Rejected by Fated Mate

The scent of antiseptic and herbs filled the air as I guided my mother's wheelchair into Lilith's treatment room. Hope fluttered in my chest—maybe this new healer could ease the chronic pain that had plagued my mother since the accident that left her paralyzed.

"Thank you for coming," Lilith said, her voice dripping with false sweetness as she gestured toward the examination table. "I've been studying your mother's case. I believe my traditional methods might help where others have failed."

My mother smiled weakly, her once-vibrant face now hollow with pain. "Anything that might help, dear. The pack doctor said there's little they can do."

"I need to fetch some water," Lilith said, turning to me. "Would you mind? It's just down the hall."

"Of course," I replied, squeezing my mother's hand before leaving them alone.

The hallway seemed longer than usual. My wolf, Luna, stirred uneasily within me. *Something's wrong*, she whispered in my mind.

I'd barely reached the water fountain when a scream tore through the air—my mother's voice, filled with agony. My heart stopped.

"Luna!" I cried, racing back to the treatment room.

The door burst open under my palm. What I saw froze my blood.

Lilith stood over my mother, a medical syringe in her hand, forcing steaming liquid down her throat. My mother's eyes were wide with terror, her paralyzed limbs unable to fight back.

"What are you doing?" I screamed, lunging forward.

Lilith didn't even flinch. "This is a traditional healing technique for paralysis," she said calmly, as if she hadn't just burned my mother's throat with boiling water. "The heat helps stimulate nerve endings."

My mother gasped for air, her face red with pain. "Madeline... hurts..."

I shoved Lilith aside, cradling my mother's head. "What have you done?"

For just a moment, Lilith's sweet facade slipped. Cold satisfaction flickered in her eyes before she composed herself. "I'm so sorry," she said, her voice breaking perfectly. "The water temperature must have been misjudged. I didn't mean to hurt her."

---

That evening, I stormed into Chandler's Alpha office, medical reports clutched in my hand. My mate—my childhood sweetheart—would make this right.

"Chandler," I said, my voice trembling with rage. "Look at what she did."

He glanced up from his desk, his expression unreadable. "What's this about?"

"Lilith deliberately hurt my mother with boiling water!" I slammed the reports down. "She claimed it was some traditional healing method."

Chandler's brow furrowed as he scanned the documents. Something shifted in our mate bond—a distance that shouldn't exist between fated mates.

"Madeline," he said finally, his tone maddeningly calm. "You're overreacting to an unfortunate accident."

My wolf howled in disbelief. "Overreacting? She could have killed her!"

"Healers sometimes have to use aggressive methods," he replied, leaning back in his chair. "If you can't handle that, perhaps you shouldn't bring your mother to pack healers."

I stepped back, stunned by his dismissal. "I want a formal pack trial. It's my right under pack law."

---

Three days later, I sat before the pack council, recounting every detail of Lilith's cruelty. But Chandler was nowhere to be seen—only Beta George Campbell sat in his place.

"Where is Alpha Chandler?" I asked, my voice tight.

"Busy with border negotiations," George replied, not meeting my eyes.

Without Chandler's testimony about Lilith's character, the council had little to go on. And when Lilith presented falsified medical journals about her "traditional technique," they had no choice but to release her with a warning.

"She'll face no real consequences," George murmured as we left the chamber.

I turned to see Lilith leaving ahead of us. She paused, looking back over her shoulder with a triumphant smirk meant only for me.

---

Two days later, I found Lilith in the pack gardens, gathering herbs with practiced precision.

"You're wasting your time fighting me," she said without looking up. "Chandler has already chosen me as his true Luna."

My world tilted. "What are you talking about?"

"He visits my quarters late at night," she continued, finally meeting my gaze. "For two months now. He tells me everything—pack business he never shares with you. He's told me about his doubts... about fated mate bonds."

The revelation hit like a physical blow through our mate bond. My wolf whimpered in pain.

I found myself outside Chandler's office door, ready to confront him, when sudden cramping doubled me over. George found me there, collapsed in the hallway.

"Madeline!" he cried, rushing me to the pack hospital.

The doctor's words blurred through my tears: "I'm sorry. You were eight weeks pregnant."

When Chandler finally arrived, his face wasn't etched with grief but anger. "You caused quite a scene during important pack business," he said coldly.

I stared at him, this stranger wearing my mate's face. "I lost our pup."

His eyes flickered briefly to my stomach before hardening again. "Next time, choose your timing better."

As he turned to leave, something inside me cracked—not just my heart, but our sacred bond itself.