Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by the Wolf King

king eighteen-hour days to design his kingdom

mate until I shifted, claiming

ntil I saw the email notif

ear-old son. The mother was Hayden, the "fragile

e was waiting for me to finish his f

ds, he sabotaged my climbing gear, hoping a

liated me at the pack auction, using the money I ha

. They thought they could broadcast intimat

hitect, I built the very securi

tim, but with the rival Alpha by my sid

rets?" I smiled at the terr

who the real father

pte

na

s the mahogany desk. My fingers traced the white lines, calcu

bsidian Pack. I was their chief a

n't a wol

d endured *The Shift* at eighteen. It's a brutal, bone-breaking reckoning where your human for

never

nly a silence where a

really intend to make the

y head, uninvited. It

cting every member of the pack. As the future Luna, I had access to the

s, replied in the link. *"But a Luna needs to produce stro

es out. I built a mental wall, a trick I

e right

io, taken three years ago at university. He looked dashing, his jawline sha

a full scholarship to the Alpine Pack's p

es. He had told me I was brilliant. He ha

ho understands my visio

duation. He told me I was his

't *Fate

drives you mad-like rain on hot asphalt or fresh pine. Your heart races.

lt that wi

ad. "Because you haven't shifted yet. Once you turn, the b

m. I wanted t

igned the pack house. I managed the l

, Emilio w

ould say when I asked why he wouldn't sleep in our bed. "

noble. But

c noise buzze

. Sometimes, when emotions run high, the Alpha's pri

t...

s sitting alone in a cold of

was

right now? He was supposed

aptop, which sat open on the side

ay it killed the cat, but today, it wa

r and tapped

up. It was hi

opped up. The subject li

ion to the Bapti

. Thomas. That wa

icke

little blue paw prints. In the center was a photo of a

io's

he photo, th

coming the wol

ha Emilio Thomas &

tilted o

n Cle

e pack two years ago. She was always sick, always needi

ke a little sister, Elana. Sh

ist

my gut, harder than any pu

a child

hoto looked abou

math,

Plus nine month

with her almost the entir

nserve energy

risk it,"

All

for me to be useful enough to finish his fortifi

hands. They were sha

-Link* bu

e inner circle?"* It was Emilio

A female voice. Hayden. Her mental voi

ed in blueprints. She won't lift her head until the walls

aphorically. My vision lite

n that empty space where I though

howl. It w

oto of us on the desk. Th

he heavy cr

the room amplified my voice. "You made me b

he frame a

RA

wn onto the plush carpet. The photo

ed my face. My eyes were wide. M

o

ked f

like bile and ash in my mouth. "You want your

he architect. And I knew exactly w