CLAIMED BY THE ROGUE ALPHA

ELOWEN I stood before the mirror, adjusting the elegant silver gown that draped gracefully over my slender frame. The delicate fabric shimmered under the soft light, mirroring the moon’s glow outside my window. Tonight was special, a celebration of love and unity. One year ago, I had become Luna, leading my pack with strength and grace. But more importantly, tonight marked the first anniversary of my marriage to Draven, my Beta, and the love of my life. I smiled at my reflection, my heart swelling with the secret I carried. I had discovered my pregnancy only a week ago and had been waiting for the perfect moment to share the joyous news with Draven. Tonight, at our anniversary dinner, I would tell him. The thought filled me with warmth and anticipation. I left our room and made my way through the grand hallways of the packhouse. The walls were adorned with photographs of past leaders, a testament to the rich history and tradition that I was now a part of. The air was thick with the scent of pine and earth, grounding me as I approached the dining hall where I had planned the surprise. The pack members were gathered in small groups, chatting and laughing, their voices a comforting hum in the background. My eyes scanned the room for Draven, but he was nowhere to be seen. I approached one of the younger wolves, Alex, who was busy setting up decorations. “Have you seen my husband?” I asked, my voice light and casual. Alex looked up, his eyes widening slightly. “I think I saw him heading toward the guest wing a while ago, Luna.” “Thank you,” I replied, a small frown creasing my forehead. It was unusual for Draven to be away when we had plans. I shrugged off the unease and made my way toward the guest wing. As I walked through the dimly lit corridor, I heard muffled voices coming from one of the rooms. Curiosity piqued, and I approached the door, my heart beginning to pound. I recognized one of the voices, it was Liora, my best friend since childhood. The other voice, deep and familiar, made my blood run cold. It was Draven. “It’s been a year already. How much longer do I need to continue this pretense?” Liora muttered. “Not long enough,” Draven replied. “She has signed over the paperwork in my name. Tonight, I will make the announcement.” “Really? You will divorce her today?” Liora chuckled. My heart stopped, and my breath caught in my throat. I pressed myself closer to the wall, the weight of their words crashing down on me. I felt a wave of nausea as the truth sank in. Draven, my husband, my Beta, the man I trusted with my life, was planning to leave me. Worse, it seemed he had been using me all along. My hand trembled as I pushed the door open, my breath catching in my throat at the sight before me. Draven was lying on the bed, his body entwined with Liora’s. They were so engrossed in each other that they didn’t notice me standing in the doorway. “Draven?” I whispered, my voice barely audible. Both Draven and Liora jolted up, their eyes wide with shock and guilt. Draven scrambled to cover himself, his face pale as he looked at me. “Elowen, I…” he started, but words failed him. I felt numb, my body moving on autopilot. My mind was a storm of emotions. I couldn’t believe what I had seen and heard. “Draven, how could you?” I cried, my voice breaking. “How could you do this to me with my best friend?” Draven’s face hardened, and he stood up, pulling on his clothes. “Explaining the situation won’t make a difference. You might as well just see it as us getting a divorce.” “A divorce? I thought you loved me. You said you loved me, but you had been using me all this while. How could you?” “Love you? There is no point in pretending. I never loved you, Elowen,” he said coldly. “You never meant anything to me.” My heart shattered at his words. Tears streamed down my face, and I struggled to breathe. “How can you say that?” I sobbed. “We shared everything. We built a life together. I gave you everything, and now… I’m… I’m carrying your child.” Draven’s eyes widened in surprise, but before he could respond, Liora scoffed. “A child?” she sneered. “Stop the lies. How desperate can you be that you would even go as far as to lie about having a child?” I felt a fresh wave of pain and anger. “Just shut it, Liora. I trusted you,” I said, my voice trembling. “But I should have known you were up to no good when you kept insisting on how Draven was the perfect match for me.” Liora rolled her eyes. “Spare us the drama, Elowen. Just accept it and move on.” My tears continued to fall, but I stood my ground. “I won’t let you destroy everything we’ve worked for…everything I worked for,” I said, my voice stronger now. “This pack deserves better than you.” Draven took a step toward me, his expression menacing. “And how did you intend to do that, Elowen? Or had you forgotten that you gave me the rights and signed the paperwork? You made me your Alpha.” My tears fell harder as I remembered all the sacrifices I had made to make Draven an Alpha. My father’s warning echoed in my mind. Elowen, be careful. Power can change people, he had said before he died. I had ignored his advice, believing in Draven and our love. “All the trouble I went through,” I cried, my voice cracking. “Convincing the council, rallying the pack, standing up against those who doubted you. I did it all because I believed in you. I believed we could lead together.” Draven’s face remained cold, indifferent. “You were naive, Elowen. I needed your support to rise, and you gave it to me. But now, your part in this is over.” My heart felt like it was breaking all over again. “I gave up everything for you,” I whispered, my voice full of pain. “My father warned me, but I didn’t listen. I trusted you.” “And that was your mistake,” Draven said harshly. “You should have listened to him. You were always too trusting, too weak.” My tears flowed freely, my body shaking with sobs. “How can you be so cruel? We were supposed to be a family. This pack was supposed to be our legacy.” Liora snorted, rolling her eyes. “Enough of this. Your sob story isn’t going to change anything. Draven is the Alpha now, and you’re just an obstacle in our way.” My grief turned to anger. “I won’t let you ruin this pack,” I said fiercely. “I may have made you Alpha, Draven, but that doesn’t mean I’ll sit back and let you destroy everything we built.” Draven took a threatening step closer. He grabbed me by the arm tightly until I winced from the pain. “And who said I planned to watch you sit back?” Draven asked. Before I could react, I felt a sharp object pierce through my stomach. I looked down and saw that Liora had stabbed me. I gasped, pain radiating from my abdomen. I stumbled back, my vision blurring. Blood poured from the wound, staining my silver gown. Draven released me, a satisfied smirk on his face. My legs gave way, and I collapsed to the floor, clutching my stomach. The room spun around me, but I forced myself to focus. I couldn’t let them win. I couldn’t let them take everything I had worked for. “Goodbye, b***h,” Liora chuckled. She turned to Draven and pulled him in for a kiss. My vision blurred as I lay on the floor, my strength fading. Through the haze, I saw Liora pull Draven into a passionate kiss. The sight twisted my heart with betrayal and pain. As darkness closed in around me, I fought to stay conscious, to make sense of the chaos around me. I wanted to scream, to lash out at them, but my body was failing me. I felt a deep sadness for what could have been, for the love and loyalty I had believed in. Just before I lost consciousness, I whispered a prayer, “Moon Goddess, please, for the sake of my child and….”