All Chapters of Rejected by the heir, Claimed by his Uncle: Chapter 1 - Chapter 5

Arabella POVMy life was going to change today.Today was the day of the succession ceremony and by the end of it, I would be mated to the one I loved. Lucas.But most importantly, today was the day I would finally be free from my abusive family.I lost my mother when I was young and my father had remarried not long after. He brought a new woman into our home, along with her daughter, Sophia. She was a year older than me, and from the very beginning, it was clear who mattered more.It was never me.My stepmother made it her mission to make my life miserable. Every broken plate, every small mistake in the house somehow became my fault. Even when Sophia was the one responsible, I was the one who apologized. I was the one punished.Eventually, I stopped arguing. I learned to accept the blame, to lower my head, to being the scapegoat for everyone’s mistakes. It was easier that way.And my father? He watched everything happen and did nothing.To them, I wasn’t a daughter. I was a servant.

Arabella…Morning came like a punishment.My head throbbed like a drum in a parade, each one reminding me of every glass I shouldn’t have had. I groaned, burying my face in the pillow, wishing I could disappear into the mattress forever.I tried to sit up, but a weight pressed against my waist, holding me firmly in place.Not my arm.I shot my eyes open.Unfamiliar ceiling. Unfamiliar sheets. Unfamiliar arm.Fragments of the night before came back to me in flashes… Lucas, the ceremony, Sophia’s triumphant smile. The bar. The stranger.Very carefully, I tried to slide away. The moment I shifted, his arms tightened, pulling me closer instead.“Running already?” A deep husky voice murmured against the back of my neck and I froze.I slowly turned my head and caught a glimpse of him over my shoulder.He laid behind me, his dark hair spilled messily on the pillow, a few strands brushing his forehead. His face… was devastatingly handsome, far more handsome than any man I’ve ever seen. One

Arabella POVMy room felt smaller than it ever had.I leaned against the door, pressing my palm flat against the wood as tears blurred my vision, slipping down my cheeks before I could stop them. I didn’t bother wiping them away. I was tired of pretending I was strong when everything inside me felt like it was breaking apart.Lucas.The name alone tightened my chest.I remembered the first time I met him, it was at a pack gathering three years ago. I was 19 and he was 21.Being the alpha’s cousin, Lucas was already a rising star in the pack. Tall, handsome and charming. He had that kind of presence that drew people in without him even trying.And me?I was the shy and awkward girl who didn’t belong anywhere. Our eyes met across the gathering and I’d felt a jolt of electricity run through my body. Lucas had smiled and I’d looked away instantly, my heart racing so hard I thought everyone around me could hear it. That was the beginning of our love story.Over the next few months, we spe