Carrying Another's Pup, Claimed By The Alpha

At Frostveil Pack, storm clouds loomed outside, casting long shadows through the tall windows of the mahogany-furnished sitting room. Thunder rumbled in the distance, as if echoing the fury brimming inside Alpha Thorne.

The middle-aged Alpha descended the grand staircase in a fury, the polished concrete echoing under the weight of his heavy, impatient footsteps. His blue pajama shirt clung to his broad chest, and his eyes burned with disbelief as he fixed them on the figure slouched on the brown velvet couch.

Arlena sat in silence, wrapped in red silk pajamas, her legs curled beneath her. A half-empty bottle of whiskey glistened on the brown marble center table, catching the lightning flashes from outside.

Alpha Thorne halted in front of her, voice sharp as a whip.

"What is this I'm hearing about Alpha Lucien declaring another as his wife while you, his fated and true mate sit here drowning your sorrows in alcohol?"

Arlena didn't flinch. She slowly lifted her head, eyes dull and tired, but her pride still intact.

"Is that why you locked yourself in your room for a week after returning without warning?" he demanded.

Her voice was steady, cold.

"Yes, that's why I came back without notice. But who says I'm sad?"

"Your actions do," he barked. "You've never hidden away like this. Never been this quiet. I know you're heartbroken even if you won't admit it. I raised you better than to pretend behind that icy face."

His gaze swept over her… her once-bright eyes now dim, her posture rigid but tired. The sparkle that marked Arlena Thorne, future Alpha, was dulled by pain.

Alpha Thorne's fist clenched. "First thing tomorrow, I'll send word to Alpha Lucien and his council of Elders. No one humiliates my daughter, tarnishes our name, and walks free."

Arlena's head snapped up. "There's no need to do that."

"I'm Arlena Thorne, Alpha Heir of Frostveil Pack, the only child of the great Alpha Thorne. And she? She's a wolfless nobody without a traceable origin," She stood with a quiet grace, spine straight and chin raised high. Her voice sharpened, every word dripping with superiority.

"I am Lucien's fated mate. I am an asset to his entire pack, while everything about her screams liability. Do you think the Duskborne Creed would truly make someone like her Luna?" Her smirk was bitter.

Her voice dropped into a scoff. "Right now, Lucien's just... confused. A paper marriage means nothing. According to the laws of his pack the only way to become a chosen mate is by surviving the True Love Test ritual, the same ritual no one has ever passed."

She turned to him, eyes gleaming with cruel certainty.

"Do you think a high-ranking Alpha like Lucien would risk his life for a wolfless weakling like her?"

Alpha Thorne narrowed his gaze. "If you knew all that, then why return so suddenly? Why lock yourself away like you were exiled? And what's with this new habit of drinking?" He motioned to the whiskey with disgust.

Arlena exhaled a long breath, a smirk curling on her lips.

"I didn't leave Duskborne because I felt unwanted. I left because I knew I couldn't be replaced. Not by her." Her expression darkened. "I made a scene because I was certain they'd call me back. That's how you reclaim power."

But then something in her cracked. Her voice dropped to a whisper.

"And... I locked myself away and drank because, yes, I was hurt. Betrayed," she admitted at long last.

Her fingers pressed to her chest, and the mask of smugness faltered.

"I gave him everything. Loyalty. Time. Years of service. No one deserves to be discarded like that... especially not an Alpha Heir like me." 

She looked at her father, pain flooding her voice. "I deserved better, don't you think?"

Alpha Thorne's expression softened. "Of course you did. You're my daughter and the future Alpha of Frostveil. You deserve nothing but the best."

He studied her silently, watching her struggle to hold back the storm in her chest. She blinked rapidly, refusing to let tears fall.

Then, after a long pause, his voice dropped low.

"If you succeed in reclaiming your position... I'll step down."

Arlena's breath caught.

"The day you are officially marked as Lucien's true mate, I'll hand Frostveil's leadership to you."

Her eyes widened. "For real?" Her voice trembled. She covered her mouth with one hand, stunned.

He nodded. 

"Just keep making this Pack proud." With that, he turned and climbed the stairs, his footsteps growing softer with distance.

"Don't stay up too late," he added over his shoulder.

The moment he disappeared, Arlena let out a shaky laugh, spinning in place like a child with a secret.

"I can't wait to blow Nyxen's mind with this news tomorrow," she whispered, barely able to contain her excitement.

Then… she stopped.

The scent hit her before the presence did. An omega had entered the room. Arlena turned slowly, her face tightening into a sneer.

"What are you looking at?" she snapped. Her voice dropped to a growl, eyes glowing gold.

"Get out of my sight before I rip your eyeballs out."

The omega fled, stumbling over her own feet in fear.

Arlena scoffed, arms crossed. "The nerve of that lowly thing."

..

The next morning at Duskborne Creed Pack, Rhode Axen sat in his sitting room, where every detail spoke of wealth and control. Richly upholstered chairs, gold-rimmed walls, and a crystal chandelier that glowed like captured moonlight.

He leaned back in his seat, fingers steepled. "Gamma Corvin."

A lean man stepped forward. "Yes, sir?"

Rhode's tone was flat, but the edge was unmistakable.

"Contact the control tower. Send a message to every member of Duskborne Creed Pack. Word it exactly as follows."

He recited it slowly, each syllable deliberate:

"Yes, Alpha Lucien Rhode married a wolfless omega but only out of pity. The union exists on paper only. She is not the Alpha's mate. She is not Luna. She holds no official title or connection to the Alpha or our Pack. Anyone caught spreading false claims from this moment forward will be punished under Pack law."

He leaned back, satisfied.

"Have it written. Word for word."