THE RISE OF THE ALPHA QUEEN

Ambers POV

"Our mate is here."

The words spoken by my wolf echoed in my ears as I stepped into the hall.

I couldn't escape the palpable tension in the air as I attended Paul and Rose's engagement dinner. The celebration was in full swing but a knot tightened in my stomach, nervous about meeting my mate for the first time.

Midway through the festivities, Paul caught my eye, a flicker of surprise and unease took over me.

"This can’t be happening, how is that possible?" Doubt began to form in my mind.

My mate. The future Alpha of the Silvermoon pack Paul Asher, is my mate.

Paul's eyes were blown wide as he stood there staring at me. It took us completely by surprise.

Why did we just find out we were bound? We should've known we were mates at Seventeen. It should've been instantaneous. But it didn't happen. We didn't know.

In his expression. Without a word, he gestured for me to join him outside. Intrigued and wary, I followed, the night air carrying a sense of impending revelation.

Once away from the jubilant crowd, Paul's eyes met mine with a mix of turmoil.

"Amber, we need to talk."

My anticipation mingled with apprehension. "What's going on, Paul?"

He took a deep breath, his gaze flickering to the engagement ring on Rose's finger.

"I don't know how to say this, but fate has a way of complicating things. You and I, we're mates but I need you to understand that this doesn’t change everything."

A confused laugh escaped me. "Doesn't Change everything? You're engaged, Paul. How can this not change anything when we're mates?"

He ran a hand through his hair, his words strained. "I can't deny the mate bond, but we can't address this now. It's Rose's engagement dinner, and I won't ruin it for her."

Anger simmered beneath the surface. "So what? We pretend this revelation never happened. You want me to ignore the fact that fate just threw us a curveball?"

Paul's eyes pleaded for patience. "I'm not asking you to ignore it, Amber. We need to talk after the dinner. Give me that chance."

Reluctantly, I agreed, the weight of the impending conversation hanging between us.

As the night progressed, I couldn't shake the unsettling feeling of being a silent witness to a love I had unknowingly become a part of. Rose's joy and Paul's conflicted demeanour created a dissonance that echoed in the rhythm of the celebration.

Finally, as the last guests departed and the echoes of laughter faded, Paul found me in a quiet corner.

"Now we can talk," he said, his eyes meeting mine with determination and regret.

Crossing my arms, my tone cut through the night air. "Talk. Explain how you can be engaged to Rose while being my mate."

Paul sighed, a heavy burden on his shoulders. "I didn't choose this, Amber. Fate doesn't consult our plans. Rose and I have a history, commitments that can't be easily undone."

I shook my head in disbelief. "And where does that leave me? A secret mate hidden away so as not to disrupt the perfect engagement?"

Paul's eyes pleaded for understanding. "Amber, I never wanted to hurt you. It's as confusing for me as it is for you."

A bitter laugh escaped my lips. "Confusing? No, Paul. It's a betrayal. Fate might have chosen you as my mate, but you chose Rose as your fiancée."

My eyes burned with anger and unshed tears as I confronted Paul, my emotions laid bare in the quiet corner.

"You need to make a choice, Paul. It's either me or Rose."

Paul sighed, caught in the whirlwind of emotions. "Amber, it's not that simple. I need time to figure this out."

Frustration and hurt welled up in my voice. "Time? How much more time do you need? You're engaged to Rose, and yet you're still unsure?"

Before Paul could respond, the atmosphere grew heavier as Rose entered the scene with their parents in tow.

"What's going on here?" Rose's voice held a mixture of concern and confusion.

Turning to face her sister, I couldn't hold back the torrent of emotions. "Your fiancé and I have something to discuss, Rose."

Their parents exchanged worried glances, sensing the intensity in the air. My father asked, "Paul, what is this about?"

Paul hesitated, his eyes shifting between us sisters. "It's complicated. Amber and I share a mate bond, but I'm engaged to Rose. I need time to figure things out."

Rose's eyes widened in disbelief and hurt crossing her features. "Mate bond? Paul, you never mentioned this."

In undeterred anger, I spoke up. "He's been keeping it quiet, Rose. Now he needs to decide."

My parents, realizing the gravity of the situation, stepped forward. My father spoke with a stern tone, "This is too much, and we can't let it disrupt our family. Amber, it's best for everyone if you leave, at least until we can find a solution."

I furrowed my brows together and looked at my parents.

Their eyes narrowed down at me as if daring me to object. They knew about this and still accepted? They were fine with Paul tossing me to the curb? Did they want to ship me away? To abandon me?

"You will be sent to your Aunt Lydia temporarily, I will speak to the Alpha of her pack. This transfer won't be permanent. It'll only be until Rose and I finish the completion of our bond. Once she's marked and officially titled Luna, you'll be permitted back." I scoffed bitterly at his words.

He sounded like he was doing me some big favour. My wolf howled inside me, trying desperately to comfort my internal destruction. She nuzzled her head against the barrier, offering me as much solace as she could muster.

"You're kicking me out?" I asked quietly.

Father stepped forward, taking my arms in his large hands and tore my attention from Paul to him. He looked at me with apathy.

"Amber now is not the time to get emotional. This is bigger than you. You have no say in this." A flare of anger grew inside me at his words.

I pulled from his grasp roughly, ignoring the sting from where his grip lay. This would've counted as disrespect and was punishable by law but I couldn't care for that.

"How could you?" I looked at all the faces in the room.

My father nodded, regret in his eyes. "For now. It's for the good of the pack and the harmony of our family. We'll find a resolution, but you need to go."

Tears welled up in my eyes as the weight of their decision settled upon me. "You're choosing him over me?"

My mother's voice softened, but the decision was unwavering. "We're choosing what's best for everyone, Amber. This situation is too complex."

Rose, caught between her sister and the man she loved, whispered, "I'm so sorry, Amber."

My gaze lingered on Paul a little longer than the rest. The overwhelming tension in the air had made an impact on me. I couldn't handle the growing hostility coming from both my father and Paul directed to no one but me.

My mother was at the point of crumbling, but since she was the Beta's mate, she had somewhat more of a resistance.

My resolve surged within me as the conversation unfolded. The notion of being forced out of the pack felt like an unbearable weight on her shoulders.

"I won't leave," I declared, my voice cutting through the tension. "I belong here, and I won't let you exile me like this."

Paul looked caught between his ambition and the complications of their mate bond, so he stepped forward. "Amber, we need time to find a solution. You can't stay here now."

A surge of frustration and anger welled up within me, and a defiant spark gleamed in my eyes.

"I'll tell the Alpha about this. Let him decide."

But before I could act on my threat, Paul, with his Alpha aura, locked eyes with me. The pressure cut through my resolve, and a sudden stillness settled over me.

"You won't say a word about this to anyone, Amber," he ordered his words carrying an authority that left no room for defiance.

I felt the weight of the command press down on me, conflicting with my desire to speak out. The internal struggle was evident in my eyes, a silent acknowledgement of the power Paul held over me at that moment.

"Be prepared to leave," he continued, the Alpha's command firm and unyielding. "This is not a choice; it's an order for the good of the pack."

"Bu-But Paul, I-I'm your mate! The Moon Goddess put us together for a reason. You can't do this. Please Paul, please-" I pleaded.

I took a step forward to reach out to him. The tears rolling down my face blurred my vision but I could still make him out perfectly.

Beta Joseph my father, realizing the complexity of the situation, turned to Paul with a heavy expression.

"Paul, for the stability of the pack, you need to reject Amber. It's the only way to maintain order."

Paul hesitated, clearly caught between duty and the undeniable bond we shared.

Sensing the impending decision, I squared my shoulders defiantly. "I won't let you reject me, Paul. I have a right to be here."

Father pressed the matter, "It's for the greater good, Paul. You need to do this."

However, instead of approving, Paul's gaze hardened, and with a commanding tone, he directed his words at Amber.

“I Paul Walker, Future Alpha of Silvermoon pack, reject you Amber Brown as my mate and Luna”.

Tears streamed down my face as I kept my head down, fighting the pain his words brought on me.

"Accept the rejection, Amber."

The power in his command resonated, and despite my resistance, felt compelled to comply. A mixture of anger and hurt played in me as I reluctantly nodded, the weight of the command settling over her like a heavy cloak.

“I Amber Brown accept the rejection as your mate and Luna” With pain in my voice, I accepted the rejection.

My father, satisfied with the outcome, nodded at Paul. "It's for the best, son."

Silenced by the Alpha authority from his aura, I couldn't shake the bitterness of being rejected against my will. The dynamics of power and duty within the pack had reshaped my fate, leaving me with a sense of betrayal and a heart heavy with the weight of an enforced separation.

"Beta Joseph, please get the pack transfer documents from the alpha’s office." With a curt dip of his head, my father turned to me and gestured me to follow him but not before shooting a glare my way.

"Of course, Alpha."

Alpha? Why was my father calling him his future title? His birthright hasn't been passed down to him yet.

Father, excused himself to prepare the necessary documents for my transfer to my widowed aunt's pack. The room seemed to close in around me as I awaited his return, the weight of impending departure settling heavily on my shoulders.

When he returned with the papers, my defiance had not waned. "I won't willingly sign away my place in this pack. This isn't fair, Dad."

My father sighed, torn between his duties and the pain etched on his daughter's face. "Amber, for the stability of the pack, you need to go."

As the document was placed in front of me, my fingers trembled with a mixture of anger and sadness.

"This isn't my choice," I whispered, more to myself than anyone else.

My father resigned and urged me "Sign it Amber. It's for everyone's good, including yours."

Feeling the weight of inevitability, I reluctantly picked up the pen. The signature on the paper seemed to echo my compliance, a silent acceptance of a fate imposed upon her.

As the ink dried, my father spoke with a heavy heart."Be prepared to leave tomorrow. It's for the best, Amber."

The reality of the situation sank in, and I nodded, my eyes betraying the storm of emotions within. I had signed not just a document but an agreement to leave behind the life I knew, forced to embark on a journey to an unfamiliar pack, leaving behind the bonds I cherished.

The room fell silent, the unspoken sorrow hanging in the air as I prepared to face a departure that was neither my choice nor desire. The intricate tapestry of family, duty, and fate had woven a path I couldn't alter, leaving me with a sense of loss and the painful acknowledgement that my place within the pack had been irrevocably changed.

As I grappled with the weight of the enforced departure, I couldn't escape the sight of Rose standing behind Paul, offering him silent support. My heart, already heavy with the ache of rejection, sank further.

The realization struck with a bitter clarity—I had always been the less favoured daughter, even when we were twins. The dynamics of our family had favoured Rose, and now, as the events unfolded, it became painfully evident.

My eyes flickered between Paul and Rose, their connection highlighting the disparity between the attention and care I had always yearned for and the reality of my place within the family. The bond between Rose and Paul seemed to deepen the chasm that had existed between me and my family for years.

As I processed this painful truth, a profound sadness settled within me. The realization that I had always been the secondary daughter, the one overlooked, weighed on me like an insurmountable burden. The departure, enforced by an Alpha command and the signatures on documents, symbolized not only a physical separation but also a stark acknowledgement of the emotional distance that had persistently existed.

Silent tears welled in my eyes as I confronted the harsh reality of my familial ties. The dynamics of love, favouritism, and duty had sculpted a narrative that had always placed me on the periphery. Rose's presence behind Paul only emphasized the longstanding pattern and the pain of being the less favoured daughter cut deeper than ever before.