Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by the King

I was so incensed by his words that I collapsed onto the floor. Oddly, I wasn’t even surprised. No wonder he’d become increasingly impatient with me lately, no wonder each time I asked him to accompany me to a prenatal check-up or help with picking up a package, he always had an excuse ready… It all added up now. The laughable thing was that I had been coming up with excuses for him, wondering if he was having a tough time in the pack.

All my illusions and self-deception came crashing down. I stood up angrily. “Eden, you’re repulsive!”

Eden wasn’t bothered by my insult; instead, he grinned with even more smugness. “Elizabeth, curse all you want. You’re already pregnant with my child. You’re tied to the Richardson family for life now.”

“Who’s going to trust you with pack responsibilities when you’re pregnant?”

His words took me back to the time I first found out I was pregnant. Eden and I were both warriors in the Moonstone Pack. He was a Delta, while I was the Beta, just waiting for my mate pairing with him to solidify my position as Gamma. But then, I found out I was a month pregnant.

Eden was elated when he found out and insisted that I should keep the pup. “Sweetheart, remember when we completed the mate bond? We said we’d definitely have a strong little one!”

“You’re still young. It’s the perfect time to have a pup, and you’ll bounce back quickly. If you’re worried, my mom can help take care of them. Don’t worry about it, just go ahead.”

“As for pack duties, I’ll always have your back, no matter what. You can leave the Gamma responsibilities to me, right?”

Back then, I thought, we’re mates, so it doesn’t matter who holds the position. Coupled with Eden’s sweet talk, I didn’t notice anything off. Before long, I stepped back from my Beta duties due to the pregnancy, while Eden was promoted to Gamma in my stead. Looking back now, how could I have been so gullible? Eden had been plotting all along—my pregnancy allowed him to gain a pup while effortlessly snagging my position in the pack hierarchy. What a win for him: triumph both in our bond and in his rank!

As this realization hit, my expression grew even darker. Eden, however, finished his meal, pushed the food container forward, and said, “I’m off to training now. Clean up the table! Just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean you get to slack off.”

“You think leading warriors is easy for me, unlike you, who just lounges around all day! Mate pairing with me is the best thing that ever happened to you!”