Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by the King

The morning light filtered through the ceremonial hall's stained glass windows, casting colorful patterns across the polished marble floor where I scrubbed diligently. My knees ached against the cold stone, but I kept my head down, maintaining my disguise as just another Omega servant in the Moonstone Pack.

"Did you hear about last night's incident?" A hushed voice caught my attention from behind a nearby pillar.

I slowed my scrubbing, tilting my ear toward the conversation between two pack security guards who hadn't noticed me in my kneeling position.

"Some guy with VIP credentials caused a scene at the territorial meeting," the younger guard said, his voice tinged with frustration. "Demanding the Omega servers kneel while they served him. Total disrespect."

"Who was it?" his companion asked.

"Don't know his name, but he had Alpha-level access. Kept flashing some special card and making demands. We couldn't do anything since his credentials checked out."

My heart skipped a beat. Alpha-level access? I'd only granted that privilege to one person—Devon, my fated mate.

"That's the third incident this month," the older guard continued. "These Omegas have it rough enough without some entitled jerk abusing them."

I bit my lip to keep from making a sound. My wolf, Luna, whimpered inside me, sensing my distress.

*Stay calm,* I reminded myself. *We need more evidence before confronting him.*

After finishing my assigned tasks, I was reassigned to the refreshment preparation area. The ceremony was scheduled to begin in an hour, and the pack gathering would be one of the largest this season.

"Keep those glasses polished!" Catherine Willis barked at me, her supervisor badge gleaming as she strutted past. "And make sure the silver trays are spotless. We can't have the higher ranks seeing any imperfections."

I nodded meekly, playing my part while my mind raced with the morning's overheard conversation.

The commotion at the entrance drew everyone's attention. A tall figure with broad shoulders pushed past the security checkpoint, his voice carrying across the preparation hall.

"I don't care about your protocol. I have VIP access, and I want to be seated in the Alpha section."

My breath caught in my throat as I recognized the arrogant swagger. Max Cruz—a rogue thug with a reputation for brutality. What was he doing here?

"Sir, this is a restricted area," Ryan Mitchell, the Gamma's son and head of ceremony security, stepped forward. "You'll need to check in at the main entrance."

Max pulled out a gleaming black card with the Moonstone Pack emblem—the exact card I'd given to Devon. My fingers clenched around the silver tray I was holding.

"This good enough for you?" Max sneered, flashing the card. "Alpha VIP access. That includes this area, doesn't it?"

Ryan's face paled as he scanned the card. "This is... this belongs to—"

"It belongs to whoever has it now," Max cut him off. "And right now, that's me. So step aside."

My blood boiled as I watched Ryan reluctantly move aside, clearly uncomfortable but bound by protocol. The card I'd given Devon—a sacred gesture of trust between mates—was now being used by this thug to force his way into our most sacred spaces.

"Hey you!" Max suddenly pointed at me. "The one with the silver trays. Come here."

I froze, my heart pounding against my ribs. Luna growled inside me, urging me to resist.

"Didn't you hear me?" Max's voice hardened. "Bring those trays over here. And when you do, kneel while you serve them."

Catherine appeared at my side, her eyes wide with fear and excitement. "Do as he says," she whispered. "That's an Alpha VIP command."

Slowly, I approached Max, each step feeling like a betrayal to my true nature. The other Omega servants watched with sympathetic eyes as I lowered myself to one knee before him.

"That's better," Max smirked, deliberately taking his time to select a crystal glass from my tray. "See how much better things work when people know their place?"

I kept my eyes downcast, but inside, Luna was howling with rage. My skin prickled with the effort of suppressing my Alpha aura.

"Now," Max continued, his voice rising so others could hear, "let's see how the rest of you serve a VIP."

He turned to the other Omega servants, who shrank back under his gaze.

"You," he pointed to a young girl barely sixteen, "bring me that bottle of wine. And you," he gestured to an older man, "clear these tables. I need space for my associates."

The pack security stood by, their faces grim but their hands at their sides. They couldn't interfere without violating pack protocol.

And there it was—the confirmation of my worst fears. Devon had taken the most sacred gift I could give him and handed it over to a rogue thug who was now using it to terrorize my people.

Luna whimpered in pain as the mate bond twisted inside me, responding to this ultimate betrayal.