After My Alpha Betrayed Me for Royalty

I stood at the back of the Silver Moon Pack's grand hall, my heart pounding against my ribs as I watched the scene unfolding before me. The Pack Alliance Ceremony was in full swing, with delegates from neighboring territories mingling beneath crystal chandeliers that I had personally selected years ago. This was supposed to be a routine diplomatic event—one that I, as Luna, should have been informed about weeks in advance.

Yet here I was, slipping in like an unwelcome ghost through my own pack house.

"Luna Sophia," whispered a young Delta wolf, her eyes widening in surprise. "We didn't know you would be attending."

Neither did I, I thought bitterly, but forced a gentle smile. "Just making a brief appearance."

I moved through the crowd, the familiar scents of pack members mingling with those of visitors. My Luna aura naturally parted the sea of bodies, though I noticed several of our own pack members averting their eyes. They knew something I didn't.

Then I saw him—Ryan. My mate. My Alpha. My everything for the past eight years.

He stood tall and commanding at the center of the hall, his broad shoulders draped in the ceremonial black cloak that I had embroidered with silver thread during our first year together. The sight of him still sent a flutter through my chest, a primal recognition that transcended the growing distance between us.

But it wasn't Ryan who made me freeze in my tracks. It was the company he kept.

The Lycan King himself stood before my mate, resplendent in furs and ancient silver, his imposing presence drawing every eye in the room. And beside him, a striking female with the unmistakable regal bearing of Lycan royalty—Madison Harper.

I'd heard whispers of her beauty, but seeing her in person was different. She was tall and sleek, with an exotic scent that reached me even across the crowded hall—vanilla and something wild, something distinctly Lycan. Her hand rested casually on Ryan's forearm as she laughed at something he said.

The moment I stepped closer, her head snapped up, her nostrils flaring slightly. Our eyes locked across the room, and I felt the clash of our auras—Luna against Lycan princess—like static electricity in the air between us.

Ryan sensed it too. His head turned, and for a brief moment, naked shock registered on his face before he schooled his features back into the mask of the Alpha King.

"Sophia," he said, his voice carrying easily to me despite the distance and noise. Not "my Luna" or "my love"—just Sophia. As if I were any other pack member. "I wasn't expecting you tonight."

Obviously, I thought, but kept my expression neutral as I approached. "I wasn't aware I needed an invitation to pack functions, Alpha King."

The formality in my tone made his jaw tighten. The Lycan King observed our interaction with shrewd eyes while Madison's lips curved into the barest hint of a smile.

"Of course not," Ryan replied smoothly. "Allow me to introduce you to our honored guests. Lycan King Alaric and his daughter, Madison Harper."

"A pleasure," I said, inclining my head with the precise degree of respect required—no more, no less.

"So this is the Luna who helped build your kingdom," the Lycan King remarked, his ancient eyes assessing me with unsettling intensity. "I've heard much about your... contributions."

The way he said it made it sound like my role was already in the past tense.

Before I could respond, Ryan placed his hand on the small of Madison's back, guiding her slightly forward. "We were just discussing the final details of our alliance. Perhaps you'd like to retire, Sophia? You've been unwell lately."

The dismissal was so blatant that several nearby wolves shifted uncomfortably. My wolf snarled inside me, but I maintained my composure.

"I'm feeling much better tonight, thank you for your concern," I replied, my Luna aura flaring just enough to remind everyone present of my position.

The tension might have continued indefinitely if a server hadn't dropped a tray of glasses nearby, the crash providing a welcome distraction. Ryan immediately turned away, drawing the Lycans with him toward the private council chambers.

I watched them go, the back of my neck burning with the stares of pack members who had witnessed the exchange.

Little did I know that by the next dawn, everything would change.

* * *

The knock came just as the first rays of sunlight filtered through my bedroom curtains. I hadn't slept, my mind replaying the previous night's events on an endless loop.

"Enter," I called, already dressed in a simple blue dress, my hair pulled back in a neat braid.

Beta Marcus Wells stepped into my chambers, his face a mask of cool professionalism. I had never liked Ryan's new Beta—he lacked the warmth and integrity of his predecessor, who had mysteriously disappeared on a border patrol last year.

"Luna Sophia," he said, extending a gilded envelope. "Alpha King Ryan requests your presence in his office immediately."

The use of Alpha tone on the word "immediately" made my wolf bristle. No Beta should address a Luna with Alpha tone.

"Does he?" I asked mildly, taking the envelope but not opening it. "And what is this about, Beta Wells?"

Something like satisfaction flickered across his face. "I believe the Alpha King wishes to discuss matters of importance with you privately."

As we walked through the pack house, I noticed how pack members scurried out of our path, heads bowed, avoiding my gaze. Some looked guilty, others frightened. My wolf whimpered inside me, sensing danger.

When we reached Ryan's office door, Marcus knocked once, then opened it without waiting for a response. "Luna Sophia, as requested, Alpha King."

Ryan stood behind his massive oak desk, the morning light casting half his face in shadow. He didn't look up from the documents before him.

"Leave us, Wells," he ordered, and the Beta retreated, closing the door with a soft click that somehow sounded final.

For a long moment, Ryan didn't speak. When he finally looked up, his eyes were cold and distant—the eyes of a stranger wearing my mate's face.

"Sit down, Sophia," he said, gesturing to the chair across from him.

I remained standing. "I prefer to stand for whatever this is."

He sighed, as if I were being difficult. "Very well." He straightened to his full height, his Alpha aura expanding to fill the room. "I'll be direct. Our arrangement has served its purpose, but it's time for the pack to move forward."

"Our arrangement?" I repeated, the words like acid on my tongue. "Is that what you call our mate bond? Our eight years together?"

"A necessary phase in the pack's development," he said, his voice devoid of emotion. "But the Silver Moon Pack needs stronger alliances now. The Lycan connection offers power and protection that benefits everyone."

My heart was pounding so hard I thought it might shatter my ribs. "Say what you mean, Ryan."

He met my eyes then, and I saw nothing of the wolf who had once howled his devotion under the full moon. "I, Ryan Cole, Alpha King of the Silver Moon Pack, reject you, Sophia Matthews, as my Luna."

The formal words of rejection hit me like a physical blow. A searing pain tore through my chest as our bond was attacked by his will. I gasped, doubling over, my vision blurring.

But something strange happened. The pain receded, leaving a dull ache but not the severed emptiness of a broken bond. I straightened slowly, my breathing ragged.

Ryan's expression had changed to one of confusion and growing alarm. He felt it too—the bond remained intact.

"That's not possible," he whispered, more to himself than to me.

I stared at him, understanding dawning with terrible clarity. The unfamiliar scents on his clothes these past months. The gradual weakening I'd been experiencing. The whispered conversations that stopped when I entered rooms.

"What have you done to me, Ryan?" I asked, my voice barely audible.

His face hardened again, but I caught a flicker of something in his eyes. Fear.