Rejected While Pregnant: The Lycan King Claimed Me

Aurora Hale pressed a trembling hand against her stomach. Two pink lines. For a moment, the world stopped spinning. "I'm pregnant..." The whisper barely left her lips. Tears flooded her eyes as joy burst inside her chest. After five years. Five years of loving Damon Silvercrest. Five years of standing beside him through pack wars, political disputes, and endless responsibilities. Five years of believing she would eventually become his Luna. And now... They were finally going to have a child. Their child. A tiny heartbeat that would bind them forever. Aurora laughed through her tears. Damon would be happy. He had to be. The Moon Goddess herself had blessed them. Clutching the pregnancy test against her chest, she hurried toward the pack's Grand Hall. Tonight was the annual Silver Moon Banquet. The entire pack had gathered. Elders. Warriors. Nobles. Even representatives from neighboring territories. It was the perfect night. She would tell Damon the news. Maybe he would finally announce their mating ceremony. Her wolf stirred excitedly. "Let's go tell him." The massive hall glittered with crystal chandeliers and silver banners. Music echoed across the room. Laughter filled the air. Aurora searched the crowd until she spotted Damon standing on the elevated stage. Her heart immediately softened. He looked as handsome as ever. Tall. Powerful. The Alpha every woman dreamed of having. And he was hers. Or so she thought. Aurora started walking toward him. Then she froze. A woman stepped onto the stage beside Damon. Selene. The widow of Damon's older brother. Aurora frowned. Why was Selene standing beside him? The woman wore an expensive silver gown. Her hand rested possessively on Damon's arm. Aurora's stomach tightened. Something felt wrong. Very wrong. Damon raised his hand. The hall instantly fell silent. "My pack," he announced. Cheers erupted. Aurora smiled despite her unease. Then Damon turned toward Selene. The smile vanished from Aurora's face. "I have an important announcement tonight." Selene lowered her eyes shyly. The performance looked almost rehearsed. Aurora's pulse quickened. "Damon..." she whispered. Please don't. Please. Damon wrapped an arm around Selene's waist. The hall exploded with excited murmurs. Aurora couldn't breathe. No. No. No. "This woman has stood by me through difficult times," Damon continued. "She has supported our pack when others couldn't." Aurora's fingers tightened around the pregnancy test hidden inside her purse. A horrible feeling crawled through her chest. Then Damon smiled. A smile she once believed belonged only to her. "Tonight, I officially announce Selene as the future Luna of Silver Moon Pack." The world shattered. Gasps filled the hall. Then applause erupted. Thunderous applause. Aurora stood frozen. Her ears rang. Her vision blurred. She couldn't understand the words. Future Luna? Selene? No. There had to be a mistake. She had been with Damon for five years. Five years. Everyone knew she was his chosen mate. Everyone knew she had sacrificed everything for him. So why— Why was he holding another woman? Selene suddenly looked toward her. Their eyes met. And Selene smiled. A victorious smile. Aurora felt sick. "Damon!" The cry escaped before she could stop it. The entire hall turned. Hundreds of eyes landed on her. Damon's expression darkened immediately. As though she were the one causing trouble. Aurora forced herself forward. "You can't be serious." Silence. Tension crackled through the room. Damon's jaw tightened. "This isn't the place." Aurora laughed bitterly. "Not the place?" Her voice shook. "You're announcing another woman as Luna in front of the entire pack." People started whispering. Aurora ignored them. She only looked at Damon. The man she loved. The man who promised forever. The man who was destroying her. "Tell me it's a joke." For a split second, guilt flashed across his face. Then it disappeared. "It's not." The words struck harder than any weapon. Aurora physically staggered. Five years. Gone. Just like that. Selene stepped closer to Damon. Possessive. Smug. Triumphant. "Aurora, please don't make a scene." The woman actually sounded sympathetic. Aurora wanted to scream. "A scene?" She laughed hysterically. "You stole my life." Selene's expression immediately changed. Victim. Innocent. Perfect. Exactly as Aurora expected. Damon frowned. "Enough." Aurora stared at him. Enough? Enough? She was the one being discarded. Yet he was angry at her. "Why?" she demanded. The question echoed through the hall. Nobody moved. Nobody spoke. Everyone wanted the answer. Damon's silence lasted several seconds. Then he finally said it. "Selene needs this position." Aurora blinked. "What?" "She lost her husband." Aurora felt something break inside her. "And what about me?" No answer. The silence was answer enough. Selene mattered. Aurora didn't. Not anymore. One of the elders stepped forward. "Alpha Damon, are you certain about this decision?" Damon nodded. "I am." Aurora's wolf howled in agony. The bond between them trembled violently. Not because he rejected her. Because he chose someone else. Worse. He chose her publicly. Humiliated her publicly. Destroyed her publicly. Selene leaned against him. Aurora suddenly noticed something. The mark. The faint claiming mark on Selene's neck. Her stomach dropped. They had already been together. For how long? Weeks? Months? Maybe longer. Her hands started shaking. "You've been sleeping with her." Damon's face hardened. Aurora got her answer. The room spun. Betrayal. Real betrayal. Not fear. Not misunderstanding. Not manipulation. Betrayal. Pure and simple. Aurora looked around. No one would help her. No one would defend her. Not tonight. Maybe not ever. The pregnancy test dug into her palm. Her baby. Their baby. Damon didn't even know. And suddenly... She didn't want him to know. Not anymore. He didn't deserve that happiness. He didn't deserve this child. He didn't deserve her. Aurora slowly lifted her chin. Tears burned her eyes. But she refused to cry. Not here. Not in front of them. Not in front of Selene. Not in front of Damon. "Congratulations." The words shocked everyone. Even Damon looked surprised. Aurora smiled. A cold smile. The kind that frightened people. "I hope you're both very happy." Then she turned and walked away. Every step hurt. Every breath hurt. But she didn't stop. Behind her, Damon called her name. "Aurora." She ignored him. "Aurora." Still nothing. The bond inside her screamed. Begged. Pleaded. She kept walking. Then— A sharp pain exploded through her stomach. Aurora stumbled. Her hand immediately flew to her abdomen. Fear flooded her. The baby. Please. Not the baby. She forced herself to keep moving. Nobody noticed. Nobody cared. The celebration had already resumed. Music started playing again. Laughter returned. As if her entire life hadn't just been destroyed. Outside, cold rain poured from the sky. Aurora finally broke. Tears streamed down her face. Her body shook violently. Five years. Five years of devotion. Five years of loyalty. Five years wasted. Thunder roared overhead. Aurora wrapped both arms around her stomach. "I won't let anyone hurt you." The promise was for her child. Not Damon. Not the pack. Only the tiny life growing inside her. Then a deep male voice emerged from the darkness. "Interesting." Aurora froze. A massive black vehicle stood near the gates. The rear door slowly opened. A tall man stepped out. Over six feet tall. Broad shoulders. Dangerous eyes. Power rolled off him like a living storm. Every instinct screamed. Predator. Not just an Alpha. Something far stronger. The stranger stared directly at her stomach. Then at her face. Recognition flashed in his eyes. Impossible recognition. As if he already knew her. As if he had been searching for her. The man smiled. Cold. Powerful. Terrifying. And then he said the words that made Aurora's blood run cold. "So you're carrying the child." Aurora's heart stopped. Nobody knew about the baby. Nobody. Then how did this stranger?