Pregnant and Rejected: The Alpha's Biggest Mistake

Maya POV

I sat on the edge of the bed, staring blankly at the wall. The skin of my cheek throbbed in time with my heartbeat-a stinging reminder of the man I had once loved.

My phone buzzed against my leg.

Phoenix: We saw the stream. It is time. Are you ready?

I didn't hesitate.

Me: Yes.

Phoenix: Gather the evidence. We need to present it to the Council of Elders to make the rejection official and legally binding. Without their seal, he can drag you back.

I moved with cold precision. I packed a small bag. Just the essentials. And most importantly, the hard drive with the evidence.

The door burst open before I could zip the bag shut.

Liam.

He didn't look sorry. He looked inconvenienced.

"What the hell was that, Maya?" he shouted, slamming the door behind him. "You embarrassed me in front of the entire network!"

I turned to face him, my expression stone. "I embarrassed you?" I asked calmly. "You hit me. You paraded your mistress and her bastard in front of the pack."

"Watch your mouth!" He stepped closer, flaring his Alpha aura to intimidate me. "Ava carries my heir. You couldn't give me one."

I almost laughed. I placed a hand over my stomach instinctively. If only you knew.

"Pack your things," he said, dismissing my anger with a wave of his hand. "You're moving to the guest lodge. Ava needs the Luna suite."

"No," I said.

He blinked, stunned. "What?"

"I'm not moving to the guest lodge. I'm leaving."

He laughed, a harsh, barking sound. "Leaving? You can't leave. You're my Mate. You have nowhere to go. You're nothing without me."

"I am Maya Evans," I said, hoisting my bag onto my shoulder. "And I am done."

"I Command you to stay!"

His voice boomed, layered with the crushing weight of an Alpha's Command. It hit me like a physical blow, trying to force my knees to bend, trying to glue my feet to the floor.

My wolf snarled in the back of my mind. She pushed back.

No!

I gritted my teeth, my jaw aching from the pressure. Sweat beaded on my forehead. I fought the Command. It was agony, like fighting gravity itself.

But slowly, inch by inch, I stood straighter.

The Command... slipped off like oil.

Liam's eyes widened, genuine fear flickering in them for the first time. "How...?"

"You broke the trust," I said, my voice steady. "Your Command has no hold on a Mate you have betrayed."

I walked past him. He was too stunned to grab me.

I went straight to the Council Hall. I had already summoned the Elders via the emergency Mind-Link moments before Liam arrived.

They were waiting. Twelve old wolves, sitting in a semi-circle around the ancient oak table.

"Luna Maya," Elder Thomas said, his voice grave. "Why have you called us?"

"To petition for a formal severance of the Mate Bond," I said.

Gasps filled the room.

Liam burst in a moment later, Marc trailing behind him like a shadow.

"She's hysterical!" Liam shouted, pointing a finger at me. "Ignore her. She's jealous."

I didn't speak. I walked to the center table and plugged my hard drive into the console.

The holographic screen lit up, casting a blue glow over the Elders' faces.

The texts.

The photos.

The ultrasound.

The timestamps proving he was with her while I was sick in the hospital.

The messages calling me a "placeholder."

And finally, the clip from tonight. The slap.

The Elders watched in silence. Elder Thomas looked at Liam with undisguised disgust.

"Is this true, Alpha?"

Liam was pale, his arrogance evaporating. "It... it was a mistake. I can explain."

"There is nothing to explain," I said.

I reached up and unclasped the thin silver chain I wore-the one he gave me when we were first mated. I dropped it on the table.

Clatter.

The sound echoed in the silent hall.

"I, Maya Evans, reject you, Liam Goldstein, as my mate."

The words hung in the air. Magic crackled in the room, heavy and static, sealing the declaration.

"No!" Liam roared, veins bulging in his neck. "I do not accept it!"

Just then, the doors opened again. Ava waddled in, tears streaming down her face, oblivious to the tension.

"Liam! Tell them it's not true! Tell them we're in love!"

She looked at the screen. She saw her own texts displayed in high definition. Her face went white.

"You..." she pointed at me, her hand trembling. "You stole my private messages!"

"You sent them to my husband," I countered icily.

I looked at the Elders, ignoring the chaotic pair behind me. "Grant me my freedom."

Elder Thomas stood up. He banged his staff on the floor with a finality that shook the room.

"Granted."