Rejected by My Alpha Mate

Three months into my pregnancy, I’d started to notice the subtle changes in my body. My curves were fuller, my appetite larger—natural shifts for a Luna carrying the heir of the Silver Moon Pack. Yet, at a pack gathering, I overheard Savanna, a rogue who had always lingered on the fringes of our territory, whisper the words “Pork Chop” to a group of Deltas. The snickers that followed were like a slap to my face.

My wolf stirred within me, a low growl forming in my mind. *How dare she?* But I swallowed it down, my eyes locking onto Savanna, who immediately feigned innocence, her wide eyes flicking toward Antonio.

“Did you not hear someone insult your Luna like that?” I demanded, my voice sharp enough to cut through the chatter in the room.

Antonio, my mate and Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack, barely glanced up from his drink. “It was just a joke, Maya. Are you really that uptight?”

His indifference stung more than Savanna’s words. I clenched my fists, the bond between us flickering with my anger. Later, I learned this nickname had been Savanna’s creation, a petty jab she’d been spreading behind my back. So, I made a decision. I packed my bags and announced my intention to return to my parents’ territory.

Antonio exploded instantly. “What a drama queen! Just because you’re pregnant, you think you can act however you want? I’m not going to indulge this nonsense!”

But I didn’t feel wronged or angry anymore. I had clarity. I’d chosen carefully, yet I ended up mated to someone so devoid of respect. Without hesitation, I began the preparations to sever our mate bond and end the pregnancy. It wasn’t too late to cut my losses now.

---

The moment I heard “Pork Chop,” something snapped inside me. Before anyone could react, I slammed my glass down on the table, my gaze laser-focused on Savanna.

“Who’s lacking basic manners here? Care to repeat that to my face?”

The room fell into a heavy silence. Savanna’s eyes welled up as she shrank behind Antonio, her voice trembling like a frightened pup.

“Alpha… I-I honestly didn’t know Luna would get so upset! We joke around like this all the time. Does she really hate me?”

Tears began to fall, painting her as if the world had betrayed her.

Almost instinctively, Antonio stepped forward, shielding Savanna, and growled at me in a hushed tone, “Are you crazy? You’re scaring her! It’s just a joke. Do you need to overreact like this?”

His gaze was full of reproach, as if I was the unreasonable villain harming the innocent.

“A joke?” I was shaking with rage, pointing at Savanna. “Isn’t this nickname her invention? What, she can talk behind my back but can’t even own up to it?”

“Enough!”

Antonio’s Alpha tone cut through the room, silencing me instantly. His eyes blazed with anger as he stepped closer, his towering frame casting a shadow over me.

“Luna, are you done yet? Savanna is gentle and timid. How could she possibly make up a nickname to insult you? Even if she let it slip unintentionally, it was among friends. Do you find it amusing to keep harping on it? Look at how aggressive you’re being right now, does it make any sense?”

Every word defended Savanna, trivializing her malice as “unintentional” and “just joking,” while framing my anger as “aggressive.”

Savanna’s tears intensified behind him, tugging at his sleeve with hiccuping sobs:

“Alpha, don’t, don’t fight with Luna because of me! It’s all my fault. I promise I won’t speak out of line again. Luna, I’m sorry...”

Her apology was perfumed with insincerity.

Her crying acted like a match thrown on dry leaves. Antonio’s so-called friends immediately closed in, adding their voices:

“Luna, the Alpha’s right. It’s not a big deal. Savanna already apologized, so let it go, okay?”

“Exactly, we’re just here to have a good time. By dwelling on it, you’re making everyone uncomfortable. The Alpha treats you so well...”

“Savanna is like a little sister to us. Luna, be the bigger person; don’t hold a grudge against a young girl.”

“Hear that?”

With the support of his packmates, Antonio straightened his back, his Alpha aura pulsing with authority. He looked at me coldly, his tone filled with undisguised annoyance.

“Everyone thinks you’re making a mountain out of a molehill! Maya, can you be reasonable? Stop using your pregnancy as an excuse to act out! Apologize to Savanna, and let’s put this behind us!”

Apologize to her? The rogue who had given me a degrading nickname and was now pretending to be the victim?

I looked at the man who defended another female, accused me of being “unreasonable” and “acting out,” at the packmates who blurred right and wrong, and at Savanna, hiding behind Antonio, her tearful eyes still gleaming with some concealed satisfaction...

A wave of nausea roiled in my stomach.

I couldn’t stand another second with this group.

Grabbing my bag, I didn’t even glance at Antonio’s face, which was filled with “you’re unreasonable,” or at Savanna’s fake teary eyes. I turned and left.

---

The night I slammed the door and left, Antonio, for once, didn’t rush to “comfort” his childhood friend but came home instead.

He positioned himself at the bedroom door with a pained look:

“Luna, I was wrong! I just thought since we were all part of the pack, I couldn’t bear to lose face... I promise, I’ll absolutely take your side in the future!”

He took my hand, his tone softening, though his Alpha aura still lingered, trying to exert its influence.

“Even Savanna knows she was wrong; she cried until her eyes were swollen! They all realized they went too far and want to arrange a gathering to formally apologize. Please forgive me this once, okay? For the pup’s sake...”

Mentioning the pup, I touched my stomach, looking at this familiar yet increasingly alien man before me. The bond between us pulsed weakly, a reminder of what we once had. But any residual expectations flared up and died just as quickly.