The Moon Goddess must have despised me.
That was the only explanation for why she allowed this night to exist — the night I would remember as the moment my world shattered.
The courtyard of the Bloodbane Pack was overflowing with werewolves dressed in luxury and power. The entire pack had gathered under the silver glow of the full moon, but the attention wasn't on the moon. It was on him.
My mate — Alpha Xavier.
Tall. Commanding. Terrifyingly beautiful. The dark prince of this territory and future Alpha of one of the strongest packs in the North.
Every female wolf's dream.
Except mine.
Not anymore.
Tonight was the Moon Ceremony, honoring Xavier's ascent as the new Alpha. A night that should have been my proudest. A night where a mate stood by his Luna's side.
But I wasn't standing beside him.
I stood behind the crowd.
Hidden.
Unwanted.
A secret he refused to acknowledge.
His voice echoed over the pack grounds as he accepted leadership with a cold, emotionless expression. The crowd erupted in cheers.
When the noise died down, his Beta, Alaric, announced,
"Tonight, our Alpha will claim his Luna!"
The crowd gasped in excitement. Many looked around, expecting me to step forward.
My heart hammered. Was this it? Would he finally accept me?
Would he finally accept our baby?
I placed a shaky hand over my slightly rounded belly. My child kicked — like they knew something was wrong.
Xavier stepped forward. His cold gaze swept the crowd.
Then—he pointed.
But not to me.
His hand extended toward a stunning she-wolf dressed in a glittering silver gown — Celeste Varyn, daughter of a powerful Alpha… and the wolf who had made my life hell.
My breath froze.
The crowd roared in approval.
Celeste smirked at me, then sashayed onto the stage, taking her place beside him.
Xavier's voice rang sharp as steel:
"Celeste Varyn will be my Luna."
My pulse stopped.
No.
No, this wasn't happening.
A whimper left my lips, too soft for anyone to hear — except Xavier. His head turned, eyes locking onto mine like he had expected the exact moment I broke.
His lips curled into a cruel smile.
"Aveline," he called, voice dripping venom.
Every head snapped toward me.
The whispers and scornful laughter began instantly.
There she is—the cursed wolf.
Wolfless freak.
And she dared think she was worthy of him?
Celeste rested her manicured hand on Xavier's arm. "Let's end this embarrassment. She's been clinging to you like a desperate parasite."
Xavier didn't deny it.
Instead, he waved a hand, and two guards marched toward me, gripping my arms and dragging me forward.
The crowd parted, excited for the spectacle.
Tears blurred my vision as Xavier looked down at me with pure disgust.
"You should have left quietly," he said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "You were nothing but a mistake."
He stepped closer — his voice suddenly low and dangerous.
"And that thing in your belly?" His eyes dropped to my stomach. "It will never be my heir."
Pain sliced through me so fast I couldn't breathe.
"Xavier…" My voice cracked. "He's your child. Your baby."
His expression didn't change — empty and cold.
"I want nothing to do with either of you."
A gasp rippled through the crowd.
I collapsed to my knees. The guards held me up so I couldn't escape the humiliation.
Xavier reached out — and for a second, hope flickered.
Then he grabbed my wrist tightly.
"I, Alpha Xavier Blackthorn," he declared, voice echoing with ancient Alpha dominance, "reject you, Aveline Hart, as my mate, and I sever our bond forever."
It was a death sentence disguised as words.
A thousand invisible blades tore into my chest — the mate bond ripping apart savagely. I screamed, unable to hold the pain in.
My knees hit the ground, hands clutching my stomach as if holding the bond pieces together.
stomach as if holding the bond pieces together.
"No…"
"No, please…"
He didn't care.
He turned away.
Celeste laughed.
The pack cheered.
I was left there — shaking, crying, and rejected.
EXILE
Hours later — after the ceremony, after the mockery — I found myself locked in a dark storage shed behind the pack house.
Cold. Alone.
Blood stained the hem of my dress where the guards had dragged me.
My baby kicked weakly, like they were fighting to stay alive.
A soft, broken tear fell as I whispered,
"I'll protect you. I'll protect us."
But fate wasn't finished breaking me.
The door creaked open, revealing my father and mother — high-ranking pack aristocrats, dressed in fine silks and jewels.
My mother looked at me like I was filth on her shoes.
"You shame us," she hissed. "You are a disgrace. Pack rumors are spreading already — Aveline Hart seduced the Alpha and falsely claimed a pregnancy!"
"And worst of all," my father snarled, "you couldn't even shift. You remain wolfless. Useless."
They didn't ask if I was okay.
They didn't ask about my child.
My mother tossed a small bag of clothes at my feet.
"You're leaving. Tonight."
My heart dropped. "Where will I go?"
They turned away without answering.
I realized then—they only came to deliver one message:
I was dead to them.
ESCAPE
The night wind stung my wet cheeks as I stumbled through the pack's border forest. My body trembled, still raw from the rejection.
Every step hurt.
But staying meant they would take my baby.
Xavier's final words haunted me:
"It will never be my heir."
I had to run.
Branches tore at my skin as I forced myself deeper into the night. My vision spun. Dizziness overcame me.
"Please, baby… just hold on," I whispered.
Then—I smelled danger.
Wolves.
Two dark silhouettes emerged from the trees — pack warriors sent to finish the job.
One snarled, "Alpha's orders. End the pregnancy and bury the girl."
The world tilted.
"No!" I screamed, stumbling backward.
They lunged.
I turned and ran — or tried to. My legs were barely responding. Pregnant and wolfless, exhaustion dragged me down like chains.
One wolf tackled me, claws tearing into my arm. I screamed, pushing against him.
"Stop… please!" I sobbed.
My unborn child twisted painfully inside me —
I was losing.
I was dying.
This was the end.
The wolf's jaws aimed for my stomach—
A roar shook the forest.
A blast of terrifying power ripped through the air. The wolves attacking me whimpered — tails tucking as instinct screamed at them to bow.
A figure stepped into the moonlight.
Tall. Broad-shouldered. Clad in dark armor with a mantle of silver fur flowing behind him like a king's cloak.
His eyes — an intense icy blue — locked on mine.
There was no hatred in them.
No disgust.
Only shock. Concern. Fury… but not at me.
He spoke with a voice that commanded worlds:
"Touch her again — and I will rip out your throats myself."
The wolves trembled… then fled into the darkness.
I collapsed, barely conscious.
He knelt in front of me, catching me before I hit the ground.
"You're injured," he said, voice low but urgent. "And pregnant."
I stared weakly into his eyes. "Who… are you?"
He hesitated for a second — then answered:
"Rowan. Alpha King of the Lycans."
My eyes widened. The most powerful wolf in existence. A ruler no pack dared anger.
"But… why… help me?" I whispered.
His jaw clenched as he looked at my stomach, then my tear-stained face.
"Because the Moon has marked you," he said, voice trembling slightly. "And because I will not let a mother or her unborn child die."
I tried to speak, but darkness washed over me.
My last sight was his eyes — fierce and protective.
As consciousness slipped away, I heard only one thing:
"You're safe now, Aveline. I swear on my crown… I will protect you."