Rejected By The Alpha King, Claiming My Throne

Isabelle's POV:

The first thing I discovered after dying was that I had awakened a mysterious medical system.

Before I could learn more about the system, I remembered what had brought me to the edge of death in the first place.

I was Isabelle Rivas, the daughter of a disgraced noble family and the unwanted mate of Alpha King Alaric Beaumont. My marriage to Alaric had been arranged for political reasons, and he had never wanted me as his mate. After my father's execution, the situation between us became even more distant.

My scarred face had made me an easy target in the royal castle, and I had spent years enduring the cold looks and quiet gossip around me. Still, I had held on because I believed the Mate-bond might eventually change things between Alaric and me.

That hope disappeared on the night he came to my room.

"Get on the bed, Isabelle."

His voice was cold and distant. I looked up at him, but there was no affection in his golden eyes. He had come because the pack required our bond to be consummated, not because he wanted to be close to me.

When it was over, he immediately stepped away and straightened his clothes.

"Don't think this changes anything," he said flatly. "You are still the daughter of a traitor. You will never be my true Luna."

Then he left the room.

The next day, Alaric was going to hold a grand ceremony to name Livia Sterling as his Royal Consort. By then, I had finally understood what my place in his life was. I was a political obligation, and nothing I did could make him choose me.

I left the room that night and walked through the quiet castle toward the lake. I wasn't thinking about revenge, and I wasn't trying to make anyone regret what they had done to me. I simply couldn't see a future for myself in that life anymore.

The moon was already high when I reached the water. I stood at the edge for a long moment before taking that final step.

The cold lake closed over my body.

My clothes grew heavy as I sank beneath the surface, and the last of my strength disappeared as my lungs struggled for air. Just when my consciousness was about to fade completely, something pulled me away from the darkness.

A blinding white light surrounded me.

A mechanical female voice sounded inside my mind.

"Life force detected at critical levels. Emergency soul-link protocol activated."

The moment the connection was established, knowledge poured into my consciousness. I saw a civilization far more advanced than my own, but I did not receive another person's memories or become someone else. What reached me was knowledge itself, especially medical knowledge that belonged to a world far beyond my era.

I learned methods of diagnosis, treatment, surgery, and healing that could completely change what was possible in my world. The information came so quickly that I could barely process it, yet somehow, every piece was preserved in my mind.

Then the connection suddenly began to destabilize.

"Soul-link unstable. High-energy civilization contact terminated."

"Returning consciousness to origin point."

Before I could understand the system or the full extent of what I had received, an overwhelming force pulled me away from that strange world.

I was sent back to my own body.

I gasped awake, my eyes opening to the familiar ceiling above me. For several seconds, I could only lie there and breathe, trying to understand how I had gone from drowning in the lake to lying safely in my own bed.

The memories came rushing back at once. I remembered leaving the room, walking to the lake, and sinking beneath its freezing surface, along with everything that had happened after death and all the knowledge I had received from that strange civilization.

I coughed hard, the taste of cold water still lingering in my throat. My clothes were damp against my skin, my lungs ached from the struggle for air, and the familiar canopy above me slowly came into focus. Someone had pulled me from the lake and brought me back to my bedroom after I had lost consciousness. I had survived.

I was still Isabelle Rivas. My identity had not changed, and neither had my memories. I still remembered every humiliation, every cruel word, and everything Alaric had done to me. What had changed was what I now carried within me: a medical system and knowledge far beyond anything this world possessed.

I slowly sat up and looked around the familiar room. Then my gaze fell on the bed, and the memory of Alaric forcing himself on me came rushing back. The pain, his cold words, and the contempt in his eyes were all still painfully clear.

I realized then that I had not simply been rescued from the lake. The Moon Goddess had given me another chance.

She had sent me back after everything had already happened, giving me the chance to face the people who had destroyed my life with my own hands. This time, I would not leave my fate in anyone else's hands.

Isabelle's POV:

My heart hammered against my ribs in the sudden quiet of my room. The chill of the lake still clung to my skin. I touched my own throat, feeling the pulse beneath my fingers, confirming that I was breathing.

The mechanical voice echoed in my mind again, clearer this time. "Mystical Medical System activated. Host body vital signs stable. Chronic silver poisoning detected on facial tissue. Recommend immediate detoxification."

Silver poisoning.

My hand trembled as it rose to my scarred cheek. It was a slow, deliberate poisoning. A cold fury displaced the despair. They had been trying to slowly kill me.

I wouldn't let them. I had been given a second chance, and I would live for myself.

The bedroom door was shoved open. Matron Hicks, the castle's housekeeper, waddled in. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw me awake, a flicker of disappointment quickly hidden by a sneer.

"Oh, you're awake," she said. "I thought you might have the decency to die quietly in your sleep."

Two maids followed her, carrying a basin of cold water and a plate with a hunk of stale, black bread. My loyal maid, Faye, trailed behind them, her eyes wide with shock and relief. She was a small, timid girl, the only one who had ever shown me kindness.

I watched Matron Hicks.

The housekeeper slammed the basin on the floor, splashing frigid water onto the hem of my chemise. "Get up and clean yourself. Don't think the Alpha's visit last night makes you special."

I didn't move. I focused on the new, humming energy inside me, willing it outward. A faint pressure emanated from me, a subtle shift in the air.

Matron Hicks stopped. She took a step back, blinking in confusion.

"What... what are you looking at?" she stammered.

I slowly sat up. My voice was not loud, but it cut through the room. "Matron Hicks, as the Luna of this pack, is this how you serve me?"

A quiet authority laced my words. It was the first time I had ever claimed my title. Matron Hicks stared. The two maids behind her quickly lowered their heads.

"You... you are a traitor's daughter! A disfigured disgrace!" she spat, trying to regain control.

A small laugh escaped my lips. I rose from the bed and walked toward her until I was standing directly in front of her.

"And you are a servant who has forgotten her place," I said, looking directly into her eyes. "According to pack law, disrespecting the Luna is a grave offense. Shall we ask Alpha Alaric to preside over your punishment?"

At the mention of Alaric, Matron Hicks's face went pale. He was a fanatic for pack law and order. He would not tolerate a servant openly disrespecting the Luna title.

Sweat beaded on her brow. She began to tremble.

I reached out and lifted her chin, forcing her to meet my gaze. My fingertips were cold, and she flinched. "I want a hot bath, a proper breakfast, and a new dress. Now."

"Yes... yes, My Luna," she stuttered. She scrambled out of the room, her maids scurrying after her.

The room fell silent, leaving only me and Faye. The young maid was staring at me.

I turned to her, offering a weary smile. "Faye, are you afraid of me too?"

Faye shook her head violently, rushing forward and dropping to her knees at my feet, tears spilling from her eyes. "No, My Luna! I'm so happy! The Goddess has finally heard our prayers!"

I pulled her to her feet, a genuine warmth spreading through my chest. I looked at my reflection in a silver-backed mirror on the wall, at the scar that marred my features.

The first thing I decided to do was erase the silver mark on my face. With the knowledge I had gained, I knew exactly how to heal it.

Isabelle's POV:

I sank into the steaming water of the tub. The warmth seeped into my aching muscles, washing away the physical soreness. Outside the door, Faye stood guard.

I closed my eyes and focused inward. System, open.

Instantly, my consciousness was pulled into a white space. A translucent blue screen materialized before me, displaying streams of data. A three-dimensional model of my own body rotated slowly in the center. The facial area was highlighted in red, with a notation beside it: "Chronic Silver Poisoning. Tissue necrosis: 27%. Cellular regeneration possible with targeted chelation therapy."

Chelation therapy. The knowledge surfaced in my mind instantly. I had never learned it in this life, but I knew exactly how it worked now. It was a treatment used to remove heavy metals from the body.

The system interface had other options: "Pharmaceutical Synthesis," "Diagnostic Scan," "Surgical Simulation." My fingers tapped on "Pharmaceutical Synthesis."

A new window opened, listing the ingredients for a "Silver Chelation Agent." Most were common herbs in this world: moonpetal, dragon's blood resin, dew-kissed moss. But a few were unknown to me, and the required measurements were precise down to the milligram.

A system note appeared: "Host can use spiritual energy to catalyze synthesis. Basic materials can be sourced from the physical world."

Spiritual energy? Was that the force I'd used against Matron Hicks? I focused my will, pushing a sliver of that inner warmth toward the system. A small energy bar next to the human model flickered and rose by a tiny fraction. The system ran on me. My near-death experience had awakened something within me.

I pulled my consciousness back to the bathroom. I needed those herbs.

I called Faye in and gave her a list, padded with other common herbs for calming teas and sleeping draughts to avoid suspicion.

Faye didn't question it. "My Luna, you were always skilled with herbs before... before your face..." she said softly.

I almost forgot that I had once studied herbology. I had been a noblewoman, and I knew this world well. I had simply gained something more after death.

Faye returned quickly with a basket brimming with plants. I locked myself in my room, laying them out carefully. Back in the system's white space, I scanned each herb. The system analyzed their properties and provided a step-by-step guide for extraction and combination.

I began my work. I used the handle of a small silver dagger to crush the herbs into a paste in a stone bowl. Then, I closed my eyes and slowly channeled my spiritual energy into the mixture. I could feel the paste changing, a gentle warmth spreading through it as the energy catalyzed the reaction.

Hours later, a small bowl of dark green, fragrant paste sat before me.

A system notification pinged in my mind: "Primary Silver Chelation Agent successfully synthesized. Purity: 78%. Sufficient for initial treatment."

I took a deep breath and faced my reflection in the mirror. With a steady hand, I scooped up the paste and began applying it to my damaged skin.

A cool sensation spread across my face, followed by a faint tingling. It wasn't painful. It was the feeling of healing.

My counterattack would begin with this face.