Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by the King

The phone's shrill ring pierced the silence of my apartment. I fumbled for it in the darkness, my heart already racing before I'd even seen the caller ID.

"Hello?" My voice sounded small, even to my own ears.

"Ms. Butler? This is Dr. Marcus from St. Mary's Hospital." The voice was clinical, detached. "Your father, Alpha Richard Butler, has suffered a massive heart attack. His condition is critical. You should come immediately."

The world tilted beneath me. "I'll be right there."

I hung up and pressed my palm against the scar on my shoulder—the one I'd gotten taking a silver bullet meant for Asher during our early days together. It had been a testament to our bond then. Now it just felt like a reminder of how much I'd sacrificed for a man who couldn't even answer when I called.

"Asher," I whispered into our mate bond, reaching out with my mind. "My father's had a heart attack. I need you."

Nothing. Just emptiness where his presence should have been.

I dressed quickly and rushed to the hospital, my wolf pacing anxiously beneath my skin. The antiseptic smell hit me as I burst through the emergency room doors.

"Where is he?" I demanded of the first nurse I saw.

"Room 307," she replied, her eyes flickering with something that looked like pity.

I ran down the hallway, my heels clicking against the linoleum. Outside my father's room, I paused, gathering my strength. Then I pushed open the door.

Alpha Richard Butler—once the proud leader of the Crescent Moon Pack—lay diminished against white hospital sheets. Tubes and wires connected him to beeping machines that seemed to be the only things keeping him alive.

"Dad," I whispered, taking his hand. It felt cold and fragile in mine.

His eyes fluttered open. "Florence," he rasped. "You came."

"Of course I came." I squeezed his hand gently. "I'm here."

I reached for Asher again through our bond. "Asher, please. My father is dying. I need you here."

Silence.

I tried again. And again. Each attempt met with the same wall of nothingness.

"He's not coming, is he?" My father's voice was barely audible.

I swallowed hard. "He's probably just busy with pack business."

My father's laugh turned into a cough. "Pack business. Is that what they're calling it now?"

I frowned, not understanding his meaning. But before I could ask, voices drifted in from the hallway outside.

"...can't believe Asher hasn't told her yet."

"Six years is a long time to keep a secret mate and pup hidden."

"The Luna deserves to know her mate has been living with another woman."

My blood turned to ice. I stepped into the hallway, following the voices to a small waiting area where several pack members huddled together.

"Beta Ryan," I said, my voice steadier than I felt. "What's going on?"

Ryan Edwards—Celine's father and Beta of the neighboring Moonstone Pack—looked up guiltily. "Luna Florence," he stammered. "We were just—"

"Talking about how Alpha Asher is too