9. Crown over heart

Myron

My whole body burned—every vein, every nerve. Desire. Rage. The two tangled inside me like fire and poison.

I was furious—no, beyond furious. Livid.

Storming toward my car, I barely noticed the trash bin in my way until I slammed into it. Perfect. Something to take it out on. I roared, kicking the metal until it dented, trash exploding across the pavement.

My chest heaved, sweat dripping down my temple, but it wasn’t enough. Nothing could burn this wildfire out of me.

“I want her!” Zadar, my wolf, howled inside my skull, sharp and insistent.

“Damn it,” I muttered, teeth grinding. He was right. I wanted her too. Against my better judgment, against my pride, against everything I stood for—I wanted that omega.

I could still taste her. Still feel her lips, swollen against mine. The bond had branded me. My skin still tingled, my blood simmered like it would boil right out of me. I wanted to turn around, march back into that locker room, and pin her against the wall until she couldn’t breathe without me.

But no. No, I couldn’t. She was an omega. A low-rank nobody.

“Of all the wolves in the damn world,” I spat into the night sky, “the Moon Goddess gives me her?”

I slid into my car, the leather wrapping me in its usual comfort, but it did nothing to calm me. My rage boiled over. My palm slammed against the horn again and again until the sound drowned my thoughts.

“I want her, Myron!” Zadar’s voice tore through me, fierce and demanding. “We need her!”

“NO!” I bellowed, slamming my fists into the wheel. “I’m not going to stay mated to an omega. I’ll reject her tomorrow. End of discussion.”

Final. Cold. That’s how it had to be.

My foot hit the accelerator, and I drove like death itself was on my heels, swerving past lights, past speed limits, past reason.

Julie. I’d pick Julie. She wasn’t my love—she never had been—but she was the beta’s daughter. Strong wolf, high rank, useful. She adored me, worshipped me. And my father… he’d approve. That was all that mattered.

“You can’t reject her without my consent!” Zadar snarled, fury radiating through me.

“Well, you don’t have a choice,” I snapped. “An omega can never be my mate. Never!”

I slammed the brakes. Tires screamed against asphalt, the car lurching to a violent stop. My lungs burned, my skin itched. I couldn’t breathe. I shoved the door open and tore my clothes away as I shifted.

Zadar burst free, massive and powerful, and we bolted into the woods. Branches snapped beneath our paws, the night air slicing through us. We ran until thought blurred into instinct, until exhaustion dulled the storm inside.

By the time we reached the pack grounds, I was back in control.

Jimmy rushed forward the moment he spotted me. His face paled.

“Alpha prince… is everything okay?”

I hurled my car keys at him without stopping.

“My car’s out there. Find it and have it parked here before morning.”

“Yes, Alpha,” he stammered, bowing low.

I ignored him, storming inside.

The bed swallowed me, but sleep didn’t come. My phone wouldn’t stop buzzing, and when I finally checked, the flood of messages almost made me laugh.

Julie—seven unread texts.

Baby, where are you?

I got a gamma for a mate… obviously I’ll reject him.

So we can be together…

Babe… I can’t find you anywhere.

Pathetic. My lip curled. Julie’s desperation clung to me like rot. I didn’t want needy. I wanted fire. Strength. Challenge. Something that tore me apart and rebuilt me.

Like Nalini.

But I shoved that thought down, ignoring the ache it stirred. I left Julie on read and skimmed the others.

Terry and Lax, my buddies. Both demanding to know who my mate was.

And then… my father’s message.

No matter what happens tonight, remember: an Alpha King must have a strong Luna.

The words sat heavy, sharp as a blade in my gut. This—all of this—was for him. Every fight I’d picked. Every car I’d wrecked. Every scar I carried. Trying, clawing, bleeding for an ounce of his approval.

I was six when my mother dumped me at his doorstep like unwanted trash. The bastard son. The stain. He took me in, yes, but love? Never. He was barely there. I grew up on scraps of attention.

Until that one night. Bloodied from a fight, shirt torn, lip split. He didn’t ask if I was okay. Didn’t care. Only asked—who won?

When I said I did, he clapped me on the back. For the first time, I felt… seen.

So I kept fighting. Kept destroying. Kept clawing my way into his gaze.

But May—his precious Luna—made sure I’d never forget my place. Every word from her was venom, every glance a curse. She poured all her love into her son, Timothy, and daughter, June. I got her hatred.

Timothy didn’t need to try. He was loved. Cherished. Gifted everything I bled for. And it burned me alive.

So I trained. Harder, faster, stronger. Zadar was the most powerful wolf I’d ever seen, and he was mine. With him, I could be the next Alpha King.

But it wasn’t enough. I needed a Luna to match my strength. To prove myself. To secure my throne.

And now the Moon Goddess had tied me to an omega.

I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms until they bled.

I knew what had to be done.

I would reject her. I would choose Julie. I would claim my crown, no matter the cost.

Because nothing—and no one—was going to stop me.