THE ALPHA’S TERRITORY

OLIVIA’S POV

Night came quietly.

Too quietly.

I woke to pale moonlight filtering through the heavy curtains, painting the stone walls in soft gold. For a moment, I forgot where I was. My body felt rested—too rested—and the bed beneath me was still impossibly soft.

Slowly, I sat up, clutching the blanket to my chest as I looked around the room again. Everything still felt unreal—too large, too polished, too powerful to belong to someone like me. This wasn’t a guest room.

It was a suite.

One meant for visiting Alphas or honored guests.

Or prisoners dressed like queens.

Lucy stirred inside me.

Today matters, she murmured. The pack will sense you. You must show strength as a Luna.

My stomach twisted painfully.

“I don’t want them to,” I whispered.

A soft knock interrupted my thoughts.

I froze.

The door opened carefully—not boldly like Alpha Kingsley’s had before.

A woman stepped inside. She was middle-aged, her posture respectful but stiff. Her eyes flicked to my face, then immediately dropped, as though she wasn’t sure she was allowed to look at me directly.

“Good evening, Luna,” she said, bowing her head.

The word struck me like a slap.

“I—” My voice cracked. I cleared my throat. “Please don’t call me that.”

Her brows knitted in confusion. “As you wish… Miss Olivia.”

She gestured toward a neatly arranged outfit laid across a chair—a simple dress, soft fabric, modest yet elegant.

“The Alpha requests your presence for dinner at the pack house,” she said evenly. “You are not allowed to be late.”

So that was how it would be.

Controlled.

Watched.

Contained.

I nodded stiffly.

When she left, I dressed slowly, my hands trembling. The mirror reflected a version of me I barely recognized—clean, cared for, wrapped in clothes that didn’t try to hide me completely.

I still looked plus-size.

Still looked like me.

Only now, I stood in the heart of a powerful, ruthless, and cursed Alpha’s home—called his mate—unsure if I would survive the next moon gathering.

The doors to the pack house’s main hall opened, and the noise hit me instantly.

Voices.

Laughter.

The clatter of dishes.

Then—silence.

Every head turned.

I felt it immediately.

Eyes swept over me. Some curious. Some sharp. Some openly hostile.

Whispers followed.

“She’s the mate?”

“That’s her?”

“The Moon Goddess made a mistake.”

My steps faltered.

Lucy growled softly inside me.

Hold your head high, Luna.

I lifted my chin and walked forward, calm on the outside, even as anxiety clawed viciously at my chest. I didn’t know if I was convincing anyone—but I forced myself to keep moving.

The hall was magnificent, ancient architecture rising in bold elegance and power. I had never been inside my own pack house, but I knew—even without comparison—it could never be this grand.

At the head of the long table sat Alpha Kingsley.

He didn’t look at me.

That hurt more than I expected.

Only when I reached the chair placed beside him did he finally lift his gaze. His expression remained neutral, but his jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.

“You’re late,” he said calmly.

“I didn’t know I was invited,” I replied quietly but honestly. In my pack, I had never been allowed into the pack house.

A ripple of tension swept through the room.

He gestured for me to sit.

The moment I did, the weight of the pack’s attention doubled. It felt like standing naked before predators.

“This is Olivia,” Alpha Kingsley announced. “She is under my protection.”

Not my mate.

Not your Luna.

Just… protected.

It was deliberate.

And the pack noticed.

A beautiful woman seated across the table stiffened. Her gaze flicked from me to Kingsley, something dark and possessive flashing in her eyes.

I swallowed hard.

Dinner passed in strained silence. Every bite tasted like ash. I ate quietly, praying for it to end—praying to return to my room where I could breathe. I wanted no attention. No interaction.

“So,” a voice finally cut through the tension, dripping with mockery. “Tell us, Miss Olivia… what do you do?”

I looked up.

It was the beautiful woman.

“Or are you just a stay-at-home—” she paused deliberately, her lips curling, “—nothing?”

My hands stiffened around my cutlery. I glanced at Alpha Kingsley.

He didn’t look at me.

His face remained cold, composed, as he ate with effortless grace—as if dining itself were an art.

I looked away and turned back to her.

“I don’t do anything,” I said softly. “I can’t shift yet.”

A sharp laugh escaped her.

“Oh?” She tilted her head. “So what we have here is a wolfless, jobless, fat—”

A few gasps sounded.

“And…” she waved her hand dismissively, “…a mistake.”

My chest burned.

I looked to Alpha Kingsley again.

He sat like a statue.

Silent.

Unmoved.

As though none of it mattered.

“Enough, Kate,” a man beside her snapped. “Stop being rude to our guest.”

Kate scoffed. “I wasn’t being rude. I was stating facts.”

He sighed and turned to me. “I apologize for my sister’s disrespect. She’s… spoiled.” He offered a polite nod. “I’m Andrew, the Beta of this pack. Beside me is my mate, Maria.”

“It’s fine,” I replied quietly. “Nice meeting you.”

Murmurs filled the hall again—excitement, curiosity, judgment. I felt like a thousand eyes were drilling into me. I had spent most of my life hidden away from people.

This was overwhelming.

I pushed my chair back and stood.

“I’m done,” I said, my voice trembling as I turned to Alpha Kingsley. “I’m returning to my chambers.”

I didn’t wait for permission.

I had barely taken five steps when—

I crashed.

Food and drinks spilled all over me, soaking my dress, splashing onto the floor.

Laughter erupted.

“Is being fat not enough?” Kate mocked loudly. “Now you’re clumsy too?”

My hands shook as I pushed myself up. “Y-you did that on purpose… right?”

She raised her brows innocently. “I didn’t do anything. You’re not fat and blind now, are you?”

She chuckled.

I stayed there, humiliation burning through me as tears spilled down my cheeks.

I stood abruptly and ran.

“Olivia, wait!”

Alpha Kingsley’s voice cut through the hall—for only the second time since I’d arrived.

But I didn’t stop.

I didn’t look back.

I ran all the way to my room, my heart shattering with every step.