Chapter 1 The Alpha’s Rejection

"Get out of my territory, or I will rip your heart from your chest myself!"

The voice no longer belonged to Kael, the husband Selene loved. It was the roar of an Alpha consumed by rage. His voice thundered, making the walls of the cold marble hall tremble. Kael stood tall before his throne. His aura was suffocating, making it difficult for Selene to breathe as her hope withered away.

Selene stood frozen. The floor beneath her feet felt like ice, making her legs shake. Behind her back, her fingers crushed a piece of paper containing medical test results she had picked up this morning. There were two red lines. The news that was supposed to be a gift for their third wedding anniversary now felt like the beginning of her destruction.

"Kael, please. Listen to me first," Selene whispered. Her voice was hoarse and quiet in the middle of the silent room.

At the edge of the hall, the council members began to whisper. Freya stood at the very front, crossing her arms with a thin smile. She forced her face to look as though she felt pity, but her eyes gleamed with delight.

"Listen, Kael. Those photos are not true. I was framed. I never went to that hotel, let alone cheated on you with an Alpha from our enemy!"

"LIAR!" Kael lunged forward with terrifying speed.

In an instant, he was in front of Selene. His powerful hand gripped Selene’s jaw roughly. Selene winced in pain, feeling as if her jawbone might snap. When she looked into Kael’s eyes, her heart felt as if it had stopped beating. The man’s eyes had turned pitch black. There was no longer the soft gaze or the love Selene was used to seeing every morning.

"The scent of another man is clinging to your skin, Selene! I can smell my enemy’s scent on you!" Kael barked directly into her face. His breath felt hot with anger. "Freya saw you herself at that hotel. You were unconscious in the arms of my enemy. You have shamed this pack!"

"Freya is lying, Kael! She gave me a drink that afternoon and I immediately lost consciousness. Please, check the CCTV or ask the guards!"

"Do not dare mention her name with your filthy mouth!" Kael shoved Selene until the woman fell hard onto the floor.

Selene’s body hit the marble with a thud. Her head spun and her stomach suddenly felt nauseous. She curled up, trying to protect her stomach with both hands.

"She is the one who saved my dignity from a woman like you!" Kael continued. His voice was so loud that the chandeliers above them clinked softly.

In the corner of the room, Jace, a young warrior, looked as if he wanted to step forward to help Selene. But his father quickly grabbed his arm. "Do not interfere, Jace. You will only bring trouble upon yourself if you defend her," his father whispered in a terrified voice.

Selene cried, her breath feeling heavy on the cold floor. "Kael, listen. I am pregnant. This is your child. The baby we have been waiting for."

Kael laughed. It was the coldest and most cruel laugh Selene had ever heard. The man leaned down, staring at Selene’s stomach with pure hatred.

"My child?" Kael whispered, but his voice felt incredibly painful. "I feel nothing from you, Selene. There is no bond, no life that I recognize in there. If you are indeed pregnant, it must be the result of your affair. You are carrying an enemy’s child in your womb!"

Selene shook her head. Kael had truly severed their spiritual bond unilaterally. The man hated her so much that he could no longer feel his own flesh and blood growing inside her.

Kael stepped back. He took a deep breath, then suddenly released his Alpha aura by force. The power made everyone in the room instinctively bow their heads.

"I, Alpha Kael of the Silver Moon Pack, declare that Luna Selene has committed treason!" His voice entered the minds of every pack member, no matter where they were.

Selene’s eyes widened. She tried to crawl on the floor and reach for Kael’s feet. "Kael, don't! I beg you, do not break the bond! This baby could die!"

Kael did not care. His eyes stared straight ahead as if Selene were completely worthless.

"I, Alpha Kael, REJECT you, Selene, as my mate and my Luna!"

CRACK!

Selene screamed loudly. An extraordinary pain struck her soul. It felt much worse than any physical wound she had ever experienced. The spiritual bond given by the Moon Goddess was forcibly severed. Blood began to leak from Selene’s nose and the corners of her eyes because of the intense internal pressure. She fell again, huddling and trembling in shock.

"You are no longer my mate. You are no longer my Luna," Kael said in a flat voice. "From now on, you are a Rogue. You have no name, no home, and no protection. Anyone who helps you will be considered my enemy."

Kael turned and walked away without looking back even once. His footsteps sounded firm on the marble floor.

"Be gone before sunset. If you are still here after that, the guards will hunt you like a wild animal."

Selene lay on the floor, her breath coming in short gasps. Her heart felt shattered and raw. But in the midst of the pain, she felt a small throb in her stomach. The pulse did not disappear. Even though her relationship with Kael was destroyed, the bond between her and her child felt even stronger. That warmth was what kept Selene conscious.

Kael stopped at the door of the hall. He did not turn around, but his cold voice was clearly audible. "Never appear before me again, Selene. To me, you and your child are already dead."

Selene wiped the blood from her lips with a trembling hand. She tried to sit up, then suddenly let out a small laugh. Her voice was hoarse and sounded pathetic, but it was full of a new kind of hatred. Several warriors who saw her felt a shiver run down their spines.

"You threw away a wife who was sincere to you just because of a cheap frame-up, Kael," Selene said. Her voice was calm but sounded incredibly strong. "Today you severed our bond. You broke your vow. Remember these words of mine."

Selene took a long breath and stared at Kael’s back.

"One day, you will kneel before me. You will beg for forgiveness from the woman you insulted today. And when that time comes, Kael, I will make sure you can never return to me again."

With the last of her strength, Selene stood up. Her legs were weak, but she refused to fall again. She walked slowly toward the exit, passing the people who used to respect her but now looked at her with disgust. She stepped outside, straight into the storm that was beginning to rage.

A strong wind hit her face, washing away the remaining tears and blood. She did not look back at the luxurious building, or at the man who had just destroyed her life.

Beneath the flashes of lightning, Selene gently stroked her stomach. She was no longer alone. Inside her, there was a power beginning to stir, a secret that would eventually become the downfall of the Silver Moon Pack.

"Goodbye, Alpha Kael. Celebrate your victory for now. Because when we meet again, you are no longer my master. You are merely my prey."