Rejected Princess, Rising From The Ashes

For three years, I scrubbed tables as a "wolfless runt," hiding my identity as the Lycan King's daughter.

It was a test for my fiancé, Alpha Connor. I wanted to see if he loved the girl, or just the crown.

He failed spectacularly tonight.

His mistress, Jaden, deliberately knocked a tray of drinks onto me during the dinner rush.

The liquid wasn't alcohol. It was concentrated silver.

My flesh hissed and bubbled as the poison ate through my skin, blocking any ability to heal.

I fell to the floor, clutching my melting hand, while Jaden faked tears and claimed I attacked her.

When Connor finally answered the video call, he saw my mangled hand. He smelled the burning flesh. He knew it was silver.

But he didn't help me.

He looked at his watch, annoyed that I was interrupting his business meeting with investors.

"Apologize to Jaden," he ordered, using his Alpha Command to crush me into submission.

"On your knees. Now."

The pain was blinding, but the betrayal cut deeper. He was forcing his Fated Mate to bow to the woman who tried to maim her.

My knees bent under the pressure, but my Royal blood refused to break.

I looked straight into the camera lens.

"No," I whispered.

I reached into my apron, bypassing the notepad, and pulled out a black satellite phone I hadn't touched in years.

"Code Black," I said to the King on the other end. "Send the Guard."

Connor thought he was disciplining a waitress.

He didn't know he just declared war on the Royal Family.

Chapter 1

Blake POV:

The tray in my hands felt heavier than usual, but not because of the champagne glasses. It was the weight of the lie I was living.

I adjusted my collar, making sure the small, flesh-colored patch on my neck was secure. Three years. That was the deal I made with my father. To live as a commoner, to let my late-blooming wolf stabilize away from the political vipers at court, and-foolishly-to see if my Fated Mate loved the girl, not the crown.

To the world, and specifically to the Shadow Creek Pack, I was Blake, the wolfless runt. A defect. An Omega who hadn't shifted at eighteen.

In reality, my inner wolf was pacing in the back of my mind, scratching at the mental walls I had built. She was a White Wolf, a creature of legend and royalty, the daughter of the Lycan King. But here, in the Velvet Lounge, I was just a waitress wiping tables.

Don't embarrass me tonight, Blake. We have investors coming. The Redstone deal is critical.

The voice echoed in my head, sharp and intrusive. Connor Bishop, the Alpha of Shadow Creek and my fiancé, sounded more stressed than usual. He'd been obsessed with these new "foreign investors" for weeks, ignoring the warnings from the border patrols about increased Rogue activity.

I'm doing my job, Connor, I replied, keeping my mental tone submissive. I'm invisible.

Good. Keep it that way.

He cut the link abruptly. The silence that followed was worse than the scolding.

The Velvet Lounge was the pride of the Shadow Creek territory. It was where the high-ranking wolves mingled with wealthy humans who remained oblivious to the predators in their midst. The air was thick with the scent of expensive cologne, roasted meat, and the underlying, musky odor of wolf pheromones.

Suddenly, the heavy oak doors swung open with a bang.

A hush fell over the room. Walking in was a woman in a dress so pink it hurt my eyes. Jaden. She wasn't high-born, but she walked with the arrogance of a Luna. She had saved Connor's sister years ago, earning a "Blood Oath"-a sacred promise of protection that she exploited every single day.

She didn't wait for the host. She marched right past the security, her heels clicking loudly on the marble floor.

Mark, the floor manager, rushed forward. Mark was a Beta, a mid-ranking wolf who bowed to power. He practically tripped over himself to get to her.

"Miss Jaden! What a surprise. We have the VIP booth ready," Mark said, his voice dripping with oil.

Jaden didn't look at him. Her eyes scanned the room and landed on me. A cruel smirk twisted her lips.

"I don't want the booth," she said, her voice carrying over the music. "I want service. Proper service. Not from some wolfless cripple."

I froze. I was wiping down table four. I kept my head down, scrubbing a non-existent spot.

Jaden walked up to me. She smelled of synthetic vanilla and rot. She pulled her car keys out of her purse and dropped them. They clattered onto the floor, right next to my shoe.

"Park my car," she ordered.

I stopped scrubbing. "I'm a waitress, Jaden. Not a valet."

The room went silent. An Omega talking back to a protected guest? It was unheard of.

Jaden laughed, a high-pitched sound that grated on my nerves. "Did the runt just speak? Mark, does your staff not know their place?"

Mark stepped in, his face red. He grabbed my arm, his fingers digging into my bicep. "Pick them up, Blake. Now."

"I am busy," I said through gritted teeth. My inner wolf let out a low growl, vibrating in my chest. I clamped down on it instantly. If I growled, if I showed any dominance, the suppressor might fail.

"Connor wouldn't like you upsetting his guest," Mark hissed in my ear. "Do you want me to call him? Do you want him to come down here and see you failing him again?"

I felt a sting of tears. Not from fear, but from frustration. I opened the Mind-Link again.

Connor. Jaden is here. She's making a scene. Mark is forcing me to-

Just do what she says, Blake, Connor's voice came back instantly, impatient and dismissive. She's important to the pack. Stop being difficult. It's just a set of keys.

She is humiliating me, I projected back.

You are humiliating yourself by being so sensitive. Deal with it. I'm in a meeting.

The link went dead.

I looked at the phone in my pocket. My hand trembled. My wolf, usually so composed, let out a whimper of pure disappointment. It wasn't sadness. It was the realization that the man destined to be my other half was hollow.

Slowly, I bent down. I reached for the keys.

Jaden kicked them just as my fingers brushed the metal, sending them skittering under a table.

"Oops," she grinned. "Fetch."