Chapter 1 THE REJECTION

Maya's POV

"I, Leo Maxwell, Alpha of the Black Storm Pack, reject you, Maya Veneto, as my mate. I hereby declare Quinn Callahan as my true mate, mother of my child and Luna of the Black Storm Pack!"

Suddenly, the good news developing in my womb turned into a heavy burden and I wanted to fall on my knees under the weight of the invisible chains of ill fate as the mate bond broke and the mate mark on my neck burned to nothingness.

Tears threatened to fall down but I kept my chin up as I accepted the rejection, wordless vows of revenge on my lips. I might be an omega, but I was the daughter of a powerful Alpha and I was going to act like one.

I did not know where things went wrong or when everything started to fall apart, but it was evident that my two years of mated life was doomed from the very start, since Leo's childhood sweetheart returned to the pack last year.

When the Alpha called an assembly of all the pack members and the council, I thought that the great news of my pregnancy had spilled out. However, the joyous occasion turned into a nightmare of rejection ceremony!

"Greetings to the Alpha!" A warrior bowed. "The head doctor is required in the emergency room right now. Our victorious soldiers have arrived and some of them need immediate attention."

Victorious? Soldiers? And why were they asking for me in the middle of this humiliating ceremony?

"Are there any survivors?" Leo asked.

An unfamiliar feeling of dread suddenly enveloped me. Maybe it was the malice in my ex-mate's tone that made the hairs at the back of my neck rise but, I couldn't tell for sure. Leo had changed for the worse.

"No, Alpha. The warriors are waiting for you and the doctor to torch their bodies on the funeral grounds. However, our soldiers need immediate medical attention."

"Great. Take the good doctor with you. I will join soo- ... Maya! Where do you think are you going?" Leo shouted after me as I dashed towards the funeral grounds. I was hit by wave after wave of familiar scents but my legs didn't stop till my eyes confirmed what my olfactory senses told. I couldn't even begin to tell you how nauseous I felt at the moment.

I stopped short when my legs halted in front of them.

A voiceless scream burst out of me and that was the last time anyone heard my voice.

The funeral grounds were home to my home...my sweet home.

"No hard feelings, Maya, but we needed the land and your father did not agree to a dowry for our upcoming nuptials. If only he was not a greedy and selfish man, and you had chosen to accept the title after him," Leo shook his head as if it was our fault and he had no other way to solve his problems. "Anyways," he brushed off the matter, "At least with the new lands of the White Fall Pack joining ours, my heir will not have to worry about acquiring new territories. This reminds me I have been meaning to tell you that I have been in love with Quinn for a long time. That poor girl sacrificed so much for the pack and me. It was only the right thing to do to marry her after she got pregnant with my child. I hope you understand what I did and why I did it. I still love you though."

How dare he? He played with my heart, killed our love, took my respect, stripped me off my honour and title, finally, took away my home!

Standing over the lifeless body of my alpha father, I closed my eyes and raised my face towards the thundering clouds as mother nature wept with me. Betrayal and anger marred my chest left and right, but it was not my mate who topped the list of hated beings.

I, Maya Veneto, ask you, the Moon Goddess, to tell me what sins did I do to deserve this?

A sharp stinging pain erupted in the pit of my stomach and I immediately wrapped an arm around it. I could not bear this. He broke my mind, body and soul in one day. My own mate betrayed me!

I looked behind me and mentally apologized to my unborn baby.

'Mommy is so sorry but mommy loves you, sweetheart. I hope we have a better life next time.'

With that, I looked down the cliff where the waterfall roared to life and swept away everything in its wake. Often the waterfall made me nostalgic about my home, but this was going to be my deathbed. I could not bear to keep even one foot on Leo's land anymore.

I backed towards the edge of the cliff and smiled at a surprised Leo. I mouthed the words that I had been dying to say since yesterday, "I am pregnant," and his eyes widened in shock as I fell backwards.

I loved him and gave him my all but he still did not find it enough and took everything from me. Just...everything.