Alpha, I Reject You. Got It?

Eight years ago, I formed a mate bond with Alpha Lucian Blackwood, ruler of the Silver Fang Pack, and became his Luna.

I thought it was a blessing from the Moon Goddess.

Only when he brought home that sick she-wolf, Jasmine Moon, did I finally understand.

I was nothing but a substitute.

A tool meant to take care of him and his son.

And now, they wanted me to hand over even the last of my dignity.

On our eighth wedding anniversary, Alpha Lucian handed me a gift.

It was not a necklace.

It was not a ring.

It was another woman's cancer diagnosis.

"Jasmine is in terrible condition right now. I have decided to bring her back to the territory and take care of her."

I lowered my eyes to the dinner I had carefully prepared. Steam curled above the dishes, but that sheet of paper on the table was like a knife driven straight into my heart.

Jasmine Moon, princess of the Blood Moon Pack, Lucian's first love. Back then, she had abandoned Lucian and gone to a northern pack in pursuit of a stronger bloodline. Now that she had returned with a terminal illness, Lucian rushed to her side without hesitation.

"Lucian, forget it," Jasmine murmured, leaning into his arms and peeking at me with one pitiful eye. "Serena doesn't look like she welcomes me. Besides, I am about to die. Don't worry about me."

"Don't say foolish things. You will get better." Lucian comforted her gently.

Then he turned to me, anger burning in his amber eyes. "Serena, do you have any humanity left? You cannot even tolerate a patient. How are you worthy of being Luna? How are you worthy of being an example?"

What an ironic title.

Before I could speak, something bumped into my calf.

It was my son, Caleb. He lifted a face nearly identical to Lucian's and struck me with his little fists. "You're bad! If you won't let the pretty auntie in, I won't recognize you as my mom anymore."

The soup on the table had gone completely cold.

Just like my heart.

One was the Alpha I had loved for eight years. The other was the pup I had raised for seven. Through Lucian's countless nights away from home, if anything had kept me going, it was Caleb.

Once, he would hold my hand and call me Mommy in a sweet, childish voice.

But now, for a strange she-wolf, he was threatening to abandon me.

In that moment, disappointment overwhelmed anger.

I gave a bitter laugh and turned to go back to the bedroom.

"Serena," Lucian called after me. He ordered, "Jasmine is sick. Let her sleep in your room. Pack your things and move to the attic."

I took a deep breath, walked into the room, and dialed a number with trembling hands.

"Lydia, I am willing to come back to work."

An ecstatic voice came from the other end. "Really? Serena! You finally came to your senses. When you gave up design for marriage, it was a loss for the entire industry. I will arrange everything right away."

I answered bitterly and booked a flight for the next month.

Lydia was so happy that she posted it on her social feed. In her friends list, I saw Lucian's account.

His username was Bright Moon.

He once told me the name was because he had met me.

Only when Jasmine stood in front of me did I understand that Bright Moon meant Jasmine Moon.

The photo on his feed showed him and Caleb at a dessert shop with Jasmine that afternoon. The caption read:

"Sweet things should be eaten with sweet people."

But father and son had always hated desserts.

Jasmine's brilliant smile stung my eyes.

So it was not that they disliked sweets. It was only that the person who could make them eat sweets had never been me.

Someone commented below:

"Alpha, aren't you afraid Luna will leave you?"

Lucian replied with only three words:

"She won't dare."

Yes.

I had not dared.

Back then, I believed Lucian's oath that he would love me for the rest of his life. I gave up my right to inherit my pack, gave up my identity as a designer, and willingly became an accessory.

Eight years had passed. Other than father and son, I had nothing.

Dizzy and light-headed, I watched as Lucian walked in and handed me a box of cake.

"Here. I remember you used to love strawberry flavor."

The cake had been sitting out too long. The strawberries on top had collapsed into the cream.

Was this what Jasmine had left behind?

I raised my hand and threw the cake straight into the trash.

Lucian's eyes instantly narrowed into vertical slits. The oppressive aura of an Alpha swept over me.

"Serena, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"I threw out trash. Why are you so worked up?"

"I specially bought you an anniversary gift. You are completely ungrateful."

"Yes, I am ungrateful. From today on, whatever you buy, I will throw away."

I stared back at him without backing down.

Lucian raised his hand. In the end, his fist did not fall on me. Instead, it smashed hard into our wedding portrait.

The frame fell to the floor and shattered.

Then he turned and left.

I crouched down and silently gathered the broken pieces.

In the mess across the floor, I suddenly realized something.

When I cried, I looked seventy percent like Jasmine Moon.

I did not pick up the shards anymore.

Instead, I picked up the photo and tore it apart.