Alpha Says Submit, I Say No

“Richard, if Lynn and I were hit by a car at the same time, who would you save first?” I once asked, curled up in his arms, teasing like a spoiled pup. He just scoffed, ruffling my hair. “That kind of situation doesn’t exist.” But when blinding headlights tore through the rain— He didn’t hesitate. He shielded Lynn in his embrace, and I was thrown into the blood-soaked street. Through the agony, I heard my phone buzz. A message from him: [What tantrum are you throwing now? Why didn’t you come to Moonstone today?] While the machines beeped beside me, I caught the sound of his gentle voice drifting from the next room—comforting her. “Don’t be afraid. I just reacted to the person closest to me.” That was the moment I wiped away bloody tears with a smile. Fine, Richard. Then you’ll watch with your own eyes—ten days from now, when I put on a wedding dress, it won’t be for you. It’ll be for your sworn enemy, the Alpha of Bloodmoon. On the eve of the ceremony, a helicopter thundered down onto the estate balcony. He kicked open my door, yanked my wrist with his tie. “Come with me.” Chapter 1 I was still gasping for breath when I heard the shower running in the bathroom. My hand shook as I unlocked my phone and dialed my father’s number. “I’ll marry William,” I whispered, my voice steady despite the storm in my chest. “The dying Alpha of the Bloodmoon Pack. But I have one condition.” On the other end, my father’s voice shot up in excitement. “Name it! Anything, Ann. As long as you agree, I’ll promise you anything.” The Bloodmoon Curse had doomed William—without completing his destined Bonding before the next blood moon, he wouldn’t just die, his entire pack’s bloodline would weaken. The catch? The Bonding had to be with an Alpha’s daughter. And if she wasn’t strong enough… the female could die instead. “I’ll tell you when I get back,” I said quietly, my chest tight and cold. As I hung up, my gaze flicked to Richard’s laptop on the desk. The screen glowed, a notification flashing across it. [Richard, I hear thunder. I’m scared…] —Lynn My heart was clenched. Inside me, Lily, my wolf, growled low. “Fake. It reeks of pretense.” I forced her anger down, swallowing my own. The bathroom door opened. Richard stepped out, a towel slung low on his hips. His Alpha aura pressed into the room, heavy and suffocating. “Something came up with the pack. I need to leave.” His voice was flat, indifferent. I didn’t turn to face him. My eyes lingered on the rain-streaked window, the trees outside bending in the storm. “Is it a pack matter… or the one you really love?” His brow furrowed. “What?” “Nothing,” I murmured, rubbing my temple. He walked closer, fingers brushing over my swollen lips as if nothing between us was broken. “Be good, Ann. Be submissive. Don’t cause trouble.” Then he left. The door clicked shut. I was exhaled, shaky and uneven. But the moment he was gone, I grabbed my phone and ordered an Uber. I couldn’t stop myself. Half an hour later, I sat in the back seat as the car rolled to a stop outside a hotel. Through the curtain of rain, I saw her. Lynn. She rushed out into the downpour, her dress clinging to her curves. Richard was already there, waiting. He shrugged off his jacket and draped it around her shoulders, lifting her as if she were something fragile, precious. “It’s freezing. Why would you come out without a cloak?” His voice was soft, tender, the kind of tone he’d never once used with me. My nails bit into my palms. Lily’s voice cut through me, sharp and merciless. “Do you see now? We’ve never been the one he protects.” The sight pierced me, pulling me back to the beginning—the day I first met Richard. Back then, I was forced into training with the Moonstone Pack. He sat in his glass-walled office, cold and untouchable. His Alpha aura pressed down on me until I could barely breathe. On the first day, I spilled coffee on him. “I’ll bill your father,” he said coolly. On the second, I deleted meeting files, hoping to throw him off. He recited every word of them flawlessly in front of his executives. On the third, I tried to drug him—just to see an Alpha stripped of his control. Instead, that night, under the full moon, his wolf snapped free. And I… I became his cure. I was sore, furious, and humiliated. But he pinned me against the window, his voice low, dangerous, breaking into my soul. “Ann. Be good. Be submissive.” And God help me… I broke. I gave in to him. I gave him everything. On his birthday, I covered the villa in roses and candles. I even bought a ring. I—his Luna in everything but name—was going to propose. But I waited all night. The candles burned out, the roses wilted, and he never came home. At 3 a.m., my phone buzzed. #Alpha Richard at LAX with his White Moon The photo showed him tenderly guiding Lynn into a car, his eyes soft, glowing with a love he had never once spared me. The comments flooded in: “The Alpha and his fated Luna! Finally!” “They’re high school sweethearts!” “He only ever smiles for Lynn.” My phone slipped from my hand. Lily’s laugh was bitter, icy. “See the truth. You’re just a replacement.” I staggered into his study, tears burning my vision. A photo lay tucked under his laptop. I flipped it over. Her. Always her. My throat closed. I laughed, a jagged, broken sound that scraped like an injured wolf’s howl. By morning, when Richard came back, he only glanced at the trashed study before turning to the butler. “Clean this up.” He didn’t even look at me. I watched the butler sweep my ring box—my proposal—into a trash bag. He never even knew what was inside. He never knew I’d been ready to give him the rest of my life. And at that moment, I knew. I would never love him again. --- “Ann, where to?” The driver’s voice snapped me back to the present. “Home,” I said coldly. “Back to the Silver Fang Pack.” When I walked into the main hall, my father, Alpha David, was already there. His eyes lit up. “Ann, have you really agreed to marry into the Bloodmoon Pack?” On the staircase, Julie—my stepmother—smiled knowingly. Her daughter, Lynn, from her first marriage, stood beside her. “Yes,” I said, my voice hollow. The moment the door closed behind me, the weight hit. I crumbled onto the floor, burying my face in my knees. Lily growled, soft and pained. “Don’t cry, Ann. A she-wolf should never cry over garbage.” But her trembling tail betrayed her. She hurt just as much as I did. The next morning, laughter echoed downstairs. A woman’s laughter. I yanked my door open. “What’s going on?” The butler hesitated. “She’s moved in.” And then I saw her. Lynn. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. That same mole under her eye as in the photo. Smiling sweetly, like a wolf pretending to be harmless. My blood froze. Lily roared inside me, barring her fangs. I fought to hold her back, but my own fury trembled just as violently. Chapter 2 I never imagined the girl who was supposedly “recovering from an illness in Europe” would turn out to be Richard’s fated mate. Lynn. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Every curve dripping with confidence. She was fate’s cruelest joke. She clicked across the floor in stilettos, that saccharine smile fixed on her lips. “Ann, I’m sorry… did I bother you?” Bang! I slammed the door in her face. From the hall, my father’s roar shook the walls. “Ann! Do you have no manners? Get out of that room. Lynn likes it, so it’s hers from now on!” I laughed bitterly and yanked my closet open, pulling clothes down in sharp, frantic motions. The voices outside carried through the wood, clear as day. “Uncle David, is Ann… angry?” Lynn’s tone was sweet as honey. “Ignore her. She’s been spoiled since childhood.” “But—” “She’ll be marrying into the Bloodmoon Pack soon. This will be your and your mother’s home from now on.” My hands stilled for a moment before I smiled. Cold. Sharper than a blade. Within minutes, I’d booked a flight. End of the month. Bloodmoon Pack. Where a cursed Alpha prince waited to claim me… or kill me. That gave me two weeks. Fifteen days until I either stood at the Bloodmoon altar—or disappeared overseas and left this toxic place behind forever. By the time I dragged my luggage downstairs, no one even tried to stop me. I headed straight for the city’s most luxurious hotel and swiped for the presidential suite. For the first time that night, my throat tightened. My phone buzzed. A message from Richard lit the screen. [What kind of tantrum are you throwing now? Why didn’t you come to Moonstone today?] I stared at it until the words blurred. For a year, he’d forced me into Moonstone, under the excuse of “disciplining” me. He always said I was spoiled, unfocused, incompetent. A girl who needed to be reshaped—or she’d ruin herself. He never saw that I bent myself into pieces just to survive him. But I wasn’t bending anymore. Fifteen days from now, I could be a ghost of Bloodmoon… or I could be gone forever. When I returned to the hotel after grabbing bags of essentials, I froze. My luggage was stacked neatly in the lobby. “What’s going on?” My voice was ice. The receptionist winced. “Miss Ann… we tried charging your card. It declined. Policy requires—” My phone buzzed. A message from my father. [Since you want to cut ties, don’t spend my money anymore. All your accounts are frozen.] My chest tightened. I stared at the glowing screen until my eyes burned, then typed two words back. [Fine by me.] Dragging my luggage across the streets, I tried not to crumble. My suitcase was stuffed with wedding dresses and gifts meant for a home that would never be mine. None of it I could sell. Borrow money? Never. I’d sleep on the street before I begged those wolves waiting to laugh at me. I’d worked beside Richard for years, never taking a salary. I’d lived on his card, or my father’s. Every profit went straight into the two packs. I’d thought I didn’t need money. I knew better. By midnight, I dropped my suitcase beside a park bench. I was about to lay my head down when footsteps staggered closer. A drunk wolf. His eyes were glassy, his grin wide. “Hey, pretty girl. All alone?” “Go away.” “Don’t be like that. Come keep me company…” His hand brushed my shoulder. The next second— “Ahhh!” His scream split the night. Richard. He appeared like a shadow, twisting the man’s wrist until bones cracked. His eyes were black with fury. Before I could react, he yanked me—and my suitcase—into his car. “Let me go!” I thrashed against him, rage and shame clawing up my throat. His hand clamped around my wrist, unrelenting. His Alpha aura crashed over me, heavily and suffocating. “What the hell are you doing, Ann?” His voice was sharp steel. “Homeless—and you don’t come to me?” For one fleeting moment, his anger looked like concern, and something traitorous in my chest softened. But then I remembered the words I’d written in my diary. God will keep giving you the same test until you choose differently. I wasn’t going to make excuses for him this time. Not for a rescue. Not for a scrap of attention. I yanked at his grip, my voice trembling with fury. “Let. Me. Go.” Chapter 3 In the past, whenever I ran away after a fight with my father, Richard would hunt me down. He’d drive through the night, find me no matter where I hid, and carry me home on his back. “What’s the tantrum about this time?” he’d always mutter, half annoyed, half amused. Back then, as I clung to him, breathing in the crisp cedar on his skin, I used to think maybe—just maybe—he liked me. How naïve I was. Because now I know. No one could be crueler than him. After touching me with that same body, after holding me, after making me believe I mattered—he would go back to his study, sit in front of Lynn’s picture, and look at her with a tenderness that made me sick. And of all people… it had to be her. “Let go!” I hissed, eyes burning. I sank my teeth into his hand. He only frowned, silent, and started the car. By the time we reached the villa, his expression was carved from stone. He carried my suitcase inside and spoke with that cold finality of his. “Stay here, like always, until you decide to stop this nonsense.” I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms. “I’ll only stay two weeks. After that, I’m gone. I’ll pay you rent if you want. But I won’t bother you again.” Slowly, Richard lifted his gaze. His green-brown eyes were bottomless, like a deep pit I’d never climb out of. “Stop bothering me?” His lips were curled, cruel. “Ann, do you really think you’re capable of that?” The words sliced straight through me. Because he was right. He saw it all. From the first day I hated him, to now—when I loved him to the point of self-destruction. And him? He let me drown while keeping another woman in his heart. “Lynn…” My voice shook. “She’s my stepmother’s daughter. Did you know?” Richard was stilled for only half a second as he loosened his tie. “I found out today.” I bit down hard on my lip, but the question still clawed its way out. “And… what is she to you?” His answer was effortless, rehearsed. “A junior from school. We went to the same academy. She once saved me in a car accident. Later, her health failed, so she was sent abroad.” Then he looked straight at me, his gaze sharp and warning. “I know you hate your stepmother. But Lynn has nothing to do with that. Don’t take it out on her.” My chest caved. I wanted to scream Do you love her?! But what was the point? His protection of her said it all. I turned on my heel and slammed the guest room door. That night, he didn’t come after me. Not once. I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling until my vision blurred. One thought circled in my mind like a countdown. Thirteen days left. Thirteen days until Bloodmoon claimed me—or until I vanished overseas. Either way, I’d escape this torment. The next day, I slept late, hoping he’d already gone. But when I opened my door, he was still there. Sitting casually on the sofa, flipping through a magazine, his aura calm and suffocating at once. He glanced up lazily. “Awake?” I hesitated. “Aren’t you busy with pack affairs?” “It’s the weekend,” he said simply. I muttered something under my breath, grabbed a slice of cheesecake from the fridge, and made for my room. “Change,” he said suddenly, not even looking up. “You’re coming with me to a party.” Every instinct in me wanted to refuse. But being trapped in the villa with him was worse. At least outside, I could breathe. So, I changed and followed. When we arrived, my stomach dropped. It wasn’t just a party. It was her party. A grand welcome celebration—for Lynn. I turned to leave immediately, but Lynn’s hand snaked around my arm. Her smile was sweet, almost angelic, her blonde hair glowing under the lights. “It’s so good you came,” she cooed. “Don’t fight with Daddy anymore. He was so worried about you leaving—he didn’t eat all day.” My laugh was sharp, humorless. I yanked my arm free and strode into the private room. From the corner of my eye, I saw her lower lip tremble. Her eyes glistened with tears as she looked helplessly at Richard. His jaw tightened. He shot me a look so cold it froze me in place. Then, without hesitation, he turned to her. His hand threaded gently through her blonde hair. His voice dropped to something only she could hear—soft, tender words that pulled a shy laugh from her. The sound gutted me. I grabbed the nearest glass of champagne, tipped my head back, and swallowed until the burn drowned out the ache in my chest. Chapter 4 The private room spun with clinking glasses and raucous laughter, Alphas and Betas drinking like the world belonged to them. I sat curled in a corner, invisible, my glass clutched tight. Richard stood in the center of it all, commanding the room without effort. Yet his green-brown eyes never once strayed to me. No, every look, every subtle smile, every small act of tenderness—twisting a cap, handing over a drink—belonged to her. To Lynn. All the things I had longed for, he gave so easily to her. I tilted my head back and drained the wine in one go, the burn cutting down my throat. “He was never ours,” Lily snarled in my head, her voice icy and merciless. “Stop deluding yourself.” My heart twisted, like a dull blade carving into flesh. Maybe she was right. Maybe the bond between us was just instinct. Maybe every whispered word, every tender moment I thought was love—was nothing more than me projecting my own desperate hope onto him. A shout erupted across the room. “The bottle landed on Richard!” someone cheered. They shoved a tablet into his hands. “Come on, Alpha. Let’s play ‘This or That.’ Tell us who stirs your blood more.” The screen lit up with two photos: a famous actress and Lynn. Richard didn’t hesitate. “Lynn.” The room roared with laughter and applause. Lynn’s cheeks flushed pink, her smile glowing under the attention. I gripped my glass harder until it nearly cracked. Then, the next round lit the screen—and my blood froze. Two pictures. One of her. One of me. The room went wild. “Now this is interesting! Ann’s the most beautiful she-wolf in Silver Fang. If Richard still chooses Lynn, well… that says it all!” Every eye turned to him. For three long, suffocating seconds, Richard was silent. And then “Ann.” His voice was cold, detached. The crowd exploded in cheers. But the word meant nothing. It wasn’t affection. It wasn’t choice. It was a handout, a pity answer to quiet the crowd. I stood abruptly; my chest was hollow. The walls of the private room pressed in, choking me. In the hallway, three drunken wolves staggered into my path. “Hey, pretty thing,” one of them slurred, reaching for my face. “Give me your number.” My wolf surged. My eyes glowed gold as I growled, “Get lost.” But they only laughed, their breath heavy with alcohol. “Why so cold?” another sneered, yanking my wrist. His grip was bruising, cruel. “Dressed like this… you’re practically begging for attention.” “Rip them apart!” Lily howled in my mind. I struggled against their grip, ready to shift—when the door opened. Richard. He stood framed in the light, his expression tight, his body coiled with power. Relief washed through me—until Lynn’s scream sliced through the air. “Ahh!” Richard’s head whipped around. “I—I twisted my ankle,” Lynn whimpered, eyes brimming with tears. “It’s fine, go help Ann first…” But before I could blink, his arm was already around her waist, steadying her, protecting her. With his other hand, he slammed one wolf against the wall by the throat. The others backed off instantly, cowed by an Alpha’s fury. I saw it then—his hand on her waist, her pitiful eyes locked on him. And I couldn’t breathe. I snatched a bottle from a nearby display and smashed it against the floor, glass biting into my palm, blood spilling hot and fast. “Get out of my way!” My voice cracked with fury and something far more fragile. While they stared at me in shock, I slipped past and bolted. I didn’t take Richard’s car. I couldn’t stand to. Instead, I stood in the downpour, the rain drenching me to the bone. “Ann!” Lynn’s voice chirped from behind me. She appeared with an umbrella, smiling sweetly as if we hadn’t just lived through hell. In her hand, she dangled keys to a brand-new sports car, flashing them like jewelry. “Didn’t you drive? I can take you home.” I stared at the car keys, then at her carefully polished smile—and laughed bitterly. How perfect she looked in her glittering facade. “No thanks,” I sneered. “I’d rather walk than ride in the car of a mistress’s daughter. It reeks of filth.” Her expression shattered, the mask slipping. For once, her eyes burned. “Ann! Say that again!” I stepped closer, my words sharp as knives. “Say it a hundred times, it won’t erase your mother’s sins. That’s who she is—and who you are.” Her face twisted with rage. But before she could retort, headlights blinded us both. A car, out of control, barreled toward us. I froze. And then—Richard lunged. He grabbed Lynn, pulling her into his arms. Just as he reached for me— Impact. Pain exploded, sharp and merciless. The world spun, and then—blackness. Chapter 5 I hit the ground hard, collapsing into a pool of my own blood. My vision blurred; the copper tasted thick in my mouth, and I could feel my wolf’s pain echoing inside me. Weak. Broken. Dying. Flashes of memory tore through me like knives. The first time I met him, those greenish-brown eyes were colder than a winter storm. The day I swapped the sugar in his coffee with salt, and he drank it without even flinching. The first time he pinned me against his office desk—my teeth sinking into his shoulder, drawing blood, refusing to let him win. On the night of his birthday, I decorated the entire villa with lights and roses, only to hear the news that he was with her. With Lynn. The day I walked alone to the cemetery, heels digging into my skin until blisters bled through my stockings. He found me, took off my shoes without a word, carried them in one hand while carrying me on his back all the way home. My tears had slipped into the hollow of his neck that night, and for one fleeting second, I thought: Maybe, just maybe, we could make it. Maybe he and I could walk through life together. But the last image I carried into the darkness was him—shielding Lynn in his arms. --- “Beep, beep, beep—” The sharp rhythm of medical machines dragged me back to reality. I opened my eyes slowly, blinking at the sterile white ceiling. A voice came in from the next room. Lynn. “It’s all my fault,” she sobbed, her words laced with guilt. “I shouldn’t have argued with Ann by the side of the road… Richard, why did you save me first? Ann will be angry…” Richard’s voice was low, soothing. Too soft. The kind of voice he used when he cared. “I didn’t save you first,” he murmured. “You were closest to the car. It was instinct. Just… my first reaction.” My chest clenched so tight I couldn’t breathe. Instinct. Just instinct. Not love. No choice. I lay still, staring at the ceiling, listening as he continued to comfort her. His words were like silk, tender enough to wrap around her broken heart. Words I had once craved. Finally, the door clicked shut, and silence filled the room. When Richard turned, his gaze collided with mine. I didn’t move. Didn’t speak. Just looked at him. “You’re awake.” His tone was calm, composed. “It’s nothing serious. Just a flesh wound. I know you’re terrified of pain, so I made sure you had the best medical team. They’ll make sure you don’t scar.” In the past, I would have broken down, tears pouring as I demanded answers he never gave. I would have clung to the smallest scraps of affection he offered. But not now. “Got it. Thanks,” I said flatly. “I’ll pay you back for the medical expenses in two weeks.” His brows furrowed, confusion flickering across his perfect features. He didn’t understand. He couldn’t. Because he didn’t know what I knew. Only thirteen days left. And then I was gone. Chapter 6 I woke again, dragged back into consciousness by a nurse’s sharp voice. “Why is no one with her? The needle’s backed up with blood! Something terrible could’ve happened!” she scolded. Blinking, I glanced down at my hand. The back of it was swollen and bruised, the IV needle lodged at a bad angle. My phone lay on the table. I reached for it with trembling fingers, and the time on the screen made me freeze. Seven hours. Richard hadn’t been here once. “Miss, where’s your handsome Alpha?” the nurse asked as she adjusted the IV. “It’s too dangerous for a werewolf to be left alone on a drip. If the spiritual energy in your blood gets out of control, the consequences could be… fatal.” I curved my lips into something that resembled a smile but said nothing. Later, as I made my way down the hallway, leaning against the cold wall for balance, my wolf ears caught whispers drifting from the nurses’ station. “That Miss Lynn is so lucky,” one said. “Her stepfather protects her, and her Alpha hasn’t left her side once.” “I heard he rented out the entire VIP floor just for her,” another added. “Even brought in a bloodline healer from overseas. Can you imagine? He hasn’t left her bedside in a whole day.” “He’s treating her like the future Luna.” Each word struck me like a thorn, tearing into already raw flesh. I stopped in front of a half-open door. Through the narrow gap, I saw Richard adjusting Lynn’s IV with careful hands, his long fingers moving gently, his expression calm, almost tender. Lynn lay on the bed, fragile and glowing like the Moon Goddess herself had chosen her. That kind of devotion, that kind of instinct… it was what an Alpha showed only to the woman he intended to make his Luna. My chest seized so violently I could barely breathe. Tears spilled hot down my cheeks. Don’t you dare cry! Lily’s snarl ripped through me. We are she-wolves. Even if abandoned, even if discarded, we hold our heads high when we walk out of the pack hall. Ann, look up. With shaking hands, I wiped my tears and whispered into the empty hallway, “No one’s going to feel sorry for you. Don’t cry.” --- Days passed. Richard never came. Not until the day of my discharge. A sleek black Maybach idled in front of the hospital. The tinted window rolled down to reveal his chiseled profile. “Get in,” he said, his voice flat, cold. I turned to walk away. “Do you want me to carry you into the car in front of the entire pack?” The command in his voice made my body freeze. Alpha’s authority wasn’t something a she-wolf could defy, no matter how much she wanted to. Jaw tight, I climbed into the car. He didn’t look at me. Instead, he handed me a thick catalog. “You’ve been unstable lately. Haven’t you always liked collecting things? There’s an auction today. I’m taking you.” I flipped through the glossy pages, detached, until my eyes landed on one photo. My breath caught. A pearl necklace. Not just jewelry. My mother’s necklace. A sacred bloodline talisman, blessed by the Moon Goddess herself. It could steady a she-wolf’s spiritual energy during a full moon. After she died, everything of hers had been swept from the house under the excuse that her things were “unlucky.” And now here it was. On an auction block. My hands trembled; the paper crumpled in my grip. “Take it back!” Lily’s roar filled my chest. “No matter what it costs—you take it back.” I pulled out my phone and sent a single command: [Sell everything in the safe. Now.] Even if I was mocked for having no dowry when I married into the Bloodmoon Pack… even if the entire world laughed at me… I would get my mother’s relic back. --- The auction hall sparkled with crystal chandeliers, filled with celebrities and the elite of both human and werewolf society. Artifacts gleamed under spotlights—ancient weapons, sacred talismans, priceless jewels. Richard led me to the VIP section. And there she was. Lynn. Smiling in a sunshine-yellow dress, sweet and delicate, like the very image of innocence. “Ann!” she chirped, looping her arm through mine. “I told Richard I wanted to apologize in person, but I didn’t think he’d actually bring you. Your relationship must be so good!” My body went stiff. Slowly, I turned my head. Richard was focused on the auction catalog, his expression unreadable, his eyes cool and distant like a frozen lake. He didn’t even glance at my way. And then it hit me. He hadn’t brought me here because he cared. Not because he noticed my pain. He brought me here because she asked. Because Lynn wanted a moment to play the part of the sweet, innocent sister. The hollow in my chest widened, deeper than any wound. “Remember, Ann,” Lily whispered fiercely. “Thirteen days left. You are not his shadow. We will leave with your mother’s necklace. Even if we walk out of here as a lone wolf—we walk tall.”