All Chapters of THE ALPHA’S PUBLIC REJECTION : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

DRAKE POVDay break welcomed the tournament grounds in gold and bright green. I stood on the Alpha’s podium, watching warriors prepare for the first matches. The air smelled of fresh cut grass, sharpened steel, and concealed fear.Lucas suddenly appeared at my side, his usual smirk replaced by grim focus. “Border is quiet. Too quiet.”“Eastern Pack is waiting,” I said, as my eyes scanned the crowded stands. “They want an audience for whatever they are planning.”A young omega approached and bowed deeply. “Alpha, the board requests an emergency meeting. They are waiting in the council chamber.”I exchanged a look with Lucas. “Keep watch. Anything moves—”“I know the drill.”The council chamber felt like a cage. A dungeon. Six elderly wolves sat around the ancient oak table, their scents thick with disapproval.Councilman Silas spoke first, his voice like grinding stones. “The guards are excessive, Drake. We look like we are expecting war, not hosting a tournamentI remained standing wi

DRAKE POVThe scent hit me first….musk and rot, cutting through the festive scent of roasted meat and drinks. Eastern Pack. Here. Now.My eyes locked with Lillian’s across the arena. She felt it too, I saw the moment her smile faded, the way her hand tightened in Andre’s. The bond between us buzzed angrily.‘Not yet,’ I sent a message to her. ‘Stay calm.’Lucas materialized at my side, his voice low and calculating. “Perimeter breach. East side. Three, maybe four.”“Contain them,” I ordered, barely moving my lips. “Quietly. I don’t want a panic.”He disappeared back into the crowd. On the tournament field, the knife throwing competition continued, blades flashing in the sun. The crowd cheered, oblivious to the threat moving among them.I climbed down from the podium, moving through the stands with deliberate calmness. Warriors positioned in between the crowd caught my eye….a slight nod, hand signal and they began moving the Eastern Pack intruders towards the abandoned storage tents be

LILLIAN POVThe feast was a beautiful lie of laughter and celebration. I smiled, I nodded and I played my part, but my entire being was focused on one man. Drake. Our bond was like a live wire, sparking with every glance from the head table. It was like a secret current, pulling me towards him as I couldn’t seem to look away.Andre’s solid, but quiet presence beside me was a huge contrast to what I felt for Drake, a warm, steady pressure that should have been comforting. Instead, it heightened my guilt. His bond was different….a call from my wolf, Nyla, who yearned for her mate. I was torn in two. My body aches for Drake, but my wolf craved Andre.When Drake stood and left, the pull became irresistible. I made an excuse and slipped away with my heart thundering in my chest.He was on the balcony. He turned as I approached and looked at me with his eyes dark and clouded.“You wanted to talk,” I whispered.“I wanted this.”In two strides, he was on me. His kiss was desperate and hungry,

LILLIAN POVThe morning sun felt like a lie, as it streamed into the pack kitchen, warm and golden, but it could not penetrate the cold feeling that had settled in my body. Across the wooden table, Salome and Lydia tried their best to brighten up my mood, with concern etched on their faces. “It is the way of our world, Lily,” Lydia said gently as she pushed a plate of honey cakes toward me that I had no hope of eating. “The mate bond is a gift. To seal it is a blessing. Nyla must be excited.”She was. My wolf was a whirl of excited energy in my chest, pacing with anticipation for the night to come. Her primal happiness was a huge contrast to the aching mess of my human heart. Her joy only made my sadness feel heavier.“I know it is a blessing,” I whispered, as I traced the grain of wood with my finger. “But it doesn’t feel like one. It feels like a sentence.”Salome stretched her hand over the counter and covered my hand with hers. “Your heart will align. The bond will see to it. Onc

DRAKE POVSilence. Deep silence.It was the only thing that remained in my study after Andre’s departure, ant it was louder than his anger. The ghost of his betrayed expression still hung in the air, like a poisonous mist I could not breathe.As you command. Alpha.The formality in his voice had been a knife to the gut. He had not called me that in years. It was a wall, erected in a single, searing moment. My wolf, a creature of utmost certainty, was uneasy. It understood the threat to our mate, but mourned the fall out with its brother. A huge remorse, cold and heavy, settled in my chest. I had done what I believed was necessary. But the cost…By the Moon, the cost.A soft, familiar knock interrupted my agony. “Enter,” I growled.The door swung open. Sharon. She was beautiful, in a sharp, but polished way that spoke of calculated elegance, a huge contrast to my pack.“Drake,” she purred, gliding in as if she still owned the room. “It has been too long.”Every muscle, every nerve in my