Rejected, And Became A Heiress

Chapter 0002

ALaric.

"It should have been Cara!"

After propose, my wolf's voice was cold and firm in my head.

"I told you, Grey,"

I sighed, speaking with my wolf internally, "This is my choice, not yours."

"And it was also your choice to have sex with Cara just last month! She was good enough for you then!" Grey insisted.

"You know good and well the mate bond is hard to resist. But having sex with her doesn't mean I love her. And it certainly doesn't mean she's fit to be the pack's true Luna," We'd been over this so many times since I had decided to propose to Lilia that it was grating my nerves.

He growled at me, clearly upset. But he would just have to get over it.

"Alpha King! Congratulations! And such a fine and beautiful she-wolf to be the pack's Luna!"

The pack elders were patting me on the back, beside themselves with pride that I had selected a noble-born from a neighboring pack to join Pack DarkWood's Alpha family. "Thank you for such kind words. I'm sure my brother, the Alpha King of Pack BloodyMoon, will be excited to hear that we intend to try for pups right away,"

Lilia's voice was demure and sweet as she stroked her belly lovingly.

"What excellent news! An heir right away!" The elders were overjoyed.

They'd been plaguing me with questions about when I'd produce an heir. Every pack meeting for three years had ended with a reminder from the elders that time was ticking to settle down, marry, and establish the new Alpha family. It was for the stability of the pack, they had insisted.

I used to think that it'd be Cara at my side. Smart, strong, incredibly sexy... Cara is everything I wanted in a Luna.

I never cared that she was low-born, she was an incredible worker and always put the pack above herself. Or so I thought.

I'll never forget the day that changed it all. The day I learned what she REALLY cares about.

I remember Cara's plea to my father the day before I took over as Alpha King.

*

"But that's not enough,"

mean to eavesdrop, but my father's office door was wide open, and as Alpha King-to-be, I figured I probably had a right

Luna position temporarily for the time being," my father

the money! Please, just

*

bear any more of her pathetic attempts

pulled up the pack's financial records and saw the frequent, large transfers into Cara's

that even those substantial

pack adoptee, but

me so deep that I vowed then and there

comes, she's all too happy to receive a check. It's like salt in the

didn't make it hard to resist. I'll admit, I haven't been a perfect angel. Sometimes when I'm around

perfectly, exactly as I'd

wolf, Grey, growls

can't let anyone, not even my Fate

as Alpha King to protect the pack above all else. Especially from those who would pretend to care about me, and the pack, only to sell us out when it suits

what

sweet and caring. And she's got that unmistakable dark red hair... Darker

I knew her gentleness would stave off any awkwardness between the two she-wolves. Obviously, it wouldn't be the most comfortable interaction, but Lilia offered to

searching. I found Cara, crying alone. The sight of her tears did something odd to me inside, like

she threw the bank cards at me and ran off. I've

have made her so

voice was insistent in

maybe Grey wasn't the only one

was all about?

actually love

Cara.

eager to leave, I passed several rooms of waitstaff cleaning up. I couldn't help but overhear some of their conversations as I tried to navigate the maze of hallways, searching for a way

Luna' thing for YEARS

she did such a great job, too. She's got to be the best Beta the pack's ever had. But... it's got to be because she's

the elders want a purely