My Alpha’s Rejection Led Me to the Lycan King

The bonfire for the Summer Solstice Run roared against the night sky, sending sparks dancing toward the moon, but I had never felt colder. Standing in the shadows of the tree line, I leaned heavily on my cane, my prosthetic leg aching in the damp earth. The air was thick with the scent of pine and excited wolves preparing to shift, a primal joy I had been denied for ten years.

I wasn't supposed to be here. As a wolfless Omega, I was a stain on the Silvercreek Pack’s perfect image. But I had come to see him. Spencer.

I shifted my weight, wincing as the strap of my prosthetic rubbed against the scar tissue of my stump. Through the crowd, I saw him. Spencer Hall, the Alpha I had sacrificed everything to save. He stood tall and golden-haired, laughing with his Beta, Marcus. I adjusted my grip on my cane, a foolish hope fluttering in my chest. Maybe tonight, under the solstice moon, he would remember the promise he made when we were children.

Then the wind shifted, carrying his voice directly to me.

"Look at her, Marcus," Spencer sneered, his gaze flicking toward the shadows where I stood. "She’s lurking again. It’s pathetic."

"She’s your mate, Alpha," Marcus replied, though his tone held no respect.

"She is a cripple," Spencer spat, the venom in his voice hitting me harder than the rogues ever had. "Every time I look at that missing leg, I feel sick. It nauseates me to think that broken thing is tied to me. I can’t have a weakling as my Luna. It would ruin me."

The air left my lungs. My hands shook so hard the cane rattled against the dry leaves. Before I could retreat, a hand curled around Spencer’s bicep. Madelyn Barnes. She looked radiant, her predatory eyes gleaming as she whispered something in his ear.

Spencer’s lips curled into a cruel grin. He turned fully toward me, his eyes flashing with Alpha dominance. "Isla!"

My body froze, conditioned to obey. He strode over, the pack parting for him. The heat of the fire felt suffocating now.

"Since you’re so eager to join the run," Spencer announced, his voice booming so everyone could hear, "let’s make you useful. Tonight, we don’t just run. We hunt."

A ripple of laughter went through the warriors. My stomach dropped.

"Run, Omega," Spencer commanded, using his Alpha tone. It slammed into my mind like a physical blow, forcing my trembling legs to move. "The game is 'Hunt the Omega.' If you make it to the Neutral Zone before we catch you, you live."

I turned and scrambled into the dense forest, tears blurring my vision. I wasn't fast. I was never fast. My prosthetic clunked unevenly against the roots, dragging me down, but the Alpha command forced me forward, stripping me of my dignity.

I hadn't made it a mile before a blur of motion tackled me. I hit the dirt hard, my cane flying out