Chapter 1: The betrayal of the Alpha

"I, Sebastian King, reject you, Zahia Toussaint, as my mate and my Luna."

The words snatched the air from my lungs like a physical blow. The magnificent hall of the Crescent Moon Pack collapsed in startled quiet around me, the murmurs of the dead pack members echoing as fast as my heart crushed.

"Say it again," I said, my voice scarcely audible over the roaring in my ears. that shook. Of course, I had misinterpreted him. Clearly, my friend—the man the Moon Goddess chose for me—could not be fronting everyone and depriving me of all I had ever known.

Sebastian's keen amber eyes grew steely as though staring at me already caused him difficulty. "You heard me, Zaia. Our bond was a mistake. You are not fitting to stand beside me."

The woman who had no right to be here, Cassandra, gently rested her crimson lips twisting into a triumphant smile on his arm. She moved in closer to him, as though claiming something for everyone to view. My friend did not distance himself.

My throat became knotted and I could hardly control the tears that yearned to flow. Some wide-eyed in disbelief, some with pity I did not want, the pack watched. Not here, not just now, my pride would not allow me fall.

I straightened my back-up. "You cannot simply reject me like this, Sebastian. I have given you everything—my loyalty, my strength, my heart. Doesn’s mean anything to you?"

His lips snitched into a sneer. "It means nothing if you aren’s not strong enough to protect this pack Cassandra is everything a Luna should be—graceful, powerful, and relentless. You... you are weak, Zaia."

The treachery was overt and brazen. As his words cut my soul, I sensed the sacred mate link breaking, the strands snapping one by one. Still, the link persisted, a painful reminder of what I had just lost rather than completely gone.

Whispers started to emerge around us: "Did he just reject her?" "How could he do this? She's been nothing but loyal!" Cassandra said, not fitting here!"

My wolf whirled within me, screaming in pain. To ground myself, I bit the inside of my cheek; but, my knees wavered and could have easily betrayed me much more. The pack elders moved nervously, looking at one another but not speaking. Not even for me would anyone dare question the Alpha's choice.

The painfully sweet voice of Cassandra cut across the room. "I'm sorry you had to learn this way, Zaia. Sebastian deserves someone who really supports him. Someone who can lead with strength."

I put my hands tightly together. "You mean someone who slinks in after years of absence and takes what doesn’s not belong her?"

Her smile darkened, but Sebastian's roar reverberated before she could reply. "Enough." He moved between us, his posture stiff and his power unquestionable. "Zaia, leave. You are not Luna of this pack. I expect you gone by nightfall."

The world whirled while his words' weight settled. no Luna anymore. I was losing my house, my family, my position, not just him. As I battled the need to snap, my wolf moaned, puzzled and enraged.

Turning his back on me, Sebastian seemed to be the last nail in my coffin. Cassandra trailed behind him, her laughing a nasty tune grating against my ears.

Later that evening, a little backpack slung over my shoulder, I stood at the brink of the Crescent Moon Pack. I had left the Luna's quarters vacant, the shelves devoid of anything that might have alluded I once lived there.

Tears I had battled to stifle finally poured and the stars above blurred. My hands went to my stomach naturally. Not yet had I told Sebastian about the child. The only thing keeping me anchored to hope was the life developing inside me, but suddenly it seemed like additional weight on my already damaged spirit.

"You'll be safe," I said softly, breaking through. "I'll keep you safe, whatever."

The pack lights glittered behind me, a life I once knew now out of grasp. Ahead the rogue lands in sinister silence, dark and hostile. Though nervous but ready to face whatever came next, my wolf snarled gently.

A howl cried in the distance as I started my first step into exile—a sad, angry scream that froze me to the very bone. Though Sebastian's voice was absent, the sound suggested peril. I turned around not looking back.

The calm of the evening broke as a deep growl resonated through the air and two brilliant eyes surfaced from the shadows ahead. I stopped, bristling like a wolf. This was not done away. Something—or someone—was waiting for me in the territory under revolt.