Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by the King

The teacup slipped from my grandmother's trembling hands, shattering against the hardwood floor. The delicate china fragments scattered like snowflakes, but I barely noticed them. My eyes were fixed on her face—pale as moonlight, her lips tinged blue.

"Grandma?" My voice cracked as I rushed to her side. "What's wrong?"

She tried to answer, but instead of words, a rattling breath escaped her lungs. Her eyes widened in panic as she clutched at her chest. The familiar scent of her lavender perfume mixed with something sharper—fear.

"Naomi..." she finally managed, her voice barely audible. "Can't... breathe..."

I dropped to my knees beside her chair, my hands hovering helplessly over her frail body. Her wolf aura—always a steady, warm presence—now flickered like a candle in a storm. Weak. Dangerously weak.

"Help!" I screamed, my voice echoing through our small house. "Someone help!"

Within minutes, our pack's emergency healer burst through the door, his medical bag clutched tightly in his hands. Dr. Morris knelt beside my grandmother, his experienced fingers pressing against her wrist, his eyes closed as he assessed her wolf aura.

"She needs immediate treatment," he announced, his face grave. "Her wolf is fading. Without proper care from a specialist, she won't last more than a few days."

Days. The word hit me like a physical blow.

"There must be something we can do now," I pleaded, clutching my grandmother's hand. It felt colder than it had moments before.

"I've stabilized her for today," Dr. Morris said, rising to his feet. "But she needs the best healer available—someone with experience in elder wolf care. The nearest one is in the Silver Creek Pack territory."

My mind raced. Silver Creek. Derek's territory. My mate.

"I'll call him right now," I said, fumbling for my phone with shaking hands.

Derek answered on the first ring. "Naomi? What's wrong?"

The sound of his voice—steady, strong—broke something inside me. Tears spilled down my cheeks as I explained what had happened.

"I need help," I whispered, my voice breaking. "The healer says she needs a specialist."

"Come to Silver Creek immediately," Derek commanded, his Alpha tone seeping through the phone. "I'll arrange everything."

Thirty minutes later, I knelt beside my grandmother's bed in the Silver Creek medical center, watching Derek pace the room with determined strides. His broad shoulders were tense beneath his tailored shirt, his jaw set in that way I'd come to recognize when he was taking charge.

"I've already contacted Healer Jamison," he said, turning to face me. "He's our best specialist in elder care. He'll be here within the hour."

Relief flooded through me so powerfully that my knees nearly buckled. "Thank you," I whispered, reaching for his hand.

Derek pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly against his chest. I could hear his heartbeat, steady and reassuring beneath my ear.

"I promised I'd take care of you," he murmured into my hair. "And that includes everyone important to you."

I melted into his embrace, gratitude washing away my fear.