Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by Another Pack

At my birthday party, my fianc's widowed sister-in-law Lira announced to everyone:

I'm pregnant, and the child is Kael's.

Kael, my fianc, the current Alpha of Blackrock Pack.

I looked at Kael, waiting for him to deny it, but he lowered his eyes and nodded coolly:

The child is mine. My brother died under Rogue claws trying to save me. I owe him my life, so now I'm giving him a child in return. Consider it repayment.

Then he finally raised his head to look at me, without a trace of apology in his eyes:

"But Lira and I are innocent. This child is from IVF. Our wedding will be postponed. We'll decide what to do after she gives birth."

Later, I heard Kael and Lira having sex in the study.

So the so-called innocence was all a lie.

My heart shattered in an instant.

Numbly, I dialed my father's phone.

"Dad, about the arranged marriage you mentioned beforeI agree."

The moment I hung up, I turned around to see Lira standing in the shadows of the corridor.

She leaned against the stone wall, toying with a delicate porcelain cup in her hands.

"Elara," she held the cup out to me, "help me take this herbal tea to the kitchen and warm it up. It's gone cold."

That arrogant manner, as if she were already the Luna of Blackrock Pack.

I glanced at her deliberately loosened collar and sneered: "Are your hands broken?"

She'd ordered me around like this plenty of times before, using various trivial matters to test my boundaries.

Back then, for Kael's sake, I'd endured it all.

But now that I'd agreed to my father's arranged marriage, I didn't need to tolerate her for another second.

Lira didn't get angry. Instead, she moved closer and lowered her voice:

"I heard everything you said to your father on the phone."

My eyes sharpened.

She smiled even more sweetly, her hand slowly covering her abdomen:

"Since you want to leave, I'll help you out."

The next second, she suddenly grabbed my wrist and threw herself toward the ground.

A dull thudshe fell onto the stone floor.

And I was violently pushed to the ground by a sudden force.

A piercing pain shot through my ankle where my old injury was.

Six months ago during the winter hunt, Kael had led a squad deep into the border and been ambushed by dozens of rogues, suffering severe injuries.

I'd dragged himtwice my weightout of the ambush circle, killing our way through.

But at the last moment, a rogue hiding in the shadows shot a silver arrow into my ankle.

The doctor said the silver weapon was soaked in wolf's bane, enough to kill a full-grown adult wolf.

I'd endured the excruciating pain and dragged Kael back from death's door.

When Kael woke up then, he held my trembling body with tears in his eyes:

"Elara, you gave me this life. I'll never let you get hurt again for as long as I live."

But now?

The moment anything involved Lira, he completely lost control.

He rushed over and without asking whose fault it was, shoved me to the ground.

Then he turned to help Lira up, gently asking if she was hurt.

He didn't spare me a single glance as I trembled in pain.

Lira nestled pitifully in his arms, pulling his hand to cover her abdomen as she complained tearfully:

"I just asked Elara to warm up some herbal tea for me, and she pushed me down."

Kael glared at me viciously and roared:

"Do you know how much suffering Lira has endured to preserve a bloodline for my brother? How can you be so vicious as the future Luna of the Pack? If anything happens to this child, our engagement is over!"

I forced myself to smile through the searing pain in my ankle:

"If she wants to get pregnant, why bother with artificial insemination? You could just sleep with her directly. You'd both enjoy it and get a baby. Wouldn't that be more convenient?"

Kael's face turned livid with anger.

"Elara, when did you become so vulgar? This is my sister-in-law. I won't allow you to insult her like this!"

Lira buried herself in Kael's arms, crying even harder, her shoulders trembling slightly.

I pulled out a bitter smile and said to Kael, "Let's break off our engagement."

Lira made a show of trying to get out of Kael's arms, but he held her even tighter.

"Kael, don't blame Elara. I just felt dizzy and lost my balance. I'm finego comfort Elara."

Kael patted her back soothingly, then turned to me coldly:

"Elara, when will you be as sensible as Lira?"

Lira suddenly gasped softly, clutching his sleeve weakly:

"Kael, my stomach hurts so much. Can you carry me back to the bedchamber to rest?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Kael immediately scooped her up and rushed toward the bedchamber without the slightest pause.

I couldn't hold it in anymore and shouted at his retreating back:

"Kael, are you blind? My wolf's bane injury has relapsedcan't you see?"

He only paused for a second, then carried Lira away even more determinedly without looking back.

My throat tightened, and tears fell uncontrollably.

I could only support myself against the stone wall and limp back to my guest room to treat my wound.

All night long, Kael never showed up.

Well, in the past whenever we fought, I was always the one who gave in first, the one who went to comfort him.

But not this time. Never again.

Late that night, the pain kept me from sleeping, so I decided to go for a walk in the garden.

As I passed Kael's study, I saw the light was still on inside.

I hadn't planned to stop, but the voices inside made me freeze.

Lira's voice was soft and tearful.

"Kael, I keep having nightmares tonight, dreaming of the day Rurik left, covered in blood..."

She choked up.

"Can you let me stay here for a while? I feel so cold alone in the bedchamber."

After a brief silence, Kael's voice sounded, low and restrained:

"Have a maid keep you company. It's not appropriate for me to stay with you."

"I don't want a maid."

"Kael, you smell like Rurik. It soothes my heart."

Hearing Lira's words, my heart clenched violently.

Lira didn't wait for Kael's response and continued:

"I don't have any other intentions. I just want this child to be close to his father."

"Feel thishe's already moving. Kael, you promised Rurik you'd protect us, didn't you?"

Standing at the door listening to their conversation, I hazily recalled the five years I'd been with Kael.

Kael and I had been through countless things together, but he'd never had sex with me.

He said he wanted to save the most sacred act of making love for our wedding night.

I believed in his restraint, believed he would keep his boundaries.

But even if Kael hadn't crossed the line, he still had a child with Lira.

That fact alone was like a knife stabbing into my heart.

I still remembered five years ago, the first time I saw Kael at the academy training groundsI fell for him at first sight.

Kael was the most dazzling presence at the academy then, never lacking admirers.

But I knew he had a thorn in his heart.

After his brother died, everyone said he only became Alpha because of his brother's death.

He desperately wanted to prove himself, but always lived in the shadow of not being as good as Rurik.

So I hid my identity as the only daughter of Whitepeak Pack's Alpha and pretended to be a lone wolf.

I pursued him for half a year before he finally agreed to be with me.

He hated being deceived, so when he found out I was the heir to the most powerful pack in North America, he was angry with me for half a month.

I coaxed him for a long time before he finally forgave me.

Back then, my whole heart and eyes were filled with him.

Whatever he said, I agreed to.

He said he didn't like me using Whitepeak Pack's resources, afraid people would say he was living off me, so I put away all the premium herbs my father sent.

He said he wanted to establish himself on his own merit, so I only helped him quietly behind the scenes, not daring to let him know.

The only time he actively asked for help was during the winter when Blackrock Pack had internal rebellion.

At that time, Blackrock Pack faced both internal and external troubles.

I pestered my father until Whitepeak Pack provided Blackrock Pack with supplies to get through winter, helped him suppress the rebellious forces within the pack, and even helped him fend off three ambushes from rogues.

Kael proved himself capable, stabilizing Blackrock Pack's situation completely in just one year.

He held me then and said I would be his only woman in this life.

But at this moment, through the crack in the door, I could clearly see Lira kneeling on the carpet in front of Kael, her soft chest pressed tightly against his legs, rubbing gently.

Her tears slid down her cheeks as she looked up at Kael, fragile and devout.

"Kael," she said softly, "I don't expect anything from you. I just want this child to feel his father's warmth before birth. Just oncepretend it's Rurik holding us."

Kael's hand, which had been about to push her away, slowly lowered.

I didn't want to watch anymore and fled toward the bathroom.

With Lira seducing him like this every day, how could two adults living together day and night truly not do anything?

It didn't matter anymore.

Since I'd already decided to leave, whatever happened between him and Lira had nothing to do with me.

It's just that five years of feelings had ultimately been fed to the dogs.

Cold water splashed on my face before I could barely suppress my churning emotions.

I'd just reached the staircase when I ran into Lira.

"Elara," she looked at me smugly, "you saw everything just now, didn't you?"

I tried to turn and leave, but she grabbed my arm.

"I got a good thing last night. I want to show you."

She held up a wolf fang pendant in front of me.

That wolf fang pendant was Blackrock Pack's heirloom, traditionally passed only to the Luna.

Kael had said this pendant would be placed around my neck by his own hands on our wedding day.

It was his promise to me.

I stared at the pendant, my heart aching in waves.

"Look familiar?" Lira spun the pendant between her fingers.

"Kael put it on me himself. He said this wolf fang should have belonged to his future Luna, but this child and I need protection more than any Luna."

She leaned close to my ear and whispered:

"I'll tell you another secretthis child isn't from any artificial insemination."

"Kael has slept with me many times. The first time, he was so nervous his whole body was shaking."

"Elara, don't you mind that you're with a man who's slept with me?"

In the past, with my temper, I would have slapped her across the face.

But these five years with Kael had smoothed too many of my rough edges, dimmed too much of the sharpness that belonged to the heir of Whitepeak Pack.

Instead of getting angry, I smiled and looked into her eyes:

"You two sleeping around behind Rurik's backif he knew, he'd probably strangle you both, you filthy pair!"

"That child in your belly is even more unfortunate. Should it call Kael 'daddy' or 'uncle' in the future?"

"Elara, you!"

Lira trembled with rage.

"You two are perfect for each other, both disgusting!"

Unable to out-argue me, she grabbed a nearby vase and smashed it toward my head.

The vase flew past my scalp and shattered against the stone wall with a crash.

Hearing the commotion, Kael rushed in immediately.

Thinking I'd made the first move, he lunged forward and grabbed my throat.

His eyes churned with towering fury, as if he wanted to kill me on the spot.

"I'm the one who postponed the wedding. I'm the one who decided to keep this child. Why do you keep targeting Lira?"

"She's pregnantcan't you give her a break? I've told you so many times that nothing happened between us!"

Just then, Lira called out tearfully:

"Kael, glass shards cut my legit's bleeding..."

Kael immediately released his grip on my throat and rushed to her side.

"Don't be afraid. I'll take you to the doctor right now."

With that, he carried Lira away without looking back, leaving me standing there.

Blood was flowing from the wound on my arm, but from beginning to end, he never saw it.

Enduring the pain, I called a car and went to Whitepeak Pack's hospital alone.

I'd just finished treating my wound when I ran into Kael carrying Lira as they rushed to the emergency room.

Seeing me, his face instantly filled with annoyance: "Are you following us?"

"Elara, how many times have I told youLira is my sister-in-law. There's nothing between us. If you keep being unreasonable like this, our engagement is completely over!"

I said coldly: "I'm not so idle as to follow you two, much less bother her."

Only then did Kael finally notice the thick bandage on my arm, still seeping blood.

A flash of guilt crossed his face. He stepped forward, wanting to touch my arm, and opened his mouth to explain:

"Elara, Lira is pregnant. I was just anxious to take care of her. I was too impulsive earlier. Let me register you for an appointment."

I looked at Kael's anxious face and scoffed.

This world was truly ironic.

If Rurik knew that the brother he'd died to save not only slept with his woman but also got her pregnant, he probably couldn't rest in peace even in death.

The next second, Lira's tearful voice came from the examination room:

"Kael, I'm scared. Can you come in and stay with me?"

Kael immediately withdrew his outstretched hand and turned to me:

"Elara, handle it yourself first. Lira is timidI need to go in with her."

With that, he turned and rushed into the examination room without another glance at me.

I had to completely cut ties with a man like this, the sooner the better.

On Saturday, there was a joint gathering hosted by the three major packs. All the outstanding young members attended.

I accepted the invitation, just wanting to clear my head.

But I didn't expect to see Kael there with Lira.

Kael, Lira, and I had all attended the same academy.

Back at the academy, Lira had pursued Kael just as crazily as I had.

In the end, I wonI moved Kael's heart and we got together.

And Lira turned around and married Kael's brother, the former Alpha of Blackrock Pack, Rurik.

After the banquet began, Kael sat beside Lira, patiently cutting the venison on her plate.

He carefully reminded her: "Don't be picky. Eat more venisonit's good for the baby's development."

A packmate nearby teased:

"Kael, you're so good to your sister-in-law. You gave her the whole tenderloin. Aren't you afraid Elara will be upset?"

He smiled, his tone flat: "Elara doesn't like this."

The people around could see my face had darkened and tactfully changed the subject.

"Will we be attending Elara and Kael's wedding soon?"

"Back in school, I envied Kael for finding such a beautiful and capable mate."

I couldn't take it anymore and raised my hand to interrupt them:

"Stop, everyone stop! You're all welcome to attend my wedding, but not mine and Kael's. We've already broken off our engagement. The groom is someone else."

"Elara!"

Kael ground out my name through clenched teeth, his hand balled into a tight fist.

He quickly explained to everyone:

"Sorry, everyone. Elara is just talking out of anger. Our wedding will happenit's just postponed a few months."

Hearing this, the people around thought I was just throwing a tantrum and turned to persuade me.

"The wedding is just delayed a few months. You and Kael have been together for so many yearswhat's a few more months?"

"Exactly, it's not a big deal."

With Kael's explanation, it seemed like I was the one being unreasonable.

Using the excuse of needing air, I left the banquet hall and walked to the deep forest pool behind the gathering grounds.

I was staring at the water when Lira's voice suddenly came from behind me:

"If I were you, I would have told everyone the truth just now."

I turned to glance at her, about to speak, when the woman in front of me suddenly reached out and pushed me into the deep pool.

The icy water instantly enveloped me. I'd been afraid of deep water since childhoodKael knew this.

He'd suggested many times that we hunt at the border lakes, but I'd refused.

He said the best way to overcome fear was to face it head-on.

But I was terrified of this endless cold, terrified of the suffocating feeling of sinking underwater.

"Splash"someone jumped into the pool.

I thought it was Kael coming to save me.

But he swam right past me without even touching me, heading straight for Lira standing by the pool's edge and pulling her tightly into his arms.

Love and indifference were clear at a glance.

In that moment, my heart went completely cold. I didn't even have the strength to struggle, letting my body slowly sink to the bottom.

Just as my consciousness blurred and despair filled my heart, a pair of strong hands suddenly wrapped around my waist, lifting me up from the depths.

He swam me to shore. Seeing I was unconscious, he immediately bent down and gave me CPR.

Just as his lips were about to cover mine again, an angry roar rang out:

"What are you doing to my fiance?"