All Chapters of Rejected By The Beta, Claimed By The Alpha King: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

The attendants fluttered around me like nervous birds, adjusting my dress, fixing my hair, dabbing more powder on my face until I wanted to sneeze. This morning marked a month since Lukas and I had claimed each other in private, our mutual marks causing scandal throughout the kingdom. Today, we would do it again—publicly, formally—but on our terms. No public mating, no promises to obey, just two equals binding themselves before witnesses. Lily caught my eye in the mirror and rolled her eyes at a particularly fussy attendant, making me bite back a smile. From scrubbing floors to this—sometimes I still couldn't believe it."Hold still, My Queen," one attendant murmured, sliding what felt like the hundredth hairpin into my curls. The weight of my hair piled atop my head made my neck ache already, and the ceremony hadn't even begun."I think if you add one more pin, her head might fall off," Lily remarked dryly from where she lounged on a nearby chaise. Her silver gown

High Priest Edmundson turned to me first, his weathered face solemn yet kind as he prepared to lead me through the vows. The grove had fallen silent, hundreds of wolves watching as I—a former servant, an orphan, a girl who had been cast aside—prepared to claim the Alpha King as my equal. The sunlight filtering through ancient branches dappled the stone dais beneath our feet, creating patterns that shifted like living things. I felt Athena stir within me, her golden presence warming my blood as the most important moment of our shared existence approached. The mark on my neck—Lukas's claim—tingled in recognition of what we were about to do."Amelia," the priest began, using only my first name as we'd requested, another break from the formal titles tradition demanded. "Will you recite your vows to Lukas?"I turned to face my mate, taking both his hands in mine. His eyes—ice blue with flecks of Ares's gold—held mine with unwavering certainty. A month ago, those eyes ha

I moved through the crowded ballroom on Lukas's arm, a glass of champagne in my free hand that I'd barely sipped. The claiming ball was in full swing—music floating above the hum of conversation, wolves from every pack in the territory moving through elaborate social dances that had nothing to do with the steps played by the orchestra. Each smile, each bow, each carefully worded congratulations carried layers of meaning that I was still learning to decode. A month as Queen had taught me much, but centuries of pack politics couldn't be absorbed so quickly. Still, I kept my spine straight, my smile serene, and my responses measured. Whatever they thought of the servant girl turned Queen, they would find no weakness to exploit tonight."Alpha Queen Amelia," Elder Raphael approached with a bow that managed to be both precise and somehow minimising. "The ceremony was... unique. Your influence on our traditions is already being felt.""Thank you, Elder," I replied, match

I stared at the mountain of paperwork scattered across my desk, the arrangements for Amelia's coronation growing more complex with each elder's "suggestion." Two weeks. We had two weeks to prepare for another public ceremony, another display for the kingdom. My pen hovered over the proposal from Elder Thaddeus—a suggestion that Amelia should spend the night before her coronation in isolation, meditating on her "duties to serve the Alpha King", before I slashed a thick line through the entire paragraph. Ares rumbled with satisfaction in my mind. At least we agreed on that.The morning sun slanted through the tall windows of my office, illuminating dust motes that danced in the still air. Outside, the palace gardens buzzed with activity as servants prepared for the influx of visitors expected for the coronation. Inside, I battled bureaucracy and centuries of tradition with nothing but a pen and my own stubborn will.'Waste of time,' Ares growled within my consciousness. 'Already claimed

I stood on the palace steps, my hand resting on the knife strapped to my thigh, watching as our convoy assembled in the courtyard. Two days of feverish planning had brought us here – six black SUVs lined up like funeral carriages, ready to deliver justice to Silver Lake. My heart hammered against my ribs, an unsteady rhythm of anticipation and dread. I was returning to the place of my nightmares, but this time not as a servant girl with a mop and bucket. This time, I returned as Queen.Lukas stood beside me, his presence solid and reassuring. The morning sun glinted off his dark hair, highlighting the silver strands at his temples. His face betrayed nothing, but through our bond, I felt his coiled tension – the barely restrained violence of Ares lurking just beneath the surface."Final check," he murmured, his voice pitched for my ears alone. "Are you certain you want to lead this?"I met his eyes, finding concern ra