I Rejected My Alpha and the Lycan King Claimed Me

The first rays of dawn filtered through the blinds as I slipped into the soundproof safe room beneath the Pack House. My hands still trembled slightly, but my resolve had hardened overnight into something unbreakable.

Raven was already waiting, her dark eyes sharp with concern. As Gamma of our pack, she'd always been my fiercest protector—and today would be no different.

"You look like hell," she said bluntly, rising to embrace me.

"Thanks," I managed a weak smile. "I feel worse."

I pulled out my tablet, fingers hovering over the screen. "I found something last night."

Raven's expression darkened as the security footage played. Her growl reverberated through the small room, her wolf rising close to the surface.

"That filthy bastard," she snarled, pacing like the predator she was. "And Catalina—that opportunistic little—"

"Save it," I cut her off, my voice steadier than I felt. "We need proof that can't be disputed."

Raven's eyes narrowed. "What do you need?"

"Everything. The original timestamps on my drawings, the security footage metadata, access to the Summit's AV system." I pulled up the blueprints on my tablet. "And most importantly, a way to broadcast this during his presentation."

Raven's lips curved into a vicious smile. "I've been waiting for years to catch him slipping. Come on, let's get to work."

For hours, we worked in silence, downloading footage, extracting metadata, and setting up the digital trap that would expose Dominick's betrayal to the entire werewolf hierarchy.

"Done," Raven finally announced, sliding a sleek black tablet across the table. "Everything's loaded and ready. One button, and your precious mate's lies go viral."

I took the tablet, feeling its weight like a weapon in my hands. "Thank you."

"Always." Raven squeezed my shoulder. "Now go destroy him."

---

The Grand Alpha Summit hotel loomed before us, a towering glass structure that reflected the morning sun like a warning. Dominick stood beside me, his Alpha aura carefully cultivated to project confidence. Too carefully.

"Ready to make history?" he murmured, his hand possessively at the small of my back.

I smiled, the expression not reaching my eyes. "Oh, I'm counting on it."

The lobby buzzed with activity—Alphas from every major pack mingling with their entourages. The air was thick with competing scents and alpha pheromones, a invisible battlefield of dominance.

"Alpha Rice," greeted a passing Beta, bowing slightly. "Your presentation is highly anticipated."

"Indeed it is," Dominick replied smoothly. "My Luna and I have prepared something revolutionary."

I spotted her across the room—Catalina, draped in a conservative black dress that screamed "pack assistant." But it was what hung around her neck that made my blood run cold.

The Luna's Amulet—my grandmother's gift, passed down through generations of she-wolves in my family. The sacred symbol of my position.

A sudden gust of air from an opening door shifted Catalina's scarf, exposing the silver pendant with its distinctive crescent moon design. My fingers tightened around the strap of my purse until my knuckles turned white.

*Kill her. Take it back.* Luna snarled within me.

"Not yet," I whispered, maintaining my composure even as rage threatened to drown me.

Dominick followed my gaze, a flicker of unease crossing his features before he masked it with a smile. "Ah, there's the Lycan King's representative. Come, we should pay our respects."

---

The pre-summit mixer was in full swing when a hush fell over the crowd. The air seemed to thicken, heavy with an alpha presence so powerful it made lesser wolves instinctively lower their gazes.

Lycan King Antonio Kelley strode into the room like he owned it—which, technically, he did. His midnight-black hair was swept back from a face that could have been carved from granite, all sharp angles and cold perfection. But it was his eyes that captured me—golden amber that seemed to see straight through pretense.

Every wolf in the room responded to his presence, their bodies tensing in primal recognition of a predator at the top of the food chain.

Dominick practically vibrated with the need to impress him, stepping forward with an extended hand. "Your Majesty, Alpha Dominick Rice of the Silver Crescent Pack. It's an honor—"

Antonio walked past him without acknowledgment, his gaze sweeping the room until it landed on me.

Something electric passed between us—a recognition that had nothing to do with pack politics and everything to do with something deeper, more primal.

"You're staring," Dominick hissed in my ear, his fingers digging painfully into my arm. "Stop it."

I hadn't realized I was looking at Antonio until Dominick spoke. The Lycan King's lips quirked slightly, as if amused by something only he understood.

"Is there a problem, Alpha Rice?" Antonio's voice was deep, with an edge that made Dominick flinch.

"No, Your Majesty," Dominick stammered. "My Luna was just—"

"I can speak for myself," I interrupted, meeting Antonio's gaze directly.

Something flashed in those golden eyes—approval, perhaps. Or interest.

"Can you?" Antonio asked softly. "How refreshing."