Rejected Luna, Claimed by Daddy Alpha

Viya's POV

I fixed my hair one last time in the silver-framed mirror of our penthouse bathroom. The loose black waves looked fucking gorgeous tonight, wild and sexy in a way that made me feel like a different woman.

The black cashmere coat was just for show-underneath was this crimson lace number that barely covered my ass. The neckline plunged so low you could practically see my nipples, and the sheer panels left nothing to the imagination.

Through the transparent material, my black lace lingerie was clearly visible-the very same set that would be strewn across our bedroom floor within an hour.

The outfit was outrageously provocative, especially for someone like me. But I no longer cared; the coat would come off the moment I stepped into our room. Tonight, I refused to act like the well-behaved girl I usually was.

"You look absolutely stunning tonight," Serena murmured approvingly inside my mind, her presence oddly comforting despite her weakened state.

"This is the last time," I promised myself softly, my voice barely audible in our penthouse bathroom. "I'll save you, I swear."

Tonight was Lucius's birthday celebration, and I was determined to make one final effort to salvage what remained of our matebond.

We had only been together once-before our engagement-and after that, he never touched me the same way again.

Three years into our marriage, he still hadn't marked me, hadn't truly claimed me as his mate, despite the undeniable pull between us.

The connection that should have been unbreakable between us remained tentative, fragile.

My wolf whimpered inside me, weak and subdued. For months now, she had been growing increasingly lethargic, and I couldn't understand why.

Perhaps tonight would change things. Perhaps tonight, Lucius would finally see me as his true mate.

"We'll succeed tonight," Serena encouraged, her voice carrying more hope than I truly felt.

The drive to the exclusive club where Lucius was celebrating with close friends and pack members took twenty minutes.

My hands trembled slightly on the steering wheel, betraying my nerves.

As I pulled into the parking lot of the upscale establishment, I spotted Lucius's black Porsche and several other luxury vehicles belonging to high-ranking pack members.

Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I checked my appearance one final time in the rearview mirror before stepping out into the cool evening air. The hostess recognized me immediately.

"Luna Viya," she greeted with a respectful nod, acknowledging my position as the Alpha's mate. "Alpha Wilde and his guests are in the Moonstone private room."

"Thank you," I replied with the polite smile I'd perfected over years of pack politics.

As I approached the private room, voices drifted through the partially open door-my husband's voice carrying an emotional depth I'd never once heard directed at me.

"I don't know how much longer I can keep up this charade, Miranda," Lucius said, his tone intimate and raw.

"Having you so close while having to go home to her every night... it's killing me."

The words froze my blood.

She was Lucius's true love!Miranda-my husband's sister-in-law, Alexander's widow!

Alexander had died several weeks ago, and Miranda returned to our pack house.After his funeral, she'd been staying in the guest rooms ever since.

I always knew Lucius had someone special in his heart but never knew who.

But never in my wildest nightmares did I imagine it would be Miranda.

How humiliating!

"Those cheating bastards!" Serena growled weakly within me.

"No, we shouldn't be doing this," Miranda's voice came through, thick with crocodile tears. "You're married."

"I've never stopped loving you," my husband confessed, his words slicing through what remained of my heart. "Every day I regret not fighting harder for us back then."

My pulse thundered so loudly I feared they might detect my presence through the door as I continued to eavesdrop on the conversation dismantling my world piece by piece.

"What about Viya? She's your fated mate!" Miranda asked with false concern.

"There is no mate bond," Lucius replied coldly, his amber-brown eyes surely as dismissive as his tone.

"There never was. She was just convenient-a respected wolf doctor from a good family, obedient and naive enough not to question why I never marked her. The Wilde Pack needed stability, and marrying her gave me that."

Then came the unmistakable sounds of kissing-wet, passionate, desperate.

Pain lanced through my chest. Serena whimpered, curling into herself within my mind.

"When will you divorce her?" Miranda asked breathlessly. "My baby needs legitimacy, Lucius. Our baby."

The confirmation hit like a physical blow-the child everyone believed to be Alexander's posthumous heir was actually Lucius's bastard.

"Not much longer," Lucius responded confidently. "The herbs have been working. Her wolf is so weakened she doesn't suspect anything. Once her wolf falls into deep sleep, I'll have legitimate grounds for divorce."

My hand flew to my mouth to stifle a gasp. The special herbal tea he'd insisted I drink daily for my "health"-he'd been systematically poisoning Serena and me, weakening our bond from within.

I felt ridiculous. Pathetic. A fool.

Three years of marriage, three years of trying to please a man who had never intended to love me, who had been systematically weakening my wolf while carrying on with his brother's widow.

Memories of countless cold nights, rejected advances, and polite public displays that never extended to our private life flashed through my mind.

The way he would tense when I touched him, the excuses about pack duties, the separate bedrooms "for now" that had become permanent.

"Reject him!" Serena snarled, summoning strength I didn't know she still possessed.

Her fury burned through our bond, hot and primal despite her weakened state. "Break the bond before he destroys us both!"

Something fierce and resolute crystallized within me. The meek, accommodating Luna I'd been trained to be shattered, replaced by a woman who would no longer accept betrayal.

"I reject you," I whispered, my voice barely audible but my intent unmistakable in the supernatural world where words held power.

"I reject this bond and I reject you as my mate..."

A searing pain tore through my chest the moment I finished uttering those rejection words.

Viya's POV

Something was wrong.

And the agony was so intense I had to brace myself against the wall to keep from collapsing.

It felt like molten metal was being poured directly into my heart, burning through every nerve ending in my body.

"Viya!" Serena's voice grew distant in my mind. "I'll take the pain...I'm going to sleep now."

The agony subsided almost immediately, but an eerie silence followed.

"Serena?" I called internally, panic rising when she didn't respond. "Serena!"

Nothing. My wolf had sacrificed herself to protect me, taking on the supernatural backlash that came from rejecting a matebond-even an unconsummated one.

I had no time to process this development. Voices continued flowing from behind the door, and I needed proof before confronting Lucius.

With trembling fingers, I pulled my phone from my purse and opened the recording app.

"When will you announce our relationship?" Miranda was asking, her voice sickeningly sweet. "I'm tired of pretending."

"After the full moon ceremony next week," Lucius replied. "Once her wolf is completely dormant, I'll announce that the Goddess Moon has withdrawn her blessing from our union. No one will question it-everyone's already noticed how sickly she's become."

"And if she does fight?"

"She won't fight it," Lucius said confidently. "She's always been pathetically accommodating. But if she tries, I'll ensure she has no support. Alpha Blackwood hasn't spoken to her in years.Who would stand against an Alpha for a weakened, rejected mate with no pack ties?"

Their callous laughter made my blood boil.

I'd heard enough. Stopping the recording, I immediately forwarded it to Sophia, my closest friend and the best divorce attorney in the werewolf community, along with a text:

[I need you. Divorce papers. Now.]

Her response was almost immediate: [FINALLY! On my way. Meet me at Moonlight Bar in 30.]

I took one last look at the door that concealed my husband and his mistress, then silently walked away, leaving behind the remains of my dignity and the last three years of my life.

Twenty minutes later, Sophia burst into Moonlight Bar like a whirlwind in Louboutins and a power suit, her eyes scanning the dimly lit space until they found me nursing a whiskey neat at the corner booth.

"Thank the Goddess Moon!" she exclaimed, sliding into the seat opposite me. "I've been waiting three years to hear you say those words!"

She pulled out her tablet, already tapping away with manicured nails. "I've been drafting your divorce papers since your wedding day. Call it professional intuition."

Despite everything, I managed a weak laugh. "Was I the only one who didn't see this coming?"

"Honey, you wanted to believe in the fairytale," she said, her voice softening momentarily before returning to business mode.

"I've already listened to that recording. The pack council won't be able to ignore this-not only is he cheating, but he's been deliberately poisoning your wolf. That's a capital offense in werewolf law."

"I don't want revenge," I said quietly. "I just want out."

"I know, sweetie, but you deserve compensation for what he's done," Sophia insisted, her professional persona momentarily giving way to friendship.

"Three years of your life with that asshole? The herbs he's been giving you could have permanently damaged Serena."

At the mention of my wolf, pain lanced through my chest. "She's not responding, Sophia. She took the brunt of the rejection backlash."

Concern flashed across her face. "She'll recover. Wolves are resilient, especially when removing themselves from toxic bonds." She reached across the desk and squeezed my hand. "You need to see a wolf healer."

"I am a wolf healer," I reminded her with a weak smile.

"You know what I mean. Someone who can treat you." She closed her tablet. "Now drink up-tonight we celebrate your freedom!"

Sophia had ordered round after round, determined to help me forget, if only for one night.

"To freedom!" Sophia declared, raising her third whiskey of the night.

I clinked my glass against hers, the tequila burning pleasantly as it went down. Two hours into our impromptu celebration, and I was feeling wonderfully numb. Without Serena's influence moderating my alcohol tolerance, the drinks had hit me harder than expected.

"You know," I said, my words slightly slurred, "I actually thought he might love me someday. How pathetic is that?"

Sophia snorted. "Not pathetic. Optimistic. There's a difference."

I laughed, the sound freer than I'd felt in years. "You know the worst part? I don't even think I ever loved him. I just wanted to belong somewhere."

"You belong with someone who actually deserves you," Sophia insisted, her words carrying the weight of drunk sincerity.

The bartender delivered another round, and I reached for my glass, needing the burn of alcohol to drown out the remnants of pain. As I tilted my head back, my gaze fixed on a tall figure at the bar.

The man stood with his back to me, but something about his broad shoulders and commanding presence sent a thrill down my spine.

Expensive suit. Powerful stance. Dark hair that looked like it would feel like silk between fingers.

Maybe it was the tequila. Maybe it was my newly found freedom. Whatever the reason, I found myself sliding off my barstool, ignoring Sophia's alarmed "Viya, don't-"

I crossed the room with determined, if slightly unsteady steps.

"Buy me a drink?" I purred, pressing myself against his solid back. My hands slid around his waist, feeling hard muscle beneath fine fabric.

The scent that hit me-dark woods and iron-was intoxicating, stirring something primal within me.

He stiffened instantly at my touch. When he turned, lightning-fast reflexes belying the controlled power in his movements, his face came into view.

My breath caught in my throat.

Caesar Blackwood. The Alpha of the Blackwood Pack-one of the most powerful werewolves in North America.

The man who had raised me since I was twelve.

"Viya?" His deep voice sent violent shivers through me despite my drunken state. His grey-blue eyes widened with shock before narrowing dangerously.

But I was too far gone-alcohol and hurt and years of repressed desire clouding my judgment.

Instead of backing away, I leaned closer, my breasts pressing against his chest,my voice a sultry whisper. "Don't you want to play with me?"

Caesar's jaw clenched so tight I thought it might crack. His eyes flashed alpha-gold, pupils dilating as his nostrils flared. For one breathtaking moment, his hands gripped my waist, fingers digging into the thin fabric of my crimson dress.

"You have no fucking idea what you're asking for," he growled, his voice dropping to that dangerous alpha timbre that made my core throb with want.

His grip tightened, pulling me closer instead of pushing me away. I could feel every hard inch of him against me, betraying his control.

"Maybe I do," I challenged, emboldened by tequila and the heat in his eyes.

I rolled my hips against him, making his breath hitch. The unmistakable hardness pressing against my lower belly sent a thrill of power through me. "Maybe I've always known exactly what I wanted... daddy."

I didn't wait for his response, capturing his lips with mine. His mouth was hot, demanding, tasting of expensive scotch and forbidden desire.

For three glorious seconds, he responded with barely restrained violence, his tongue sliding against mine as one large hand fisted in my hair.

Then, as suddenly as it had begun, he tore himself away, physically pushing me back.

"Viya?" His deep voice rumbled through the space between us. "What the hell are you doing here? Look carefully at who you're touching!"

Caesar's POV

I swirled the amber liquid in my glass, watching the lights of the Moonlight Bar refract through the expensive scotch.

Three weeks in Europe securing new territory alliances had left me drained, though I'd never admit that weakness to anyone.

"To the most terrifying Alpha in North America," Jackson raised his glass in a mock toast, his grin wide beneath his beard. "The European packs are still shaking in their boots."

I allowed myself a small smirk. "They should be."

"Always the modest one, Caesar," Daniel chuckled, signaling the bartender for another round.

My inner circle had insisted on this welcome back gathering-Jackson, my head of security-my Gamma; Daniel, my financial advisor; and Marcus, my second-in-command.

They claimed I needed to "unwind," though I suspected they were more interested in the premium liquor my tab provided.

When we discussed pack business, going over territorial expansions and upcoming negotiations with neighboring packs.

Yet something made me scan the distance, an instinct I couldn't ignore. That's when I spotted her-Viya.

My body tensed instantly, every muscle coiling tight as I fought the urge to turn around.

What the hell was she doing here? This wasn't her usual scene-not the proper Luna Wilde I'd watched from afar for the past three years.

"Everything alright, Alpha?" Marcus asked, noticing my sudden alertness.

I gave a curt nod, keeping my back to the room. "Fine."

But it wasn't fine. It hadn't been fine since the day she married that undeserving pup Lucius Wilde. The memory alone made my wolf Olsen snarl with possessive rage.

Through our conversation, I positioned myself to keep her in my peripheral vision. She was with that lawyer friend of hers-Sophia, if I remembered correctly.

They were drinking. A lot. And Viya looked... different.

The perfect, composed mask she'd worn since becoming Luna was cracking, revealing glimpses of the fiery woman I knew existed beneath.

She threw back another shot, her head tilting back to expose the elegant line of her throat. My grip tightened on my glass until I heard the faint crack of impending fracture.

"Alpha Caesar?" Jackson's voice pulled me back. "Did you hear what I said about the Hunter activity near our northern border?"

I forced myself to focus. "Yes. Increase patrols. I'll review the security reports tomorrow."

But my attention kept drifting back to her. Something was wrong.

Viya was drinking like someone trying to forget, her movements becoming increasingly unsteady as the night progressed.

I should leave. This wasn't my problem anymore. I'd made sure of that years ago when I'd pushed her away, for her own good and for mine.

And yet I stayed, unable to tear myself away, watching over her from a distance as I'd done for years.

"Another round?" Daniel asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

"I'm good," I replied, my voice gruffer than intended.

That's when I felt it-warm hands sliding around my waist from behind, a soft body pressing against my back.The scent of her perfume, sending a shock of desire straight to my core.

"Buy me a drink?" Her voice was a sultry purr that made Olsen howl with want.

I went rigid, shock paralyzing me for a precious second before I turned, moving with supernatural speed that betrayed my control.

Viya stood before me, looking like every dark fantasy I'd ever denied myself. Her crimson dress clung to curves that had haunted my dreams for years.

Her dark hair cascaded in waves past her shoulders, and her brown eyes were hazy with alcohol and something more dangerous-desire.

"Viya?" Her name escaped my lips before I could stop it.

Instead of backing away, she moved closer, pressing those magnificent breasts against my chest. "Don't you want to play with me?" she whispered, her voice sending violent shivers down my spine.

My hands moved of their own accord, gripping her waist. I could feel the heat of her skin through the thin fabric, my fingers digging into soft flesh as I struggled for control.

"You have no fucking idea what you're asking for," I growled, feeling my eyes flash with alpha power as her scent overwhelmed my senses.

She rolled her hips against me, and I nearly lost it right there. My cock hardened instantly, pressing against her belly, betraying my desire despite years of iron control.

"Maybe I do," she challenged, her eyes defiant. "Maybe I've always known exactly what I wanted... daddy."

The word hit me like a bucket of ice water. Daddy. Not Caesar. Not Alpha.

She didn't even recognize me.

Before I could process this revelation, her lips were on mine, hot and demanding. For three glorious seconds, I gave in to the madness, tasting her, claiming her mouth as I'd dreamed of doing for years.

Then reality crashed down. She was drunk. Married. And clearly mistaking me for someone else-perhaps her own fucking husband.

I tore myself away, physically pushing her back. "Viya? What the hell are you doing here? Look carefully at who you're touching!"

She blinked, recognition seemingly dawning on her face. "Alpha Caesar? Oh my God..." She swayed slightly. "I didn't realize it was you."

The pain of that admission cut deeper than any knife. Of course she hadn't realized. I was nothing to her now.

The Alpha she'd once looked up to, before she found her "true mate" in Lucius.

Anger surged through me, masking the hurt. I looked her over with deliberate coldness, taking in her disheveled appearance.

"You shouldn't be in a place like this, especially not in your condition," I said, hating how judgmental I sounded even to my own ears.

Her eyes flashed with sudden fire. "I'm sorry, I must have missed the part where you still had any right to tell me what to do," she snapped. "You gave up that privilege years ago."

Each word hit like a physical blow because they were true. I had given up that right. For her sake.

"You're drunk, Viya. Let me take you home," I offered, trying to salvage some dignity from this disaster.

"I don't have a home anymore!" she cried, tears suddenly glistening in her eyes. "And I certainly don't need your help now after you abandoned me years ago. Where were you when I needed you then?"

People were starting to stare. I could hear the whispers spreading through the bar as patrons recognized us. This wasn't just about us anymore-this was becoming a spectacle that would feed the pack gossip mill for weeks.

I wanted to keep Viya out of this whole situation.

"That's enough," I growled, grabbing her arm firmly. "You're making a spectacle of yourself."

She twisted in my grip, her eyes blazing with hurt and fury. "Let me go! You don't get to act like you care now. You made your feelings perfectly clear years ago-I was just some obligation, some charity case you couldn't wait to be rid of!"

Her words struck too close to the truth I'd constructed to keep us both safe. For a moment, I felt my mask slip, pain flashing across my features before I could lock it down again.

"You have no idea what you're talking about," I said coldly, desperate to end this conversation before I revealed too much. "Go home to your husband, Luna Wilde."

Hearing my words, she wrenched her arm free, stumbling back slightly.

"That's right." she hissed, venom dripping from every word. "You bastard.I hate everything about you."

She turned and stalked back to her friend, then headed for the exit without a backward glance.

I stood frozen, every instinct screaming to go after her, to explain, to claim what had always been mine.

But I remained where I was, watching her walk away-just as I had three years ago at her wedding.

"Should someone go after her?" Marcus asked carefully. "She seemed pretty upset."

"She's a grown woman with her own Alpha," I snapped, though the words tasted bitter. "It's not our concern."

But something nagged at me-the memory I'd been suppressing all night finally broke free, washing over me like acid. That night three years ago.