Rejected By The Pack: Claimed By The Cursed Alpha

“Miss… are you certain?” The Gamma’s pen trembled above the parchment. His usually steady voice cracked. “You are registering as the sacrificial volunteer? Once your name is sealed, there is no reversal. In one month, during the Blood Moon, you will jump from the Northern Cliff.” I smiled. “Yes. I’m willing to die.” The office fell silent. For five hundred years, the Silverfang Pack had upheld the same brutal ritual. When darkness stirred beneath the Northern Cliff, when the earth trembled and madness crept into wolves’ dreams one life was offered to seal the abyss again—a willing sacrifice. If no one stepped forward, plague and ruin would devour the pack. This year, the darkness had begun whispering again. And this year, there was only one name on the list. Mine, I was ready. The Gamma lowered his voice. “Miss Seraphina… you are the Alpha’s daughter—the most cherished child of the household. Your brothers adore you. You have a fiancé—” Had. I kept my smile. “That was long ago.” The word wolfless hung unspoken between us. Once, I had been the Little Moon Princess. The adopted miracle Alpha Magnus carried home during a blood-moon storm. I had glowed during rituals as a child. The elders said I would be blessed with a rare gift. But when I turned eighteen… nothing answered my call. No wolf. No bond. No awakening. And just like that, the engagement between me and Cassian Thorn sealed since childhood vanished without announcement. My brothers stopped walking beside me in public. My mother stopped touching my hair. As if it had never existed. The Gamma looked at me with pity. “The Alpha will not allow this.” As if summoned by his name, the pack’s communication crystal flared to life. My father’s amplified voice echoed across the territory. “Attention, Silverfang Pack. As the Blood Moon approaches, we once again seek a volunteer to honor our sacred duty and seal the Northern Abyss. Your courage will ensure our continued prosperity.” A pause. His tone shifted—warm, proud. “Additionally, in three days, we will hold a grand celebration for my beloved daughter, Lyra Vale, in honor of her nineteenth birthday. All pack members are invited to attend and present their blessings.” Outside, cheers erupted. My mother’s voice followed shortly after, instructing attendants to prepare jewels and gowns. My eldest brother ordered hunters to present rare pelts as gifts. The Gamma slowly lowered the crystal. In three days… it was also my birthday. No one mentioned it. No one remembered. Something twisted inside my chest, but I kept smiling. “You see?” I said softly. “They’ll be too busy.” The Gamma stared at me for a long moment before finally drawing a red line across the parchment. He handed me a sealed document. Sacrificial Certificate. Name: Seraphina Vale. Execution Date: One Month until the Blood Moon. His voice was no longer pleading. It was respectful. “The dark energy at the cliff grows stronger each night. With your sacrifice, the pack will be safe again.” I accepted the certificate. At least this way… I would still be of use. I withdrew all my savings that afternoon. The streets buzzed with excitement over Lyra’s birthday celebration. Banners were already being hung. Vendors gossiped about what dress she would wear. When they saw me, their smiles faded. “There goes the wolfless disgrace.” “A curse raised in the Alpha’s house.” “If she had any shame, she would leave the territory.” I walked past them quietly. Instead of returning home, I turned toward the old stone orphanage at the edge of town. The children ran to me the moment I entered. “Big Sister Seraphina!” “You came back!” Small arms wrapped around my waist. Laughter filled the courtyard. I handed out the food I had bought fresh bread, honey cakes, and fruit preserved in syrup. Things they rarely tasted. Their joy was pure. Untainted. The director stood in the doorway, her eyes already red. She was the only one who knew. “You don’t have to do this,” she whispered once the children scattered to eat. “Yes, I do.” Most wolfless were expelled from the pack once officially declared barren. They became rogues. And female rogues rarely survived long. “I would rather jump with dignity,” I said quietly, “than be hunted.” She gripped my hands tightly. “You were the strongest child I had ever seen. You glowed during rituals. You shook the training grounds with your power.” I smiled faintly. Yes. As a child, I was powerful. Too powerful. Sometimes, during full moons, I still felt something deep inside my chest—warm… watching… waiting. But every time I reached for it, there was only silence. “I’ll keep your identity secret,” the director promised, bowing her head in respect. I left before she could see my tears. Dusk had fallen by the time I returned to the Alpha estate. And of course… I ran into her. Lyra Vale stood beneath the lantern light, silver hair shimmering like a blessing from the Goddess herself. “My dear sister,” she said sweetly. “Where have you been?” She noticed the small wooden box in my arms. Her eyes sharpened. “What’s that?” “Nothing important.” She stepped closer. No one else was in the corridor. “You’ve been sneaking around a lot lately,” she murmured. “Planning something?” She reached for the box. I pulled back instinctively. Her expression hardened. “Oh?” she said softly. “Still pretending you belong here?” She shoved me. I lost my balance. The box slipped from my hands and hit the floor with a sharp c***k. The lid burst open. Letters spilled across the marble. Lyra’s gaze flickered over them. Then, suddenly— She screamed. Tears flooded her eyes instantly. “Why would you push me, Sister?!” Footsteps thundered down the hallway. My brothers. They rushed to her side. “Lyra!” She clung to them, trembling. “I just asked her what she was hiding… and she attacked me!” Their eyes turned to me cold, accusing. “How many times have we warned you?” my eldest brother snapped. “Must you bully her at every opportunity?” My second brother’s voice was sharper. “We already tolerate your presence in this house. Don’t test our patience.” Lyra sobbed harder against them. “How did we end up with such a vicious sister?” I knelt slowly, gathering my scattered letters. In one month, I would be gone. Let them misunderstand me. It wouldn’t matter anymore.