Rejected Luna, Claimed by the Alpha Who Regretted

before the wor

and bright above the Silver Fang Pack hall, washing the stone courtyard in pale light. Wolves filled every s

Alpha Kael's throne, hands folded, spine straight. Calm

hope too loudly. Hope ha

Warriors smiled at her with knowing looks. Some nodded in approval, o

finall

dured lon

nd does

ment. Years of standing beside Kael while he ruled. Years of sleeping alone despi

f that was sup

ms fell

l stepped

ry bit the Alpha he had been raised to be. Tall. Broad-shouldered. His dark hair was

ot look

d. He addressed the pack, his voice

nds at the edge

Elara's hear

y," Kael continued. "On allia

n Elara's chest. She to

name the woman who will

applause. Elara inhal

tur

oward

d toward the left s

Vale,"

struck li

ed. Sounds blurred. Her ears rang as another woman stepped forw

a V

then louder as confusion gave way to obedi

mbling with triumph. Kael placed a hand o

a wa

or Kael to s

to explain, to do somethin

ne of tho

s future Luna," Kael

was

ond. No acknowledgment of the woman who sto

look at Ela

nd scr

was worse. It was a hollow tearing, as if somet

erupted a

still

bout th

e Alpha

her palms. She felt every gaze turn toward he

ver Elara with something close to sati

ndersto

cause rejecting her would ha

her was

teppe

broke something. A few wolves

s lea

sn't c

shing. She kept her head high. Her back is stra

not lo

nging silence. Elara pressed a hand against the wall,

r above comfort. But some foolish part of her had believed t

had

shut the door and leaned against it, s

weakly now, like

spered inside her mi

Ka

wo

rd. "I know," sh

unds echoed faintly from the courtya

k at her looked the same as she always had. Pale skin. Da

ked lik

n treated l

nausea hit her

the basin as her stomach clenched. She retched,

sagged against the b

was s

Stress did that. But thi

nd this time, the pain bloomed low

a fr

she wh

nst her stomach. The bond flickered faintly

ns. Unusual exhaustion. Sensi

ath cam

at her hands as understanding

not just

was

ebrated a future that

r world shift in a wa

liding down her temples into her hair

the ceiling, as the trut

rying the A

, she had b

. Elara curled onto her side, one hand clutching her stomac

she whispered to the life gro

sed faintly,

er stomach and understood w