Rejected by My Alpha Mate

The invitation to Elena's tea gathering arrived on my desk like a death sentence. Embossed lettering on cream-colored cardstock, her handwriting as elegant and cold as she was.

"Luna Christina," Marcus said quietly, appearing at my office door. "You don't have to go."

I smoothed my navy dress—the one Daniel once said brought out the blue in my eyes—and squared my shoulders. "Yes, I do."

The sitting room in Elena's wing of the pack house was filled with the scent of jasmine tea and barely concealed animosity. Pack wives and female council members sat in a semicircle around Elena, their faces a study in practiced neutrality.

"Christina," Elena's voice carried across the room as I entered. "How lovely that you could join us."

The seat she gestured to was slightly apart from the others, as though my presence might contaminate them. I took it with a smile that felt like glass cutting into my cheeks.

"We were just discussing Alessia's remarkable healing abilities," Elena continued, pouring tea into delicate porcelain cups. "Such a gift for our pack."

"Alessia's knowledge of herbal medicine is quite extensive," offered Martha, one of the elder pack wives. "She's already helped my Henry with his arthritis."

"And she has such natural talent," Elena added, her eyes flicking to me. "Some gifts can't be forced, you know. They either come naturally... or they don't."

The room fell silent. I felt every eye on me.

"I'm sure Alessia is very talented," I said carefully.

"Yes," Elena agreed, her smile sharp as a blade. "Unlike some who've failed in their most basic duties."

The pitying glances started then—sidelong looks from women who had once sought my guidance as Luna.

"Seven failed pregnancies," someone whispered, just loud enough. "Poor Alpha Daniel."

"Perhaps the Moon Goddess knows what she's doing," Elena said, her voice carrying over the murmurs. "Strong bloodlines matter in leadership."

I set my teacup down before my trembling hands betrayed me.

---

"Daniel," I said, closing the door to his office behind me. "We need to talk."

He looked up from his desk, his expression guarded. "About?"

"About us." I stepped closer, my heart pounding. "About the mate bond."

His jaw tightened. "What about it?"

"It's deteriorating." I pulled at the collar of my shirt, revealing the mate mark that had begun to fade at the edges. "And I know why."

Daniel stood slowly, his Alpha aura filling the room like smoke. "Be careful, Christina."

"I'm done being careful." My voice shook with emotion. "I'm done watching you parade Alessia through our home, through our pack. I'm done being lied about."

"Those medical records—"

"Were a lie!" I shouted, my control slipping. "Seven failed pregnancies? We had two miscarriages, Daniel. Two! And you held me through both of them."

His eyes flashed dangerously. "Lower your voice."

"No." I stepped closer, my own power rising to meet his. "I'm threatening to break our mate bond."

The words hung between us like a physical thing. Daniel's face went white, then red with fury.

"You wouldn't dare," he growled, his Alpha command lashing out at me.

I gasped as pain shot through our bond, radiating from my mark and into my chest. "Daniel, stop—"

"You are MY mate," he snarled, his eyes glowing with Alpha power. "MINE!"

The command hit me like a physical blow, forcing me to my knees. My wolf whimpered inside me as Daniel manipulated our bond, using it as a weapon.

"Never threaten me again," he said, his voice deadly quiet. "Never."

---

The path through my family's inherited territory was overgrown with summer weeds. Marcus walked beside me in silence until we reached the old oak tree that marked the boundary line.

"I found something," he said finally, his voice low despite being alone in the forest. "Something you need to see."

He pulled a leather-bound notebook from his jacket. "I've been tracking the pack finances for months now."

"Why?" I asked, still raw from my confrontation with Daniel.

Marcus adjusted his glasses nervously. "Because things didn't add up. Especially after Alessia returned."

He opened the notebook, revealing pages of meticulous notes and calculations. "There have been large withdrawals from pack funds. Unexplained. Unapproved."

My breath caught. "How large?"

"Enough to buy a healer certification from a disreputable source." Marcus's eyes met mine. "Enough to pay off rogue wolves for protection."

"Rogue wolves?" I whispered, the pieces beginning to fall into place.

Marcus nodded grimly. "I think Daniel's been dealing with them behind the pack's back. And I think Alessia's position—her credentials—are all part of it."

The forest seemed to darken around us as the implications sank in. My mate wasn't just betraying me personally—he was betraying the entire pack.

"What are we going to do?" Marcus asked quietly.

I stared at the notebook in my hands, then back toward the pack house where Daniel and Alessia were probably sharing another intimate moment.

"We're going to find proof," I said, my voice steadier than it had been in weeks. "And then we're going to stop them."

As we turned to head back, I caught a flash of movement in the trees—a figure watching us from the shadows. The Moon Goddess help us if Daniel had already discovered our suspicions.