Once a Rejected Luna, Now a Rising Queen

Ella's POV

My mate, Draven Blackthorn, the powerful Alpha of the Blackthorn Pack, brought his chosen she-wolf home on our seventh mating anniversary.

Freya is finally carrying my pup. You must look after her, her safety will be your priority. If the baby is a male, he will be the rightful heir and future Alpha of the Blackthorn Pack.

He spoke as he pulled out a chair for the omega named Freya Hart, but he never even bothered sparing me a single glance.

Shes fragile and easily unsettled, so try not to be difficult. Dont let your jealousy ruin what should be a joyful night for everyone.

The Alpha added.

I said nothing.

Instead, I just reached for my travel bag and headed toward the door.

Sensing I truly meant to leave, Freyas eyes instantly filled with tears. A perfect act she wore, like it's part of her skin.

She rose quickly and said:

Alpha Draven, please dont. I should be the one to back away. No, Im already thankful that Luna Ella doesnt despise me. Please, dont fight over me.

Stop worrying about her. Shell return soon enough. Once my temper ignites, shell crawl back begging at my feet, I am sure of it.

Alpha Draven said coldly as he eased Freya back into her chair.

Freya's mother, who had arrived with her, sneered with contempt.

What claim does a barren she-wolf have to the title of Luna? She's useless. Freya, eat. You carry my grandpup, the future Alpha. A wolf who cant bear young is no different than a broken fang. Who else would want her?

They didnt realize my decision to leave wasnt out of emotionit was final.

I had no intention of ever stepping a paw back into that packhouse again.

Just as I reached the entrance, Draven called out, his voice as commanding as ever.

Ella Moonfall.

Give that pregnant stray dog youve been sheltering to Freya. Shes always wanted another creature to give birth around the same time as her.

I froze.

Outside, the small injured fox-like pup tied beneath the trees gave a whine, sensing me.

I remembered how Alpha Draven had once kicked the tiny creature with disgust when Id tried to feed her.

I had begged him on my knees to let me keep her. Hed agreedbarelybut only if I left her outside, chained.

Now, all it took was a whim from Freya, and suddenly he was sentimental.

When I didnt respond, Alpha Draven clicked his tongue in annoyance.

Its just a beast. Dont act like its your pup. Youre not really attached, are you?

Attached? Perhaps not. But what of the seven years I had stood beside him?

I clenched my fists, swallowing my own voice.

Saying no meant punishment. Id learned that well.9

Draven demanded I fetch it.

I said no. I wasnt well.

In response, the guards dragged me out into the thunder and rain and dumped me in the mountains dark heart.

I barely survived the descent, slipping down a muddy ravine on the way back, nearly losing my life.

The memory made my fingers tremble. I knelt and lifted the tiny creature. She purred weakly, thinking it a game.

Be kind to her, I said softly to Freya.

The Alpha seemed pleased at my compliance and offered what he thought was kindness.

Youre finally being sensible. Remember, the pup in Freyas belly will call you mother, too. Shes giving you a child.

Before I could reply, Freya shrieked. As soon as she touched the stray dog, it startled and ran off.

Freya clutched her stomach, moaning in pain. Alpha Draven swept her up and roared for the healers, the pack's very own doctors.

Her mother shot me a mocking look, as if I were some pathetic joke.

Perhaps I was.

Just two days ago, I burned with a fever, 104 degrees, too high, the fever made me so weak I couldn't even lift a finger, and Draven didn't care, instead, he decided he'd go out to dine with Freya.

When he saw me sick, he spat curses and ordered the doctors to isolate me.

Quarantine the entire house. Dont let her infect Freya. Move her to the storage hut until she recovers!

And what he said happened, like it was an order of a king never meant to be broken,

So I stayed in that hut.

No medicine. No warmth. Just stone floors and shadows.

I survived two days on nothing but moonlight and will.

But now? Freya flinched, and he summoned the entire pack to her aid.

I gripped my bag tighter, meaning to flee. But Alpha Draven caught my wrist.

Kneel, he growled, his voice sharp and cold as northern ice.

My knees struck the stone floor with a thud, pain shooting through my legs.

Sharp crystal edges from the mosaic tiles bit into my skin. The pain forced a gasp out of me.

Alpha Draven recoiled from the sound as though I were filth.

Your mongrel beast scratched Freya. Either you apologize on its behalf, or

He turned to a servant. Bring the creature. Kill it where she can see.

No! Please! I screamed. It was my fault! I was wrong! Don't hurt the dog, please, I'm begging you!

I threw myself to the floor, clinging to his boot. My head struck the marble with a sickening crack.

The servants turned away in silence.

I had learned to beg three years agothe day I miscarried and almost died.

The doctors said I might never carry again. And my first instinct was to say:

Im sorry. I failed you, Alpha.

He held me back then. Told me it didnt matter. That we had each other.

And later, he was still good to meso good that I cried myself to sleep, fearing the doctors words.

So when he came home late, I stayed silent.

When I saw lipstick on his shirt, I didnt ask.

When he brought Freya to me and said shed give birth for me, I still didnt speak.

But after my parents were killed in that brutal rogue attack, Draven changed.

Everything tender in him went to Freya. I became a discarded, infertile she-wolfunworthy of the pack's respect.

At first, I endured. I begged. I submitted.

Because I loved him.

But now? I was done.

Blood filled my mouth as I bit down hard, and I refused to cry.

Draven's eyes narrowed as he saw the blood. His hand twitched, as if to touch my lipthen he turned away.

He loosened his collar and muttered coldly,

Ella, youre no longer the precious daughter of a noble bloodline of powerful wolves. Who are you putting on this pathetic act for? Stop acting like a tragic Luna. No ones watching.

The moment the private pack doctor arrived, Alpha Draven stalked toward him. His shoulder slammed into mine without a glance, the force sending me stumbling back.

I caught my breath, straightened my spine, and turned to leave.

Outside the packhouse, Alpha Draven's Beta waited, his posture stiff, eyes downcast. Hed been standing guard for a long time.

I quickened my pace, needing spaceair.

But before I reached him, two hands, strong as iron, grabbed my arms and yanked me back.

Alpha Draven requests your presence, Draven's loyal warrior growled, his voice as emotionless as stone.

I didnt resist. There was no point.

In the study, Alpha Draven stood by the hearth, casually buttoning his dark shirt, the moonlight catching on the Alpha insignia sewn into the collar. His movements were controlled, cold.

As I stepped inside, he tipped his chin once. Another warrior stepped behind me, gripping my shoulders and forcing me down into a medical chair that had clearly been prepared ahead of time, as if it had been prepared exactly for me.

Freyas suffering from severe anemia, Draven said calmly, motioning to the doctor. She needs a transfusion. Youre a match.

I lifted my head, my voice barely steady. Draven, I just came out of heat sickness. My bodymy wolfisnt even fully healed yet.

Six hundred milliliters, he ordered flatly, eyes on the doctor. Begin.

The thick, silver-tipped needle pierced my vein with brutal precision. I clenched my jaw until I tasted blood. But that pain was nothing compared to the one in my chest.

Through the cracked door, I heard the low murmur of the pack physician.

Alpha, she recently miscarried. Her hemoglobin is critically low. This could push her into shock

Spare me, Draven cut him off, unmoved. Freya carries my heir. She cannot wait.

Blood siphoned from my arm in thick streams, the bag gradually filling. My vision swam.

Draven stepped in front of me and, in a gesture so unlike him, gently wiped the cold sweat from my brow. His handkerchief was warm, he scented faintly of cedar and wolf musk.

If it hurts, scream, he murmured. Just bear with it. This is for the future of the pack. Think of it like you are also saving our child.

I closed my eyes. I didnt want to see him.

Our child?

Would he still call it ours when the pup is born and he marks Freya instead?

A scream pierced the silence from the upper floor. It was Freyas voicesharp, trembling.

Dravens face automatically darkened.

He turned back to the doctor and barked, Another four hundred.

The doctor paled. That could kill her!

Shes already fading

Freya is my Luna-to-be. She comes first, Alpha Draven snapped, already moving toward the door.

I could barely speak, but I forced the words out. Draw it.

The physician froze.

Its settled, I whispered. Once this is done, let me go.

Alpha Draven turned slowly. His eyes, golden and narrowed, burned into mine. Then he strode over and gripped my chin hard enough to bruise.

Youd run away over this? he sneered.

Freyas whimper echoed again and, without another word, he shoved me away and disappeared.

Without his support, I slumped to the cold marbled floor like a discarded doll.

Blackness swallowed me whole, the doctors shouts dimming as the world slipped away.

--

I woke to antiseptic air and harsh fluorescent light. The sterile scent of the pack infirmary stung my nose.

Draven sat nearby, tapping on his laptop. The moment he noticed I was awake, he closed it and grabbed the bowl on the tray table.

He offered me a spoonful of porridgemechanical, detached.

I can feed myself, I murmured.

But swallowing felt like dragging razors down my throat. I winced with every bite.

The Alpha watched, his brow creased like I was a failing calculation he couldnt fix.

When I reached for the next spoon, he caught my wrist, firm but not unkind.

The doctor said you need more blood later, he said. Back at the packhouseit was rushed. We didnt mean to take so much. You can

There's no need for that, I said, cutting him off. Im not dying.

His eyes flickered, confused by the lack of submission.

Silence settled between us like fog.

Then he spoke again, his voice shifting. Your phones been going off all day.

I reached for it. Dozens of missed calls. Messages. Notifications.

Dravens gaze darkened as he leaned in.

Whos been trying to reach you?

A friend. I didnt elaborate.

Suddenly, his tie hit the floor. He leaned in closer, his presence overwhelming.

Ella, what the hell are you doing? First, you try to run, and now this silent act? You still think youre some delicate she-wolf we all have to coddle?

He scoffed. If you werent born a Luna, stop pretending to be one!

Look outside, he hissed. Wives who cant bear pupsthey get rejected. Youre lucky I didnt do the same.

His breath was hot, his fury close. Once, those words would have shattered me. I wouldve wept and begged and told him I was sorry.

Now?

I only felt the numbing void where love used to be.

Why were we still holding onto this bond when it had already broken?

Before I could respond, his phone buzzed. He straightened like a puppet on strings and strode to the hallway.

Then his laughter filtered inlow, soft, tender.

For her.

The door clicked shut.

A moment later, my phone rang.

I answered.

Ella? a deep, anxious voice whispered.

Why did you go back? Dont tell me... You still cant let him go?

No. Just something unexpected happened this time. But it wont be long now. Ill contact you then.

Just as I ended the call, the infirmary door creaked open, heavy door groaning against the stone floor.

Draven stood there, silhouetted in the doorway, his golden wolf eyes glowing faintly beneath the flickering sconces. His gaze locked onto mine, as if stunned by something he hadnt seen in yearsmy smile.

A real one.

No bitterness. No anguish. Just silence, serenity.

His brow twitched, barely noticeablebut I caught it.

Freyas having a rough time with the bond and pregnancy. Morning sickness, he said, his voice low, clipped. His hand curled into a loose fist by his side. I have to get back to her.

He didnt ask who had called me.

Because if he did, that would mean he still gave a damn.

And admitting that would be a crack in his carefully maintained Alpha pride.

He snatched his suit from the chair and tossed it over his shoulder. Something urgent at the southern border. Ill return tomorrow.

The door shut before I could reply.

I turned to the IV bag pumping wolfsbane antidote into my veins and started counting the drops.

One drop.

Two drops.

Just like I used to count the lies he told me during our seven-year mating.

In Dravens world, tomorrow was a day that never arrived.

--

Three days had passed. He never came.

Instead, I was bombarded with glowing video-scrolls from packmatesfootage of Draven at the Alpha Summit, with his hand curved protectively over Freyas swollen belly. Feeding her honeyed elk meat at the banquet. Kissing her bump under the stars at Blackridge Lake, the same place where he once promised me eternity.

On the day of my discharge, a new Blackthorn Pack broadcast lit up my phone.

Draven had posted a series of nine bonded-mate photos.

He was kneeling in the middle of a wild moonbloom field, his cheek pressed to Freyas stomach. The caption read:

Awaiting our little moonflower.

The comment feed gushed with praise. Freya is glowing! What a perfect Luna!

He hadnt blocked me.

I tapped the heart emoji anyway.

Seconds later, my device vibrated. Alpha Dravens name lit up.

I didnt answer.

I slipped the phone into my hoodie jacket and handed my release paper.

As I walked past the maternity wing of the hospital's hall, I heard a voice that stopped me cold.

Luna Freya Hart, your mate is so devoted, a nurse giggled. He hasnt missed a single soul check, the alpha always makes sure he's with you every prenatal check-up! Even brought you a heatstone for the chill of the scan.

I froze. My hand drifted protectively over my flat stomach.

There was a time when Draven had been just as anxious for me. Just as tender.

Id been pregnant once.

But I never got the chance to tell him.

Because the day I returned from a healing mission, I found him and Freya entwined on the floor of our room, their snarls and moans echoing off the walls.

When she spotted me, Freya faked a whimper and curled against him. Please, dont misunderstand, Luna Rayven, she sniffed. Alpha Draven was just relieving his stress, I was just helping him.

I was so stunned, I forgot how to breathe. I opened my mouth to speakto tell him he was going to be a father.

That I didnt need anyone else to carry our bloodline.

But a sharp, brutal pain lanced through my womb.

By the time I collapsed, I was already bleeding out.

Draven Blackthorn never knew.

How would he know? When he was too busy growling at me, cradling Freya like a fragile pup.

Ella, what the fuck is wrong with you?! You scared her! You cant even keep a pup alive. You're useless, why don't you just fucking die already?!

I felt his words had slashed deeper inside me than any claw.

Now, standing in that corridor, the smell of antiseptic and iron in the air, I nearly retched.

Why are you here?

That familiar growl snapped me back to reality.

Draven was there againunannounced. Freya clung to his arm, her belly prominent.

I took a step back. Im just signing my discharge papers.

You look pale, Ella, Freya said sweetly, her fingers toying with his ceremonial Alpha tie. Draven, cant we bring her home? She donated blood to me. She was so selfless.

Alpha Draven pinched her cheek. Youre always so compassionate.

Then he turned to me, his voice cool. Get in the car. Dont make my Luna wait.

I wanted to refuse.

But the marriage documents I needed were still in the packhouse's study, so I followed in silence.

The home that was once mine now stank of foreign magic and Freyas cloying perfumesickly sweet, like decayed lavender and lust spells.

In the study, I began to search the drawers. But beneath one set of scrolls, something caught my eye.

A torn lace strap of underwear. Black. Slick with old scent.

Freya appeared behind me, her cheeks flushed.

Oh! How is that still here? she gasped. So embarrassing

Draven strolled in, saw the strap, and chuckled. Mustve slipped her mind.

I stared at the desk.

I remembered the first year of our mating, when I made Draven a packed lunch, I left it there with a note.

He'd come home ragingfurious that Id tainted his sacred study space.

But now, Freya's girl juice was smeared across his desk, and all he did was smile like it was the most amusing thing.

Like she had already replaced me.

And maybe she had.

But I was no longer the same she-wolf hed once broken.

Now, I had nothing left to lose.

Not the pup he never knew about.

Not the love he threw away.

And certainly not my wolf, who had begun to stir inside me again, for the first time in months.

She was waking.

And this time, I know, we would rise together.

I winced as I saw how Freya playfully nudged Dravens shoulder, her laughter delicate and falsely sweetan act she wore like perfume.

The scent of lavender clung to her skin, unnaturally strong, masking something beneath. A human nose might not notice, but minesharpened by instinct and years of restraintcaught the bitter trace of wolfsbane hidden in her cologne.

Alpha Draven chuckled, the sound strained, almost mechanical. Then, as though remembering I still existed, he turned to me. Ella, he said, his voice dipping into a lower, colder register, what were you doing barging into my study just now?

Retrieving my safe deposit box, I replied calmly, holding it up. It was a small black case reinforced with silver trimnothing remarkable. But inside it were the last pieces of the life I had shared with him: our marriage certificate, our household registry, the remnants of a bond that once meant something.

He frowned. His brows tightened the way they always did when his pride was wounded.

What did you put in there? he demanded. Youve been acting strange lately. Did you buy something behind my back?

Before I could speak, he strode over and snatched the box from my hands. His hands were warm, but no longer familiar.

He stared at the combination lock, clueless.

That made me pause.

He couldnt even remember the numbers we had whispered to each other under moonlight the night he claimed methe night my wolf had stirred beneath my skin for the first time in years.

I met his gaze. Our wedding anniversary, I said softly.

His hands stilled.

That date had passed two weeks ago, unnoticed by him but etched in my bones like a scar. He tried again, inputting the wrong dateFreyas birthday. My stomach turned. His jaw clenched. After another failed attempt, he threw the box back at me.

I dont care what you bought. Throw it out, he snapped. You dont deserve to spend my money.

No, I thought, I dont deserve to be treated like this by a man who once swore hed protect me through every full moon.

I wanted to tell him that, but I said nothing; instead, l clutched the box tightly to my chest as I retreated to the guest room. Behind me, Freya suddenly moaned dramatically and whimpered that she felt faint.

As if on cue, Draven rushed to her side, scooping her into his arms and carrying her upstairs.

The echo of her giggles faded, replaced by the heavy silence of the packhouse. Downstairs, I overheard him instruct the housekeeper, Prepare something rich in iron tonight. The ones Madam used to like.

Madam.

I wasnt sure whether he meant me or her. The word had lost all meaning.

When I opened the guest room door, my breath caught.

My suitcase had been ransacked, clothes torn, and my journals ripped to shreds. Some of the pages were wet with something red, not blood, but something else. Perfume. It was Freyas scent.

Shed marked my belongings like a wolf marking her territory.

I gathered what I could, placing the last of my documents inside the safe deposit box. My wolf stirred in my chest, restless, but too weak to rise.

Not yet.

As I zipped up my coat, the door creaked open. Freya leaned against the frame, her arms folded, her pregnant belly prominent under a sheer silk robe.

Well, well, she smirked. Still pretending to be calm, even though Ive pissed all over your place in this pack. Honestly, Rayven, youre impressive.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my skin.

She giggled.

You know, Alpha Draven didnt take you to the hospital last month when your father was dying after the rogue attacked your parents

Her lips curled wickedly. Because I had a beauty appointment. He said my face was more important than that old mans last breath.

She waved her phone at me. A picture flashedher and Draven wrapped together in furs, snow in the background. I slapped it out of her hand.

She gasped and shoved me. My body slammed into a bookshelf with a thud. Glass shattered beneath me, and pain spiked through my spine.

And then it started.

The ground trembled. The air thickened. Dust rained from the ceiling like ash.

An earthquake? Freya shrieked, her bravado crumbling.

No. Not an earthquake.

A shift. A Moonfall's shift.

My pulse quickened. The ground was alive with something older than tectonicsmagic, and it was primal and untamed.

Smoke unfurled like a living beast from the hallway. A fire sparked in the distancean overloaded circuit or something darker. The scent of scorched fur and silver filled the air.

I tried to stand but collapsed, my weakened body giving in. Sharp pain lanced through my ribs. My wolf howled in the back of my mind, powerless.

Ella!

His voice. I heard Dravens voice over the chaos.

Alpha Draven, its not safe! the housekeeper cried.

Move! he roared.

Footsteps thundered. Then I saw him, silhouetted against smoke and fire. He looked around, eyes frantic. He found Freya first, curled in a corner, sobbing.

She reached for him. Draven! Im scared!

Without hesitation, he picked her up and turned to leave.

His gaze fell on me, sprawled and broken, glass glinting beneath my fingers.

Our eyes locked.

For a moment, I saw the man I once lovedthe Alpha I once trusted.

But then he turned.

And left me.

The fire devoured everything.

The quake stopped, but the damage had already been done.

They searched the ashes. No one found me. No scent trail, no body.

Because I was already gone.

--

At the airport, I mailed off the last of my papersmy inheritance, the sealed documents, and something else a blood-marked piece of fur that had once belonged to me and Draven.

A final rejection of the bond.

As I waited to board my flight under a new name, my phone vibrated.

It was Draven.

I pulled out the SIM card. Crushed it beneath my boot heel. Tossed it in the nearest trash.

The mate bond is now severed.

From this day forward, Draven Blackthorn, Alpha of the Blackthorn Pack, you and I are nothing.

Not mates.

Not partners.

Not even enemies.

Just strangers in the same cursed world.