Rejected Luna, Claimed by the King

Reina's POV

Today, my mate, Zayne Kingsley, was declared the Alpha of the Black Shadow Pack. Ever since he was a child, he had dreamed of this moment. He had worked tirelessly toward it, never once allowing himself to falter, and now his efforts had finally been rewarded.

I glanced at the cake I had prepared with my own hands for him for what felt like the hundredth time. Even though I knew it was perfect, I still couldn't stop checking.

"He's going to like it," I murmured softly.

After packing it carefully into a box, I headed toward Zayne's place. Starting tomorrow, he would move into the pack's mansion, the same grand home where his parents had once lived. As the new Alpha, it would now be his responsibility to lead and protect everyone under his command.

And I knew that soon, he would finally announce to the pack that I was his mate.

So far, he hadn't revealed our bond, and I understood his reasons. Zayne wanted to secure his position first. He wanted to prove himself strong enough to protect not only the pack but also me. Only then would he feel at ease making our relationship public.

Besides, I wasn't someone he could introduce lightly.

I was the illegitimate daughter of a noble Alpha, a child who was never meant to exist.

My father had never wanted me. I was a reminder of his mistake, his shame. But when my mother took her own life in front of his house, he had no choice but to take me in. Still, he never accepted me as his daughter. To him and his family, I was nothing more than a burden they were forced to carry.

I was never truly part of the Ashfall family. I was their hidden sin, something they wished to erase.

While my father's legitimate daughter enjoyed comfort, admiration, and love, I was pushed into the servants' quarters and treated like one of the help. I wore her old clothes, ate whatever was left behind, and spent my days doing chores. No one ever showed me kindness. No one ever stood up for me.

At school, things were no better. I attended a public school where I was constantly bullied and ridiculed for my appearance and background. Still, I endured it all in silence. I focused on my studies, determined to create a better future for myself.

I worked harder than anyone else.

Eventually, I earned admission to a good college and, after graduating, secured a job as an assistant at Kingsley Corporation. For the first time in my life, I felt proud of something I had achieved on my own.

Throughout everything, Zayne had always been there.

From childhood, he had been my silent protector. Despite coming from one of the most powerful families, despite having no obligation toward me, he never ignored my suffering. Whenever I was hurt, he would find me. Whenever I cried, he would quietly stay by my side. Sometimes, he would secretly clean my wounds. Other times, he would simply offer his presence, making me feel less alone.

Slowly, without even realizing it, I fell in love with him.

When I turned eighteen, the Moon Goddess answered my prayers. Zayne and I discovered that we were mates, bound together by fate. From that moment on, everything changed.

He promised me a future. A life where I would never be treated as insignificant again. A life where I would be loved, protected, and cherished.

And I believed him.

I was ready to give him everything, my heart, my loyalty, and my life. He was the man for whom I would willingly make any sacrifice.

However, the moment I stepped into his apartment, something felt terribly wrong.

A pair of unfamiliar heels lay near the entrance. Pieces of clothing were scattered carelessly across the floor, leading toward the living room. My steps slowed as strange, muffled sounds reached my ears from inside.

My heart began to pound violently against my chest.

A fear I had never once felt in our relationship crept into my veins.

No... it can't be...

My hands trembled as I moved forward.

And then I saw them.

Zayne was on the couch, holding another woman in his arms. Her clothes were barely clinging to her body, her hair disheveled, and moaning his name loudly.

For a moment, my world stopped.

My vision blurred, and my legs nearly gave out beneath me.

The box slipped from my fingers.

It hit the floor with a dull thud, the cake inside shattering and spreading across the tiles like a cruel mockery of my love.

"Zayne!" I cried out.

At my voice, his head snapped up in shock.

"Reina," he murmured, quickly pushing the woman away and standing up.

Only then did I truly see her face.

It was Mariana. My half-sister.

The prideful, perfect daughter of the Ashfall family.

The one who had always looked down on me.

The one who had everything I was denied.

My breath hitched painfully in my throat.

I rushed toward him, my fists striking his chest again and again, my tears falling freely.

"How could you do this to me?" I sobbed. "Since when have you been with her? Since when have you been sleeping with Mariana?"

My voice broke as I screamed the words, my heart shattering with every word.

Before I could say anything more, a sudden force shoved me backward.

I lost my balance and crashed into a sofa chair.

A sharp pain exploded in my head as it struck the edge. Warm blood oozed out of my forehead as I heard Mariana. "Zayne and I've been fucking each other for a year. Why? Did you get your heart broken? How dare a pathetic omega with impure blood even think of being with Zayne? You're like your pathetic mother. Eyeing the man who can never be yours."

I clenched my fists tightly. I lunged toward her, ready to hit her, when Zayne caught my wrist.

"Don't," Zayne told me.

"You were cheating on me for a year! You promised me a future! We are fated mates, Zayne. The Moon Goddess chose us to be together."

Fresh, hot tears began pooling down my cheeks.

"That's what I fucking hate! I never wanted to be your mate," Zayne said, almost snarling at me.

"What?" My lips quivered.

He let go of my hand and said, "I was foolish to even think that love is enough for me to stand by your side. You're weak, and you've no name, Reina. You are a sin to everyone who will belong to you. I was a fucking fool for going along with you. After my parents passed away, I couldn't become the pack's alpha, but Mariana made it possible for me. She's the one whom I love. She's the one who deserves to be by my side, not someone like you."

I was unable to believe that these were words of Zayne, the man who had always been kind to me.

"Reject her, Zayne," Mariana whispered to his ear, kissing his cheek.

Before I could even speak, lash at them, Zayne spoke the words no mate would want to hear in this world.

"I, Zayne Kingsley, reject you, Reina, as my mate. Accept my rejection."

"If I hadn't discovered today about this, would you have still played with my feelings?" I asked.

"Played with your heart?" Zayne chuckled. "I never did that. You were the clingy one. You were the one who needed me. I never called you, came to you, but you would always do that."

It was the truth, but I used to think Zayne was busy with training and work. I never thought he simply hated the fact that I was his mate.

I couldn't hold the humiliation any longer. "I, Reina Ashfall, accept your rejection, Alpha Zayne Kingsley. May we never see each other again because if we do..." I paused, 'I will kill you."

Reina's POV

The pain in my chest burned fiercely as I stumbled out of Zayne's apartment. My knees were trembling under the crushing weight of rejection and betrayal. It felt as though my heart had been torn apart and carelessly thrown back into my chest, still bleeding and aching.

But I forced myself to keep moving.

I refused to collapse in front of them. I refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing me break. I would not fall there and let Zayne and Mariana laugh at my weakness. No matter how much it hurt, I had to leave with whatever dignity I had left.

As I walked, a thousand questions crowded my mind.

How could I have been so blind?

How could I never realize that Zayne never truly loved me?

My hand instinctively pressed against my chest as if I could somehow hold my heart together. It clenched painfully, as though it might shatter at any moment. I found it was difficult to breathe and even focus.

Tears streamed endlessly down my face, blurring my vision. I felt abandoned, discarded as if I had never meant anything at all. All the sacrifices I had made, all the effort I had put into building my life, all the love I had poured into him, it suddenly felt meaningless.

I had worked hard to make something of myself. I had been ready to stand by Zayne, to support him in every way I could, to walk beside him as his mate and his partner. Yet in his eyes, I was nothing more than a burden.

Just like I had always been to my father.

That realization hurt more than anything else.

I didn't even notice when I passed through the gates. My body moved on its own, guided only by pain. Before I could stop myself, my legs gave out, and I sank to the ground. I curled into myself, burying my face between my knees, my shoulders shaking violently with sobs.

My voice broke as I whispered into the empty night.

"Why...? Why did it have to be this way, Moon Goddess?"

The phone in my pocket rang, and I finally stood up. My father was calling me, which never happened before. I sniffled my sobs and answered the call for one last time.

"Yes, Dad?"

"Whatever you're doing, leave that. And come home," Fredrick, my father, commanded from the other side of the phone.

"Okay." I hung up and hailed a taxi home. The journey came to an end soon. I had made up my mind. I would tell my father that I no longer wanted his charity and would go my separate ways. However, the moment I stepped into the house, I saw imposing men in black dresses lined up in a circle in the living room.

"Reina, where were you? Why didn't you hurry home?" My stepmother, Madam Britney, rushed to me, grabbing my arm.

"What's happening? Who are they?" I asked her.

He was easily over six feet tall, his presence dominating the room the moment he stood. When he turned toward me, I froze in place, unable to move or breathe.

The golden eyes of the man screamed that he was someone powerful. Stories whispered among werewolves spoke of Alphas with golden eyes. They were rare beings blessed by the Moon Goddess herself. They were said to be the most powerful rulers in existence, feared and respected by all.

And now, one of them was standing right in front of me.

My gaze drifted over his appearance. His jawline was sharp and perfectly defined, while his shoulders were broad and strong. The muscles beneath his white shirt stretched with every movement, hinting at immense strength restrained beneath calm control.

"Alpha Damon, this is Reina Ashfall. You must have already known about her origin. I must not say this,s but she's my illegitimate daughter," Fredrick spoke.

What the hell was happening? Why did my father introduce me like that?

And then, Damon strode to me. My stepmother had already moved as if she was scared of this man.

Before I could step away, Damon's calloused fingers brushed my cheek, and a sound radiated from his mother, "I've been looking for you, mate, for over a decade. Finally, you're mine."

Damon's POV

For more than twelve years, I had been searching relentlessly for my mate.

I had traveled across regions and territories, visited countless packs, and explored every corner of the werewolf world in my desperate attempt to find her. No matter where I went, no matter how hard I tried, there was never even the faintest trace of her presence. At times, I had begun to wonder if fate itself was playing a cruel joke on me.

Never once did I imagine that she had been living all this time in my nephew's pack.

She was so close, yet completely out of my reach.

If it hadn't been for the witch, an old friend who possessed rare abilities to trace soulmate bonds, I might have continued searching for years without success. It was she who finally revealed the truth to me and guided me toward my destined mate.

And now, here she was. Standing right in front of me.

Small and fragile, as though a strong wind could knock her over. Her body was slender, almost alarmingly so, as if she barely ate. I saw faint tear stains marked on her pale cheeks. Even her eyes were swollen and red from crying.

My chest tightened at the sight.

Why had she been crying? Who had hurt her? Who had made my mate shed those tears?

An anger stirred deep within me, but I forced myself to suppress it for the moment. There would be time later to find out who was responsible.

Despite her fragile appearance, Reina was breathtaking. And the scent was hard to avoid. It was of sweet honey and fresh roses.

Her soft features, her expressive eyes, and her quiet strength made her more beautiful than anyone I had ever seen. She was everything I had imagined in my dreams and more. From the moment I sensed her presence stepping into this pack, I knew without a doubt that she was mine.

My Luna, my mate, and my future.

"I've been searching for you for over a decade, my mate," I said. "And now, I've finally found you. You're mine."

The words felt powerful as they left my lips.

It was as if I had finally won the longest and hardest battle of my life. Years of loneliness, frustration, and uncertainty vanished in that moment. All that remained was relief and triumph.

But her reaction was nothing like what I had expected.

Instead of smiling, stepping into my arms, and accepting her fate, Reina quickly stepped back, pulling away from my touch. The sudden distance left my fingers cold and empty.

"Sorry... what?" she asked in disbelief, her voice trembling.

Before I could respond, she shook her head repeatedly.

"I... I'm not your m-mate," she stuttered, her eyes filling with fresh tears.

Her words struck me like a blow.

What?

Before I could process her reaction, Fredrick's harsh voice cut through the room.

"Reina, have you lost your mind?" he barked angrily. "Do you even realize who is standing in front of you? This is the most powerful Alpha in the world, Damon Kingsley!"

She looked up at me again, and suddenly, she began to cry. She cried as if her heart was breaking all over again.

I frowned in confusion.

What was wrong with her?

Why was she reacting like this?

She was my mate and my destined partner.

Shouldn't she be happy? Shouldn't she be relieved?

I had expected her to smile, to feel the bond, to reach for my hand.

Never, in all my imagination, had I thought she would cry.

"I... I don't want a mate," Reina whispered brokenly.

Her words pierced through me.

For a moment, I was unable to speak.

Before I could respond, Fredrick hurried forward, panic evident on his face.

"Alpha Damon, please forgive my daughter," he said hastily. "She has been under a lot of stress lately because of work. She doesn't know what she's saying."

Then, without even sparing her a glance, Fredrick added firmly, "As per your proposal, the two of you will be married tomorrow."

I watched closely as Reina lifted her head to look at her father in confusion.

And that was when I made my decision. "We aren't waiting until tomorrow," I said coldly.

The room fell into stunned silence. Every pair of eyes turned toward me. Only then did Reina look at me, her gaze filled with confusion and fear.

"Reina and I will be married tonight," I continued firmly. "Everything has already been prepared. The wedding dress is ready."

Her lips parted slightly in shock, and her face drained of color.

"Of course, Alpha Damon," Britney replied quickly, forcing a polite smile. "I'll get her ready immediately."

Before Reina could protest, Britney grabbed her arm and began pulling her away. Reina stumbled slightly, her steps hesitant, as though she wanted to turn back. Within moments, she was dragged out of my sight.

My jaw tightened. Something was terribly wrong. No daughter should look that frightened in her own home. No father should allow his child to be treated that way. And I didn't want to leave Reina alone in this house even for a second. I wanted to make her my Luna, my wife.

Slowly, I turned my gaze toward Fredrick.

"Do you hurt your daughter?" I asked.

The golden glow in my eyes intensified.

Fredrick immediately lowered his head and bowed deeply. "Not at all, Alpha Damon," he replied without hesitation. I knew he was lying straight in my face.

I took a step closer to him, forcing him to retreat slightly.

"Then why did you introduce her as your illegitimate daughter?" I demanded. "Why would you humiliate her in front of my men and me?"

My voice hardened with every word.

"If I am going to be her husband, then she is to be treated with respect," I continued coldly. "She is to be honored as my mate and my future Luna."

I stopped right in front of him, towering over his trembling form. "Do you understand me, Fredrick?"

He nodded frantically. "Yes, Alpha... I understand."

"You will apologize to her," I added sharply. "For every mistake you have made. For every wound you have caused her. And you will do it before I uncover those mistakes myself."

I leaned in slightly, lowering my voice to a dangerous whisper. "Because if I do... You will not like the consequences."

I glanced at my beta, who understood my command and walked away.