Rejected While Carrying His Heir

The morning mist clung to the forest floor, chilling my bare feet, but the cold was nothing compared to the ice in Dominic’s eyes. The entire Blood Moon Pack had gathered in the central clearing following the morning run. Usually, this was a time of communal bonding, of shared breath and beating hearts. Today, it felt like an execution.

Dominic stood atop the Alpha Rock, his chest bare and heaving slightly from the exertion of the run. Mila Graham stood just behind him, her head bowed in a performance of modesty that made my wolf, Lyra, snarl in my mind. But I couldn't snarl. I couldn't even whimper.

"Daphne Bennett," Dominic’s voice boomed, utilizing the Alpha command that forced every wolf in the clearing to lower their gaze. "Step forward."

My legs moved against my will, trembling under the weight of his aura. I wanted to run to him, to fall at his feet and beg him to listen to the silence between my words rather than the words themselves. *Please, Dominic,* Lyra cried out, *we are your mate! Don't do this!*

I stopped at the base of the rock. Dominic didn't offer me a hand. Instead, he reached out and grasped the silver chain around my neck—the Luna’s pendant, a crescent moon entwined with a blood-red ruby, passed down through generations of Russell Alphas. It was the symbol of our union, of my protection over this pack.

"You have proven yourself incapable of love, respect, or duty," Dominic said, his voice devoid of the warmth that used to melt my bones. "You mock our bond. You mock me."

He yanked. The chain snapped with a sharp *pop* that echoed like a gunshot. The metal stung my skin as it was torn away, leaving a red welt on my neck.

"No!" I tried to scream. I tried to say, *That is mine! I am your Luna!*

But the curse twisted my throat, turning my desperation into arrogance. My chin lifted defiantly, and a cold smirk plastered itself onto my face. "Finally," my voice drawled, loud and clear. "That cheap trinket was heavy anyway."

Gasps rippled through the crowd. Dominic’s jaw clenched so hard I thought a tooth might crack. The hurt in his eyes flashed for a second before hardening into obsidian hate.

"From this moment," he growled, turning to the pack, "Daphne is stripped of her rank. She is no longer Luna. She is Omega."

He turned and draped the broken chain around Mila’s neck. "Mila Graham will serve as Acting Female Leader until a proper ceremony can be held."

Mila touched the ruby, her eyes meeting mine with a gleam of pure malice. "I will serve you well, Alpha," she purred, her voice dripping with the sweetness I was physically incapable of producing.

"Get her out of my sight," Dominic commanded. "She can earn her keep scrubbing the floors she thinks she’s too good to walk on."

The pack jeered as I was shoved toward the back of the crowd. Mud was kicked onto my white dress. I didn't fight back. I couldn't. If I tried to defend myself, I knew I would only insult them further.

I ran. I ran until my lungs burned, not to the pack house, but to the small, rundown cottage on the outskirts where the Omegas lived. I needed my mother. Surely, she would understand. She knew about the curse; she was there when it started.

I burst through the door, chest heaving. "Mom?" I choked out, fighting the urge to vomit from the stress.

Elena Bennett looked up from her knitting. Her eyes scanned my muddy dress, the red welt on my neck, and the absence of the silver pendant. Her expression didn't soften. It shattered.

She crossed the room in two strides and slapped me. The sound was louder than the breaking of the chain. My head snapped to the side, my cheek stinging with a fresh, throbbing heat.

"You useless girl!" she shrieked, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me. "We raised you for one thing! One thing! To secure this family's place in the pack!"

I stared at her, tears finally spilling over. *Mom, I'm hurting. Help me.*

"I... I didn't mean to," I tried to sob.

"Get out!" she screamed, shoving me toward the door. "You cursed away our future with your vile tongue! You are a disgrace to this bloodline. Don't come back until you fix this, or don't come back at all!"

The door slammed in my face, leaving me alone in the dirt.

A week later, I was on my hands and knees in the Alpha wing, the smell of lemon bleach burning my nose. My knuckles were raw and cracked. I was scrubbing the very hallway where Dominic and I used to chase each other playfully.

Suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit me. The world tilted. I sat back on my heels, clutching my stomach as bile rose in my throat. But beneath the chemical stench of the cleaner, I smelled it.

It was faint, metallic, and smelled like sweet milk and iron.

My hand flew to my flat abdomen. Lyra, who had been silent and depressed since the demotion, suddenly perked up. She sniffed the air internally and let out a soft, joyous howl. *Pup! Little wolf!*

I froze. I was pregnant.

A surge of hope, violent and bright, crashed through me. A pup. Dominic wanted an heir more than anything. This changed everything. The bond couldn't be broken if there was a life between us. He wouldn't reject the mother of his child.

I scrambled to my feet, ignoring the bucket of dirty water. I couldn't speak to him—I couldn't risk the curse ruining this news. I needed to write it down. I needed to get to his office.

I rushed down the hall, my heart pounding a frantic rhythm against my ribs. *I have to tell him. I have to tell him now.*

I reached for the handle of the Alpha’s office door, but a hand slammed against the wood, barring my way.

Parker Russell leaned against the doorframe, a cruel smirk playing on his lips. He looked so much like Dominic, but his eyes were empty of honor.

"Well, well," he sneered, looking down at my Omega uniform. "If it isn't the Shrew. Lost your mop, Daphne?"

I shook my head frantically, trying to push past him. I pointed to the door, then to my stomach, desperate to convey the urgency.

Parker didn't move. He leaned closer, sniffing the air. His eyes narrowed. He smelled the change in my scent. He knew.

"Dominic is busy," Parker said, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "He's inside with Mila. They're working on making a *real* heir. One that doesn't come from a broken, defective vessel."

He shoved me back, hard enough that I stumbled. "Go back to your bucket, Omega. The Alpha has no need for your news."