After My Alpha Rejected Me, I Became Lycan Queen

The pregnancy test trembled between my fingers as I paced the length of Knox's office. The two pink lines had appeared like a miracle—a secret I'd been carrying for weeks now. My hand instinctively moved to my still-flat stomach, cradling the tiny life growing inside me.

"Knox will be so happy," I whispered to myself, though my voice wavered with uncertainty. "He has to be."

The annual Moonlight Gala was in full swing beyond the heavy oak doors, the sounds of music and laughter filtering through. I'd slipped away from the celebration, unable to bear another minute of watching Knox and Izabella dance together while I stood alone at the edges of the ballroom.

I glanced at my reflection in the window. The silver gown Knox had chosen for me hung loosely around my frame—I'd lost weight in recent weeks, my appetite vanishing as the distance between us grew wider.

"He'll listen tonight," I promised myself, straightening my shoulders. "A baby changes everything."

I practiced the words again, rehearsing how I would tell him. "Knox, I know things have been strained lately, but..." No, too hesitant. "Knox, despite everything, the Moon Goddess has blessed us..." Too formal. Perhaps simply, "I'm pregnant."

My wolf—or rather, the space where my wolf should be—remained silent within me. Fifteen years of waiting, and still nothing. The emptiness there had become a constant ache, a reminder of why Knox might be pulling away.

The door swung open without warning.

"Alpha," I began, the words dying on my lips as I took in the sight before me.

Knox wasn't alone. Izabella Brooks clung to his arm, her crimson dress a stark contrast to my silver one. Her lips curved into a smirk as she took in my disheveled appearance.

"Little wolfless," she purred, the nickname cutting through me like a blade. "Skulking in the Alpha's office again?"

I straightened, clutching the pregnancy test behind my back. "I was just leaving."

"Not yet," Knox said, his voice colder than I'd ever heard it. "There's something that needs to be settled tonight."

The room suddenly felt smaller as three Council Elders filed in behind them, their faces solemn and expectant. Vance Brooks—Izabella's father—stood among them, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

"Averie," Knox began, his voice taking on the formal timbre I'd come to dread. "It's time we addressed our... situation."

My heart hammered against my ribs. This wasn't how I'd imagined telling him about the baby. "Knox, if this is about the exhibition—"

"It's about our future," he cut me off. "The future of this pack."

Izabella's smile widened as she pressed herself closer to Knox's side.

"I've made my decision," Knox announced, his eyes deliberately avoiding mine. "I cannot allow a mate bond to interfere with what's best for Silver Moon."

The air in the room seemed to thicken, pressing against my chest. "What are you saying?"

Knox's gaze finally met mine, and I saw nothing of the boy who had once promised to protect me forever.