Rejected by My Alpha Mate

On the day Lena Ward, Demetrius King’s radiant inspiration, gave birth to their pup, the Nightfang Pack stationed ten warriors outside the hospital to ensure I wouldn’t cause a scene. But even after the delivery, I didn’t make an appearance.

Eileen Silva, the former Luna and my mother-in-law, held Lena’s hand and sighed, “Lena, with us here, Anika won’t ever be able to harm you or the pup.”

Demetrius, my mate and the Alpha of the Nightfang Pack, stood by Lena’s side, wiping away her sweat with a look of deep concern. “Don’t worry, Mother. Father’s warriors are stationed outside. If Anika dares to come, we’ll have her thrown out.”

When it became clear that I wasn’t going to appear, he finally let out a sigh of relief. He couldn’t understand why I was so upset when he was simply trying to fulfill Lena’s wish to be a mother. Watching the newborn pup wail in the nurse’s arms, he smiled with satisfaction, thinking that if I would just apologize to Lena the next day, he would overlook all past disputes and even let me be the pup’s mother.

Yet he didn’t know I had just submitted an application to the Moonstone Pack’s central healing facility. In a week, I’d renounce my residency in the Nightfang Pack, become a borderless healer, and sever all ties with him forever.

***

The day Demetrius helped Lena out of the maternity center, I had just finished my handover at the Nightfang Pack’s healing center. As I reached the entrance, I could hear laughter and joy from inside.

“This pup is so beautiful, with markings just like our Demetrius. Lena, you’ve truly brought honor to our family!” Eileen cooed over the pup in her arms, while Demetrius brought out a steaming cup of herbal tea from the kitchen. “Lena, you’ve been through so much. I made this myself. You need to build your strength.”

He sat beside her, tenderly offering Lena the tea as if they were one big happy family. James Silva, the former Alpha and my father-in-law, played with a rattle, a wide grin on his face. “This pup is as delightful as his mother. Thank the Moon Goddess he doesn’t take after Anika—a healer for a mother would be such a drag.”

I tightened my grip on the door handle. I remembered the pride James had shown when we first met, boasting about having a healer for a daughter-in-law. But now, he spoke as if a healer couldn’t have a family.

I lowered my gaze, a bitter smile pulling at my lips. Demetrius and I had been mates for three years, and at one point, we had dreamed of having a pup of our own. But a tragic accident took that from us, leaving my body unable to bear pups ever again. I was devastated when I found out, but Demetrius had held me, promising that I was the only one he wanted to have pups with. He had even agreed to