CLAIMED BY THE CURSED ALPHA

The silk of my gown felt like a second skin, a shimmering emerald fabric that cost the pack’s treasury a small fortune. I stood on the dais of the Great Hall, my heart hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs. Today wasn't just the pack’s anniversary; it was the day Caleb, our future Alpha, would finally claim me. We weren’t fated mates—the Moon Goddess hadn't granted us that spark—but we had been "chosen" since childhood.

"You look like a Queen, Elara," my handmaid, Sarah, whispered, adjusting my train.

"I just want to look like his," I replied, smoothing the fabric.

The heavy oak doors of the hall swung open. The chatter died instantly. I braced myself for the familiar scent of cedar and rain—Caleb’s scent. But as he stepped into the light, a sickeningly sweet odor of rotten lilies and cheap perfume flooded my senses.

Caleb wasn't alone. He was carrying a petite, blonde she-wolf in his arms, her head tucked into the crook of his neck.

"Caleb?" I stepped forward, my voice trembling. "What is this?"

He didn't look at me. He looked at the girl in his arms like she was the sun itself.

"Move aside, Elara."

"Move aside?" I echoed, the blood draining from my face. "The ceremony is supposed to begin. Our engagement—"

"There is no engagement," Caleb snapped, finally meeting my eyes. His gaze was cold, devoid of the warmth we had shared just yesterday. "The Moon Goddess has spoken. I found her."

A gasp rippled through the crowd. The blonde girl looked up, a triumphant, feline smirk playing on her lips. She wasn't just a wolf; she was a low-ranked drifter from the southern borders.

"Her?" I pointed, my finger shaking.

"You’re casting me aside for a stray?"

"Don't call her that!" Caleb roared, his Alpha aura flaring, pinning me to the spot.

"She is my fated mate. My Luna. My everything."

"We’ve spent ten years preparing for this, Caleb!" I yelled back, the humiliation burning like acid. "I’ve led this pack by your side. I’ve managed the finances, the treaties, and the training. You can't just—"

"I just did," he interrupted.

The blonde girl, Chloe, spoke up in a high, feigned whimper. "Caleb, she’s scary. Why is she looking at me like that? I’m frightened."

Caleb’s expression softened instantly.

"Shh, baby. You’re safe now. No one will hurt you."

I stepped off the dais, walking right up to them. "Safe? She’s a homewrecker. And you, Caleb, are a coward who hides behind a 'fated' excuse because you’re bored."

Slap.

The sound echoed through the silent hall.

I didn't hit him. He hit me. Or rather, his aura did, knocking me back against the stone pillar.

"Watch your tongue, Elara," Caleb hissed. "You are nothing compared to her. You are a tool that has outlived its usefulness."

"A tool?" I laughed, a bitter, broken sound. "I am the daughter of the former Beta. I am the reason this pack didn't starve last winter!"

"And now you're an eyesore," Chloe chimed in, her voice dripping with false sympathy. "Maybe you should find someone of your own level? A gardener, perhaps?"

"Shut up," I spat. "You haven't been here five minutes and you're already acting like you own the place."

"I do own it," she smirked. "I own him."

The Elders stood by, silent. In our world, the fated mate bond was law. No one would defend me. Not even my own father, who kept his head bowed in the corner.

"Caleb, please," I whispered, one last desperate plea. "Think about the pack. Think about us."

Caleb looked at me, his eyes shifting to the dark gold of his wolf. He leaned down, whispering something into Chloe’s ear that made her giggle. Then, he turned his gaze back to me. There was no pity. There was only disgust.

"The coronation is over," Caleb announced to the room, his voice booming. "Chloe is your Luna. Bow."

No one moved for a second, then, one by one, my friends, my family, and my people dropped to their knees. I remained standing, the lone emerald spark in a sea of submissive shadows.

"Bow, Elara," Caleb commanded.

"I will never bow to a thief," I said, my voice steady despite the shattering of my heart.

Caleb stepped closer, his scent now completely overwhelmed by the girl’s cloying perfume. He leaned in, his breath hot against my ear, but the words he spoke weren't an apology.

"You're making a scene, Elara. It's pathetic. You’re nothing but a human-born fluke in a wolf's skin."

"I am more of a wolf than she will ever be," I hissed.

He pulled back, a cruel smile stretching across his face. He looked at the guards standing by the door, then back at me, his eyes cold and final.

"Take the human to the servant quarters," Caleb commanded, his voice loud enough for every soul in the hall to hear. "She’s crowding the room.

The guards hesitated, looking at me with wide eyes.

"Did I stutter?" Caleb roared. "Take her out of my sight. She starts her shift in the kitchens at dawn."

I stood frozen as the guards gripped my arms. The emerald silk ripped as they dragged me toward the side exit. I looked back one last time. Caleb didn't even watch me go. He was too busy kissing the blonde girl on the throne that was supposed to be mine.

The heavy doors slammed shut, plunging the hallway into darkness.