Rejecting the Alpha

The infirmary smelled like antiseptic and something sweeter—lavender, maybe, meant to calm nervous wolves before their pre-ceremony assessments. It didn't work. My hands trembled as I rolled down the sleeve of my shirt, watching Dr. Callahan label the vial of my blood with practiced efficiency.

"All done, Amelia," she said, offering a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. She'd been the pack physician for twenty years and had seen enough Omegas like me to know better than to waste genuine warmth. "Results will be ready in an hour. You can get dressed."

I nodded, slipping behind the privacy screen. Through the gap in the curtain, I caught movement—Juliet, my foster sister, practically materializing in the doorway with that innocent smile she wore like a weapon.

"Dr. Callahan, I'm so sorry to interrupt," Juliet's voice dripped with manufactured concern. "Mother sent me to ask about the dietary restrictions before the ceremony. She's worried the catering might include—"

I tugged my shirt over my head, only half-listening. Juliet always had some excuse to insert herself into my business, some reason to hover. Years of living under the same roof had taught me to recognize her presence the way prey recognizes a circling predator.

When I emerged from behind the screen, Juliet was leaning against Dr. Callahan's desk, gesturing animatedly while the physician shuffled through a filing cabinet on the opposite wall, her back turned. For just a heartbeat, Juliet's hand moved—quick, practiced—switching two manila folders on the desk before she straightened, smile never faltering.

Something cold slithered down my spine.

"Oh, Amelia!" Juliet turned to me, eyes wide. "I didn't realize you were still here. How did it go?"

"Fine." I kept my voice flat, measured. The wooden wolf charm Serena had given me pressed against my palm in my pocket, a small anchor of comfort. *Don't engage. Don't give her anything.*

Dr. Callahan returned with a stack of pamphlets, handing them to Juliet. "Here you are, dear. And Amelia, your results will be sent directly to the Black Moon Pack's Beta as per protocol. Congratulations on finding your mate."

The word *mate* should have filled me with warmth. Killian Ellis—future Alpha of the Black Moon Pack, powerful, commanding, *mine*. The bond had clicked into place three days ago at the territory summit, a pull so intense I'd barely been able to breathe. For the first time in my life, I would belong to someone. Be chosen. Cherished.

But standing in that infirmary with Juliet's syrup-sweet smile fixed on me, all I felt was dread.

---

The study in our family's wing of the packhouse had always felt like a courtroom. Dark wood paneling absorbed what little light filtered through the narrow windows, and the leather chairs positioned before Gamma Morrison's desk might as well have been a defendant's bench.

I stood there now, hours after the infirmary visit, with my adoptive parents arranged before me like judges. Luna Morrison perched on the edge of her seat, spine rigid, hands folded