REJECTED BY THE ALPHA, CLAIMED BY HIS RIVAL

Chapter 2 - The Alpha Who Found Me

The first wolf lunged.

Ronan didn't move.

At least...

Not at first.

I barely had time to scream before a massive black wolf burst from the trees.

Its jaws were open.

Its claws aimed directly at Ronan's throat.

Then Ronan moved.

Fast.

Too fast for my eyes to follow.

A growl shook the forest.

The attacking wolf crashed into the ground.

The earth trembled beneath me.

For one second...

Everything was silent.

Then the wolf screamed.

Not because Ronan had killed him.

Because Ronan was standing above him.

One hand around the wolf's throat.

Still human.

Still calm.

Still terrifying.

"Tell Kael Blackwood something for me."

His voice was quiet.

The wolf beneath him trembled.

Ronan's silver eyes darkened.

"He should have guarded what he wanted."

The wolf snarled.

Ronan tightened his grip.

"But since he threw her away..."

His gaze shifted toward me.

My breath caught.

"...he no longer gets to decide what happens to her."

The wolf suddenly shifted.

Bones cracked.

Fur disappeared.

A man lay gasping beneath Ronan's hand.

One of Kael's warriors.

I recognized him.

Damon.

He had stood at the edge of Moonstone Hall while Kael rejected me.

He had watched.

Just like everyone else.

Damon stared at Ronan.

"You cannot take her."

Ronan raised an eyebrow.

"Can't I?"

"She's carrying the Alpha's heir."

My entire body froze.

Ronan's expression changed.

Only slightly.

But I saw it.

Damon had known.

Kael's warriors knew.

My hand instinctively covered my stomach.

"How?"

My voice came out weak.

Damon's eyes shifted toward me.

And suddenly...

I knew.

He wasn't surprised.

He knew.

Someone had known about my pregnancy.

Maybe even before tonight.

My stomach twisted.

"You knew."

Damon said nothing.

I pushed myself to my feet.

Pain immediately tore through my body.

But anger was stronger now.

"You knew I was pregnant."

His silence confirmed it.

My wolf stirred weakly.

Not with fear this time.

With rage.

I took a step toward him.

"Did Kael know?"

Damon's eyes widened.

For one second...

That was enough.

He knew something.

Before he could answer, Ronan's hand tightened.

Damon gasped.

"Answer her."

Ronan's voice had changed.

The calmness was gone.

Now...

There was something cold beneath it.

Damon looked at me.

Then at Ronan.

Finally, he laughed.

A broken, breathless laugh.

"You really don't know?"

My heart began pounding.

"Know what?"

Damon's expression changed.

Something almost like pity crossed his face.

"Then Kael truly did a good job keeping you blind."

Ronan went completely still.

I felt it.

The air around us changed.

"Damon."

Ronan spoke softly.

And somehow...

That was more frightening than shouting.

"What did you mean?"

Damon looked toward me.

"Ask your mate."

My heart stopped.

Mate?

Ronan's silver eyes flashed.

Damon suddenly screamed.

I flinched.

Ronan had driven him into the ground.

"She is not my mate."

Ronan's voice shook with barely controlled anger.

"Not yet."

The entire forest seemed to fall silent.

My breath caught.

I stared at him.

"What did you say?"

Ronan slowly turned toward me.

For the first time since he appeared...

He looked uncertain.

Only for a second.

Then the Nightfang wolves attacked again.

Three of them this time.

Ronan growled.

And the sound that came from him...

Was not human.

The wolves froze.

So did I.

My wolf screamed inside my mind.

Alpha.

Ronan's eyes changed.

Silver disappeared beneath something darker.

Something ancient.

His body bent.

Bones cracked.

The sound echoed through the forest.

I stumbled backward.

Where Ronan Ashbourne had been standing...

A wolf now stood.

No.

Wolf wasn't the right word.

He was enormous.

Far larger than any wolf I had ever seen.

Black fur covered his body.

But beneath the rain...

Silver markings burned across his skin.

His eyes remained silver.

The Nightfang wolves whimpered.

Then they ran.

Ronan's wolf watched them disappear into the darkness.

He could have followed.

He could have killed them.

Instead...

He turned toward me.

My heart hammered.

I should have been terrified.

Every instinct told me to run.

But my wolf...

My wolf had gone completely silent.

Ronan shifted back.

A second later, he stood before me again.

His chest rose and fell slowly.

Rain ran down his bare skin.

I quickly looked away.

"What are you?"

The question escaped before I could stop it.

Ronan was silent.

Then...

"A problem."

I stared at him.

Despite everything...

Despite the pain.

Despite the fear.

I almost laughed.

Almost.

Another howl echoed through the distance.

Ronan's expression hardened.

"We need to leave."

"I am not going anywhere with you."

His silver eyes moved toward me.

"Amara."

"You don't know me."

"I know enough."

"Then tell me."

Ronan didn't answer.

Anger rose inside me.

"No."

I stepped backward.

"I've spent three years trusting someone who lied to me."

Ronan's eyes narrowed.

"Amara—"

"I don't know you."

My voice shook.

"But I know what I saw tonight."

I pointed toward the darkness.

"Your wolves."

Ronan said nothing.

"Your eyes."

Still nothing.

"You called me your mate."

His jaw tightened.

"And then you said..."

My throat went dry.

"...not yet."

For the first time...

Ronan looked away.

That frightened me more than anything.

Because Alpha Ronan Ashbourne didn't look like a man who avoided questions.

He looked like a man who answered questions with blood.

"What aren't you telling me?"

Before he could answer...

Pain exploded inside me.

I gasped.

My knees weakened.

Ronan caught me before I hit the ground.

"Amara."

His voice changed instantly.

I pressed both hands against my stomach.

"The baby."

Ronan's face went pale.

I had never imagined an Alpha like him could look afraid.

But he did.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know."

Another wave of pain tore through me.

I cried out.

Ronan immediately lifted me into his arms.

"Put me down."

"No."

"I said put me down!"

"And I said no."

His silver eyes burned into mine.

For several seconds...

Neither of us moved.

Then he spoke.

"You are bleeding."

My heart stopped.

I looked down.

Blood mixed with the rain.

My hands began shaking.

"No."

"Amara."

"No."

The word broke apart inside my throat.

Not my baby.

Not after everything.

Not after Kael.

Not after the rejection.

"I can't lose—"

"You won't."

Ronan's voice cut through mine.

Absolute.

Certain.

I looked at him.

"You don't know that."

His arms tightened around me.

"I know."

The forest shook.

Another howl echoed through the darkness.

But it wasn't Nightfang.

It was closer.

Far closer.

Ronan's expression changed.

His eyes snapped toward the northern forest.

For the first time that night...

I saw genuine alarm.

"What is it?"

He didn't answer.

"Ronan!"

His gaze returned to me.

And suddenly...

I understood.

Something else was coming.

Something that even Alpha Ronan Ashbourne didn't want near me.

He started walking.

Fast.

I grabbed his arm.

"Who is coming?"

Ronan looked down at me.

His expression became cold.

Ancient.

Dangerous.

"The reason I spent three years looking for you."

My breath caught.

The forest behind us went silent.

Then a voice echoed through the darkness.

A woman's voice.

Soft.

Beautiful.

And completely wrong.

"There you are, little Moonborn."

Ronan stopped.

Every muscle in his body went rigid.

My blood turned cold.

The voice laughed.

And from somewhere between the trees...

Silver eyes opened.

Not two.

Hundreds.

Ronan held me closer.

"Don't look at them."

My heart began pounding.

"Who are they?"

Ronan's jaw tightened.

His answer came as a whisper.

"The wolves who were supposed to kill you the night you were born."

And suddenly...

I understood.

Kael's rejection wasn't the beginning of my nightmare.

It was the moment the real one finally found me.

To be continued...