Mate Rejects, Truth Reveals

The first sign came during the morning meal preparation.

"Luna," Maya, one of the kitchen staff, said without looking up from the vegetables she was chopping. Her tone was flat, devoid of the respect that had once colored every interaction. "We'll need more provisions for tonight's dinner."

I stood in the doorway of the pack kitchen, Finley sleeping in my arms, and felt the shift like a physical blow. Maya had always been one of my strongest supporters, often staying late to help with pack events. Now she barely acknowledged my presence.

"Of course," I managed, my voice steady despite the tremor in my chest. "What do you need?"

"Ask Beta Marcus," she replied curtly, finally meeting my eyes with a look that made my stomach clench. "He's handling provisions now."

The dismissal was clear. I was no longer considered capable of managing even basic Luna duties. As I turned to leave, I caught the whispered conversation between Maya and another kitchen worker.

"Can't believe she's still trying to act like nothing happened."

"Did you see the livestream? Pathetic."

"That baby doesn't even look like the Alpha. Poor thing, having a mother like that."

My arms tightened protectively around Finley, who stirred slightly at my increased tension. Each word felt like a dagger, but I forced myself to walk away with what dignity I could muster.

The pack meeting that evening was worse.

Dane had insisted I attend, claiming it was important for pack unity that I maintain my Luna responsibilities. But as I entered the great hall, the conversations died to pointed whispers. Eyes followed my movement to the Luna's chair beside Dane's throne, and I could feel the weight of their judgment pressing down on me like a suffocating blanket.

"As I was saying," Dane continued his address to the pack, not acknowledging my arrival, "loyalty is the foundation of our strength. Without it, we are nothing."

I tried to focus on his words, but the hostile stares from pack members made concentration impossible. Sarah, who had once been a close friend, now looked at me with undisguised disgust. Tom, the head warrior, shook his head when our eyes met, as if disappointed in my very existence.

When Dane opened the floor for pack concerns, Elder Morrison stood first.

"Alpha," he began, his weathered face grave, "there are questions about the Luna's... recent behavior. Some of us wonder if it's appropriate for her to continue in her position given the circumstances."

My breath caught. This was it—the moment I'd been dreading since the naming ceremony. I started to rise, to defend myself, but Dane's voice cut through the air like a blade.

"The Luna will continue her duties as assigned," he said, his Alpha tone brooking no argument. But there was no warmth in his defense, no protection. It felt more like a punishment than support. "Any concerns about pack leadership should be directed to me."

The message was clear: I was to remain in position to be humiliated, not because I deserved the role, but because Dane willed it. The pack members exchanged glances, some looking almost disappointed that the confrontation had been cut short.

After the meeting, as pack members filed out, I overheard fragments of conversations that made my heart sink further.

"He should just reject her properly and be done with it."

"Lacey would make a much better Luna."

"That child will never be accepted as heir. Not after what she did."

I remained seated until the hall emptied, my hands trembling in my lap. When I finally stood to leave, Dane was waiting by the door, his expression unreadable.

"You will attend all pack functions," he said quietly, his voice devoid of the warmth that had once made my heart race. "You will fulfill your duties. But don't mistake my allowing you to keep the title for forgiveness."

The walk back to my chambers felt endless. Pack members I passed in the corridors either ignored me completely or watched with barely concealed contempt. The respect I'd worked years to build, the relationships I'd cherished, all of it had crumbled in a matter of days.

Lacey's influence was everywhere—in the turned backs, the whispered conversations that stopped when I approached, the way former allies now looked through me as if I were invisible. She'd orchestrated my social destruction with surgical precision, turning my own pack against me while positioning herself as the wronged party who was graciously helping Dane through this difficult time.

As I reached my door, I could hear laughter from Dane's office down the hall. Lacey's voice carried clearly, warm and intimate in a way that made my chest ache with familiar pain.

"You're handling this so well, Dane. The pack needs strong leadership during times like these."

I closed my door softly, shutting out the sound of my mate finding comfort in another woman's arms while I faced the ruins of everything I'd once believed in. Finley stirred in her bassinet, and I picked her up, holding her close as tears I'd been fighting all day finally began to fall.

The pack had made their choice. Now I had to figure out how to survive it.