Abandoned While Pregnant, Claimed by the Alpha

Ashley's POV

"Are you serious? Vicki?!" I covered my mouth in shock.

I was sitting in the office of the pack hospital, still unable to believe the answer I had just heard from Vicki.

"Yes, Ashley. You're pregnant. Unless you don't trust me as a doctor." My best friend Vicki hugged me tightly and said it with full certainty.

I shook my head, and I could no longer hold back my tears. Goddess knew how badly I had wanted this to happen.

As an Omega chosen to be the Luna of a pack, I was like a common girl chosen to be a princess. We all knew it was not easy. Especially since I was an Omega orphan who had lost her own pack. The only reason I became that lucky girl was because my father had been close friends with the former Alpha of the Blackwood pack.

When my father died in a rogue attack, Alpha Brian came to my small pack and brought me here. He followed my father's last wish and marked me as the Luna of the Blackwood pack.

I knew our marriage was not love. It was an act of kindness.

For the past three years, I had tried hard to become the Luna his pack needed-and the partner he never asked for but badly needed. I hosted ceremonies, managed the clinic, settled fights, protected the pups, and stood by his side at every pack meeting. At the same time, I secretly used my talent in art to help the pack make more money. Every time I wanted to tell Brian about my work, he always had to leave in a hurry because of pack business.

Because of that, our pack rose smoothly to become the second strongest pack on the East Coast. But then something terrible happened-I never got pregnant.

Even though I had proved that an Omega could also be a good Luna, the fact that I had no child seemed to erase everything.

Every time I walked through the pack hall, I could hear the members whispering.

"A weak Omega. She can't even get pregnant."

"I bet Alpha will announce a new Luna soon."

Brian had never defended me in public. That was why their words scared me. I was afraid Brian really would take away my Luna title for the sake of an heir. But I was not worried about the title itself. Over the past three years, my need for him had only grown stronger. I wanted to be his lover, not just his political partner.

Thinking of this, I said goodbye to Vicki at once. I could not wait to tell Brian.

I touched my flat stomach. I believed Brian would finally fall in love with me.

But when I arrived at the pack office, I heard a woman's voice from inside. I stood outside the door, and that familiar voice almost stopped my heart.

"Brian. I know I shouldn't have come back." Silvia's voice sounded weak and full of pain. "But I. I don't want to die with regrets."

Silvia. The woman who had existed before I came to the Blackwood pack. Brian's real fated mate. Three years ago, she protected Brian from a deadly rogue attack. Her heart and wolf spirit were badly hurt. Then she suddenly disappeared.

"Don't talk about dying." Brian's voice was softer than I had ever heard in three years. "What did the healer say? Is there really no other way?"

"My wolf spirit is too badly damaged," Silvia sobbed softly. "When I saved you that day, the rogue's claws did not just hurt my heart. They tore my wolf spirit apart too. Brian, I only have half a year left."

I heard a chair move, and I could imagine Brian standing up to comfort her. My heart felt like it was being cut open.

"I have regretted it every day for the past three years," Silvia continued. "I should have stayed. I should have become your Luna and given you an heir. But I was too scared. I was scared you would be disappointed if you saw how weak I had become."

"Silvia." Brian's voice choked. "It was my fault. If I had pushed harder back then, if I had not let my father's last wish tie me down."

"No, Brian. It was not your fault." Silvia's voice became even weaker. "I know Ashley is a good girl. I know you kept your promise to her father. But. I really want to know what it feels like to be your real wife, even if it is only for half a year."

Something broke inside my chest. I held the report tightly. The paper that proved I was pregnant now felt like a cruel joke.

"I'll handle this," Brian said firmly. "Ashley will understand. She knows our marriage was only. only a promise I had to keep."

"I don't want to hurt her, Brian," Silvia said. "I don't need the Luna title. I just want. to register our marriage with the council."

"I know," Brian cut her off. "And the Luna position should have been yours from the start."

A temporary replacement.

Those words stabbed into my heart like a knife. So in his eyes, my three years of hard work, everything I had done for this pack, and all my love for him meant nothing.

I heard footsteps coming toward the door. I tried to leave in a panic, but the report slipped from my shaking hand and fell to the floor with a clear sound.

The door opened at once. Brian stood there. His face changed from surprise to the cold look I knew too well.

"How much did you hear?"

I looked at him, the man I had loved for three years. Then I looked at Silvia behind him, pale and weak, but still beautiful.

I bit my lip and touched my stomach again.

"Everything."

"Good. Then I don't need to waste time telling you." Brian's voice was cold.

"Don't you want to hear my answer?" I looked at him stubbornly. When I saw the disgust in his eyes, my heart started to shrink back. But then I thought of my child. In the pack, children born outside a proper bond were always looked down on.

"I refuse your decision," I said firmly.

Brian's face changed from shock to deeper coldness. Being refused in front of Silvia clearly made him angry.

"You are so disappointing, Ashley." His voice was full of anger he had held back for a long time. "I know what you are worried about. You have no pack to protect you, so you are afraid of losing this comfortable life, right? I can give you an unlimited card right now. If you cannot even show this much kindness, then you are hopeless. You are cold, selfish, and unreasonable. You do not deserve anyone's love."

His words hit me like a whip, but what came next was even crueler.

"This is why your father died. Because he had a weak, useless, selfish daughter like you. You could not protect him at all, so when the rogues attacked, he had to fight alone."

My mind went blank. How could he say that? My father was killed by rogues. Brian knew I had almost broken down after my father died. He was the one who suddenly appeared and took me to the Blackwood pack.

Back then, he held me in his arms and said, "You will be my Luna. The Luna of Blackwood, one of the strongest packs on the East Coast. No one will bully you again."

I once looked at his side profile and his handsome jaw, and I felt like I had found a reason to keep living. I thought that was the beginning of my happiness. Now I understood. His kindness had only been a favor.

It felt like the floor had disappeared under my feet.

"I agree to the divorce," I heard myself say. My voice was so calm it scared me. "No. I want to reject your mark." Only by fully rejecting the mark could werewolves truly separate.

Anger flashed in Brian's eyes.

"Enough. Are you trying to make me feel guilty by rejecting my mark? I won't let you win. This is the final decision."

After saying that, he helped Silvia leave.

I could not hold myself up anymore. I slid down against the cold cabinet door and collapsed onto the floor.

It was so funny. I thought tonight would be the moment Brian finally fell in love with me. Instead, it became the most shameful moment of my life.

Tears fell again. My heart felt like it had broken into thousands of pieces. My whole body shook as I placed my hand on my stomach again. There was a tiny life inside me. I remembered what Vicki had said at the hospital.

"Ashley, you do not have a wolf spirit. Strong emotions can affect the baby's safety."

I could not break down. I would never accept Brian's ridiculous demand. I was fully able to raise my child by myself.

Brian thought I was a parasite living off the pack. But in truth, every dollar I spent came from my own art work. The money I had saved over the past three years was enough for my child and me to live a decent life.

Since Brian wanted Silvia, I would leave the pack with my child.

"Baby, don't be afraid," I said, gently touching my stomach. My voice shook, but it was firm. "Mommy will protect you, no matter what. We don't need anyone's pity."

"Nine o'clock tomorrow morning. Be at the pack council hall on time and sign the divorce papers."

When I got back to our Alpha estate, I saw Brian's text.

I turned off my phone.

I didn't tell anyone. I still needed time to take it in.

I had no idea how I eventually drifted off. All night, my stomach felt as if it were being churned by a blender-a relentless, agonizing twisting. The sharp pain had only intensified since last night.

Was it because my child could feel his father's coldness? Was he staging a silent protest on my behalf?

Staring at the empty bedroom, the realization hit me-Brian never came back all night. So, he's been with Silvia the whole time?

The thought of what they might be doing made the tears start again. How could he just erase everything I've done? I remember the moment he lifted me from the pool of my father's blood-that was when I fell completely in love with him.

For the past three years, I had been entirely at his beck and call. I had managed the majority of the pack's administrative affairs-though I was just an Omega, I was sharp.

From overseeing the orphanage for young pups to mediating internal disputes, managing the pack's finances, and meticulously safeguarding our reputation-I had often worked well into the dead of night. Blackwood's rise to power wasn't solely due to Brian's brute strength; it was built on my labor.

I'd bet my life he would never acknowledge that, though.

It was already nine-thirty. I had to hurry with my morning routine-I needed to end this marriage as quickly as possible.

But when I finally reached the gates of the Council Hall, the sight stopped me cold. Brian was holding Silvia tightly in his arms, cradling her as if she were the most precious treasure in the world.

And just last night, that same chest had been mine to lean on.

It felt like all the air had been sucked out of my lungs-I couldn't breathe.

But what really stopped my heart was what he said next.

"Of course, Silvia, I've always loved you," Brian said, his voice softer than I'd ever heard before. "Even when I was making love to Ashley, it was your name I was whispering in my heart."

At that moment, it felt like my entire world collapsed.

The mark on my neck burned, like someone was holding a branding iron to my skin over and over again. The pain wasn't just physical-it came from somewhere deep in my soul, spreading like wildfire through my veins. My heart felt like it had been shot, shattering into a million jagged pieces that tore through my chest, slicing me apart from the inside.

My face went pale, and my legs could barely hold me up.

So this was the truth. Every heated night, every moment I thought we were close, every time I trembled in his arms and called out his name-he wasn't thinking of me. It was always Silvia.

I was just a replacement. A pathetic stand-in. I caught the flash of a triumphant smirk on Silvia's lips-was she truly ill?

A sharp unease swirled in my stomach, followed by a cramp that nearly doubled me over. No. I couldn't break down here. I couldn't let them see me weak, and I definitely couldn't reveal the secret of my pregnancy.

Clenching my teeth, I forced myself to stay upright, mustering every ounce of strength I had left. Then, calmly, I said to him, "Let's go get this done."

Brian's brow furrowed, his eyes scanning my face with a hint of suspicion. "Why do you look so deathly pale?"

The moment I opened my mouth to respond, Silvia erupted into a fit of coughing.

She spoke up, her voice soft. "Ashley, I know you're being forced into this." She leaned weakly against Brian's arm. "But I've already begged Brian... he's promised to let you keep the lifestyle of a Luna."

Then, her tears spilled over. "Ashley, please... promise me you won't blame Brian for being so cruel. He's only doing this because he's terrified of leaving me with regrets once I'm... once I'm gone."

So considerate.

Every word out of her mouth highlighted how much Brian cared for her, each one a sharp reminder of my place: the clingy wife who didn't want to let go.

Brian stood up, throwing a cold glance my way. "Let's go inside. Don't waste any more time."

He couldn't wait to get this over with, to leave me behind as fast as possible. Six months from now, would he really still entertain the idea of rekindling anything with me?

As I hesitated, Silvia chimed in again, her tone dripping with mock concern. "Ashley, it's not too late to change your mind-" Then she broke into another fit of violent coughing.

I cut her off immediately. "Hesitate? For a jerk who thinks about another woman while we're having sex?" I watched as Brian's face turned angry again.

"Shall we go, Alpha Brian?" I sneered. "Or do you want me to change my mind?"

Fuming, Brian shoved Silvia ahead toward the office.

I followed behind them.

Watching their figures side by side, I felt like an unwanted outsider-I could feel my eyes welling up again.

But I quickly pulled myself together. No point crying over someone who doesn't love you.

The hall was practically empty.

As soon as the staff saw Brian walk in, they scrambled to their feet, nervous. "Respected Alpha?"

"Processing a divorce," Brian ordered bluntly.

The staff froze for a second, their gaze bouncing between me and Silvia before finally landing on me.

"Luna..."

"Just do it," I said calmly, handing over my ID.

Not daring to ask further, the staff hesitated, then started typing away nervously.

The system's beeping filled the silent hall, grating against my ears.

A few minutes later, the staff suddenly stopped, their expression troubled.

"Alpha, according to the system... you and Luna Ashley are both registered as core pack members. Under Wolf Pack Law, Section 72, your divorce request requires a one-month cooling-off period."

Brian frowned hard.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, today you can only submit the application. After thirty days, if both sides still insist on divorce, then the mate bond can officially be dissolved."

Thirty days.

That meant I'd still have to wear the title of "Brian's wife" and watch him flaunt around with Silvia for a whole month.

"Is there no other way?" I couldn't help but ask, the words slipping out despite knowing the answer would be no.

The clerk wiped the cold sweat from his brow, his voice trembling. "I'm so sorry, Luna... these are the rules set by the Council. The system is locked; I don't have the authority to bypass the protocols."

"Ashley, you're so desperate to leave me?" Brian strode over, his towering figure casting a large shadow over me, radiating that typical Alpha pressure. "Are you throwing a tantrum now? I've explained this to you so many times-this is temporary. In six months, we'll remarry, and you'll still be Luna. Who are you putting on this 'desperate to escape' act for? Trying to make me feel guilty?"

He grit his teeth, each word practically pushed out from between them.

I found it laughable. He was the one who forced me to divorce, brought his old lover to humiliate me, and now, when I'm giving him what he wanted, he doesn't like it?

"Brian, you're way too full of yourself. Do you really think I'm some pet who comes and goes at your command? When you need me, I'm your Luna; when you don't, I'm just some placeholder you can discard?"

I stepped back, putting some space between us.

"There's no 'temporary.'" My voice echoed through the vast hall, sharp and firm. "Brian, the moment I sign, we're done. Forever."

Brian reached out, trying to grasp for my arm, but Silvia's frail voice cut through the air. "Brian... the wind is so cold. I feel a chill..."

I didn't stay to witness their intimacy. I turned and strode toward the exit of the Council Hall. I had to get to the hospital. I had to make sure my pup was okay.

I left the office in a hurry and headed straight to the hospital. After everything I went through yesterday, I needed to check on my pup's health.

My best friend, Vicki, slammed her glittery diamond-encrusted iPad onto her desk with a loud thud.

"These brainless idiots," she cursed, her white coat flying behind her as she moved sharply. "They have no clue what's really going on."

I picked up the iPad, but the glare from the screen made my eyes sting.

Social media was flooded with posts about "Alpha Brian's noble sacrifice." The top headline featured a photo of Brian pushing Silvia's wheelchair as they left the office. In the picture, he was gazing at Silvia with such tenderness, his expression full of warmth and care. And as for me? I only got a tiny footnote-"the ex-wife with no wolf spirit finally knows her place and steps aside."

The comment section? Utterly brutal.

"God bless Silvia, she's the true Luna. Poor thing, after all she's been through."

"That Ashley? She should've been gone ages ago. She hogged the Luna title for three years and brought nothing to the pack. I mean, she can't even have kids."

"I heard she dragged out the divorce to grab more money? What a greedy leech."

"Alpha still hasn't stripped Ashley of her Luna title, probably because Silvia's too fragile. I bet he had no other choice."

Every word hit me like a slap, stinging deep.

"Stop looking at it." Vicki snatched the tablet from my hands and turned off the screen. "These keyboard warriors just love spouting garbage online."

I leaned back on the examination table, staring at the fluorescent light on the ceiling. The comments kept echoing in my mind, like venomous snakes slowly gnawing away at the last bit of my pride.

"It's fine, Vicki," I said, my voice oddly calm. "I don't care what those people say. They're irrelevant to me."

But even I knew I was lying. When the whole world points fingers at you, it's nearly impossible not to care.

Vicki studied my expression carefully-she knew me too well. "Ashley, listen. Even though Silvia might become Brian's wife, technically she's not yet. And think about it-Brian still hasn't officially removed you as Luna. Maybe if you told him the truth, told him about the baby, things could turn out differently. Plus, Brian's grandmother always adored you."

I thought of her warm smile, her gentle words that used to comfort me: "Ashley, you are the kindest soul I've ever met. Brian needs a Luna like you."

But that was all in the past now.

"No," I cut Vicki off, the denial escaping my lips almost instinctively. "We're divorced now. His mind is all about Silvia. I don't want my child growing up in a toxic family."

I couldn't stop the memory of Brian's words from resurfacing-"Even when I was making love to Ashley, it was your name I was whispering in my heart."

That sentence, like a dagger, was still lodged deep in my heart.

"Brian said he doesn't love me, Vicki. He even said..." My throat tightened, and my voice trembled slightly. "He said that even in bed, he wasn't thinking of me."

Vicki's face turned dark with anger. "That bastard!"

"If he finds out about this baby, he'll either see it as a burden or fight me for custody, only to dump the baby on some nanny. This child is mine. Only mine."

Vicki stayed silent for a moment, then asked softly, "So, are you going to leave?"

I had wrestled with this question all night. Leaving would mean cutting ties with everything here-my carefully decorated room, the orphanage I poured my heart into, even the people I once thought were friends. But staying? Staying meant enduring endless humiliation and rejection.

"I have to leave." I nodded firmly. "For my pup's sake, I need to stay as far away from Brian as possible."

"Where will you go? Your uncle's territory?" Vicki frowned. "Ashley, your uncle doesn't seem like someone you can trust. And with the Silvermoon Pack practically under his control now, going back might just be even more dangerous."

I stayed quiet. Vicki was right. My uncle never liked me. If it weren't for my father's reputation back when he was alive, I'd have been kicked out of the Silvermoon Pack long ago. Now that I've lost everything, going back would only make me an easy target.

Right then, the image of that man-as dangerous and feral as a beast-flashed through my mind again.

No. No matter what, I would never step foot into another Alpha's territory again. I had a second option. As soon as I moved out of the Alpha Commissioner's residence, I would start re-mapping my future.

"It's okay, Vicki. You know me," I said, offering her a small, reassuring smile. "I always find a way to get back on my feet."

Vicki let out a deep sigh and grabbed the ultrasound machine, squeezing a generous amount of cold gel onto the probe.

"Alright, lie down. Let's see how your little one is doing."

Smiling softly, I lay back on the exam table, though I flinched at the sudden chill of the gel as the probe moved across my belly.

A blurry black-and-white image flickered onto the monitor, accompanied by the steady, rapid thumping of a heartbeat that filled the room.

Thump, thump, thump.

It was the most beautiful sound I'd ever heard.

Vicki's eyes stayed fixed on the monitor, and her brows relaxed as she gave me a small, professional smile.

"Look here, Ashley." She pointed at a small glowing dot on the screen. "Your pup is developing perfectly. And..."

She paused momentarily, then turned up the volume slightly.

"Can you hear that? This heartbeat is much faster and stronger than a human baby's. You've got one healthy little wolf pup in there. Even though you don't have wolf traits yourself, Brian's Alpha genes are seriously overpowering."

I stared at the tiny life on the screen, my eyes stinging with warmth.

This is my child, my blood. My family.

No matter where I end up or what I decide, this little life will be my driving force.

Vicki set down the probe and handed me a few tissues to wipe my stomach.

"Ashley, you need to think this through," she said seriously, her gaze steady. "You don't have a wolf spirit, and your body is just that of an ordinary human. Carrying a werewolf baby will be really tough on you. It's going to drain so much from you. And raising a little wolf pup as a single mom... you can't even imagine the challenges."

"I can do it." I sat up, crumpling the tissue in my hand. "Vicki, I may not have a wolf, but that doesn't mean I'm weak."

Vicki held my gaze for a moment, then finally nodded.

"Alright, if that's your decision. As your friend and doctor, I'll support you. But there's one condition-you have to come for regular check-ups. And if your body can't handle it, you have to listen to me, no arguing. You know there's that nasty flu going around-"

"Deal."

After the exam, we talked a bit more about what I should keep in mind during pregnancy. Vicki prescribed me some vitamins and reminded me to get plenty of rest and stay calm as much as possible.

Walking out of the hospital, I felt a little lighter inside. At least the baby was healthy, and that gave me the strength to keep going.

On the drive back to the Alpha Manor, a plan began to take shape. I could move into the apartment near the orphanage-they were short-staffed due to a recent flu outbreak and desperately needed help.

It was where I had lived before the marriage. I had exactly one month to arrange everything: to find a new pack and to slip away quietly, before Brian could even realize I was gone.

As I parked the car in the driveway, I took a deep breath. This could very well be one of the last times I returned as the lady of this house. The thought was bittersweet, but I'd already made peace with it.

But as I stepped into the Alpha Manor, the scene in front of me froze me in place.

The staff were tossing my things out of the master bedroom. Brian had told me Silvia wouldn't take over my room.

But now, my clothes, my books, and the hair clip Brian had once bought me were tossed out like trash, scattered across the lawn.

I stared at the clip. It was snapped in two, crushed under an old sweater as if it had never been worth a thing. Brian had merely picked it up on a whim after an Alpha conference; it was a mere afterthought to him. But that day, I had cradled it in my hands for so long, believing it was the first time he'd truly thought of me. To me, it was more precious than any luxury.

Now, seeing it splintered in the dirt, it felt like a reflection of myself-discarded.

"What were you doing at the hospital?" Brian suddenly lunged forward, his grip tightening around my arm. There was no concern in his eyes, only suspicion.

I tried to shake him off, but his strength was overwhelming. "We just signed the divorce papers, Brian," I replied coldly. "You should worry about your future wife, not an Omega who will be out of your life soon enough."

"Oh my, Ashley, you're back." Silvia rolled her wheelchair toward us, her eyes glancing over my belongings strewn on the grass. She wore a mask of fake guilt. "I'm so sorry, Ashley. Brian insisted I needed a room with better ventilation for my recovery. You know how stubborn he can be."

She sounded as if she were already the true Luna.

A wave of nausea surged from my stomach to my throat. I waved a dismissive hand, finally shoving Brian away. "Don't bother," I said icily. "I don't plan on staying in the Alpha Residence anymore."

I turned to leave, but Brian didn't let me go. He slammed me into a guest room, pinning me against the wall. His gaze was feral, filled with a rage that looked ready to tear me apart.

A violent shudder ran through me-