After My Alpha Chose Her Over Our Pup

The ceremonial fire crackled before us, flames reaching toward the star-filled sky. The pack watched in stunned silence as Greyson reached into his pocket and withdrew something that caught the firelight—a deep green emerald pendant on a silver chain.

"This amulet," Greyson announced, his voice carrying across the clearing, "has been passed down through generations of Dark River Alphas to their true mates."

My breath caught in my throat. That was my birthright—the Luna's amulet. The symbol of my position, my bond with Greyson and our pack.

"Tonight," he continued, "I present it to Gracelyn, as a symbol of her new beginning with us."

The crowd's gasps rippled through the night air. Elder Marcus stepped forward, his weathered face tight with disapproval.

"Alpha," he said quietly, "that amulet belongs to your Luna."

"It belongs to whoever will stand beside me," Greyson replied coldly.

I watched, frozen, as he placed the chain around Gracelyn's neck. She beamed up at him, her fingers caressing the emerald that should have been mine.

Something inside me snapped. Not just the amulet—but everything he was taking from me. From us. From our unborn child.

I stepped forward, my legs trembling but my resolve firm. The microphone stood abandoned on its stand, forgotten in the drama of the moment.

"I have an announcement," I said, my voice surprisingly steady as I took hold of it.

Greyson's head whipped toward me, his eyes narrowing in warning.

"The pack deserves to know," I continued, ignoring his glare, "that I am carrying the true heir of Dark River."

The crowd erupted in shocked murmurs. Eyes widened, heads turned. Even Gracelyn's triumphant smile faltered.

"Four months along," I announced, one hand protectively covering my stomach. "A miracle blessed by the Moon Goddess herself."

Greyson's face drained of color. "Riley—"

"I, Riley Price," I began, the formal words of rejection rising to my lips, "daughter of Alpha James Price of Silver Moon Pack, reject you—"

"STOP!" Greyson roared, his Alpha voice exploding across the clearing with such force that several wolves dropped to their knees.

He stepped toward me, his eyes flashing amber, his aura pulsing with power. "SILENCE!"

The command hit me like a physical blow. My lungs seized, refusing to draw breath. My knees buckled as the weight of his Alpha voice crushed down on me.

"—reject—" I fought to continue, but the word died in my throat.

Pain tore through my abdomen—sharp, insistent pain that made my vision blur. Something warm trickled down my inner thigh.

"Riley!" Someone caught me as I fell.

I looked down to see crimson spreading across my white ceremonial dress. Blood. Our baby's blood.

"Get her to Elena!" Palmer shouted, her Beta authority cutting through the chaos.

Everything became a blur of faces and voices as they carried me from the dais. Through the haze of pain, I heard Dr. Elena's voice, sharp with urgency:

"She's hemorrhaging! The Alpha is killing his heir!"

The world tilted and spun, darkness creeping at the edges of my vision. I fought to stay conscious, to protect my pup, but the pain was overwhelming.

---

I woke to the sterile scent of the pack infirmary. White walls, beeping monitors, the taste of iron in my mouth.

"She's awake," someone whispered.

I turned my head slowly, wincing at the movement. Greyson sat beside my bed, his face haggard with guilt. His hand reached for mine, but I flinched away.

"The pup?" I whispered, afraid to hear the answer.

"Still with us," Dr. Elena said from the foot of the bed, her expression carefully neutral. "But it was close. Too close."

Relief flooded through me, followed immediately by a surge of anger. "What happened?"

"You collapsed," Elena explained. "The combination of stress, your pregnancy, and the force of Greyson's Alpha command... it nearly killed you both."

Greyson leaned forward, his eyes pleading. "Riley, I didn't mean—"

Before he could finish, the door burst open. A young nurse rushed in, her eyes wide with panic.

"Alpha! You need to come quickly! Gracelyn has fainted! She's asking for you!"

Greyson hesitated for just a moment—looking between me and the door—before rising to his feet.

"Go," I said flatly. "She needs you."

He nodded once, then followed the nurse out the door without another word.

The final thread of hope inside me snapped. Even now—even after nearly killing me and our child—he chose her.

I turned my face toward the window, watching as the moon rose higher in the night sky. My hand rested protectively over my stomach.

"It's just us now," I whispered to my pup. "And we don't need him."