Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by the King

I stared at Marcus's phone in my trembling hands, each message like a dagger to my heart. The screen glowed with months of exchanges between my mate and Lily—intimate words, photos, promises that should have been sacred between mates alone.

'I miss your touch,' Lily had written just hours ago. 'Tonight, after she's asleep.'

'I can't wait to have you to myself,' Marcus had replied.

My wolf, Luna, howled in agony inside me, the pain so acute I could barely breathe. Three years of devotion, of building a life together, of being his Luna—all shattered by the evidence in my hands. The texts dated back months, each message more intimate than the last.

I twisted my mother's silver ring frantically around my finger, trying to anchor myself as my world collapsed. The bedroom door opened, and Marcus froze when he saw his phone in my hands, his expression shifting from shock to cold anger.

'What do you think you're doing?' His voice was dangerously low.

I rose to my feet, my Luna aura flaring despite the crushing pain. 'How long, Marcus? How long have you been betraying our bond?'

His eyes darkened, and the temperature in the room plummeted. 'Give me my phone, Isabella.'

'Answer me!' I demanded, my voice breaking. 'You promised before the Moon Goddess to honor our bond, and now I find this?'

Marcus's Alpha aura exploded outward, slamming into me with brutal force. 'Kneel.'

The Alpha command hit me like a physical blow. My knees buckled against my will, my body responding to his authority even as my mind rebelled. I fought against the compulsion, my Luna strength allowing me to resist partially, trembling with the effort to remain upright.

'I said, kneel!' He stepped closer, his voice dropping into that terrible Alpha tone that made my wolf whimper. 'You will obey your Alpha.'

My body finally surrendered, knees hitting the floor hard enough to bruise. Tears of humiliation and rage burned in my eyes as I looked up at him.

'This is what you've become?' I whispered. 'Using your Alpha voice on your own Luna?'

He snatched the phone from my hands. 'You're overstepping, Isabella. What's between Lily and me is none of your concern.'

'None of my concern?' The words felt like acid on my tongue. 'I'm your mate!'

'And you will act like it,' he growled. 'A proper Luna knows her place. She doesn't question her Alpha.'

I stared at this stranger wearing my mate's face, searching for any trace of the man I'd pledged my life to. There was nothing—just cold contempt and the scent of another woman on his skin.

'Get up,' he ordered finally. 'And don't touch my things again.'

He left me there, kneeling on the floor of what had once been our bedroom.

* * *

Back in the blue guest room—my room now—I curled into a ball on the unfamiliar bed. Luna paced restlessly beneath my skin, her pain mirroring my own. Our mate bond, once vibrant and strong, now felt like a fraying rope, each strand snapping under the weight of Marcus's betrayal.

'We need to leave,' I whispered to my wolf. 'We can't stay here.'

Luna whimpered in agreement, but we both knew the truth—rejecting a mate bond wasn't simple. It required ceremony, witnesses, and most importantly, Marcus's presence. As long as he refused to acknowledge the damage he'd done, I was trapped.

Unless I could find another way.

I reached for my laptop with shaking hands and searched for 'Love Island: Celebrity Edition.' The reality dating show was accepting applications for their next season—a special edition featuring minor celebrities and notable figures from various walks of life. Including, perhaps, a Luna from a prominent werewolf pack.

It was desperate. It was reckless. It was possibly the only escape I had.

'Just temporary,' I promised Luna as I filled out the application. 'Just to get away until we figure out what to do.'

My wolf trembled beneath my skin, sensing both danger and hope in equal measure. I hit 'submit' and closed my eyes, praying to the Moon Goddess for strength.

Two weeks later, the acceptance email arrived. I read it in secret, heart pounding with equal parts terror and exhilaration. I had one week to get to Miami for filming.

One week to disappear from the Silvermoon Pack.

One week to begin reclaiming my life.