy after the ceremony. "It's in the kitchen."

Karyn laughed. "Soup? We are wolves, Ember. We need meat."

"Throw it out," Chace ordered, his voice thick with lust. "Order us some raw steaks. And bring up a bottle of wine. The vintage red."

My heart sank. "That soup took six hours to make."

"I said throw it out!" Chace roared, using his Alpha Voice.

The command hit me like a physical blow. My knees buckled, and I fell to the floor. The power of an Alpha over an Omega was absolute. My body disobeyed my mind, forcing me into submission.

"And bring the Wolfsbane wine," Karyn added. "A little drop makes things... exciting."

Wolfsbane. Deadly to wolves in large doses, but a hallucinogen in small drops. For a weak Omega like me, even the fumes could make me sick.

"She can't handle Wolfsbane," Chace said, though he didn't sound concerned.

"She won't drink it, silly. She'll just pour it for us," Karyn giggled.

I struggled to my feet as the pressure of the Alpha command faded. "I... I need to go for a walk first. To get fresh air."

Chace waved his hand dismissively. He pulled a black credit card from his pocket and threw it at me. It landed on the floor.

"Fine. Go buy yourself some new cleaning clothes. You look pathetic in that dress."

I stared at the card. Then I looked at the stairs, where they were already ascending, hands all over each other. The sounds of their wet kisses echoed in the silence.

I picked up the card. Not because I wanted his money, but because I would need resources to escape.

I walked to the heavy oak door. I didn't go to the kitchen. I didn't go to the basement.

I stepped out into the night. The door clicked shut behind me, cutting off the sound of their laughter and the smell of their lust.

The air was crisp. I inhaled deeply, trying to clear the scent of betrayal from my nose.

This wasn't my home anymore. It was just a building full of ghosts.