Rejected Luna Finds True Love

The scent hit me like a physical blow.

I stood frozen at the entrance to the Silver Creek Pack's ceremonial hall, my hand instinctively moving to rest on my rounded belly where our child grew. Ten years. Ten years of devotion, of building this pack together, of believing in the sacred bond the Moon Goddess had blessed us with. And now, as I breathed in the mingled scents of my mate and another she-wolf, my world tilted on its axis.

Kira Garcia.

Wade's scent clung to her like a second skin, intimate and possessive in a way that made my stomach lurch. She stood near the ceremonial altar where we should have been renewing our mating vows, her dark hair cascading over shoulders that bore the telltale marks of recent intimacy. My enhanced pregnancy senses picked up every detail—the way Wade's cologne had settled into her skin, the satisfied gleam in her amber eyes, the deliberate sway of her hips as she moved through the crowd of pack members.

"Luna Avery!" Beta Marcus Stone appeared at my side, his weathered face creased with concern. "Are you feeling well? You look pale."

I forced a smile, my Luna training kicking in even as my heart shattered. "Just pregnancy fatigue, Marcus. Nothing to worry about."

But everything was wrong. The pack mind-link, usually a comforting hum of shared consciousness, now felt like a weapon turned against me. Flashes of memory that weren't mine flickered through the connection—Wade's hands tangled in dark hair that wasn't mine, whispered promises made in shadowed corners, the taste of lips that had never borne my children.

My wolf, Luna, whimpered inside my mind. *Something's wrong. The bond feels... fractured.*

*I know,* I whispered back, my hand tightening protectively over my belly. *I know.*

The ceremonial hall buzzed with conversation and laughter, pack members dressed in their finest attire to celebrate a decade of what they believed was a strong, unified leadership. Silver streamers hung from the rafters, and the altar was adorned with moonflowers—the traditional symbol of eternal mating bonds. The irony tasted bitter on my tongue.

"Avery." Wade's voice cut through my spiraling thoughts.

I turned to face my mate, my Alpha, the father of my unborn child. He stood tall and commanding in his ceremonial robes, but something was different. His usual warm brown eyes held a distance I'd never seen before, and when I breathed in his scent, I could smell her all over him. Recent. Fresh. Intimate.

"Wade." My voice came out steadier than I felt. "You're late."

He had the grace to look uncomfortable. "Pack business ran long. Border patrol issues."

The lie hit me like a slap. Through the mind-link, I could sense the truth—not border patrol, but stolen moments in the forest with her. My enhanced senses picked up the scent of pine needles and earth on his clothes, the same combination that clung to Kira's skin.

"Of course," I said quietly, my Luna pendant suddenly feeling heavy against my