Rejected by the Alpha: The Pregnant Luna's Secret

I was eight months pregnant with the heir to the Hayes pack when my husband, Michael, walked into the gala with another woman on his arm.

She was wearing a blood-red dress and reeked of rotting orchids.

In front of the entire Council, Michael looked at me with cold eyes and announced she was his Fated Mate.

He rejected me.

The force of the Alpha Command forced me to my knees, shattering the bond between us.

To protect my unborn son from his cruelty, I told the greatest lie of my life.

"The baby is dead," I whispered to him later. "Your rejection killed him."

Broken by guilt, Michael fell from grace.

My family stripped him of his wealth and status. He became a homeless Rogue, living in the dirt outside our estate walls, just to be near the place he thought his child was buried.

He didn't know that the little boy playing in the garden, the one with golden Alpha eyes, was his son.

He watched over us from the shadows for years, a ghost haunting his own life.

Until the day the woman in the red dress returned.

She held a silver dagger over my son's crib, ready to end my bloodline.

And the man who had once rejected me finally found his redemption.

He didn't hesitate.

He threw his body between the blade and our boy.

Chapter 1

Olivia POV:

The morning sun filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Hayes estate, casting long, golden bars across the silk sheets beneath me. I rested my palm against the swell of my stomach, feeling the tiny, rhythmic flutter of life inside.

Four months. My pup was strong, his movements already distinct-kicks that felt like tiny ripples in a pond.

A smile touched my lips, but it didn't reach my eyes.

The bathroom door clicked open. Michael walked out, steam trailing behind him like a ghost. He remained devastatingly handsome, with the rugged jawline and dark hair that had drawn me to him years ago.

He wasn't my Fated Mate-the soul partner chosen by the Moon Goddess-but he was my Chosen Mate. I had defied my powerful father, the Alpha Supreme, to be with him. I had given him everything: my family's connections, territory, and wealth to build his own Pack.

"You're leaving already?" I asked, sitting up. The silk sheet slipped down, baring the curve of my baby bump.

Michael adjusted his cufflinks, not sparing me a glance. "Business, Liv. You know how it is. The merger with the Northern Pack is critical."

He leaned in and pressed a kiss to my forehead. It was dry, quick, and devoid of the spark that used to make my toes curl. It felt like a chore.

My Inner Wolf, the primal spirit sharing my soul, paced restlessly in the back of my mind. She had long since turned her back on him. She growled low in my throat, a sound I barely suppressed.

"I could come with you," I suggested, trying to keep the desperation out of my voice. "I haven't been to the studio in weeks. A little social interaction might be good for the pup."

Michael finally looked at me, his eyes guarded and opaque. "Not tonight, Liv. It's a... sensitive negotiation. High stress. Not good for a pregnant Luna."

He grabbed his jacket. As he passed me, a scent hit my nose. It wasn't his usual sandalwood and musk. It was something cloying, sweet like rotting orchids.

"Michael," I called out.

He paused at the door, impatience flickering in his gaze. "What?"

"I love you."

He hesitated for a fraction of a second-a heartbeat of silence that screamed louder than words. "I know. Rest up, Liv."

The door clicked shut. The silence in the massive bedroom was deafening.

I got out of bed and walked to the balcony. Below, abandoned on the doorstep, lay a bouquet of exotic red flowers. They were loud, vulgar things that clashed violently with the elegant roses of the Hayes gardens.

The scent wafting up was the same one clinging to Michael's jacket.

My Inner Wolf snarled, scratching at the walls of my mind. *Liar,* she whispered. *He reeks of another.*

I tried to open the Mind-Link, the telepathic bond that connects pack members and mates. *Michael?* I projected my thought, reaching for his mind.

There was a wall. A thick, mental fog blocked me out. He was shielding his thoughts.

I went to my closet. My maternity dresses hung in neat rows. I pushed them aside and found a black gown that could conceal my bump if I stood correctly.

"Sensitive negotiation," I muttered, pulling the dress on.

My camera sat on the vanity. I picked it up, checking the lens. I was a photographer by trade, trained to see the details others missed. Tonight, I would see everything.

I wasn't just a pampered Luna. I was a Hayes. And the Hayes bloodline didn't tolerate secrets.

My pup kicked hard, a sudden jolt against my ribs.

"I know, little one," I whispered, rubbing my belly with grim determination. "We're going to find out the truth."