A Night With the Alpha King: Rejected and Reclaimed

Aria's POV.

Liam clinked his glass with a spoon and a handsome smile on his face “Can I have everyone's attention please?”

Everyone paused and gave him their full attention, including me. I was supposed to be serving drinks at the party, but I couldn't resist watching HIM.

Liam Reed, the son of the Alpha of the Grey Moon pack, and my mate.

I knew I had a stupid smile on my face, but I couldn't help it.

Many times, I wondered how I got so lucky, how an omega like me got blessed with an alpha-to-be for a mate, an alpha that loved me so much.

“Aria…” my friend, Claire whispered harshly, trying to grab my attention.

I blinked my eyes as I came out of my daydream. I was still holding a tray of drinks in my hands.

“You're supposed to be serving drinks, not drooling over Liam Reed,” she teased.

I rolled my eyes jokingly, “I'm not drooling,” I replied, but I got distracted again when Liam started speaking.

“Today is a very special day for me and for this pack.” Liam stated, and my heart skipped a beat.

“As I turn twenty-two today, I would love to also introduce to you all my mate, the future Luna of this pack.” He declared, his eyes were shining with excitement and love.

Excited murmurs and whispers filled the room. My heart skipped again, I couldn't believe it. He was going to do it today.

Excitement surged through my body, he had promised to reveal me as his mate when the time was right, and I was thinking he was going to wait till he was crowned as alpha.

I didn't know it was closer than I thought. Rhea, my wolf, was giddy with excitement inside me. We weren't expecting this right now.

I wished he had given me a clue that it was happening today, on his twenty-second birthday. So that I could have been dressed more impressively, but maybe he just wanted to surprise me.

I grinned as I braced myself to be introduced to the pack.

Liam waited patiently for the whispers to die down before he continued speaking. “Please welcome my fated mate, chosen for me by the moon goddess herself, and the future Luna of the Grey Moon pack,”

Everyone held their breaths, I included.

“…… Veronica Hall!” Liam declared.

Everyone in the party burst into cheers and applause, except me.

My mind went blank. Did I hear that right? Veronica Hall? Not me? Not Aria?

I stood frozen and the tray of drinks shook in my hands. I watched in shock and disbelief as Veronica, the beta's daughter, a tall and beautiful she-wolf with long, black hair, stepped forward confidently as though she was expecting it.

She approached Liam, who was looking at her with love and admiration. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a long kiss.

No. This can't be happening.

The crowd was still cheering and applauding them, but my ears were ringing. It felt like I couldn't breathe and my heart pounded painfully in my chest.

Rhea howled in pain in my head, and I clutched my chest as the pain was too much.

My eyes were burning with tears, but I controlled myself, because I didn't want to cry in front of everyone, even though it was so hard as I remembered what I thought we had together.

What went wrong? Did I do something wrong?

We were fated mates, and Liam had always told me that he loved me. But now he was standing there, kissing another woman publicly, when he had never acknowledged me in public.

I remembered how it always hurt me when he walked past me without any form of recognition in his gaze. But he always came back in private to apologize and kiss me senseless. Promising to reveal us as mates when the time is right.

His mother, Luna Flora Reed, hugged Veronica with a bright smile on her face, while his father, Alpha Maxwell Reed patted his shoulders with approval.

"Aria," Claire called me "Are you okay?"

I couldn't speak, I could only nod. I never told anyone about my relationship with Liam. Even my foster mother, Felicia, wasn't aware of my relationship with him.

I couldn't turn my eyes from the scene playing out in front of me. I could only watch as my world crumbled around me.

Liam finally broke the kiss and turned to the crowd with a proud smile on his face. He didn't even look my way, even though I knew he knew I was here.

Veronica was smiling too, looking like the future Luna, as if she had always known this moment would come. How long had she known?

"I need to get out of here," I whispered. My voice trembled. It sounded like the voice of a broken person.

I didn't wait for any reply as I dropped the tray of drinks on the table and I rushed to the restroom in the party to compose myself.

As I made my way out, I could still hear Liam's voice. It was full of so much joy and pride. “Thank you, everyone, for your support and love. Veronica and I are truly blessed by the moon goddess.”

Each word felt like a dagger that was being pierced into my heart.

Immediately I entered the restroom and locked the door, I slid down against it, and the tears I had been holding back flowed down my cheeks uncontrollably.

I sobbed loudly as I thought of how much I loved Liam. It felt like my heart was being torn to pieces.

I cried for a long time before the tears stopped flowing. A thought flashed through my head and I paused.

There had to be an explanation. Maybe Liam was forced into this by his parents. He had told me many times about the pressure he was facing from his parents. Maybe he had another plan. Maybe he needed to see me, so that he could explain everything to me. Yes, that must be it.

I stood up, wiped my tears away and took a deep breath. l splashed some cold water on my face, as I tried to compose myself.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror and my sapphire blue eyes stared back at me miserably. My blonde hair was a mess, so I had to rearrange it into its usual ponytail.

I took a deep breath again and prepared myself.

I opened the restroom door and stepped out into the corridor, however I froze at the sight before me. Liam and Veronica were in the hallway. Their bodies were pressed against each other and they were kissing passionately. Veronica's hands were tangled in his hair, and Liam's arms were wrapped tightly around her waist. They were like people who couldn't get enough of each other.

Aria's POV.

My heart broke all over again, but I forced myself to walk towards them. There must be an explanation for this.

"Liam," I called softly.

They broke apart, and Liam's brown eyes met mine. However, there was no surprise or guilt in his gaze, only annoyance.

I looked at his handsome face, the face of the man that I loved. He had a chiseled jawline, beautiful brown eyes, shaggy brown hair and a lean but slightly muscular build. However, it felt like I was looking at a stranger at that point.

Veronica looked at me with disdain, and her eyes were filled with mockery. She must have known that I and Liam were fated mates.

"I need to talk to you, Liam," I said. "Privately."

Veronica tightened her grip on Liam's arm and she sneered. “Look at how gutsy you are. Liam is with his mate and you want to see him privately. What a whore! Whatever you have to say, you can say it in front of me," she declared, crossing her arms, her tone was filled with malice.

Her words were painful, but I ignored them. I just needed answers.

“Please, Liam,” I pleaded, hoping he would send her away, hoping he would show some form of warmth in his eyes for me.

But Liam didn't tell Veronica to leave and his eyes remained hard. Instead, he sighed impatiently. "Aria, whatever you need to say, just fucking say it. Veronica and I have no secrets."

Liam had never cussed when speaking to me. My heart sank further, “Liam, please.” I pleaded again, putting so much pain in my words, hoping he would have pity on me, for the sake of the love we shared.

However, he sneered, “If you're not ready to speak, then get the fuck out of here. Don't fucking waste my time.”

My heart clenched painfully, and I couldn't help but ask "Why Liam? Why are you doing this to me? What happened to our love? What happened to all the promises you made to me? I… I thought… I thought you loved me. Liam, we're fated mates.”

Liam's eyes darkened, and Veronica's smirk grew wider.

“Fated mates?” Veronica scoffed. “Do you really believe that nonsense of fated mates? How pathetic.”

Liam's lips curled into a cruel smile. “Aria, did you honestly think a fucking weak omega like you could ever be Luna? You don't even have parents or even a fucking last name. You're like the lowest of the omegas.”

I could feel tears welling up again in my eyes, but I forced them back.

“So everything you ever told me was a lie?” I asked.

He smirked and shrugged. “I'm glad the pretense is over. I was sick of pretending to love you, when I can't even tolerate you.”

Then he turned back to Veronica, dismissing me like someone who wasn't worth his time.

“Let's get back to the party, my love. This worthless omega has ruined our alone time” He told her tenderly. He was using the same voice he normally used to tell me how much he loved me, and how he couldn't wait to make me his Luna.

I controlled myself so that I wouldn't cry. I needed to know one more thing.

“Then why do it? Why deceive me with all those lies if I meant nothing to you? Why didn't you just reject me then?” I asked.

He turned and smirked at me cruelly. “The answer is quite simple, Aria. I wanted to fuck you, but you, always so fucking righteous, refused, wanting it to be when we were recognized as mates publicly. Like, what the fuck?”

My mouth gaped open in shock and disbelief, but he wasn't done.

“I kept sweetening you with words, promising you the fucking world, hoping you'd give in. But you were firm with your decision, so I got bored of waiting for you to open your fucking legs. I had to go on with my life. What a waste of time!” He exclaimed with a laugh.

His words were so cruel, I never expected something like this from him. I never thought all this was a big lie from someone who just wanted to sleep with me.

I just wanted to make my first time special. Many times, I was so close to giving in to his sweet words and sweet touches.

I struggled to control the tears from flowing out, but they flowed down my cheeks as the pain was just too much to bear.

Veronica leaned closer to Liam. Her eyes were shining with excitement. She was clearly enjoying my pain.

“Alright now, run along, little omega. We have given you too much of our time. Know your place.” she taunted, and Liam chuckled.

I stood there frozen as I wondered how Liam could be so cruel to me. The Liam I thought I knew was gone, replaced by this cold, cruel stranger. I felt like my world was crumbling around me, the life I was dreaming of with Liam, shattered into non-existence.

I turned to leave, feeling so worthless and stupid for falling for a lie, but Liam's voice made me pause.

“You know what? Let’s make this official. I, Liam Reed, the son of the Alpha of the Grey Moon pack, reject you, Aria, as my fated mate, so mote it be.” He declared coldly.

I gasped as pain flashed through my chest. I stumbled and caught myself on the wall because of the intense pain I felt.

Rhea howled in pain in my head and she retreated away, the pain was too much for her.

Through the tears, I looked up at Liam. There was nothing to fight for again, “I, Aria, accept your rejection, so mote it be.”

I flinched again as the bond snapped completely. Liam also flinched and clutched his chest in pain.

“Oh my goodness, Liam, are you okay?” Veronica asked.

Liam grimaced as he rubbed his chest. He quickly masked his pain and replaced it with a cold expression.

"I'm fine," he muttered through gritted teeth, though it was clear the bond breaking affected him, but I felt no satisfaction from it at all.

Veronica glared at me venomously, as though she was blaming me for his pain. “Let's go, Liam. We have a celebration to get back to, before people start looking for us” she said, pulling him away.

I watched them leave and my heart shattered into pieces again.

The pain in my chest was intense, both from the broken bond and the betrayal. I had always stupidly believed in our fated bond. I thought it was something so sacred and unbreakable.

I wiped the tears from my face. I wanted to leave this place, to go somewhere, but I had nowhere to go. I had no relatives out there. My foster mother, Felicia, was barely pushing through, she was also an omega. I had no one to help me with a new life.

I had to plan and not allow my heartbreak to make me rush into decisions. I would leave this pack soon, but I needed to plan.

The Grey Moon pack was the second biggest and strongest pack in America. Running away from this pack could have consequences and no pack would be able to save me if the Grey Moon pack decides to punish me for running away. Except the biggest pack in America, the Moonshadow pack, whose Alpha was the Alpha King of America, but unfortunately he was Liam's uncle (Liam's father's younger brother).

As I walked away from the corridor, I saw Claire approaching, looking so concerned. She must have sensed something was wrong.

"Aria, what happened?" she asked, touching my arm gently.

I shook my head, unable to find the words to explain the pain and betrayal I felt. "I need to get out of here, Claire. I'll be back tomorrow morning. I just need a little break," I whispered.

Before she could say anything else, I rushed out, grabbing my purse on my way out, making sure I avoided everyone's eyes.

Immediately I got outside I began to run. The night air was cool on my face as I ran. I kept running, I didn't know where I was going but I just needed to escape from this hell for now.