REJECTED BY THE ALPHA, CLAIMED BY HIS RIVAL

Chapter 4 - The Alpha Came For Me

The massive golden wolf stepped from the darkness.

Behind him...

The Nightfang Pack followed.

Dozens of wolves.

Warriors.

Hunters.

Every pair of eyes fixed on me.

For one terrifying second...

The forest became completely silent.

Ronan's arms tightened around me.

Kael's wolf growled.

The sound rolled through the trees like thunder.

I knew that growl.

Even after everything.

Even after the rejection.

My body remembered him.

My wolf remembered him.

And somewhere deep inside my chest...

The broken remains of our mate bond answered.

Pain exploded through me.

I gasped.

Ronan immediately looked down.

"Amara?"

I couldn't answer.

Kael stepped closer.

Ronan's body went rigid.

"Don't."

The word came from Ronan.

Not loud.

Not shouted.

But every wolf in the forest heard it.

Kael shifted.

Bones cracked.

Golden fur disappeared.

A second later...

Alpha Kael Blackwood stood before us.

Rain poured down his dark hair.

His eyes were golden.

And for the first time that night...

They weren't cold.

They were furious.

His gaze moved to me.

Then to Ronan's arms around me.

Something dark flashed across his face.

"Put her down."

Ronan didn't move.

Kael's jaw tightened.

"I said..."

His Alpha voice shook the forest.

"Put her down."

My wolf whimpered.

Every wolf around us lowered their heads.

The command pressed against my skin.

Even though Kael had rejected me...

His power still affected me.

Ronan, however...

Smiled.

Slowly.

Dangerously.

"No."

The forest seemed to stop breathing.

Kael took one step forward.

Ronan took one backward.

Not because he was afraid.

Because he was carrying me.

Kael's eyes followed the movement.

His expression became darker.

"She is carrying my heir."

The words hit me like ice.

My head snapped toward him.

Ronan's arms tightened.

"You knew."

Kael went still.

I stared at him.

My voice shook.

"You knew."

Silence.

That was enough.

The truth tore through me.

"You knew I was pregnant."

Kael's eyes flickered.

"Amara—"

"You knew!"

My scream echoed through the forest.

Every wolf went silent.

Tears burned my eyes.

Three years.

Three years I loved him.

And tonight...

He had looked directly into my eyes.

Rejected me.

Banished me.

While knowing I was carrying his child.

"How?"

My voice broke.

"How did you know?"

Kael didn't answer immediately.

His gaze moved to my stomach.

Then back to me.

"Three days ago."

My breath stopped.

The same day I had discovered it.

I stared at him.

"Who told you?"

Kael's jaw tightened.

Ronan's eyes narrowed.

But Kael remained silent.

Something cold moved through my chest.

"You had someone watching me."

His silence answered again.

My stomach twisted.

"Why?"

Kael finally spoke.

"Because I needed to know if the rumors were true."

I stared at him.

"What rumors?"

Kael's golden eyes darkened.

Before he could answer...

A sharp laugh came from the trees.

The silver-eyed woman.

Ronan immediately turned.

But she was gone.

Only her voice remained.

"You still haven't told her?"

Kael's face changed.

The Nightfang warriors shifted uneasily.

I felt Ronan's body become tense.

"Tell me what?"

I demanded.

Kael looked at me.

"Amara..."

"NO."

My voice cracked.

"You don't get to do that anymore."

His expression hardened.

"I am trying to protect you."

I laughed.

A broken laugh.

"You rejected me."

Kael took another step forward.

"I rejected you to protect you."

Everything inside me stopped.

Ronan's arms became completely still.

Even the rain seemed quieter.

I stared at Kael.

"What?"

His eyes didn't leave mine.

"Vivienne isn't who you think she is."

A cold feeling crawled down my spine.

I remembered her smile.

Her crimson dress.

The way she had looked at me.

"What does Vivienne have to do with this?"

Kael's jaw tightened.

"Everything."

Before he could explain...

A growl came from Ronan.

Kael's warriors immediately tensed.

Ronan slowly turned his head toward the darkness.

"She's still here."

I looked around.

"Who?"

The answer came as a whisper.

Right beside my ear.

"The woman who wants your child dead."

I screamed.

Ronan spun around.

But there was no one there.

Then the ground beneath us exploded.

Silver fire burst from the earth.

The Nightfang wolves scattered.

Kael moved instantly.

"AMARA!"

Ronan threw himself over me.

The explosion tore through the forest.

I heard wolves screaming.

Trees breaking.

The earth shaking beneath us.

Then...

Silence.

I opened my eyes.

Ronan was still covering me.

Blood ran down his shoulder.

"Ronan."

"I'm fine."

"You are bleeding."

"So are you."

I froze.

My hands immediately moved toward my stomach.

Blood.

Again.

"No."

Panic crashed through me.

"No, no, no..."

Kael appeared beside us.

His face had gone pale.

"Move."

Ronan growled.

Kael's golden eyes flashed.

"She's carrying my child."

Ronan bared his teeth.

"And she's alive because I moved faster than you."

"Enough."

The command burst from me.

Both Alphas went still.

I could barely breathe.

Pain twisted inside me.

"I don't care whose child you think this is."

My voice shook.

"But if either of you wants to help me..."

I looked between them.

"Get me away from here."

Kael stared at me.

Then Ronan.

For a moment...

I thought they would fight.

Instead...

Ronan lifted me again.

Kael stepped aside.

"Follow me."

Ronan's eyes narrowed.

"Why would I?"

"Because my territory is closer."

Ronan laughed coldly.

"And conveniently full of the people trying to kill her."

Kael's jaw clenched.

"I didn't send those wolves."

"You sent wolves after her."

"I sent them to bring her back."

My stomach twisted.

"After banishing me?"

Kael looked at me.

For the first time...

Real regret crossed his face.

"I made a mistake."

The words should have satisfied me.

They didn't.

Because mistakes were forgetting someone's birthday.

A mistake was saying something cruel in anger.

Kael had rejected me.

In front of everyone.

Then sent me into the forest while knowing I was carrying his child.

I turned my face away.

"I don't care."

His expression tightened.

"Amara—"

"Take me away from him."

The words came out quietly.

But Ronan heard them.

He immediately turned.

Kael reached toward me.

Ronan growled.

Kael stopped.

For several seconds...

No one moved.

Then a Nightfang warrior ran through the trees.

"Alpha!"

Kael turned.

"What?"

The warrior's face was pale.

"Vivienne is gone."

Kael's expression changed.

"What do you mean, gone?"

"She disappeared from the pack house before the explosion."

My blood went cold.

The silver-eyed woman.

Her words returned to me.

Vivienne isn't who you think she is.

Kael looked directly at me.

"That's why I rejected you."

Ronan went still.

I stared at Kael.

"What?"

Kael's voice became low.

"Vivienne threatened you."

My heart stopped.

"She said if I didn't reject you publicly..."

His eyes dropped toward my stomach.

"...she would kill you."

The forest became silent.

I stared at him.

My mind couldn't understand the words.

Ronan spoke first.

"You're lying."

Kael's gaze snapped toward him.

"Why would I lie about this?"

Ronan stepped forward.

"Because you expect her to forgive you."

Kael's face darkened.

"I don't care what you think."

"Good."

Ronan's voice was cold.

"Because I don't believe you."

I looked at Kael.

"Did Vivienne know about the baby?"

His expression changed.

Just slightly.

But I saw it.

My heart sank.

"She did."

My breath caught.

Kael's voice lowered.

"She was the one who told me."

My entire body went cold.

"How?"

Kael looked toward the darkness.

And suddenly...

I realized he was afraid.

"Because she knew before you did."

The world stopped.

I stared at him.

"What?"

Ronan's eyes narrowed.

Kael took a slow breath.

"Amara..."

His voice became almost gentle.

"Vivienne has been watching you since before you were born."

A scream echoed through the forest.

Not close.

Far away.

But every wolf froze.

Kael's face drained of color.

Ronan's grip tightened around me.

"What was that?" I whispered.

Kael looked toward the east.

"Vivienne."

Another scream echoed.

This time...

Closer.

Then the trees began to move.

Not from the wind.

Something was walking between them.

Slowly.

Heavily.

A massive shadow appeared beyond the forest.

Too large to be a wolf.

Too large to be human.

The Nightfang warriors began backing away.

Kael's voice dropped.

"She's brought them."

Ronan looked at him.

"The Blood Hunters."

My heart began pounding.

"What are Blood Hunters?"

Neither Alpha answered.

The shadow stepped closer.

And two silver eyes opened in the darkness.

Then another pair.

And another.

Until the forest became filled with them.

The woman who had called me Moonborn laughed from somewhere beyond the trees.

"You should have killed her when you had the chance, Kael."

Kael's face turned deadly.

"Show yourself."

The woman's laughter continued.

Then her voice became cold.

"But now..."

The eyes around us moved closer.

"...you will all die protecting her."

Ronan lowered his head toward me.

His voice was barely a whisper.

"Hold on to me."

I stared at him.

This time...

I didn't argue.

Because the forest exploded into howls.

And the Blood Hunters attacked.