I Built My Kingdom

The world fell silent in an instant.

Everyone held their breath.

Their expressions shifted from confusion to sheer horror.

Rejection.

In the world of werewolves, it was the cruelest punishment.

A fated mate was a gift from the Moon Goddess, the other half of one's soul.

Rejecting a mate meant tearing your own soul apart.

That kind of pain could break even the mightiest Alpha.

Kael's body shook violently.

The golden thread connecting us, the bond of our matehood, began to crack under my incantation.

"No… Elara… don't…" He reached out to me, his eyes filled with raw terror.

He was afraid.

The fearless Alpha was finally afraid.

I looked at him coldly.

I spoke the second and final line of the ritual. "I, Elara, accept your rejection, Kael."

Those words were meant for the rejected to say.

But I spoke them for him.

I wanted no further ties to him.

As the last word fell, the golden thread snapped with a sharp, clear sound.

"Ah—!" Kael let out a piercing scream and coughed up a spray of blood.

His body collapsed as if all strength had been drained, and he crumpled to the ground.

The severed mate bond dissolved into countless specks of light, lashing back into our bodies.

The agony of a torn soul hit me.

It felt like a blunt knife carved through my spirit, every inch screaming.

My wolf soul let out a mournful cry before falling silent.

My vision darkened, and I bit my lip hard, tasting blood.

I clamped down on my lip, the metallic tang filling my mouth.

I could not collapse.

Not in front of him.

I straightened my back, refusing to fall.

In the square, everyone stood stunned by the scene.

Valerius, the Beta, reacted first and rushed to Kael's side. "Alpha! Alpha!"

Kael lay curled on the ground, convulsing, blood streaming from his eyes, nose, and mouth.

His gaze locked on me, filled with pain, regret, and deep despair.

I looked away, refusing to meet his eyes.

I turned and walked toward the dark forest beyond the pack's borders.

"Stop!" It was Gideon, the pack's general.

He led a group of warriors to block my path.

"Luna… no, Elara, you cannot leave." Gideon's expression was conflicted. "You rejected the Alpha. According to the pack's code, you must be confined."

"Is that so?" I met his gaze, my eyes icy. "Does the code say what punishment an Alpha faces for betraying his Luna?"

Gideon's face froze, and he found no words.

I felt Kael's betrayal.

As his closest Beta and Gamma, they could not have been entirely unaware.

They simply chose silence.

"Move," I said.

"No." Gideon shook his head. "I can't let you leave. You're carrying…"

I cut him off before he could finish. "What I carry is none of your concern."

I spoke coldly. "The moment I rejected Kael, I became a rogue. The child in my womb is just a rogue's child. It does not belong to the Black Moon Pack."

With that, I ignored them and walked forward.

Gideon hesitated.

He did not give the order to attack.

He knew attacking a pregnant woman who had just rejected her mate would cause an uproar.

Especially when that woman was their former Luna.

"Gideon, what are you waiting for?" An elder stepped slowly from the crowd. "She's no longer Luna."

The elder issued a direct order to Gideon. "Gideon! Seize the pack's heir! If she resists, break her limbs and cage her like livestock until she gives birth!"

Gideon's hesitation vanished, replaced by absolute obedience.

They closed in, forming an impenetrable circle around me.

I had no escape.

In my despair, I placed a hand on my abdomen.

"Baby, don't be afraid," I whispered.

My voice carried a madness and resolve I hadn't even noticed in myself. "Even if Mommy has to die, I'll take you out of here!"