Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by the Crown

Fros

hey'd been glued. Darkness pressed in, heavy and absolute. Had I hit my head on the cliff's edge? Or a rock in th

move?" "She's waking up! Fetch His Majesty!" The words swirled, unfamiliar and cha

se stopped instantly, a hush falling over the room. Exhausted

arm, alluring, like a lullaby I couldn't place. I wanted to see their faces, to match the voices to people, but my body screamed in protest. Every muscle ached, as

bled, panic rising. My e

t, Princess. You hit your head when y

wen's rejection, his cruel words slicing me open, the cold river swallowing me as I fell from the cliff. I'd wanted to die, to escape the shame, the pain

ced. Had the river blinded me? I'd fallen, the current dragging me, my body slamming against rocks. How was I still breathing? These people, whoever they were, had

use to anyone." Owen's voice echoed: You're pathetic. Stay in your hole. I'd brought

d. "Rest, and it will hasten your healing." Her tone was warm and kind, calming my fea

e room. I blinked, wincing at the sting, and shapes began to form. My vision

woman stood in the centre, her long black curly hair piled high, her lips full, and her cheeks rosy. Her smile

ce trembling with excitement. "Th

ks always caught me off guard. She would tease me, laugh, then hug me tight. But the room was too grand, its walls carved with intr

. "You've got the wrong person." I braced for Elena to

oser. "You're our royal princess. We nearly lost y

s human, rejected and humiliated. "You don't understand," I said, trying to explain.

up, her voice soft but tinged with awe. "The Moon Goddess

the river carried me somewhere new? The pain, the voices, the title, they overwhelmed me. I gripped the edge

's. "You're home. We'll explain everything, but you need to rest first." Her kindness disarmed me, but it only deepen

"I'm useless to your pack." Owen's words echoed again, cutting deep. Useless.

azing with conviction. "You're our hope, our future. The Moon Goddess brought

d, her voice soft as a lullaby

xhaustion hit hard. My vision blurred again, the pain