Rejected By My Alpha, Mother To His Heirs.

RONAN

By the time I got to the territorial boundary, two decapitated heads of my sentinels were lying on the ground.

Fury burned through me instantly.

Who the hell had stepped foot into my territory?

"Alpha..." A strained voice called out. I turned to see Ramsey, one of my toughest sentinel commanders.

He slowly approached me with both hands raised in caution. Someone lingered behind him.

It was such a big feat having a man like Ramsey in such position, and I wondered who had managed to pull that off.

I remained composed, giving nothing away as I waited for the person behind him to step forward.

Seconds later, they did.

My heart nearly stopped. For a moment, I wasn't convinced it was truly her until my eyes caught the fading scar on her left cheek.

She was the one. The same girl I had rejected four years ago.

"Lyra..." Her name left my lips before I realized it.

"Finally," she muttered flatly. "You show up."

My gaze dropped briefly to the heads of my sentinels on the ground.

Surely, she hadn't done that.

"The audacity you have to show up here and cause such chaos," I gritted out, but she remained unfazed.

This wasn't the same girl I used to know. The energy pouring off her was powerful. Definitely not the kind of aura an omega could possess.

"I need your help," she suddenly said, locking eyes with me. "One of my pups is missing."

I had not expected that.

Her pups?

Lyra... had pups?

That meant one thing -- She had found her second chance mate. For some reason, the thought left a bitter taste in my mouth.

"What does that have to do with me?" I asked coldly.

Something flickered through her eyes then, and for a brief second, an absurd thought crossed my mind. I dismissed it immediately.

That wasn't even possible.

"Everything, Ronan," she answered eventually. "One of our pups is missing, and we have to find her."

It took a moment for me to fully register her words. When I did, my body went cold.

I wasn't sure I heard right. Did she just say 'our' pups?

I... I had pups..?!

****************

CHAPTER 1

4 YEARS AGO.

LYRA.

"Ladies and Lords!" Lord Bailey's voice boomed through the grand hall, his lips stretching into a dark smile. "It is time for the GAMES!"

A loud cheer erupted around me, and my stomach dropped instantly.

I placed the last goblet of wine onto the table and immediately turned to leave. Nights like this never ended well for omegas.

The sound of music filled the hall as servants moved between the lords and chiefs gathered for another one of Lord Bailey's infamous game nights.

I kept my head bowed, silently praying I wouldn't catch the attention of any of them.

These men were disgustingly vulgar, treating omegas and slaves as objects created solely to satisfy their darkest desires. Tonight's gathering felt different, though.

Rumours had spread through the omega quarters all day that the event was being hosted in honour of our Alpha King.

From what I'd heard, the king rarely attended gatherings like this, so if he eventually showed up tonight, perhaps Lord Bailey's obsession with perfection would finally pay off.

The man had always been difficult to please, but today his temper had been far worse than usual. Earlier that evening, he had slapped an omega for spilling a single drop of wine.

It was obvious why.

He was doing everything possible to ensure his daughter, Aurelia, stood out during the upcoming Luna Selection.

The Alpha King was nearing twenty-eight and still hadn't found his fated mate. After years of pressure from the council, he had finally agreed to choose a Luna from among the noble daughters of the province. Every noble family wanted that honour, especially Lord Bailey.

A frightened squeal suddenly pulled me from my thoughts, and I looked up just in time to see a drunk noble grab a slave's buttocks.

"You feel just as ripe as I would like," he grinned.

The poor girl looked terrified.

Goddess, I hated this.

My stomach churned as laughter erupted from the surrounding tables. I quickly looked away and continued walking, keeping my head lowered. Somehow, I had managed to avoid becoming one of their targets all these years.

Part of it was my ability to stay unnoticed. The other part was my appearance.

At twenty-two, I barely had any curves. My oversized maid uniform hid what little shape I possessed, making me easy to overlook. In a place like this, being overlooked was a blessing.

Another cheer erupted throughout the hall and just as I took another step, a hand suddenly closed around my arm.

My heart nearly stopped.

I turned to find one of the guards staring down at me, and fear immediately settled in my stomach.

"So I thought about all the ways we could make tonight's games special," Lord Bailey announced, drawing the crowd's attention. "And then an idea came to me."

His smile widened.

"Why not take them unaware?"

The nobles erupted with approval, and my blood ran cold.

Before every game night, the slaves and omegas selected for participation were usually chosen beforehand. Apparently, that wasn't the case tonight. Oh, goddess…

"Bring them to the stage!"

The guard tightened his grip on my arm and moments later, several other omegas and I were dragged to the center of the hall. I struggled to control my breathing as Lord Bailey examined us one by one like livestock being inspected before purchase.

His gaze lingered on me briefly before moving on.

"Eight omegas stand before us tonight," he announced, and excited murmurs immediately spread throughout the room. "But only seven will leave untouched."

My heart beat accelerated.

"The rules are simple. Each noble may choose one omega to spare from tonight's entertainment." His smile darkened. "Think of it as... mercy."

The room filled with laughter, and I could already feel tears burning behind my eyes.

One by one, the nobles stepped forward. They pointed casually, as though selecting fruit from a market stall, Each selected omega was pulled aside, trembling but safe.

I stood frozen as the number dwindled.

Five.

Three.

Two.

My nails dug into my palms as the last lord stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over me and other girl left.

"Not that one,” he muttered, waving me off dismissively. Cold silence fell, and my heart sank.

The other omega was immediately pulled away.

Cold dread settled inside me.

"Perfect," Lord Bailey murmured, and for a moment, I thought I detected disappointment in his voice.

Perhaps he didn't want to damage Aurelia's favourite servant. For years, his daughter had treated me like her personal toy.

"Our centerpiece!" Lord Bailey announced.

Before I could react, two guards seized my arms and dragged me toward a wooden post standing at the center of the hall. A polished red apple was placed firmly on top of my head, and my entire body began trembling.

"The game is simple," Lord Bailey said. "A steady hand... or a wasted life."

A bow was handed to one of the nobles, who laughed as he accepted it.

The hall fell silent, anticipation almost unbearable. These people were deranged!

I stared straight ahead as my chest tightened painfully.

"Let's see if you're worth keeping your head," the noble mocked, drawing a few chuckles from the crowd.

The bowstring stretched and a sharp whistle cut through the air.

I flinched as the arrow sliced past my ear and buried itself deep into the wooden post behind me with a violent thud. Instead of striking the apple, it had missed completely.

Laughter exploded around me.

Pain shot through my left ear, and warm liquid trickled down my neck and onto my shoulder.

I was bleeding.

"Careful!" someone shouted mockingly. "You'll kill her before the fun begins!"

My knees buckled as the apple slipped from my head, but the guards immediately forced me upright again.

"Again!" Lord Bailey ordered.

"No! Please, no!"

The words escaped before I could stop them, and that was a dangerous mistake.

The nobles instantly voiced their displeasure, their jeers echoing throughout the hall. My heart pounded wildly as tears streamed down my face.

Then, for a moment, all the noise seemed to fade away as a scent suddenly drifted through the hall. It was rich, powerful, and utterly intoxicating.

My wolf immediately sprang to awareness, making me dizzy. The atmosphere inside the room shifted almost instantly, and I could feel a different energy settling over the crowd.

The entire hall went silent and I slowly lifted my gaze to see the man who just entered.

He was tall, broad shouldered, and had striking silver hair. There was something incredibly regal about him, something that made my heart squeeze involuntarily.

He made his way deeper into the hall, guards trailing behind him. The closer he came, the stronger the pull became.

My wolf stirred frantically beneath my skin, and suddenly, understanding crashed into me.

I had found my mate.

Oh, Goddess...

Had I really just found my mate?!!

But… how was that even possible..?

"Lord Bailey." The man's voice cut through my thoughts, cold and authoritative.

"It is quite amusing that the first time I attend one of your events, I arrive to find my mate being harassed and used for your entertainment."

For the first time since I had known him, Lord Bailey looked terrified. Truly terrified.

Fear and disbelief flashed across his face as he visibly swallowed.

"M-My apologies, Your Majesty..."

I forgot how to breathe immediately.

Your Majesty?

My eyes widened.

Did Lord Bailey just call him ‘Your Majesty’?

Alpha King Ronan was my mate?!