Pregnant For The Alpha Who Rejected Me

Chapter 5: Into The Unknown

Dawn didn't come gently. It was cold and unforgiving. The gates of Moonfang towered behind her — silent, immovable, final. Lira didn’t look back. She couldn’t. Since she could do that she knew that she would shatter into pieces and there would be nothing left to hold her together. The air in the morning cut through her, as she crossed the boundary line, barefooted, alone, but wrapped in the thin cloak the guards had thrown at her before hurling her across the boundary line. Exile. The word still felt foreign, unreal. But the emptiness in her heart could not be denied.

The bond hadn't died. It was now but a faint, fractured, yet still beating pulse under her skin, like a weak, intractable heartbeat. And under it — something. Something new. Instinctively Lira moved her hand towards her stomach, shaking. “I’m not alone…” she whispered, the words catching in her throat. The realization was terrifying, but it also anchored her. A child. His child. Her chest constricted painfully at the thought of Kael. No. She shook her head violently. “Don't think about him.” But it was impossible. His voice. His eyes. The way he had cut her down with a word. You are not my mate. It reverberated and reverberated, a sore that could not be healed.

Lira clenched her fists and forced herself to take one step. Then another. Then another. The forest ahead was thick and merciless, the towering trees swallowing the light until the world felt muted, muffled. The farther she went the greater the silence, until even the sound of her own breath seemed loud. Hours were bled together, or it was perhaps minutes. There was no meaning of time any more. Her legs burned. Her throat was dry and parched. She was gnawed at, by hunger. Nevertheless, she did not give up. Still, she didn't stop. Because stopping meant thinking. And thinking meant remembering.

By midday, her strength was gone. Lira stumbled over a knotted root and collapsed to the ground of the forest, the agony in her side exploding. She didn’t get up right away. She couldn’t. Tears would fall silently, down her cheeks as she lay there staring at nothing. “This... is how it ends…” she whispered, her voice barely a breath. Alone. Forgotten. Rejected. The forest didn't answer. It didn't care.

A rustle broke the silence. Lira's body went rigid, instinct cried out terror, but she had no strength remaining to flee. Painfully, gradually, she clambered to her feet, eyes sweeping the shadows between the trees. “W-who is there?” she called, in a broken whisper. Silence. Then — a growl, deep-throated and guttural. Her heart stopped. Wolf. Not a pack wolf. A rogue. The breath of Lira was fast and shallow as a great figure was formed out of the darkness, with eyes glowing dimly, and body curled and ready to strike. Predator. And she — she was the prey. “I…” her voice trembled. “I don’t want trouble…” The wolf didn’t care. It stepped forward. Slow. Deliberate. Hunting.

Lira's back hit a tree trunk. Nowhere left to go. She suddenly felt herself burning in her chest, the bond burning fiercely, painful. The rogue froze. Its ears twitched. I felt it too. Weary eyes flashed confusion upon them, but it did not recede. Instead, it lunged. Lira screamed and threw her arms up, instinctively, as the wolf had closed the gap, in a moment —

Then came another form that crashed into it mid air. There came a sharp snarl through the woods, and a second wolf leaped into the rogue, and knocked it out of the path. They fell on the ground in a tangle of claws and teeth, rolling, tearing, snarling in fierce violence. Lira gawked, heart racing, breath choked in her throat. A second wolf. Bigger. Stronger. Faster. The battle was fierce, yet short. In another moment the rogue gave a strangled whimper, and tumbled into the woods, beaten and bleeding.

Silence fell again. Heavy. Uneasy. The second wolf stood atop the ground where the rogue had been before, holding its breath in its chest as it struggled to breathe. Next it looked at her. Lira’s breath hitched. She felt it, even in wolf form — power. Not like Kael’s. Different. But it's not harmful. The wolf's gaze lingered on her, long and assessing. Then, slowly, it began to shift. Bones cracked. Fur receded. Within seconds, a man stood before her.

Tall. Broad-shouldered. His was a presence that was commanding but not suffocating like Kael's. His eyes, though — sharp. Watching. Curious. “Well,” he stated in a level tone, tinged with mystery. “That's not something you will encounter every day.” Lira's eyes blinked again, dazed. “Y-you…” she stammered. “You saved me…” He looked at her as if he was studying her. “Looks like it.” His eyes glanced over her chest and stomach. His face altered, though it was a slight change, she noticed. “Interesting,” he murmured.

Lira's heart skipped. “What… what do you mean?” He didn't answer immediately. He stepped closer — not threatening, but not harmless either. “An Omega,” he said slowly. “Carrying a bond that feels like that…” His eyes met hers again. “...and standing alone in rogue territory?” A faint smirk touched his lips. “That's a dangerous combination.” Lira swallowed hard. “I didn't choose this…” “Most people don't,” he replied.

Silence stretched between them. He sighed, running his hand over his hair. “You’re lucky I found you first,” he said. A feeling of unease came over her at his words. She was cautious and asked, "Why?” she asked, cautious. His smirk deepened, but there was something darker behind it now. “Because,” he said, voice dropping slightly, "others wouldn't have been so kind.” Lira’s chest tightened. Her instinct screamed again. Danger. Not immediate. But real.

The man straightened. “Come on,” he said, walking away from her. “You won't make it here all by yourself.” Lira hesitated. All parts of her tried to say be careful. But the part of her that was tired, hungry, desperate — that part knew he was right. “Where… are we going?” she asked softly. He turned his head to her and looked her in the eyes. “Somewhere safe,” he said. He added, "For now.” And that didn't feel reassuring in any way.

As Lira followed him further into the woods, she knew that she hadn't defeated Moonfang when she left. This was just the start. Beyond the pack — the world was much more dangerous than she'd ever known.