My Alpha Replaced Me with a Rogue’s Mate

I stormed into Leonardo's office without knocking, the printed financial ledgers clutched in my hand like weapons. The door slammed against the wall with a satisfying crack that matched my mood.

"Explain this," I demanded, slamming the papers onto his desk.

Leonardo barely glanced up, his eyes flickering to the documents before returning to his computer screen. "I'm busy, Jayleen."

"Busy?" I snorted, spreading the papers across his desk. "Busy bankrupting our pack?"

That got his attention. He looked up, his expression hardening as he took in the columns of numbers I'd highlighted. But it wasn't his reaction that made my stomach twist—it was Kinsley's presence. She sat perched on the edge of his desk, her tiny frame draped in a silk blouse that probably cost more than most pack members made in a month.

"Oh dear," she said softly, her eyes widening with practiced innocence. "Is something wrong?"

"Everything's fine, Kinsley," Leonardo assured her without taking his eyes off me. "Just pack business."

"Pack business?" I jabbed a finger at the ledger. "You call draining our emergency funds for her 'pack business'?"

Kinsley's lower lip trembled as she slid off the desk to stand beside Leonardo. "I only asked for basic necessities for my traumatized children," she whispered, her voice breaking at just the right moment. "Things that would help them feel safe after our terrible ordeal."

Leonardo's arm went around her shoulders protectively. "See? Nothing extravagant."

"Nothing extravagant?" I picked up one of the papers. "A custom gown from Paris? Diamond earrings? A lakeside mansion?"

"They're just trying to recover from trauma," Kinsley murmured, pressing herself closer to Leonardo. "After what we went through..."

Leonardo's expression darkened as he looked at me. "I think you're being insensitive to their needs, Jayleen. And frankly, a bit money-hungry."

"Money-hungry?" The accusation stung worse than any physical blow. "I've managed this pack's finances for seven years. I know every penny that comes in and out."

"And clearly you've developed an unhealthy attachment to controlling our resources," he countered coldly. He straightened to his full height, his Alpha aura filling the room. "Effective immediately, you're stripped of all administrative duties."

The words hit me like a physical blow. "You can't—"

"I can and I am," he interrupted. "Elder Marcus will handle the finances from now on."

Kinsley's eyes gleamed with triumph as she pressed a hand to her chest. "Oh, thank goodness. Maybe now we can finally feel safe."

---

That night, I pushed myself harder than usual during my training run. The forest blurred around me as I ran, my lungs burning with each breath. It was the only way I could clear my head, the only time I felt like myself anymore.

I'd just reached the ridge overlooking the valley when a sharp, twisting pain lanced through my abdomen. I doubled over, gasping, my hands bracing against my knees.

"What the hell?" I muttered.

The pain came again, sharper this time. But something else was happening—a strange warmth spreading through my chest, a presence I hadn't felt in months.

*Protect. Tiny. Life.*

My wolf's voice, clear and fierce, echoed through my mind. She had been so quiet lately, so depressed by Leonardo's betrayal that she'd barely spoken. Now she was alert, growling with a protective fury that made my skin prickle.

"What are you talking about?" I whispered aloud.

*Life. Tiny. Ours.*

The pain subsided, leaving me with a strange clarity. My senses suddenly sharpened—colors seemed brighter, sounds clearer. And scents... scents I'd never been able to detect before flooded my awareness.

From a mile away, I could smell the distinctive herbal ingredients in Kinsley's perfume—wolfsbane and synthetic pheromones. The artificial floral notes that had been making my nose burn for weeks.

"Oh my God," I breathed, one hand moving instinctively to my stomach.

---

Dr. Wright looked uncomfortable as she adjusted the ultrasound machine. "Are you sure you want to do this alone?" she asked quietly.

"I'm sure," I replied, lying back on the examination table. "I don't want anyone else to know yet."

She nodded, her eyes filled with a sympathy I didn't want to see. "How far along do you think you are?"

"I'm not sure," I admitted. "But my wolf... she's awake. She knows something."

Dr. Wright's expression softened as she spread the cool gel across my abdomen. "Your wolf is right," she said after a moment, turning the screen so I could see it. "Eight weeks. Strong heartbeat."

The rhythmic pulsing on the screen made my breath catch. A tiny life—Leonardo's heir—growing inside me.

"Congratulations," Dr. Wright said softly, wiping the gel from my stomach.

I stared at the ceiling, a strange mix of joy and terror washing over me. "Does this change anything?" I whispered.

Dr. Wright hesitated before answering. "It should. An Alpha's heir is sacred."

I sat up slowly, my hand still resting on my stomach. "What if the Alpha doesn't want it?"

"Jayleen..." Dr. Wright began carefully, "this could be what he needs to remember what truly matters."

For the first time in weeks, I felt a flicker of hope. Maybe this would be enough—maybe Leonardo would see our future, the family we'd always planned to build together.

But as I left the hospital under cover of darkness, that hope felt fragile as glass.