The Alpha's Rejected Luna

I am Lila, the only daughter of the Silver Pack Alpha.

To secure a century-long alliance between our two packs, I married Ethan, the new Alpha of the Black Pack.

Seven months into my pregnancy, while shopping for baby clothes at a maternity store,

I saw Ethan tenderly stroking his sister-in-law Seraphina's swollen belly.

Hearing their conversation, my heart ached until I could barely breathe.

"Seraphina, thank you for giving me another child. My life as a wolf is complete now."

"It's my honor to carry your bloodline, my beloved Alpha."

After returning home, I hired a private investigator and uncovered the whole truth.

He and Seraphina had been having an affair even before his brother Julian died.

Even before marrying me, he had already designated Seraphina's unborn child as the next Alpha of the Black Pack.

I removed the wedding ring that symbolized our political marriage.

This was the Alpha who had betrayed me from the very beginning. I didn't want him anymore.

I sensed Ethan's presence coming from the entryway and pressed my fingers against the corners of my eyes.

Ethan wrapped his arms around me from behind, resting his chin in the hollow of my shoulder.

He reeked of Seraphina's signature sweet orange perfume, the scent so overpowering it made my nose sting.

"Guess what I brought you."

I turned around and saw him holding a bouquet of lilies.

I reached out to take them and looked up at him.

"I thought you'd bring me the Starlight Brooch."

His expression froze for a moment.

The Starlight Brooch, a Luna heirloom passed down through three hundred years of Black Pack history.

It should have been pinned to my collar on my very first day as part of the Black Pack.

"About that..." Ethan looked down, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the edge of his sleeve.

"I wanted to give it to you at the baby's birthday celebration. That would better show everyone how important you are."

The birthday celebration.

I almost laughed out loud.

Last week, someone in the Pack had leaked news about the Starlight Brooch.

Ethan knew perfectly well that I loved wearing brooches, and as his Luna, I should have received that brooch long ago.

Yet just hours earlier, I had seen him with my own eyes pin that very brooch to Seraphina's collar.

The image the investigator had captured of them kissing in the Alpha's study flooded my mind.

My stomach churned violently. The wolf pup inside me kicked restlessly. I stumbled to the sink and dry-heaved.

Ethan immediately called for the doctor in a panic, but the next second, his phone began vibrating frantically.

Through the speakerphone came Seraphina's delicate, tearful voice.

"Ethan, I slipped on the stairs. My belly hurts so much."

After hearing this, Ethan's face filled with anxiety. He grabbed the doctor and rushed out without a backward glance.

I watched his panicked retreating figure, and tears finally poured from my eyes.

Before Julian died, he had clasped Ethan's hand and entrusted him with caring for his wife and child.

But Ethan had already been involved with Seraphina even then.

When Seraphina was attacked by rogues, he abandoned me on our wedding anniversary to stay by her side all night.

When Seraphina went on a hunger strike, he left me, just after I'd miscarried and lost our first pup, to coax her into eating.

Before, I had thought he was simply protecting his former Alpha's widow out of family loyalty.

I had even convinced my father to deploy Silver Pack's elite forces for his sake,

helping him suppress the elder rebellion within his Pack and secure his position as Alpha.

I never imagined he had calculated everything from the very beginning:

Killing his brother to seize power, using our political marriage to stabilize his position, then carrying on his illicit affair with Seraphina behind my back.

He used me as a tool to consolidate his power, while becoming another woman's support and another pup's father.

With all my strength, I wrenched off my wedding ring and hurled it into the fireplace.

The floor-to-ceiling window reflected my pale, haggard face.

My pregnancy-swollen ring finger, rubbed raw and bloody by the ring, throbbed painfully, and my heart sent sharp stabs of pain through my chest from the emotional turmoil.

After my emotions settled, I dialed the number at the top of my contacts, my voice hoarse. "Mom, I want to come home."

Ethan didn't return all night.

I threw the bouquet of wilted lilies from the entryway vase into the trash without a second thought.

My phone notification reminded me that today was my newborn care class at the nursing center.

I placed my hand over my swollen belly. The pup kicked me gently.

Even though Ethan had been using me all along, the child was innocent.

It was my flesh and blood, my one and only treasure.

I had the butler prepare the car to take me to Silver Pack's exclusive nursing center.

The nursing center's reception hall was filled with soft morning light.

Every waiting couple sat close together, the husband's hand resting on his wife's rounded belly.

They leaned their heads together, speaking softly, occasionally exchanging smiling glances.

I chose the most isolated corner seat and sat down. A familiar scent caught me off guard.

The moment I looked up, my heart froze.

Ethan was carefully supporting Seraphina as they walked toward me from the end of the corridor.

His hand protected her lower back as though escorting a priceless, fragile treasure.

When he looked down at her, his eyes were filled with affection and tenderness he couldn't hide.

I suddenly remembered the week I first learned I was pregnant. On my way back from visiting Silver Pack, I was attacked by three rogues.

After Ethan received the news, he led a team overnight and chased them for three hundred kilometers.

He dragged those rogues back and personally executed them in the Pack council hall in front of all the elders.

I had scolded him through tears for being too impulsive.

He had just assumed the Alpha position. His foundation was unstable, and countless eyes were watching him.

If someone used this against him, they could impeach him before the elder council for overstepping his authority. He would have to give up the position he had fought so hard for.

But he had pulled me into his arms, resting his chin on my head, and said that anyone who dared harm his Luna and pup would pay, even if it cost him his Alpha title.

I had trembled and sobbed in his arms then, thinking I had married the right person.

I could never understand it. The Ethan who had once defied the entire elder council for my sake had been setting me up from the very beginning.

The announcement suddenly crackled over the speakers. "Lila, please proceed to the classroom."

Though only a few rows of seats separated us, Ethan finally noticed me.

His eyes darted away for a moment before he quickly crossed the corridor toward me.

He lifted his hand to tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

"Why didn't you call me? I would have come with you."

I looked past his shoulder toward Seraphina, who sat in the waiting area holding a glass of water.

I swallowed the bitterness rising in my throat and forced a tight smile. "I was afraid you'd be too busy."

Ethan's brow furrowed. He sighed, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness and exhaustion.

"Julian is gone. Seraphina is pregnant and has no one to look after her.

I'm just fulfilling my responsibility to my brother. Don't take it to heart."

Before he finished speaking, Seraphina hurried forward holding her belly, positioning herself in front of Ethan. She grasped my hands, her eyes reddening.

"Lila, please don't misunderstand Ethan. It's all my fault. I shouldn't keep troubling him. I promise I won't ask for his help anymore."

I hadn't even opened my mouth, yet Seraphina's tears were already streaming down her face.

Ethan immediately pulled her protectively into his arms and looked up at me with fury in his eyes.

"Lila, can't you be a little more tolerant? She's my sister-in-law, part of the Black Pack!"

Then what about me? His legitimate Luna, the one who had given everything my entire Pack had for him. What was I?

The nurse walked to my side and gently reminded me again that it was time to enter the classroom.

I turned away and wiped my tears.

From the corner of my eye, I caught Seraphina deliberately tilting her neck to reveal a fresh, crimson bite mark.

In the photos the investigator had sent last night, Ethan had been kissing her on the estate balcony while I waited at home all night.

When the class ended, Ethan was waiting at the door. He took my hand with feigned concern. "How was the class? Are you tired?"

I calmly withdrew my hand. "The nurse said the baby's heartbeat is weak. She told me to stay calm and avoid stress."

Ethan nodded. Down the corridor, Seraphina coughed softly.

He immediately ruffled my hair. "I'll take Seraphina home first. I'll come back to pick you up later."

The last ember of hope in my heart was completely extinguished. I forced a smile and nodded. "Okay."

I stood in the cold wind at the nursing center entrance for three hours. Ethan never appeared.

I pulled out the guarantee letter he had signed and stamped before our wedding. If he ever betrayed our marriage, he would voluntarily relinquish his position as Alpha.

With one click, I sent scanned copies to the elder councils of both Packs, copying my father.

I sent the document to the alliance elder councils of both Packs, as well as to my father.

After returning home, I began packing to leave.

The door was kicked open. Alpha pressure instantly swept through the entire house, making my chest tighten.

Ethan stormed in and seized my wrist, demanding furiously, "If you have complaints, take them out on me!"

I frowned in confusion. The next second, he slammed me hard against the wall. Pain shot through my spine. He unleashed a flood of accusations at me.

"Someone poisoned Seraphina's breakfast with slow-acting wolfsbane, and then she was attacked by rogues! If the guards hadn't arrived in time, she and the baby would both be dead! Lila, you're a murderer!"

The moonstone bracelet on my wrist suddenly snapped. Moonstones scattered across the floor.

He had made it for me by hand when we first confirmed our alliance marriage, engraved with both our wolf insignias.

I winced in pain and met his bloodshot wolf eyes directly. "What are you talking about?"

Footsteps sounded in the hallway.

Seraphina appeared at the doorway, her face pale, leaning against the frame. Her wrist was wrapped in thick bandages.

She bit her lower lip, trembling all over.

"Lila, I know you don't like me, but there's a little life in my belly too. What you did today was too much."

Rage surged through me. I shook off Ethan's grip, my fury boiling.

"I didn't do anything! I would never stoop to such despicable methods to hurt you!"

I advanced on Seraphina angrily. She backed away, tears streaming down her face.

A sharp slap rang out. My cheek burned with stinging pain.

Ethan stood before me, ice-cold, his broad frame completely shielding Seraphina. His wolf claws had emerged, radiating aggression.

I stood frozen. His eyes held anger, contempt, resentment, but not a trace of the trust he once had.

He had once said that no matter what happened, he would trust me unconditionally and stand by my side.

A sudden dropping pain shot through my lower abdomen. I braced myself against the wall and slowly slid to the floor.

But Ethan didn't spare me a single glance. He even moved his foot away in disgust, as if afraid I would contaminate him.

I bit down hard, refusing to show any weakness.

Seraphina's sobs echoed through the room, along with Ethan's low, gentle words of comfort.

I suddenly remembered two years ago during a hunt in the mountain forest. Seraphina and I had both encountered a black bear.

Seraphina had carried a beast-repelling sachet, while I had been notified to participate at the last minute and hadn't had time to prepare.

Yet Ethan's first reaction was to protect her.

Only after confirming Seraphina was completely unharmed did he remember me, still exposed in the bear's line of sight.

I lost control and overturned the tea table beside me. Shattered cup fragments flew, cutting Ethan's hand.

He grunted but immediately checked whether Seraphina was injured. Upon seeing the tiny scratch on her finger, he immediately scooped her up in his arms and coldly ordered the butler.

"Lock the Luna in the dungeon. Without my permission, don't give her any food or water, and don't let anyone visit her. I won't have her going out to harm people again!"

The door slammed shut. The sound of the lock stabbed painfully at my eardrums.

Delayed pain ripped through my belly. I fearfully clutched my abdomen. Warmth trickled between my legs.

My light-colored dress was instantly stained with a large patch of vivid crimson. My mind went blank.

Violent contractions tore through my entire body. I crawled frantically to the door and pounded on it, my voice trembling uncontrollably with terror.

"Ethan, I'm bleeding. Please open the door. Take me to the doctor. I'm going to lose the pup..."

The footsteps outside the door paused, then drew closer. A flicker of hope ignited in my heart.

The door handle turned slightly, followed by Ethan's cold, mocking voice.

"Lila, I won't fall for your childish tricks anymore."

My heart sank. I beat the door frantically.

"Ethan, come back! I'm not lying! My belly really hurts. The baby is in danger!"

Only dead silence answered me.

My phone wasn't with me. Blood flowed more and more. My belly felt like someone was tearing me apart inside.

As consciousness faded, I finally remembered the emergency rescue brooch my mother had given me.

It connected directly to Silver Pack's guard team and emergency doctors.

I used every ounce of strength to drag myself to the corner of the dungeon, fumbled for the brooch hidden in my collar, and pressed the emergency button with all my might.

Then consciousness abandoned me completely, and I collapsed onto the cold, damp stone floor.

When I woke again, the scent of disinfectant and bitter herbs filled my nostrils.

I frantically felt for my belly. It was completely flat. I couldn't sense even a trace of the pup's presence.

Realizing I had lost my most precious treasure, I broke down and sobbed, a dull, hollow ache cutting through me.

The doctor stood nearby and sighed with regret. "If you'd been brought in half an hour earlier, the pup might have been saved."

The second time. This was the second time.

Ethan, you are the one who killed my children.