The Unchosen Alpha, the Self-Crowned Queen Chapter 01

The Unchosen Alpha, the Self-Crowned Queen Chapter 01

The day they chose the Alpha heir, I walked in with my chest puffed out, clutching a combat record full of perfect scores. The whole Blackwood Pack knew I was next in line.

But standing before the Moon Goddess’s altar, my grandmother—the former Alpha Queen—slowly raised her hand, her voice ringing through the great hall.

“I hereby declare the next Alpha of Blackwood Pack—”

“Nerys Blackwood.”

I froze.

For seventeen years, I’d trained every single day to be worthy of that title. Shifted for the first time at twelve. Became the youngest head warrior at fifteen.

My parents had been relentless with me since I was a kid. Before dawn, I was already running laps on the training field with weights strapped to my back. Rain or snow, no one ever let me stop.

But Nerys lived in a completely different world. She didn’t take combat tests. She didn’t train at dawn. She didn’t have to go through any real combat trials.

Every day, she stayed by Grandmother’s side, learning Pack etiquette, Moon Goddess rites, herbal medicine, and the annual Moon Feast.

I always thought that was just the kind of thing a future Luna needed to learn.

I thought it was tempering. I thought I was the undisputed heir. I even comforted my sister, told her I’d take care of her once I took over.

Moon Feast? Every werewolf knows that before an Alpha formally ascends, they have to complete the sacred Moon Feast themselves—to prove to the Goddess they’re capable of protecting the Pack.

But no one ever told me that.

Not once.

I couldn’t even name half the herbs in that kitchen.

And Nerys? She slipped on that priestess apron like she’d been born in it, lit the fire under Grandmother’s watchful eye, her movements fluid and practiced.

The hall filled with the smell of roasting meat and spices. When Grandmother took that first bite, satisfaction finally softened the hard lines of her face.

“Good.”

“From today forward, Nerys Blackwood is the new Alpha of Blackwood Pack.”

The Pack erupted in deafening cheers.

And I just stood there, chilled to the bone.

Only in that moment did I finally understand. The real final test was never about fighting.

I tried to turn to my parents. My father Evander said Lucien Ashcroft of Silvercrest Pack could make me happy. My mother Lyanna said my skills were more than enough to make me an excellent Luna.

It finally clicked. Grandmother’s recipes had gone to my sister years ago. All those years of suffering? Just paving the way for a marriage alliance.

I ripped off the Silvercrest Pack’s crest ring and flung it across the room.

“I’m not gonna marry him.”

The ring skittered across the carpet, bumping against the baseboard.

“Maeve. Pick up the ring.”

My mother Lyanna’s voice was calm, almost cold, but it carried that edge of authority that made it hard to breathe.

She bent down and retrieved the diamond ring from Silvercrest Pack, turning it under the light like she was inspecting a piece of merchandise for scratches.

I didn’t move.

She sighed, walked over to me, and pressed the ring back into my palm. Her nails dug into my wrist—just enough to sting.

“I know you’re upset, honey. But this is what the whole Pack decided. Silvercrest’s got the richest land in the North, and we’ve got the strongest warriors. Two great Packs joining forces through marriage—that’s the best move for everybody.”

She paused, her tone softening like she was soothing a child throwing a tantrum.

“Lucien Ashcroft’s gonna be the most powerful Alpha of his generation. And you? You’re gonna be the best Luna anyone’s ever seen.”

I set the ring back on the table, my voice flat.

“I said no.”

Lyanna’s smile disappeared completely. “You think you have another choice?”

She pulled a document out of her bag and slid it across the table. Nerys’s name sat boldly in the “Heir” column. Mine? Buried in the appendix under “Mating Agreement.”

“Look closely. Your place in this family was decided a long time ago.” Her tone was still sweet, like she was coaxing a child, flipping the pages for me.

“Nerys gets the Alpha title. You marry into Silvercrest. Two tracks running side by side—that’s how Blackwood stays afloat. And if you say no? Your grandmother, your father, everyone—they’re all gonna be so let down.”