Rejected by the Cheating Alpha, Claimed by the Lycan King

At our Mating Ceremony, Alpha Christian was just about to mark me. Suddenly, his childhood best friend halted the entire ritual. Clinging to Christian’s arm, Elena announced she wanted to toast me with three glasses of wine. "Serena, our future Luna," she began, smiling brightly. "This first glass is for you. Thank you for taking such good care of Alpha Christian." "During the Silver Hunt two years ago, he brought down three silver wolves for me in a single breath." "The second glass is for your obedience." "Last year, when you were poisoned by silver and miscarried, you crawled into the Healer's clinic all by yourself. That was the only reason Christian and I could enjoy the Moonlight Ball in peace." The grand hall instantly erupted into cheers and thunderous applause. My mind went completely blank. A loud ringing filled my ears. Back then, I had been hovering between life and death in the Healer's ICU. When the Healer called Christian, he claimed there was an emergency at the pack borders and that he couldn't get away. So his "emergency" was dancing with Elena at the Moonlight Ball. Amidst the cheering crowd, Elena pouted playfully, demanding Christian join her in the toast. Before raising her glass, she flashed me a sweet, wicked smile: "And this final glass is for your generosity." "Thank you for letting Alpha Christian mark me first. Because of his mark, I won the territory battle against my ex." "You two... completed a mating bond?" My voice shook. I stared at Christian and Elena in utter disbelief. In the five years I had been with Christian, I asked him to mate with me ninety-nine times. Every single time he was about to agree, Elena would have some sudden emergency and drag him away. Not long ago, I gathered my courage to ask him one last time. This time he agreed, and we planned our Mating Ceremony. And yet, on the very day of our ceremony, he dropped this bomb on me—he had already legally bound himself to Elena under pack law, complete with a mating bond! Then what was I to him? I looked at Christian, desperately waiting for an explanation. His face was completely calm. He didn't offer a single word. The air in the room grew stifling. Our mutual pack friends quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "Come on, Serena, don't take it to heart. Everyone’s from the Bloodmoon Pack. Helping each other out is totally normal." "Yeah, Serena. It's just a mating bond. Christian was only doing me a favor as an Alpha. What's there to be jealous about?" Elena added innocently. Before she even finished, Christian chuckled and tapped her lightly on the head. "Shut it. Even food can't keep that mouth of yours shut." Elena punched him playfully in the chest. "A banana isn't nearly as big as yours—it could never satisfy me the way you do~" The hall went wild, followed by a roar of laughter. "Elena, you know him too well! Sounds like you've had plenty of practice!" "Back off, guys! Christian and I grew up together in the Bloodmoon Pack! Back when he was bursting with energy, I was the one who helped him release it. None of you can compare to that." The moment those words left her mouth, the bustling banquet hall fell dead silent. My mind shattered into pieces. Seeing me frozen, she casually laughed and added: "Oh, speaking of which, Serena, you should actually be thanking me." "If I hadn't trained Christian’s skills in bed, how could you ever enjoy him giving you such good service?" Blood rushed straight to my head. Unable to bear it for another second, I grabbed my wine glass and hurled it straight at Elena’s face. Before she could even scream, Christian moved in a flash, shielding her tightly in his arms. "Serena, are you out of your mind?! What are you throwing a tantrum for now?!" I stared at the reddened skin on the back of Christian's hand, digging my fingernails painfully into my palms. "Growing up in the same pack gives you the right to sleep together whenever you want?" I let out a bitter, mocking laugh. "If the two of you are so inseparable, why didn't you make her your Luna? You make a perfect pair—a shameless slut and a cheating bastard." Christian lost his temper instantly. He raised his hand and slapped me across the face. "Shut up, Serena! When did you become so venomous?!" "Apologize to Elena right now!" Elena nestled safely in Christian’s arms, shooting me a smug, provocative smirk. Tears spilled down my cheeks against my will. Suddenly, everything felt utterly meaningless. I turned on my heel to walk away. Christian grabbed my wrist with bruising force. "You insulted Elena in front of everyone and broke her heart. Apologize to her right now." "If you don't apologize, today's Mating Ceremony is off."Christian wore that all-too-familiar arrogant expression. He looked down at me like I was dirt beneath his boots. He was waiting for me to bow my head and beg for forgiveness, just like I had the other ninety-nine times. "Serena, you’d better think carefully. Other than me, what Alpha would ever want you as their Luna?" The man standing before me had become a complete stranger. I couldn't connect him to the boy who had sworn he loved me eight years ago. Back at the Wolf Academy, when I was brutally bullied, Christian fought through severe injuries just to rescue me. He told me it was love at first sight, promising he would protect me for the rest of his life. When I was eighteen, my parents were killed in a rogue skirmish, leaving behind crushing debts. Christian worked multiple jobs to pay off the debt and fund my tuition. He worked himself to the bone, ending up hospitalized with internal bleeding, just so I wouldn't have to suffer. When I was twenty, his rival pack kidnapped and violated me. After I was saved, he knelt beside my hospital bed, weeping, swearing he would love me forever. Everything fell apart the day he reunited with Elena. Every single sentence he spoke to me began to feature Elena’s name. The more he brought her up, the less he came home. He began to pull away, to look at me with disgust, standing by and watching while others humiliated me. The cold breeze from the window washed over me, snapping me out of my trance. The warmth in my blood finally froze, and the boy from my memories dissolved into dust. I looked straight into Christian’s eyes and enunciated every single word: "Then call it off. I hope the two of you rot together." Seeing me turn away, a rare flicker of panic crossed Christian's face, his voice carrying an edge of desperation. "Serena, stop right there!" "You were violated by rogue wolves from our rival pack! Other than me, what Alpha would ever take damaged goods like you?!" Gasps rippled across the room. "Oh my god, Serena was violated by rival wolves?!" "Look at how provocatively she’s dressed today. Who knows what really happened back then?" "A tainted woman like her should be kneeling in gratitude that Alpha Christian even considered her as Luna! What is she complaining about?" The murmurs and pointing fingers squeezed my heart in a vice. "Christian, you absolute bastard!" "You know nothing about that night—!" I spun around, my hand trembling as I slapped Christian across the face with everything I had. Smack! The entire hall went dead silent. Elena immediately rushed over, wrapping her arm around Christian’s shoulder and pulling him against her chest. "Serena, you’re completely deranged! Christian and I just grew up together. Is that really worth throwing this pathetic fit?" "Nobody else has a problem with it. You're just causing drama!" The guests looked at me with even deeper disgust, their mocking whispers growing louder. Christian stared ahead stiffly, refusing to meet my eyes. Inside my chest, something shattered with a sharp, final crack. Elena’s taunts, the crowd's insults, Christian’s cowardly silence. Every shred of injustice I had swallowed over the years slapped me across the face all at once. "Christian, I've stomped down my pride for far too long while you two did your filthy business behind the excuse of 'childhood best friends'." "Every time we planned to mate, Elena complained of a headache, and you ran to her side like a loyal dog." "When I was dying in the Healer's ICU, bleeding out from silver poisoning, you were dancing at the Moonlight Ball with her." "You even bound yourself to her, and now you stand here ripping open my deepest trauma to humiliate me! Have you forgotten? I was attacked because of you!" "Or did you honestly believe I was so pathetic that I couldn't survive without you?" I gasped for air, tears blurring my vision. Out of the corner of my eye, Christian seemed to reach a hand out toward me, but the ocean of vicious whispers felt like it was drowning me. Unable to bear the suffocating agony for another second, I turned and fled like a coward.Right before the heavy doors slammed shut, I heard Elena’s mocking giggle. "Christian, you truly are the most honorable Alpha. Sacrificing your Luna-to-be all for little old me." "Then again, if you want to run after her, none of us will judge you." Christian’s confident reply rang out clearly: "Without me, no pack on this continent will ever take her in as Luna." They placed a five-million-dollar bet, laughing that I would crawl back on my knees begging for mercy within three days. In that exact second, my heart died completely. I pulled out my phone and dialed a number I hadn't touched in years. It rang for less than three seconds before connecting. "I'm hosting a Mating Ceremony in three days. I need an Alpha." Without a second of hesitation, the deep voice on the other end responded: "I'll see you in three days." Just then, a text popped up from my grandmother, who was resting at home. “My sweet girl, is the Mating Ceremony over? Grandma cooked all your favorites at home. I’m waiting for you two to come back.” Swallowing the bitter lump in my throat, I didn't dare tell her the truth. I forced my voice to sound cheerful and sent back an audio message: “Got it, Grandma! I’m heading home right now to keep you company. But Christian has urgent pack business to attend to, so he won't be joining us tonight!” Before stepping into the car, I glanced back toward Christian's manor. He and Elena were surrounded by the pack, bathed in the warm glow of the chandeliers. As everyone cheered and teased them, Christian’s ears flushed red. A burning, stinging pain washed over my cheeks. Before I knew it, my dried tears were flowing again. I covered my face with both hands, refusing to let anyone see me fall apart. ... I honestly don't remember how I drove home. By the time I snapped out of it, the food on my plate had been shredded to bits by my fork. Seeing that something was terribly wrong, Grandma quickly set down her fork and pulled me into her arms. She stroked my hair gently, her voice trembling. "Sweetheart, tell Grandma... did that boy Christian hurt you?" Looking into her loving, worried eyes, I completely broke down. "Grandma... what if I take you away from here? Let's go somewhere far away, okay?" When she didn't answer right away, I looked up in confusion. A warm tear fell from her wrinkled face, landing right in the corner of my eye. "Okay, my sweet girl. Grandma will go wherever you go. I'll take care of you." "If that mating doesn't bring you happiness, then we won't do it. All Grandma wants is for you to be happy." I buried my face in her chest and wept, letting out years of bottled-up pain and humiliation. The next morning, as I packed our suitcases, a notification from Ins popped up on my screen. It was a picture of Elena in a designer ski suit, snuggled intimately against Christian’s chest. They looked just like a couple deeply in love. Her caption read: “Practicing my ski moves with my best friend~” I froze. The little stuffed snow wolf Christian had given me fell out of my coat pocket. He had given it to me to make up for the fact that I had never seen real snow, promising he’d take me skiing once he wasn't busy with work. I had waited years for that day. It never came. Turns out, he always had the time. He just didn't want to spend it on me. I gave a self-deprecating laugh and threw the wolf straight into the trash. Suddenly, a horrifying cry came from Grandma's bedroom. I kicked the door open. Grandma was collapsed on the floor, writhing in agony. Christian's voice was echoing from her cracked phone on the carpet: “...You were violated by rival wolves...” "Sweetheart... is what he said true? When did you suffer like that...?" "It's all my fault... cough, cough... It's all because Grandma couldn't protect you..." Tears streamed down Grandma's face as she clutched desperately at her chest. The sheer agony on her features made my blood run cold. Her heart condition was flaring up!I rushed Grandma to the pack Healer's clinic as fast as I could. The moment I arrived, the nurses informed me that all the pack Healers and emergency staff had been pulled away by Christian—to treat Elena’s minor abrasions! I stumbled frantically toward the main consultation wing. "Christian! Christian! I'm begging you, let the Healers treat Grandma! Please!" "She always treated you like her own flesh and blood! She even gave you her life savings so you could build your pack enterprise! Please, tell them to save her!" A second later, Elena stepped out of the room, clinging tightly to Christian's arm. She dramatically clutched her shoulder, whining about how much pain she was in. Yet the only thing on her skin was a tiny, superficial bruise! Christian opened his mouth to speak, but Elena tugged hard on his sleeve. "Christian, my chest hurts so bad~" "She literally slapped you across the face last night, remember? She's probably just making up an excuse today so you'll let her off the hook." The flicker of concern in Christian's eyes instantly hardened into cold disdain. "Serena, you actually dare to use your grandmother's life to lie to me?" "Let's see if she actually drops dead once I turn off her life-support spell."