Rejected For My Curves. Desired By The War Alpha

"Kneel."Ronan's voice cracked over the courtyard like a whip. I stayed standing while three hundred pack members went quiet."I said kneel, Briar."My wolf clawed at my ribs, desperate to answer a call that should have meant safety. I knelt, stone biting into my knees through the dress Wren picked out, two sizes too small because she swore it would motivate me.Ronan looked down at me like a problem he needed solved fast."I reject Briar Hale as my fated mate," he said. "Her blood runs thick and slow. She was built for the old wars, not for standing beside a throne.""That's it?" someone called from the crowd. "No blessing first?""He doesn't owe her a blessing," Ysolde said from her seat above us all, her voice smooth as poured wax. "He owes her nothing.""She's still kneeling," someone whispered, not quietly enough. "Someone should tell her it's over."Laughter rolled through the courtyard. My chest caved in around a breath I couldn't finish."Get up," Ysolde said, looking at me no

"Stop."Neither of them looked at me. I stepped between them anyway, one hand flat against Ronan's chest, the other against Asher's, terrified I was about to get flattened by two Alphas who'd forgotten I existed."Move, Briar," Ronan said."No.""This isn't your fight to stop," Asher said, eyes still locked on Ronan."It's happening in my room, so it's absolutely my fight to stop. Both of you, stand down. Now.""He put his hands on you.""And I already handled that. I don't need you to handle it again by putting him through a wall.""I could put him through a wall without breaking a sweat.""I don't doubt it. I'm asking you not to.""Give me one good reason.""Because if you two destroy this house fighting over me, I'm the one who has nowhere to sleep tonight. Is that good enough for you?"Nothing happened for a second. Then, slowly, both of them eased back half a step, as my voice had cut through whatever haze they'd worked themselves into. I watched it register on both their faces a

The first punch caught me square in the jaw before anyone said the word began."That's how it starts," a voice called from the crowd. "No warm-up. No warning. Welcome to the Kade pack.""Little warning would've been nice," I said, spitting to the side."Nothing here is a formality," the Beta said, already circling for a second hit. "Formalities don't earn you a rank.""Good to know. I wish someone had mentioned that before my jaw found out the hard way.""Would you have wanted the warning?""Would it have changed anything?""No.""Then no, I wouldn't have."He came at me again, faster than I could track, and landed two more hits before I managed to get an arm up."Move your feet, Briar," Asher called from the sideline. "Speed, not size.""Easy for you to say from over there.""I'm not the one getting hit.""Noted. Feel free to switch places anytime."The Beta laughed, low and confident, and used the distraction to land another blow that snapped my head sideways. I went down on one kne

"You're not leaving until you tell me what that meant."Wren was already halfway to the gate when I caught her arm. She stopped, but she didn't turn around right away."What did you mean?""That look on? your face back there. You know something you're not saying.""I don't know anything.""You've never once in your life been that bad at lying to me.""Maybe I'm getting worse at it. Or maybe you're getting better at reading me.""Either way, something's wrong. Tell me.""Nothing's wrong.""Wren."She turned then, jaw set, the old defensive posture I'd known since we were kids sharing a room too small for both our tempers."Let go of my arm.""Not until you tell me why you really came here.""I told you already. Diplomatic courtesy.""Try again.""Briar.""Wren."She yanked her arm free, but she didn't walk away. That was new. The old Wren would have already been gone."You want to know why I came?" she said. "Fine. I came because I couldn't stand another week of pretending everything's