Pregnant and Rejected: The Alpha's Biggest Mistake

Maya POV

The Annual Pack Gala.

The entire Silver Claw Pack was gathered in the grand hall. Crystal chandeliers dripped light from the vaulted ceiling, and the air grew heavy with the rich scent of roasted meat and expensive wine.

I wore white. A simple, elegant gown that skimmed the floor. I stood beside Liam, playing the part of the dutiful Luna to perfection.

The event was being live-streamed to the entire werewolf network. Thousands of eyes were watching.

Liam took the microphone. He looked handsome, powerful. The perfect Alpha.

"Tonight is a night of celebration!" he announced, his voice booming. "We celebrate our strength. Our future."

He paused, looking out at the crowd with a practiced smile.

"And tonight, I have a special guest. Someone who represents the future of this pack."

My heart stopped. No. He wouldn't. Not here. Not like this.

The doors opened.

Ava Sinclair walked in.

She wore a dress the color of fresh blood. It was tight, deliberately sculpted to show off the slight, undeniable curve of a pregnancy bump.

And around her neck, glittering obscenely under the lights, was the Goldstein engagement necklace.

A gasp went through the room.

Liam stepped down from the stage and took her hand. He led her up the stairs like royalty. He didn't even look at me.

"Ava," he said into the mic, his voice thick with emotion. "My queen. You carry the future of the Silver Claw."

He turned to the camera. "I am announcing that Ava Sinclair will be taking a prominent role in our leadership."

It was a soft launch. A public humiliation.

I stood there, frozen. I felt the eyes of the pack on me. Pity. Scorn. Confusion.

Marc stepped towards me, grabbing my arm urgently. "Luna, come with me. Let's go backstage."

"No," I whispered.

I yanked my arm away. The movement caught Liam's attention.

"Maya, don't make a scene," he Mind-Linked me. His voice was cold in my head. "Go to your room."

I looked at Ava. She was smirking. She touched the necklace, fingering the diamond that was supposed to be mine.

My wolf roared. It wasn't a sound of pain anymore. It was rage.

I stepped forward. I grabbed the necklace around Ava's neck.

"This," I said, my voice shaking, "does not belong to you."

I pulled. The chain snapped.

Ava shrieked. "Liam!"

Liam moved faster than I could react. His hand lashed out.

Smack.

The sound echoed through the silent hall like a gunshot.

The force of the blow knocked me to the ground. I tasted copper. Blood trickled from my lip.

The room went deathly silent. An Alpha hitting his Luna. It was forbidden. It was barbaric.

Liam stood over me, his chest heaving. He looked at his hand, then at me. But there was no regret. Only anger that I had ruined his moment.

"Get her out of here," he snarled to the guards.

He turned back to Ava, checking her neck. "Are you okay, my love?"

I sat on the floor, wiping the blood from my mouth. I looked up. The camera was still rolling. The red light was blinking, capturing every second of his cruelty.

I stood up. My legs shook, but I forced them to hold me.

I looked directly into the camera lens.

"Liam Goldstein," I said. My voice was quiet, but in the silence, it carried like thunder.

"You have tainted our bond. You have betrayed your vows."

Liam turned, his eyes narrowing. "Maya, shut up."

I reached into my mind, finding the thick, golden cord that connected our souls. It was rotting, black and oozing.

"I will sever the link," I said, quoting the warning I gave him years ago. "You will never smell me again. It will be as if I never existed."

I turned and walked out.