Claiming the Rejected King

Alicia’s gaze bore into me, her eyes sharp and expectant, as if waiting for some reaction to the shattered vase at my feet. When she saw my indifferent expression, her anger flared hotter.

“Langston!” she snapped, her voice cutting through the air. “Don’t act like you don’t care! You think I won’t destroy everything you’ve built over the last two centuries?”

One of the pack warriors, sensing the tension, stepped forward cautiously. “Alpha, should we send for Luna Elianna?”

I shook my head calmly. “No. She’s handling urgent pack business. Let her be.”

Alicia’s face darkened at my words, her lips curling into a sneer. “Still lying to me, Langston? Do you really think there’s anyone in this pack—or any pack—stronger than me? You’re pathetic.”

She wasn’t wrong. In terms of raw power, Alicia had always been unmatched. Even her cousin, Elianna, who now held the title of Luna, had never surpassed her. Elianna had spent most of her years as Alpha of the Eastern Moonlight Pack, overseeing the containment of rogues in the Rogue Tower. Her strength lay in strategy and leadership, not sheer force.

When Alicia had disappeared two centuries ago, Elianna had stepped in to help me manage the pack. Over time, the pack had seen her value, and after a formal vote, she became my Luna. It was a practical decision, one that had brought stability to the Northern Territories.

Alicia’s laughter cut through my thoughts. She turned to the warriors, her voice dripping with mockery. “Tell me, who in this pack is stronger than me? Who deserves to be Luna more than I do?”

The warriors hesitated, their eyes darting to me. I spoke before they could. “Elianna.”

Hayden, the human man at Alicia’s side, let out a derisive chuckle. “Langston, even I know Elianna’s been stationed at the Rogue Tower for years. Do you really expect us to believe she just waltzed back to become your Luna?”

Alicia smirked, her arm sliding around Hayden’s shoulders. “My cousin may have been a formidable Alpha, but she’d never stoop to marrying a widower. Langston, you’re embarrassing yourself.”

With that, she strode into my private chambers, dragging Hayden behind her. She rummaged through the drawers until she found the box of trinkets she’d once gifted me—jewelry, mostly, from our early days. She held up a necklace, slipping it onto Hayden’s neck with exaggerated care.

“There,” she said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. “It suits you. These should have been yours all along.”

Hayden grinned, preening under her attention. “Can I keep them? I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.”

“Of course,” Alicia said, her tone saccharine. “They’re yours. Just like the Alpha’s throne will be.”

Her eyes flicked to me, a challenge in her gaze. I merely shrugged. “If Hayden likes them, he can have them.”

The necklaces were outdated, relics of a time I’d long since moved past. Elianna had gifted me a new set during our marking ceremony, and I’d been meaning to get rid of the old ones anyway.

Alicia’s face twisted in anger. She slammed the box to the floor, the contents scattering across the room. “Stop pretending, Langston! You used to treasure these. Now you act like they mean nothing.”

She moved to the antique vase in the corner, smashing it with a single swipe of her hand. “If you won’t give me the throne, I’ll destroy everything you hold dear.”

The warriors looked on in horror, one of them stepping forward again. “Luna Elianna *is* Langston’s mate. Alicia, please, stop this before she returns. She won’t tolerate—”

Alicia’s hand shot out, gripping the warrior by the throat. “No one disrespects him!” she snarled, her voice cold and lethal.

I stepped between them, my tone firm. “Alicia, she’s done nothing wrong. Let her go.”

But Alicia only tightened her grip, her eyes blazing. “No one gets in my way.”

Hayden smirked, his arms crossed. “You heard her, Langston. Step aside. Alicia’s always been protective of me. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”

I tried to intervene, but Alicia’s strength was too much. Within moments, the warrior slumped to the ground, lifeless.