Rejected and claimed by the alpha beast

(ELISE’S POV)

“Hurry, Elise, we have to leave soon!” My mother’s voice echoes down the hall as I stare at my reflection in the mirror. I place a trembling hand on my chest, trying to steady my rapidly beating heart. How could I possibly stay calm? Especially when today—the day I had been groomed my entire life for—was finally here.

I can’t believe it’s happening. My mating ceremony. The day I’ve waited for, the day I’m supposed to fulfill my duties as my father’s daughter. My father, Chief Dexton Alderman, is the beta leader of our pack, the Sivernight Pack. Today isn’t just important—it’s monumental.

Since I was nine, I’ve known I would be the bride of another pack when I turned nineteen. And yesterday, I crossed that threshold. Everything is supposed to be perfect. I am supposed to be perfect. But as I shudder at the thought of what’s to come, I can’t tell if it’s wedding jitters or something far worse.

I’ve been chosen to be the bride—and Luna—of Alpha Kyren of the Darknight Pack. A strong alpha, the future leader of his tribe, and, according to my father, a "perfect" choice for me. Finally, I would be able to set my wolf free. According to pack law, female wolves are forbidden from changing until they meet their mate. Tonight, under the high moon, that bond would be made whole through our vows—and through his bite, marking me as his.

My body shudders at the thought of being claimed, and my unease grows. I hardly know Kyren; he’s practically a stranger to me. I glance at my perfectly curled red locks falling across my face and push them back with a shaky hand.

“Don’t be nervous. This is what you’ve been waiting for,” I whisper to myself. But before I can dwell further, the door creaks open.

“El?” My mother’s soft voice calls out as she steps into the room. I turn to her, trying to mask my nerves with a feigned smile, but she sees through me as always. “It’s okay to be nervous, my dear,” she says gently. “But I’m glad you’ll finally meet your wolf. It’s a special feeling.”

I nod, forcing a smile, though my insides twist with uncertainty. Something stirs deep within me—a tug I can’t quite identify. My wolf? Or just the weight of my nerves?

She adjusts the ceremonial cloak draped over me. Her face is partly obscured by a dark, sheer veil, but her kind brown eyes glance out the window. The high moon is visible now, signaling it’s time.

“Mom, I—”

My words are cut off as the door swings open violently. My father, Chief Dexton, strides in, his gaze cold and commanding. My mother immediately bows to him in submission, as is expected of her. I’ve grown used to this dynamic, but it doesn’t make me hate it any less. His authority is rooted in fear, and we’ve learned to obey without question.

“We need to leave now, child,” he barks. His tone leaves no room for argument. Silently, I follow him out.

We leave our mansion, passing Delta guards who salute us as we walk. They form a straight line, leading us to the grand ancestral auditorium where the ceremony will take place. The ancient space is awe-inspiring, its glass roof designed to let the high moonlight cascade in. At the center stands a raised altar where mates are bonded.

My pulse quickens as I spot the unfamiliar cloaks of the Darknight wolves. Only two figures stand apart—Kyren and his father, Chief Jon—while their guards remain stationed outside, mirroring ours.

Alpha Jon’s assessing gaze sends a chill through me. His scrutiny feels like he’s appraising an object, not a person. My father exchanges curt greetings with him, while Kyren stands tall, his six-foot frame exuding power. His dark eyes are fixed on me, filled with a mix of lust and an unreadable intensity.

“Elise,” my father’s booming voice pulls me back to reality. The Gamma priestess gestures for me to ascend the altar. It’s time.

I remove my cloak, the cold air brushing against my skin, making my nipples harden beneath the thin silk of my dress. The garment, a traditional attire for the ceremony, leaves little to the imagination. Its purpose is twofold: to symbolize baring oneself to one’s mate and to avoid destroying clothes during the transformation into wolves.

I climb the cold steps, my long red hair cascading down to partially shield my chest. Kyren stands at the altar, his chest marked with white moon symbols identical to the ones etched onto my collarbone. Despite the ritualistic setting, he remains clothed in dark pants.

“Magnificent,” he murmurs, his gaze devouring me. His words send a shiver down my spine, but I bite my lip, suppressing the urge to retreat.

The ceremony begins, and Kyren’s low growl sets my insides alight. The moonlight intensifies, heating my skin. Pain surges through me, and I collapse to my knees, steam rising from my body. I scream as agony consumes me. Is this what transformation feels like? Why isn’t it happening?

Kyren grabs my hair, forcing me to look at him. His voice is sharp with disdain. “She dares defy my orders to change? Is this some kind of joke?” The room fills with whispers, and I hear my father mutter, “This must be a mistake.”

“You dare bring a defective wolf to us?” Jon roars.

Before I can respond, another wave of pain wracks my body. This time, I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the shallow moon pool. My breath catches. My hair, once entirely red, now has a streak of silvery white. My dark brown eyes have turned a vivid ocean blue. Gasps ripple through the crowd.

Jon’s furious voice cuts through the tension. “You brought a cursed wolf to us? That white streak—it’s a trait of the Calhan tribe. They were wiped out. What is the meaning of this?”

My father rounds on my mother, his hand clutching her throat as he slams her against the wall. “You whore! Whose cursed child is this? Did you let that man touch you?”

My mother sobs. “I don’t know, Dexton! I swear, she’s yours!”

Her words strike me like a blow. Dexton isn’t my father?

“Look at me,” Kyren commands, his voice a growl. I meet his gaze, defiance flaring within me. A rumble builds in my throat. I won’t submit. I won’t yield.

Kyren snarls. “A stubborn bitch, are you? Not even obedient to your alpha.”

“Enough,” Jon says. “The bond is incomplete. By tradition, we kill the weak.”

Despair grips me as I look at my father, but he turns away coldly. “If that pleases you, she’s yours to punish,” he says, breaking my heart.

“Father, please—” I beg, but he’s already dragging my mother away.

Kyren’s hand tightens around my throat. “I reject you, Elise Alderman, as my mate!” His voice echoes, sealing my fate.

The last sound I hear is my mother’s scream. Then silence. And I know my once-perfect life has crumbled into a nightmare.

ELISEI could hardly contain the agonizing scream that tore from my throat as I heard the final cry of my mother. My father—Chief Dexton—had snapped her neck, killing her in cold blood the moment he discovered I wasn’t his.

I fought the queasiness rising in my chest, swallowing the bile that threatened to choke me. I tried to pull myself up, but a harsh tug on my wrist reminded me where I was—and who I was with.

Even though I couldn’t shift or control her, I could feel my half-wolf stirring, enraged. I snarled, baring my teeth at Kyren. “Let me go!”

“Shut the hell up. You’re mine now, so act like it.”

Before I could fight back, his fist connected with my face. The force whipped my head to the side, and I collapsed onto the gravel, my cheek scraping against the rough surface. My vision blurred, and the last thing I saw was Kyren’s smug face as his father, Jon, chuckled beside him.

“Good night, sweetheart.”

The world went black, and a single burning tear escaped my eye—a tear filled with hatred, sadness, and a vow of revenge.

When I woke, my body ached in ways I’d never experienced before. I tried to sit up, but the unstable platform beneath me shifted. I wasn’t on the altar anymore. I wasn’t even in the pack.

I was inside a caged carriage, surrounded by male guards cloaked in dark red, their insignias marking them as Darknight wolves. My heart sank.

I glanced down and saw heavy chains binding my wrists and ankles. Though I wore clothes, they were little more than rags—an insult my father must have ensured. My father, who was now a murderer.

The memory of my mother’s screams crashed over me. That monster wasn’t my father anymore.

“The little princess is finally awake!” one of the guards jeered, prompting laughter from the others.

The carriage slowed, and I caught sight of the looming gates of the Darknight Pack. Panic clawed at me. If I was taken inside, there would be no escape.

“Let me out of here!” I screamed, pulling against the chains. Pain shot through my wrists, but I didn’t care.

“Shut up!” a Delta guard snapped.

I froze, stunned by his blatant disrespect. A Delta wolf dared speak to me like that. Clearly, Chief Jon had spread word of my illegitimacy.

Footsteps approached, and a young male with a higher rank than the Delta barked, “Alpha Kyren wants her in the hall now.”

The guards yanked me from the carriage and dragged me into a grand, candlelit hall. Dark gray stones lined the walls and pillars, creating a cavernous, oppressive atmosphere. At its center stood a throne—Kyren’s throne.

He lounged on it as though born to rule, his dirty blonde hair slicked back, his roguishly handsome face twisted in a smirk.

“There she is,” he murmured, rising and striding toward me.

“You rejected me, Kyren. Why am I still here? Let me go!” I demanded, my voice trembling with rage.

He laughed, gripping my chin between his fingers. “You’d rather I banish you? Let you become a filthy rogue? Imagine—a highborn princess reduced to nothing. A pity, don’t you think?”

“It’s better to be a rogue than to stay here with you!” I spat.

His expression darkened, and he dropped his hand, a cruel smile playing on his lips. “Lucky for you, I’m in a good mood. We’re holding a festival tonight—a celebration of my ascension to alpha. Too bad one part of the plan didn’t work out, but the show must go on. My father promised me the throne if I took you from your pack, and I did. So now, I am king.”

His words turned my stomach. I was nothing more than a pawn in a game between him and his father—a tool to secure his throne.

Loud cheers erupted outside the hall, the sound of hundreds of wolves celebrating.

“What’s going on?” I asked, panic rising in my chest.

“You’ll see,” he replied smugly, signaling for a guard to shove me forward.

Each step was agony, but I refused to let Kyren see my pain.

We emerged into a large arena, its centerpiece a battle pit surrounded by roaring wolves. My heart sank as I realized what was happening.

Two contestants entered the pit. The first was a massive red-haired man with feral eyes and a smug grin. He beat his chest, eliciting cheers from the crowd. When his gaze landed on me, lust burned in his eyes, making my skin crawl.

The second man entered in stark contrast. The crowd fell silent as he stepped into the arena. Dark hair clung to his sweat-drenched skin, and his body bore deep, fresh gashes—marks of countless battles.

His face was obscured by a muzzle, a clear sign of how dangerous he was. His very presence sent shivers through the crowd.

I glanced at Kyren, whose eyes betrayed a flicker of jealousy before his smug mask returned.

“Ka’al,” Kyren drawled. “Once again, you’ve bested one of my best men.”

Ka’al climbed the podium where I stood, his dark, piercing gaze meeting mine. A strange, electrifying sensation coursed through me, raising the hairs on my skin. I quickly looked away, wanting nothing to do with this beast of a man.

Kyren turned to the crowd, his voice booming. “This duel will be special. I’ve brought a gift for you all—the princess of the Darknight Pack herself!”

The crowd roared with excitement, their cheers ringing in my ears.

“And to make it more interesting,” Kyren continued, his voice dripping with malice, “the winner of this duel will claim her as his prize!”

The words hit me like a blow to the chest. My blood turned to ice. He was offering me as a trophy to be used and abused by whichever monster emerged victorious.

I trembled with fear, bile rising in my throat. “K-Kyren—”

He ignored me, signaling for the duel to begin.

The red-haired man shifted into his wolf form instantly, a massive and terrifying creature. But Ka’al remained in his human form, his bloody wounds still fresh.

I watched in horror as the red wolf attacked with relentless ferocity. Ka’al dodged with precision but struggled to keep up.

Then the wolf found an opening, sinking its teeth into Ka’al’s shoulder. His scream of agony echoed through the arena, and the crowd roared.

I squeezed my eyes shut, unable to watch—but the crowd’s gasps forced me to look.

Ka’al had moved faster than humanly possible. In one swift motion, he crushed the red wolf’s skull.

Blood splattered across the pit as the wolf fell, lifeless.

Ka’al stood victorious, his bloodied form towering over the fallen beast.

The crowd erupted in cheers, but my heart sank.

He was the winner.

And I was his prize.