You Want a Second Mate, Alpha? Then Accept My Rejection!

Sera's POV

Tristan, the Alpha of my pack and my mate, adjusted his microphone as he spoke into it, a confident smile spreading on his lips.

"Thank you all for coming tonight," he said. "Ten years ago, I stood before this pack and I promised to protect you all with my life. And I have tried my best to honor that promise every single day."

The pack cheered and he raised his hand to quiet them.

"But tonight, I have another announcement. Something that the Moon Goddess has blessed me with. Honestly, it was something I never expected but I have come to accept."

I felt my smile freeze on my face.

Something was wrong.

I could feel it in my stomach, that sinking feeling like the floor was about to drop out from under me.

Tristan looked out at the crowd and then he looked at me.

"Sera has been my wife for ten years," he said. "She has been a wonderful Luna to this pack and I will always love her."

I felt my hand tighten on my champagne glass.

"But the Moon Goddess has seen fit to give me a second chance at a fated bond. She gave me a second mate... and I have decided to accept that blessing."

The room erupted.

There were whispers and gasps as people turned to each other and I stood there like a statue.

I watched Tristan step aside and gesture toward the back of the room as she walked forward.

It was Willow.

She looked like she had been waiting for this her entire life as she walked up to Tristan and took his hand and then the pack started clapping.

I could barely believe my ears. They were clapping.

For her.

For them...

Suddenly, I heard whispers around me.

"Two mates... how lucky..."

"Willow has always been so sweet..."

"Poor Sera..."

I did not turn to see who said that last one as I kept my face still and my shoulders straight.

Tristan lifted Willow's hand and kissed it and the pack cheered.

I stood there and I watched my husband welcome another woman into his life while my wolf's heart broke into a thousand pieces.

---

After the speeches, Tristan found me in the side hall. I was standing by the window when I felt his scent fill the air.

I immediately retched.

"Sera," he called out, but I did not turn around. "That was not how I wanted you to find out."

A sudden laugh escaped me without even meaning to.

"Not how you wanted me to find out," I scoffed, my words bitter. "So there was a good way?"

"No, there was no good way," he said, and he stepped closer. "But I was going to tell you privately, after the gala. I did not want to embarrass you in front of everyone."

I turned around then.

"Oh really? You did not want to embarrass me?" I asked. "You announced another woman as your mate in front of three hundred people. You told them she was going to be my equal, and you did not want to embarrass me."

His jaw tightened. "Willow is my second mate. I did not choose this. The Moon Goddess chose it."

"The Moon Goddess," I said, pressing my lips together. "The Moon Goddess made you sleep with her, right? Just because you were given a gift doesn't mean you have to fucking accept it!"

"That is not fair."

"No," I said. "It is not."

He reached for my hand and I pushed it away.

"I know this is hard," he sighed. "I know you are hurt, but you are still my first Luna. You will always be my first Luna. Nothing changes that."

My throat was tight and I swallowed.

"Nothing changes," I said. "Except I have to share you. Except I have to smile at pack functions while everyone whispers about how you replaced me."

"No one is replacing you and no one is whisp..."

"They are," I cut him off. "You are."

He pulled me closer, his hand cupping my face, and I hated how familiar it felt... his palm warm against my cheek and his thumb tracing my jawline.

I had let him fix things for years. Whenever he messed up, I let him apologize and promise to make our mate bond stronger.

And I had believed him every single time.

How foolish I had been.

"Sera," he whispered. "I love you. I have always loved you. This does not change that."

I looked at him and I saw he meant it... and that was the worst part. He actually thought I would accept this.

That sharing my mate with another woman was something I should simply smile, nod and get used to.

"If you loved me," I said, "you would not have done this."

"I did not do this to hurt you," he cried. "I did this because the Moon Goddess..."

"I do not care what the Moon Goddess did," I said. "You made a choice. You chose her."

"Sera..."

"I need to go," I said.

"Sera, wait..."

"I said I need to go."

I walked out and I did not look back.

---

I arrived at the pack healer's office an hour later. I sat on the exam table with my hands in my lap and I waited while Dr. Angel reviewed the results on her tablet.

When she showed me the results, my eyes widened.

"You are certain this is accurate?"

Dr. Angel looked up at me over her glasses. "I am certain, Luna. You are pregnant... approximately three weeks along."

My hands started shaking and I pressed them against my thighs.

"That is not possible," I said. "I have the Moonbane, I can't bear children. Tristan said it would... he said I could not..."

"The Moonbane causes infertility, yes," she said. "But it is not always permanent. Your records over the past few months show that your body has been healing... slowly. This is rare, Sera. A miracle, really."

I pressed my palm against my stomach but there was nothing there... no bump and no movement to prove I was pregnant.

"Should I inform the Alpha?" Dr. Angel asked.

"No."

"Are you going to tell him?"

I thought about the gala and Willow on the stage...

"No," I said. "I am not going to tell him."

Dr. Angel was quiet for a moment. "Sera, I have known you for ten years and I have watched you sacrifice everything for Alpha Tristan. If you do not tell him, you are giving up any claim you have to this child."

"I am not using my baby to compete for his love," I said. "That is not who I am."

"I know," she said. "But you should also know that the Moonbane is still dangerous and this pregnancy is fragile. If you do not want to lose it, you need to take care of yourself. Make sure you have no stress or heavy physical activity... and you need to come back for regular checkups."

I stood up to leave. "I will do that."

---

I walked home through the dark streets, and I kept my hand pressed against my stomach. I tried to figure out what I was going to do.

I could not stay with Tristan... not after tonight.

But I also could not raise a child alone, not in a pack that would see the baby as a bastard.

I needed a plan and money, then somewhere to go.

The pack's palace was dark when I approached. I had left the lights off this morning... too distracted by the gala preparations to remember to set the timers.

I fumbled with my keys and I pushed open the front door.

Immediately I stepped inside, I stopped. A strange scent filled my nostrils, and then I saw the person sitting there in my sitting room like they owned it.

My wolf instantly recoiled.

"What the hell are you doing in my home?" I snarled.