Rejected Luna's Last Howl

The day I miscarried, Bentley, my mate and Alpha of the Silvermoon Pack, was nowhere to be found. That night, Audrey, an Omega from his inner circle, posted a picture of them with a marked bond certificate, their faces glowing.

"Bound by the Moon Goddess, through thick and thin," she wrote.

He quickly commented below, "First time with me, it’ll be smooth sailing."

A flood of congratulations filled the comments. Some pack members, oblivious to the truth, even sent me gift cards as if I were the one being celebrated.

I clenched my teeth through the pain, returning each one with a simple reply, "Wishing you both joy and happiness."

The post was deleted almost immediately.

Then, Bentley, who had been missing all day, called me directly.

"What’s your problem, Madeline? Making her cry and acting like you’re my Luna when I haven’t even marked you yet. Know your place."

In the ten years we’d been together, I’d lost count of how many times this had happened. Every time he sobered up, he’d say it was all just a mistake, a moment of weakness.

The outcome was always the same—I’d break down in tears, then swallow the pain and carry on. But this time, I’d had enough.

When Bentley finally returned, I was still lying on the couch, wrapped in a blanket. The fresh pain from the miscarriage tore through me. He stormed in, not even taking off his coat, and started berating me.

"Madeline, what did you comment last night?"

"We’re all part of the same pack; Audrey’s like a sister to me!"

"How’s she supposed to hold her head high after being mistaken for the other she-wolf?"

I stayed silent while he ranted on.

"To make it up to her, I’ve given her a position in the pack. You need to put out a post clarifying that we’ve broken our mate bond."

"Otherwise, I can’t promise I’ll show up the next time we’re supposed to mark our bond."

Bentley had abandoned me 99 times when we were supposed to solidify our mate bond. The first time, Audrey had cramps, and he ran off to get her medicine. The second time, she had a fever, and he left me standing outside the ceremonial grounds. The third time, she cried alone in the forest after being scared by a rogue. The fifth time, the sixth…

We’d been together for ten years, and he had abandoned me 99 times. This time was the hundredth.

"Mark our bond? Not necessary anymore."

I let out a cold laugh and looked calmly out the window. Bentley suddenly remembered something, his gaze shifting to my stomach.

"Don’t say such things, you’re pregnant, right? Here, have some warm soup. Did you catch a chill last night?"

He handed me a takeout container of thin, unappealing soup. Bits of shrimp and leftover celery floated in it. I lowered my eyes to my phone. Audrey had tried to add me dozens of times since morning. I hadn’t accepted.