Pregnant for the ALPHA Who Hates Me

“You are not my mate.” The words didn’t just land. they shattered. Aria stood frozen in the center of the grand hall, her breath caught somewhere between disbelief and heartbreak. Hundreds of eyes burned into her skin, the entire pack gathered for what was supposed to be the most important night of her life. The mating ceremony. Her ceremony. But now It felt like a public execution. “D Damian…” her voice trembled as she took a step forward, her fingers curling into the fabric of her dress. “What are you saying?” At the top of the steps stood Damian Blackwood. Alpha of the Nightfall Pack. Powerful. Untouchable. Feared. And right now Colder than death. His sharp gaze locked onto hers, devoid of warmth, of recognition… of anything. “I will not repeat myself,” he said flatly. A murmur rippled through the crowd. Aria’s chest tightened painfully. “But… the bond. I felt it. You felt it too, didn’t you?” For a split second Something flickered in his eyes. Then it vanished. “You felt something,” Damian corrected, his voice cutting. “Do not mistake your delusion for reality.” The words hit harder than a slap. Gasps echoed around them. Aria’s vision blurred as humiliation crept up her throat, choking her. “I’m not lying! When you touched me earlier.” “Enough.” The command cracked through the hall like thunder. Her lips snapped shut instantly. Even her wolf usually so reactive, so alive inside her fell silent. That alone terrified her. Damian descended the steps slowly, each step deliberate, calculated… dominant. The air itself seemed to shift around him, bending to his presence. When he stopped in front of her, the distance between them felt suffocating. Too close. Too far. “Look at me,” he ordered. Her chin lifted automatically. She hated that her body obeyed him so easily. Hated that even now, standing here broken and humiliated, her heart still raced for him. “Tell me,” he said quietly, his voice low enough that only she could hear. “What makes you think someone like you could ever be my mate?” The cruelty in his tone sliced deeper than anything he had said before. Aria swallowed hard. “Because I felt it,” she whispered. “Because my wolf” “Your wolf,” he interrupted with a faint, mocking smile, “is weak.” Her breath hitched. “And you,” he continued, his gaze sweeping over her like she was something beneath him, “are nothing more than a mistake.” A tear slipped down her cheek before she could stop it. Around them, the whispers grew louder. “Is she really being rejected?” “How embarrassing…” “She actually thought she was Luna?” Aria’s hands trembled at her sides. This wasn’t supposed to happen. She wasn’t supposed to be standing here, breaking in front of everyone. She was supposed to be “Guards.” The single word echoed sharply. Aria’s head snapped up. Two warriors stepped forward immediately. Her heart dropped. “Remove her,” Damian said coldly. “She does not belong here.” For a moment, Aria couldn’t move. Didn’t move. “Damian…” she whispered, her voice cracking completely now. “Please… don’t do this.” He didn’t even look at her. “Take her out.” The guards grabbed her arms. Roughly. Painfully. “No wait!” she struggled, panic surging through her chest. “You can’t just this is my home!” “Not anymore.” The words were final. Absolute. Something inside her broke completely. As they dragged her toward the doors, Aria’s gaze locked onto Damian one last time. Hoping. Praying. For anything. Regret. Hesitation. A sign that this was all some cruel mistake. But he just stood there. Watching. Unmoved. Like she meant nothing. The doors slammed shut behind her. And just like that Aria was no longer part of the pack. The cold night air hit her like a slap, but it did nothing to numb the storm raging inside her chest. Her knees buckled, and she collapsed onto the ground, her breath coming in sharp, broken gasps. “This can’t be happening…” she whispered, clutching her chest. “This can’t” Pain exploded through her body. Aria gasped, her back arching as a strange, burning sensation spread across her skin. “What what is this?!” Her fingers clawed at her collarbone. It burned. Like something was being carved into her flesh from the inside. Tears streamed down her face as the pain intensified. “Make it stop… please!” Then It ended. Just like that. Her body went still. Shaking, breath unsteady, Aria slowly lowered her hand. And froze. There On her skin Was a mark. Dark. Intricate. Glowing faintly under the moonlight. Her heart skipped violently. “No…” she whispered, panic rising again. “No, this isn’t possible…” Because she knew what it was. Everyone did. A mating mark. But that only happened when A mate bond was accepted. Fully. Completely. Aria’s mind spiraled. “He rejected me…” she said, her voice barely audible. “So how…?” Her thoughts were cut off by the sudden sound of footsteps. Slow. Heavy. Familiar. Her entire body tensed. “No…” she breathed, her pulse racing. “He can’t” A shadow fell over her. And then Damian’s voice. Low. Dangerous. Right behind her. “Turn around, Aria.” Her heart slammed against her ribs. Slowly Terrified She turned. His golden eyes burned into hers. Not cold this time. Not distant. But something far more dangerous. Possessive. His gaze dropped to her collarbone. To the mark. And for the first time that night Damian looked shaken. “That…” he said, his voice darker than she had ever heard it, “should not exist.” Aria’s breath caught. “You rejected me,” she whispered. “So explain it.” Silence stretched between them. Heavy. Tense. Unstable. Then Damian stepped closer. Too close. His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. “I never marked you.” Aria’s world tilted. Because the mark on her skin