All Chapters of Rejected By The Beta, Claimed By The Alpha King: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

I drummed my fingers against the ancient ironwood of my desk, watching the minutes tick closer to two o'clock. The morning without Amelia had stretched interminably, my thoughts repeatedly drifting to her copper hair spread across library tables as she absorbed knowledge with that fierce concentration I'd come to admire. Even Dominic had noticed my distraction during our preparations, though he'd been wise enough not to comment. Seventy-six years of life and three decades as King had taught me patience, yet somehow the prospect of seeing my mate again after mere hours apart had me checking the time like an eager pup. The soft knock at exactly two o'clock stirred a smile. Punctual—another quality that pleased me. "Enter," I called, straightening in my chair. Amelia stepped inside, dressed in the emerald gown she'd worn at breakfast, her hair now twisted into an elegant knot at her nape. The style exposed the mark on her throat, a deliberate choice that s

I stood frozen on the palace steps, my mind struggling to reconcile the Amelia I knew; the servant girl who'd wiped my tears after Julian's beatings, who'd whispered impossible dreams of freedom in the dark, with this radiant creature before me. She wore an emerald gown that probably cost more than all of Silver Lake's servants would earn in a lifetime. Her copper hair was elegantly styled, her skin glowed with health, and yet her eyes, those familiar green eyes that had always held such stubborn determination, were the same. My best friend had somehow become queen in less than two weeks, while I'd spent days locked in a room waiting for Julian to kill me. The fever that had dogged me throughout the journey still clouded my thoughts, making everything seem slightly unreal. Perhaps this was a hallucination born of infection and hope; Amelia, safe and transformed. The Alpha King himself, standing beside her with possessive watchfulness. The royal guards bowing to her as if s

I watched Lily's face as she took another bite of pastry, her eyes closing briefly in pleasure. Even with her bruised wrists and the careful way she held herself to avoid aggravating her back, there was a hint of the old Lily in that expression—the girl who could find joy in small things despite everything. I smiled, relieved to see her appetite returning. The fever still flushed her cheeks, but food and rest would help where Silver Lake's neglect had harmed. I'd ensure she got both in abundance now that she was under my protection—under our protection, I amended mentally, still growing accustomed to the plural that now defined my existence. "So," Lily said, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between us, "is it weird? Living in a palace after scrubbing floors?" I laughed, the sound light and genuine. "Beyond weird. The first day, I kept waiting for someone to hand me a mop." I gestured at the room around us. "All this luxury feels like a

I paused outside the private dining room, my hand on the ornate handle, taking a moment to collect myself. The day's events whirled through my mind; Lily's rescue, Julian's capture, the look on my best friend's face when she'd realised I was actually Queen. A week ago, I'd been a servant girl with a new wolf. Now I was planning trials for those who had tormented us, with the most powerful werewolf in the Northern Territories as my mate. I drew a steadying breath and pushed open the door, finding Lukas exactly where I'd left him, his powerful frame silhouetted against the firelight as he stood gazing into the flames. He turned at the sound of my entrance, his face softening in a way I'd learned was reserved for me alone. In public, he was the Alpha King, severe, uncompromising, feared. Here, behind closed doors, I glimpsed the wolf beneath the crown. "Little luna," he murmured, crossing the room in long strides. I barely had time to close

I settled back onto my throne, satisfaction coursing through my veins like fine wine. Alexander's blood still warmed my hand beneath the cloth I used to wipe it clean. Ares bounded through our shared consciousness, jubilant at the first taste of justice delivered for our mate. ‘One down,’ he crowed, bloodlust barely sated. ‘The parents next. They hurt her worst.’ He was right, of course. The physical violations Alexander had committed were severe, but the emotional wounds Marcus and Elena had inflicted on my little luna ran deeper, festering for years in the heart of a child rejected by those who should have protected her. For that alone, their deaths would be neither quick nor merciful. Dominic stepped forward once more, his single good eye surveying the crowd that had fallen into shocked silence at Alexander's execution. Some had perhaps believed the rumors of my brutality exaggerated. They would leave today with no such illusions. "Next," Dominic ann