Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by the King

The night before the mark ceremony, I learned that Nathaniel Parker had taken a chosen mate—a beautiful Omega named Skyler Barnes—and they had a son together.

The boy was already seven years old.

For seven years, there hadn’t been a single whisper of this in the territory.

But now, on the eve of my ceremony, Skyler’s caretaker, Madelynn Baker, collapsed at my doorstep with the child in her arms.

---

I stood inside the doorway, watching as the boy lay unconscious outside. I called for a healer to examine him.

Madelynn, his caretaker, began to wail, her voice shrill and accusatory.

"This is the Alpha’s son! If anything happens to him, you’ll regret it!"

Everyone in the territory knew I was to become the Luna of the Blue Moon Pack. Her words were deliberate, meant to provoke.

I remained calm, letting her rant without interruption. When she realized I wouldn’t rise to her bait, she resorted to theatrics, hoping to goad me into calling the authorities.

If she succeeded, the boy’s parentage would become public knowledge, tarnishing both the Blue Moon Pack’s reputation and my family’s standing. My father, a respected scholar, would undoubtedly demand the ceremony be called off.

All of this would serve Skyler’s purpose. Without lifting a finger, she’d have me out of the picture. If Nathaniel confronted her, she’d simply cry and claim I was the one who escalated things, leaving her blameless.

It was a clever scheme. A less composed female might have reacted impulsively, only to realize too late that her reputation and future were already ruined, leaving her with no option but to live out her days in obscurity.

I wasn’t so easily manipulated.

"Guards," I commanded sharply, "seize this woman and take her to the Alpha’s estate. She dares to spread falsehoods about the Alpha having an illegitimate child. Let’s see if the Lycan Queen tolerates such slander!"

Nathaniel’s mother, Lucy Hernandez, had once been the favored Luna of the Lycan King. After her mate’s death, she became the Lycan Queen. There was no one more respected in the territory.

I instructed the guards to take both Madelynn and the boy to the estate. This mess was Nathaniel’s doing, and it was his responsibility to clean it up. I wanted no part of it.

Madelynn screamed and thrashed, but the guards silenced her and dragged her away.

At the estate, the guard delivered my message exactly as I’d instructed.

"Your Majesty," he said, addressing Lucy, "our future Luna sends her regards. She believed it was essential to protect the pack’s honor and trusts your wisdom to handle this matter."

Lucy, who had seen every kind of manipulation during her time as the Lycan Queen, understood the situation perfectly. She rewarded the guard with silver and sent me a golden pendant in return, a token of her gratitude for safeguarding the pack’s reputation.

Later, word reached me: "A body was carried out of the estate—Madelynn, beaten beyond recognition. The boy was unharmed, though unconscious."

I held the pendant in my hand, its cold weight a stark reminder of Lucy’s priorities. She cared about the child.

By sending both Madelynn and the boy to the estate, I’d accomplished two things. First, I’d used Lucy’s authority to put Skyler in her place. Second, I’d learned how Lucy felt about the boy.

Now that I knew, I could plan accordingly.