Rejected, Then Crowned Novels & Stories

Gasps erupted and Elders stared in disbelief. Ryan stepped back. “She is not crowned,” he said hoarsely. “Not yet,” the Lycan replied. My heart pounded violently. “I don’t want a throne,” I said. Ethan’s expression shifted and softened. “You don’t get to refuse inheritance because it frightens you,” he said gently. The trees shifted again. But this time, it wasn’t Court. It wasn’t allies, it was something darker. A second howl tore through the forest, not silver but black. The Lycan’s head snapped toward the sound.

With those final words, I yanked the wedding ring off my finger and flung it at Nolan with all the force I could muster. "Hah. Alright, then," said Nolan, nodding. He tossed a check onto the coffee table like it was nothing. "Here's fifteen thousand. Take it and get out!" The moment my fingers brushed the check, Lena let out a sharp cry. "Ugh, my chest... It's so tight..." She crumpled, falling right into Nolan's arms. Nolan's face twisted with shock, and he swatted my hand away like I was a pest. The check drifted down, landing in an ashtray brimming with cigarette butts, instantly ruined.

King Valen stood up slowly. "He rejected the bribe," Valen boomed. "He chose the heir over personal gain. By the laws of the Gauntlet..." Valen looked at Darius, his eyes daring the lord to object. "...Alpha Ashren Thalric has passed the Third Trial." The paralysis began to fade. The drug was wearing off, burned away by the surge of adrenaline and the proximity of my mate. My finger twitched. Then my hand. I gripped Ashren’s wrist. "Ashren," I rasped, my voice weak but audible.

“You look ridiculous.” His brow furrowed. “Is that a yes?” I reached out, threading my fingers into his hair, tugging him closer until his forehead pressed to mine. “It is,” I whispered. “I will be your Luna.” The relief that tore through him was immediate and unguarded. He pulled me into his arms carefully, holding me like something precious and breakable and fiercely his. The coronation was announced before the sun set. There was no delay or even a council debate, not that they wanted one. They seemed to want the idea even more than I did. Moonbane had waited long enough.

He was already preparing to make another woman his official mate while she fought for her life in the hospital. She had insisted on being discharged immediately because the coronation was taking place that night. She had to speak with her husband. She might be able to salvage their marriage before he makes that big decision. She looked around, and preparations were going on in earnest. Everyone was busy preparing for Viola’s big day, not under her watch. “Thank you, Karla. I can never repay you for all your kindness,” Rashel said with a smile as she stepped down from her friend’s car.

He proceeded into the room to find Agnella peeling an orange. "Hey," Agnella smiled as soon as she saw him. Draven got to her, took the tray of oranges away and took her lips in his in a hot kiss. "What was that?" Agnella asked panting from how hot the kiss was. "You are finally getting crowned, in two days, you'll be crowned in two days." "Really? I heard of a second test. What about it?" "No, there will be no second test, sweetheart." "Really? What changed the king's mind?"

She raised it aloft, the symbol of royalty and the culmination of the coronation. "By the divine investiture bestowed upon me as oracle of the gods, I hereby crown you, Valeria Claire Romero, as the Queen of wolves!" Azura proclaimed, her voice resonating with the divine power she represented. In that moment, the hall filled with a hushed reverence, recognizing the sacredness of the occasion. Valeria, now adorned with the crown, was officially recognized as the chosen ruler. The royal coronation had reached its pinnacle, and a new era had begun under the reign of the crowned queen.

Her eyes flashed dangerously. “This nonsense ends now.” She turned slightly toward the crowd. “Knox Mercer has already been crowned Alpha King.” Her voice carried clearly across the entire hall. “The coronation is complete.” She gestured sharply toward Knox. “And he has already chosen his Luna.” My stomach twisted as several heads turned toward me again. Isobel’s gaze hardened. “This challenge is invalid.” Bastian raised an eyebrow. “Oh?” Then he slowly folded his arms. “Is that so?” His voice was calm.

“Because Tobias already has a proper mate. One from a good family, with good blood. You are second in line, and we don’t know what will become of Tobias. If he cannot fulfill his duties as crown prince, it will fall to you. And she cannot be our Royal Luna.” “If it falls to me, then she will be, whether you like it or not. There is no other way I would accept the crown.” The King grunts and paces with agitation. “You told me you rejected her!” “I did. But obviously it didn’t work. Especially to my own surprise when I saw her again. But all this doesn’t matter. We are already marked. So nothing you say will change that.”

Cole Winters looked me in the eyes and said seven words that destroyed eight years of my life. "I formally reject Mara Voss as my fated mate." The ballroom went quiet. Then it erupted. Two hundred wolves raising their glasses. Cheering. Celebrating. The music swelled back into life and champagne flowed and everyone around me was smiling, everyone except me, the woman whose name had just been spoken like it was something to be discarded. I didn't move. I didn't breathe.