Wolfless

I stood at the gala, clutching my belly, waiting to tell Alpha Gabe about our child. I was the pack's "Wolfless" orphan, but I was his fated mate. Surely, an heir would change everything.

But under the spotlight, Gabe didn't call my name. He wrapped his arm around Harper, a wealthy heiress, and announced she was carrying the future Alpha.

When I screamed the truth, he didn't just deny me—he looked at me with pure disgust.

"You are a genetic dead end," he spat. "Do not mistake my kindness for affection."

They didn't exile me. They dragged me to the basement. First, they planned to steal my baby for Harper. Then, when jealousy rotted her mind, they decided to kill it.

My own foster parents held me down, having sold me to clear their debts, while a doctor approached with a silver scalpel.

"It's a Rogue mistake," Gabe said, watching me struggle against the straps. "End it."

With seconds left, I begged for one final phone call. I dialed the number on an old, yellowed card I'd hidden for years.

Gabe laughed, thinking I was calling a friend. But when the voice on the other end spoke, the room shook with an aura that forced the Alpha to his knees.

"I am Antony Dean, the Lycan King," the voice roared through the speaker. "And I am ten minutes away."

Gabe had rejected a nobody. He didn't know he had just declared war on the Princess of the Royal Pack.

Chapter 1

Charlotte POV:

Cedar and rain. It bypassed my brain and went straight to my marrow-fresh wood after a storm, spiked with the sharp tang of ozone.

My Mate.

I stood at the edge of the ballroom, clutching my cheap velvet clutch against my stomach. A secret grew there. A tiny, terrifying secret.

Gabe Sullivan, the Alpha of the Sullivan Pack, was somewhere in this sea of expensive suits and designer dresses. Tonight was the annual gala, a glorified business merger masquerading as a party.

My heart hammered against my ribs. I was an orphan, a nobody. The pack called me 'Wolfless' because I hadn't shifted by eighteen. In this world, that didn't just mean you were weak; it meant you were disposable.

But the Moon Goddess had a sense of humor. She had paired me with the Alpha. Even if he hadn't marked me yet, even if he kept our bond quiet 'for business reasons,' I knew he felt it. The electricity. The pull.

I smoothed down my drab blue dress. I was going to tell him tonight. An heir. This changed the game.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," a voice boomed.

The lights dimmed. A spotlight cut through the darkness, landing on the center stage.

There stood Gabe. He looked like a god in a tuxedo, jawline sharp, shoulders broad. But he wasn't alone.

Harper was clinging to his arm.

My breath hitched. Harper was the daughter of the Nicholson Alpha. Old money, strong bloodline, and a wolf form that was sleek, fast, and vicious. She was everything I wasn't.

"I have a special announcement," Gabe said into the microphone. His voice was deep, amplified by his Alpha aura. "The Sullivan Pack is entering a new era. To secure our place on the Council, we need strength. We need strong alliances."

My wolf, usually dormant, stirred uneasily. Nausea rolled over me, and it wasn't just the morning sickness.

Gabe smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. He placed a large hand possessively over Harper's flat stomach.

"I am proud to announce my engagement to Harper Nicholson. And..." He paused for dramatic effect. "We are expecting the future Alpha heir."

The room erupted. Flashes blinded me.

My world didn't stop; it imploded.

Heir? Harper?

I stared at Gabe. He knew. He had to know that we were mates. The bond wasn't something you could ignore. It was biological law.