Rejected by the Alpha, Chosen by the King

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Congratulations, Luna. You're going to be a mother," I said, rooted to my seat as it sank in. I looked at my stomach and burst into laughter. This is what I wanted, what we wanted, and it was finally happening. A baby, we were going to have a baby. I rubbed my belly; there was a baby in there. Tears welled up in my eyes for a different reason now.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes," her smile widened. "Just a few weeks, I'd say about five or six weeks, that's why it didn't show up when you were here last time, it must have happened a few days before." She reflected. "But I want you to come back next week, and we can do a proper scan, maybe with Ronan. Okay?"

I nodded my head.

"Thank you," I replied. Joy flooded over me. Everything was okay again, better than okay. It was perfect. Returning from the pack clinic, I held the papers confirming my pregnancy close to my heart; I wanted nothing more than to tell him. It would be the perfect birthday gift.

Although his birthday was the next day, the party was that same night, and I thought it was close enough. As I entered the Pack House, the air was completely different from when I left. It felt charged, and people were rushing around, omegas carrying vases and small bites of food, not dropping anything. I didn't understand; everything had been settled weeks ago.

Luna Mary nearly collided with me.

"Oh," her eyes widened upon seeing me, and I tucked the papers into my pocket. "We've had a change, I'm glad you're here."

That caught me by surprise; she seemed happy to plan things herself, saying it took her much less time than when I was involved.

"What can I do?" My smile was genuine; I was glad she needed my help. "I told the omegas to rearrange the table in the dining room; they're cleaning it again, but I need you to watch over them to make sure they're doing it correctly. Perfectly," she handed me a clipboard and tapped the attached color samples.

"Are we changing everything?" I asked, looking at the samples that were completely different from the ones we previously chose.

"Yes, the prince is coming," she waved her hand, dismissing me, and I stifled my laughter.

"A prince? What do you mean?"

"Have you not been paying attention to your studies, Seraphina?" Her brown eyes slid towards mine, and I shivered internally.

"Yes, and the royal family ceased to hold power a century ago," I replied.

She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as if she had a headache. "They don't truly hold power, yes. But they are still influential, and we respect them and the lineage they come from," she sighed, "Alpha Magnus, the prince, has informed us that he will be attending tonight. I've only seen him once. Of course, he is invited to all of our pack's events, but he either declines the invitation or sends someone on his behalf."

I nodded, still not understanding. If he had no power over us, why bother with all the changes?

"If you have any questions, contact me. This has to be perfect," Luna Mary turned around and walked away, her heels clicking on the floor.

I sighed, looking at all the changes. At least I wouldn't have to set the table and could simply oversee it. That would keep my mind away from Callista's legs wrapped around my mate. Anger surged again, that was in the past. The not-so-distant past, but I would focus on the future.

I patted my pocket where I put the doctor's confirmation and smiled at my flat stomach. The future, this baby, was all that mattered now. The day ended before I knew it. Twilight settled beyond the tall dining room windows, and I yawned, cursing myself for not asking if I could have coffee or not. I saw it a lot in movies, but I wasn't sure how it affected us.

"Seraphina, what are you still doing here?" Luna Mary entered, her hair and makeup perfect and ready for the evening, although she hadn't changed yet.

"I was finishing up here. We just have a few more centerpieces for the smaller tables."

"I'll take care of that. Go get ready; it's going to start soon," she took the clipboard from my hand, and I left. If I had left before finishing, I would have gotten in trouble. No matter what I did, it would be wrong, and I accepted it.

I would be Luna in a few months, and I hoped the control she had over me would decrease. Significantly.

That was what I hoped for.

After a quick shower, I put on the long silver dress that hugged my body perfectly, reaching down to the floor. It was Ronan's favorite color, something he had been telling me to wear back and forth. I kept some other dresses Luna Mary sent me for this event on the hanger, but I wanted to be seen in this one tonight. The straps were thin, and the back was plunging. Although it felt like too much, I struggled with who I was and who I wanted to be.

A soft knock came at the door, and my heart pounded as I reached for the black gift box where I had put the pregnancy test results.

"Can I come in?" A voice even more familiar than Ronan's came from the other side, and I opened the door for my mother.

"Oh, Seraphina," she looked at me, "you look stunning."

"Come in," I closed the door behind her.

"I thought you might need some help since Zara is out of town," she offered, indicating for me to sit in front of my vanity.

Zara had been my best friend since we met in high school, and we had been inseparable ever since. Her family went on vacation every summer, and as much as I wished she was here for this, I knew how much her family holidays meant to her. She would be back in a few weeks anyway, and I would share all my news with her.

I smiled at my stomach.

But Ronan would be the first one to know, even before my mother, although I wanted to shout it out with every passing second.

"Thank you," I sat down as my mom started working on my hair, and I tried to stay still, lining my eyes and applying a matching shimmering eyeshadow to go with my dress. I could never do it as well as Zara, but tonight was about Ronan.

"Done," my mom brushed my curls. My hair had a slight natural wave, but the soft curls added something to my appearance. "One last thing," she opened a velvet box she was holding, "I know you said tonight is about Ronan, but you're so close to becoming Luna. Your dad and I are incredibly proud of you." She opened the box and took out a white gold comb adorned with diamonds and sapphires. "It's from your grandmother." I reached out to touch it but stopped. "Yes," she nodded, "and now it's yours."

I looked at myself in the mirror as she pinned some of my curls behind my ear. "Absolutely beautiful," she rested her head on my shoulder before kissing the side of my head.

"Thank you," I bowed towards her.

"Now, we're going to be late, and we can't allow the guest of honor's partner to show up after it starts," she said, sounding more like Luna Mary.