BETRAYED BY THE MOON

THE ALPHA REJECTION

Everyone turned, gasping in shock. Rowan.

He pushed my father aside with little effort, standing between us like a shield. His golden eyes burned with fury. “I thought I was here for a wedding,” he said, his voice cold and dangerous. “Not to watch a woman get beaten like some worthless object.”

My father, Stone, glared at Rowan. “I was teaching her a lesson. She forgot her place.”

Rowan ignored him and crouched beside me, offering his hand. But I didn’t take it. I forced myself up, my legs shaking, my cheek throbbing.

I lifted my chin, looking my father dead in the eyes. “How about I start by teaching you a lesson?” I seethed. “A lesson that you will never lay your hands on me again.”

My father’s face twisted with rage. “Oh yeah?” he roared, raising his hand again.

But Rowan stepped in front of me. His entire aura darkened, and the room seemed to shrink under his dominance.

I turned to him, and for a moment, everything else disappeared. His piercing eyes locked onto mine, his grip on my arm gentle but firm.

My father’s voice snapped us out of it. “What is the meaning of this?” he bellowed.

I exhaled sharply, my heart pounding. “Alpha Rowan is my mate.”

The room fell into stunned silence.

Then a voice cut through the tension.

“No, he’s not.”

I turned sharply to see Nadia stepping forward.

She lifted her hand, showing off a ring on her finger. “He’s my mate,” she declared smugly.

“No…” My voice barely came out. I turned to Rowan, searching his face. “Rowan, tell them. Tell them who your real mate is.”

Rowan didn’t speak immediately. Instead, he reached for Nadia, pulling her close with one hand.

Then he said the words that shattered me.

“My mate is Nadia. She will be my Luna.”

The world around me went dark. A sharp, unbearable pain exploded in my chest. My knees buckled, and I fell to the floor, gasping for air.

I felt like I was dying.

Nadia smirked down at me, her voice dripping with mock sympathy. “I hope this rejection kills you.”

“Nadia, that’s enough,” Rowan snapped, his voice tight with something unreadable.

He reached out, offering his hand again, but I slapped it away and forced myself up.

Rowan grabbed my arm and pulled me close, his lips near my ear. “Lila, it’s for your own good,” he murmured. “I’m sorry.”

I ripped myself away from him, my chest rising and falling with deep, ragged breaths.

Without another word, I turned and walked away.

I clutched the pregnancy test tightly in my shaking hands as I stepped out of the bathroom, my heart pounding so loudly it echoed in my ears.

“I’m pregnant… with Alpha Rowan’s baby,” I whispered to myself. My throat felt tight, and my chest ached with the weight of those words. “And he rejected me. What am I going to do?”

I felt like the ground had been ripped from under me. My entire world was spiraling out of control. I had no wolf, no mate, and now… I was carrying his child.

As I turned, I slammed into a solid figure.

I gasped, stepping back in shock, only to see the smirking face of the one person I never wanted to deal with—Cole.

Fear gripped my spine as he looked down at me with amusement, his gaze flickering to the test in my hand. Before I could react, he snatched it from me.

His laughter filled the room, low and mocking. “Well, well… look at this,” he mused, holding the test up as if it were some joke. “Pregnant? With his bastard?”

I lunged forward, trying to grab it back, but he held it just out of reach.

“If your father finds out,” Cole continued, his voice dripping with fake sympathy, “he’ll kill you. And your little spawn.” His lips curled into a cruel smile as he leaned closer. “But don’t worry, I’m feeling generous. I’m sure we can come to an… understanding.”

My stomach twisted in disgust. “I will never make a deal with you.”

His expression darkened in an instant. His hand shot out, clamping over my mouth, cutting off my breath.

“Oh, you will,” he murmured, his voice sharp and cold. “You see, you embarrassed me. You rejected me in front of everyone.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Now we’re going to tell them all that you got drunk after celebrating our engagement… and made a huge mistake.”

Rage surged through me. I struggled against his grip, shoving him with all my strength.

He stumbled back slightly but quickly regained control. Before I could move, he pushed me backward onto the bed.

“Then you’ll marry me,” he said simply.

I froze. “What?”

“You will marry me,” he repeated, his voice eerily calm. “Or I’ll rip that thing out of you myself.”

I sucked in a sharp breath.

“So what’s it going to be?” he taunted. “Will you risk your life and your baby’s? Or will you be a good little girl and marry me?”

I clenched my fists, my body shaking with fury. “Go to hell,” I spat. “I will never marry you. And I’m not afraid of you.” I pushed him away, my voice unsteady but firm. “I will fight to the death for my baby.”

A sudden knock at the door shattered the moment.

I stiffened.

Cole’s smirk widened as he turned his head toward the door.

The knob twisted, and the door creaked open.

A maid stood there, her face paling at the sight before her.

Cole’s hand shot out, grabbing her and yanking her into the room.

“No!” I gasped, lunging forward, but he pulled her against him, his fingers wrapping tightly around her throat.

His voice was eerily calm. “Maybe I should kill her,” he mused. “Or better yet… your entire pack.” He tilted his head, enjoying my horror. “And when I’m done, I’ll kill your baby, too.”

My entire body went numb. My vision blurred with tears of rage and helplessness.

Cole’s grip tightened around the maid’s throat.

“STOP!” I screamed. “I’LL MARRY YOU!”