ALPHA JASON’S P.O.V

I sat behind my desk, my eyes wearily fixed on the wooden surface. My mind was toiling away in thoughts as I tapped my fingers on the table. It had been weeks since the masquerade, yet I couldn’t stop thinking about the mysterious woman I had spent the night with. The image of her lingered in my mind like a shadow I couldn’t shake — the way she had moved, the softness of her voice, her scent. Wild honey and lavender still haunted me.

My wolf was still grumbling inside me, eager to see the woman who had stirred up our hearts and desires. I had searched all over the pack, even with Kael’s help, but no matter who I asked, there was no way to find her.

I muttered under my breath, massaging my forehead.

“Damn it! I can’t give up now. I have to find her.”

A knock sounded on the door.

“Come in,” I growled.

“Alpha, a girl says she’s pregnant and her family is here to report.”

“And so?” I frowned.

An uneasy look crossed the messenger’s face.

“Alpha, she doesn’t have a mate… and she has no idea who is responsible.”

I raised my head, a cold frown forming on my face.

“I see. Let them in.”

I sighed heavily. Another drama. I didn’t need this, not with the border tensions rising. Leaning back in my chair, I closed my eyes.

The door opened — and then I felt it.

The scent. The pull.

Like a thousand strings snapping into place, my heart slammed against my chest. My head snapped up, my eyes straining to see who she was. The air felt tight; every nerve in my body ignited.

Mate!

My wolf surged forward in recognition before my mind caught up. I stood abruptly, locking eyes with her — the girl standing behind two women, one older and one younger. Her wide, tear-brimmed eyes met mine with the same shock.

“Mate!” I growled possessively.

I took a shaky breath, barely noticing the shock on the other women’s faces. Before I could say anything, the older woman stepped forward.

“No, Alpha! She can’t be your mate. She… she is not what she looks like. Innocent? Ha! This girl…” The older woman sneered as she dragged the girl forward. I clenched my fists to stop myself from tearing her hands off as I watched my cowering mate.

“She is not as innocent as she seems. She’s… she’s pregnant!”

The room fell silent as her words settled in.

“What did you just say?” I growled, my eyes burning.

“It’s true, Alpha,” the younger woman said solemnly. “We both grew up together. She’s my sister, you see. Unfortunately, we’ve seen her with many different men. She sneaks out at night and comes home late. No matter how much we tried to stop her, she refused to listen. And now… now she’s pregnant.”

I flinched — not outwardly, but inside. Their words rang in my ears like a bell, but I refused to believe them.

“I don’t believe you.”

“Well, Alpha, why don’t you ask her yourself?” the older woman, her mother I assumed, snapped.

I stared at the girl. Her hair was disheveled, her hands trembling as she squeezed her fingers together. She didn’t look like someone who messed around with men. How could my mate be like that?

I took a step closer — and then I smelled it.

The faint, unmistakable scent of pregnancy.

A heartbeat — soft, fragile, distinct from the others in the room.

A look of betrayal crossed my face, distorting my features.

“You!” She flinched, and my anger spiked even more. “Look at me!” I roared.

Slowly, she raised her head, her eyes soft and pleading. Fake. She was just another snake — my own mate.

“So it’s true. You are pregnant.” My voice sounded flat and cold in my own ears.

“A… Alpha… I… I…” Her chapped lips trembled as she tried to speak, but no words came out.

My heart hardened into stone. I turned my back to her, facing the wall. Her silence reminded me of my mother — of the nights my father sat silently by the window, broken by her betrayal. She was the reason I had vowed never to allow weakness into my life and never to let emotions rule over me.

My voice came out strong and steady.

“I, Alpha Jason of the Crescent Pack, hereby reject you as my mate.”

A broken sob echoed behind me as I felt the bond snap — the strings that tied us severed in an instant.

Later that evening, Kael returned.

“The family has left. They’re taking her back.”

I didn’t respond. I didn’t know what to say.

“They say they’ll throw her out of the house. Out on the streets.”

My heart tugged painfully, urging me to stop it — to say something — but I stubbornly clenched my jaw and said nothing.

THIRD PERSON P.O.V

Rosette stumbled blindly into the empty streets, the cold wind biting through her skin as she clutched her small bag — the only thing her stepmother had allowed her to take.

Kiara had whispered into her ear as they left the Alpha’s office,

“You deserve this. A slut like you isn’t fit to be the Alpha’s mate or our Luna.”

“To think you turned out to be his mate, only to be rejected immediately.” Her stepmother cackled as they dragged her away.

After she was long gone from the house, her stepmother’s brother arrived, his face lined with worry.

“What was the verdict?” he asked anxiously.

“Oh, the Alpha decided she should be thrown out of the pack — never to return.” Her stepmother smirked in victory.

He could only stare at her in horror.

She stood alone, tears streaming down her cheeks, feeling helpless and dejected.

“I couldn’t even defend myself in his presence… but… why did he have to reject me so soon?” she sobbed, her words coming out in broken, stilted breaths.

Suddenly, from ahead, headlights flickered through the darkness.

A black car rolled to a stop in front of her.

She took a cautious step back, her heart racing. The window lowered slowly.

“Get in.”