Rejected Luna's New Dawn

I stood in the doorway of our pack house, frozen in disbelief as Margaret's words hung in the air between us. The folder in her hand might as well have been a silver dagger aimed at my heart. Before I could formulate a response, the sound of an approaching vehicle drew our attention.

"Perfect timing," Margaret said, her thin lips curving into what could barely pass for a smile. "The child has arrived."

A sleek black SUV pulled up to the entrance. The driver's door opened, and my stomach twisted into a painful knot as Ryan stepped out. My mate. My betrayer. He walked around to the passenger side, opening the door for a woman I now recognized from the garage. She emerged gracefully, her hand in his as though it belonged there.

Lyra snarled within me. *Look at how he touches her.*

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to remain composed as they approached. The woman carried a small bundle in her arms—a sleeping child with dark curls peeking out from a blue blanket.

"Luna Olivia," Ryan said formally, his eyes not quite meeting mine. "I'd like you to meet the child we discussed."

*We discussed?* The lie was so blatant I almost laughed. Instead, I stepped forward, my Luna instincts flaring as the child's scent reached me.

The moment the air carried his scent to me, Lyra howled in confirmation of what I already feared. The boy smelled of pine and musk—a perfect blend of Ryan and the she-wolf. Not a cousin. Not an orphan from a distant territory. This was their son.

"May I?" I asked, extending my arms toward the child.

The woman hesitated before reluctantly transferring the sleeping boy to me. As I cradled him against my chest, I caught Margaret watching with calculating eyes, gauging my reaction. I wouldn't give her the satisfaction of seeing me break.

"He's beautiful," I said softly, meaning it despite the pain tearing through me. The innocent child wasn't to blame for the sins of his parents.

"His name is Leo," the woman supplied, her voice honeyed but her eyes sharp. "Leo Brooks."

"Brooks," I repeated, noting it wasn't Mitchell. Not yet, anyway.

"We should get him settled," Margaret interjected. "The nursery has been prepared."

I nodded, carrying Leo inside while acutely aware of Ryan's hand at the small of the woman's back, guiding her into what had been our home. My territory.

Hours later, after the child had been settled and Margaret had finally retired to her quarters, I cornered Ryan in his study. The space that had once been our shared sanctuary now felt like enemy territory.

"Who is she, Ryan?" I demanded, my voice low but steady. "And don't insult me with more lies."

He looked away, his fingers drumming nervously on his desk. "Natasha is just a friend who needed help."

"A friend," I repeated, the word bitter on my tongue. "Is that what you call the woman you were scenting in the garage tonight?"

His head snapped up, eyes widening. "You—"

"Yes, I saw you. On our anniversary." I stepped closer, my voice dropping to a whisper. "That child carries your scent, Ryan. He's your son, isn't he?"

"It's not what you think," he said, still unable to meet my gaze. "Leo is... he's family. A distant cousin who—"

"Stop lying!" My palm slammed against his desk, the sound echoing through the room. "I can smell you on him. I can smell her on him. My Luna senses don't lie, even if my Alpha does."

Ryan's shoulders slumped, but before he could respond, a soft knock interrupted us. The door opened to reveal Natasha, her eyes downcast in a perfect display of submission.

"Forgive me, Luna," she murmured, sinking to her knees before me. "I didn't mean to intrude, but I heard raised voices, and I... I couldn't bear for you to be upset because of us."

Tears streamed down her face as she bowed her head. "Please, Luna Olivia, have mercy on me and my son. We have nowhere else to go. The rogues would kill us if they found us."

As she knelt, I noticed her subtly rubbing her wrist against the leg of a nearby chair, leaving her scent. Marking my territory as her own, even as she begged for my compassion.

"I would never harm your position," she continued, her voice breaking. "I know what you mean to this pack, to Alpha Ryan. I'm just grateful for any kindness you show to Leo."

I looked from her tearful face to Ryan's guilty one, understanding with perfect clarity the performance being orchestrated around me. Natasha wasn't just after my mate—she wanted my title, my home, my life.

And based on the way Ryan was looking at her, she was already winning.