Unfit For The Alpha's Son:Destined For The Lycan King

Alera's Pov

"You and four others will serve in the large hall, where the guests are being welcomed," Ma'am Nile instructed, her sharp gaze cutting through me. I straightened instinctively, my heart hammering, but I nodded and forced my nerves down.

We were a small team assigned to the banquet serving food and drinks to the important guests attending the auction.

I had always been part of this routine-serving, cleaning, staying out of sight. But tonight felt different. Tonight wasn't just another event; it was the auction-the night when packs traded future Alphas and warriors to form alliances. Tension hung in the air, even as guests exchanged pleasantries and smiles.

We lined up outside the hall, trays of food stacked high. Laughter and chatter spilled from the heavy wooden doors. I wiped my palms on my apron, trying to steady my nerves.

"Don't make any mistakes, Alera," Ma'am Nile reminded me, her tone colder than usual. I knew exactly what she meant.

"Yes, Ma'am Nile," I whispered, determined to keep my composure.

We entered the hall, and the sheer grandeur almost knocked the wind from me. Chandeliers bathed the room in warm golden light, casting intricate shadows over long banquet tables. The scent of roasted meats and spiced wine mingled with perfume. It screamed wealth and power.

At the high table sat Alpha Xerxes, his silver hair gleaming in the light. His calculating gaze made him the patriarch of the gathering. Beside him, Darius, my future Alpha, sat with his usual air of confidence. My chest tightened just seeing him-a mix of awe and dread coiling in my stomach.

He was everything I wasn't strong, poised, and destined for greatness. Where I was invisible, he commanded attention. His cold blue eyes flicked across the room as he spoke to the clan leaders, his voice low and authoritative.

I shuffled forward, trying to blend in. But tonight, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to change. I couldn't escape it.

As I approached the high table, a strange sensation washed over me. My breath caught in my throat. Then, the scent hit me-fresh pine, sharp and clean, like the forest after rain. It filled my lungs, deep and intoxicating. My wolf stirred, awakening from deep within.

Mate.

The word rang through my mind, not as a thought, but as a primal knowing. My wolf let out a satisfied growl, and before I could fully comprehend what was happening, I spoke the word aloud at the same time as someone else.

"Mate."

I froze, tray wobbling in my hands, but I managed to steady it. My eyes lifted, locking with Darius's cold blue ones.

Time slowed. The room around us faded. His piercing gaze held mine, weighing me, deciding something about me. Then his lips parted, and his voice cut through the silence like a blade.

"I, Kael Ironclaw, reject you, Alera Nightstand, as my mate. You are unfit to be a breeder."

The words hit harder than any blow.