Rejected By My Alpha, Pregnant With His Heir

Chapter 2

The cold night air hit my face like a whip the moment I slipped through the back doors of Emberwolf Hall. My legs ached, my chest burned, and my stomach churned—not just from the humiliation, but from the life growing inside me. I pressed my hands against it instinctively, feeling the faint stir of movement. My secret. My power. The one thing Rowland could never take.

I ran blindly, boots slipping on the slick stone path, overgrown vines snagging my gown. Behind me, the hall’s doors slammed shut, muffling the chaos, but I knew Rowland and the pack would not let this go easily. My chest tightened. Every instinct screamed danger, yet I couldn’t stop.

A shadow moved ahead of me—tall, broad, impossibly fast. My heart lurched.

Everand.

“You can’t run forever, Lyra,” he called, voice smooth, confident, dangerously calm.

I spun, glaring at him, fury and fear twisting my stomach into knots. “Why are you following me?”

“Because you’re mine,” he said simply, his smirk infuriating and terrifying all at once. “And you always will be.”

I tightened my grip on my stomach. “I’m not yours. You don’t even know me!”

He tilted his head, silver hair catching the moonlight. “Oh, I know more than you think.”

My mind raced. How could he possibly know? The child… my secret. Could he sense it? Panic flared in my chest, sharp and hot. I needed distance. I needed air. I needed freedom.

I bolted through the forest path, heart hammering against my ribs. Everand followed, silent but swift, his presence looming like a shadow I couldn’t shake. Every branch that scraped my skin, every stone I stumbled over, reminded me that I was alone—alone in a world that had just rejected me and thrown me into chaos.

I stopped at a small clearing, gasping for breath. My gown was torn, my hair wild, but my eyes burned with defiance. I would not break—not yet.

Everand stepped into the clearing, hands raised as if to show I could not hurt him. “Lyra…” His voice was lower now, a dangerous purr. “I’m not your enemy. Not entirely. You… fascinate me. More than I expected.”

I narrowed my eyes, gripping my stomach tighter. “Fascinate you?” My voice trembled. “You destroyed my ceremony. You humiliated me. You—”

“I didn’t humiliate you,” he interrupted smoothly. “Rowland did. I just… arrived.” His smirk widened. “And now things are very interesting.”

My chest heaved. I wanted to scream, to strike, to do anything, but the life growing inside me anchored me, reminding me I had to be careful. One wrong move and it would all be lost.

“You’ll leave me alone,” I said finally, voice firm. “Or I’ll make sure this ends badly—for you.”

Everand laughed softly, shaking his head. “Brave. I like that. But Lyra… you have no idea what’s coming. And neither does Rowland.”

For the first time, I realized the truth: this was bigger than Rowland, bigger than the pack. Everand wasn’t just a stranger. He was a wildcard, a danger I couldn’t predict.

I took a deep breath, letting the night air fill my lungs. The forest around me was alive with the sounds of hidden creatures, rustling leaves, and distant howls. Freedom felt fragile, but it felt real. For the first time since the ceremony began, I felt a spark of control.

“I’ll survive this,” I whispered to myself, pressing my palm again against my stomach. “For me. For him.”

Everand’s gaze lingered, unreadable. Then he stepped back, blending into the shadows. “This isn’t over, Lyra. Not by a long shot.”

I didn’t answer. I only ran.

Through the dark woods, under the pale glow of the moon, I ran into uncertainty—but also into strength. The pack, Rowland, Everand—they could chase, threaten, and humiliate me. But the life inside me gave me courage I had never known.

Tonight I had lost everything familiar.

But tomorrow… tomorrow I would begin to build a world they could never break.