CHAPTER: 01 I Must Reject You As My Fated Mate.

Elara couldn't believe her eyes as she looked at the two lines on her pregnancy test. Her menstrual cycle was delayed by two months, and she had been experiencing some unusual changes in her body.

Her hands trembled as she stared at the two red lines. She quickly grabbed her phone and called her boyfriend, Alpha Elijah, but there was no answer on the other end despite several attempts.

"Why won't you answer, Elijah?" Elara asked, unable to shake off her nervousness. Yet, she knew that joy prevailed in her heart because their love had finally borne fruit.

Elara and Elijah had been a couple for a long time. Even before he was elected as the Alpha of the Forestheart pack, they were already in a relationship. They were childhood friends growing up together, and as a weak omega, Elara had no other playmates during her childhood but Elijah.

Elijah courted her when she turned fifteen while he was already eighteen. Elara accepted him when she was sixteen. Now, at the age of nineteen, Elara could hardly believe that she would become a mother early and start a family with her beloved Elijah.

Elara was an obedient and kind daughter. Despite losing her mother at an early age and being raised solely by her father, she did not let it hinder her from being a good child.

Her father, Calisto, remarried when Elara turned seventeen. Calisto welcomed his chosen mate, Fernanda, and her daughter Fiona into their home. Since then, Elara has been no longer alone whenever her father goes on missions.

She was happy for her father's remarriage, wishing to see him happy and accompanied in his old age. Fernanda and Fiona treated her well, especially when Calisto was around. Although she sometimes felt that she wasn't considered a true daughter by Fernanda, having someone she could call a mother was enough for her.

Without hesitation, Elara decided to share the news with Fernanda and Fiona. She hurried downstairs and found her stepmother and stepsister sitting in the living room, browsing the new shopping bags scattered around.

"Mom! I have wonderful news to share with you," Elara exclaimed joyfully, and the two turned to her with evident irritation on their faces.

Fiona couldn't hide her annoyance as she was eager to check the new clothes they had bought using Calisto's credit card.

"What is it, Elara?" Fernanda asked, forcing a fake smile.

Elara immediately showed the pregnancy test she was holding, and Fernanda's eyes widened at the sight of the two red lines. Fernanda stood up in shock, unable to believe the news Elara had just presented.

With a joyful smile, Elara awaited congratulations from her stepmom and stepsister. However, she couldn't help but wonder why they seemed so surprised, their faces reflecting a mix of astonishment and disappointment.

"I-I-Is Alpha Elijah the father of that child you are carrying?" Fiona asked Elara, and Elara happily responded with a nod, maintaining her smile.

Fernanda approached Elara, placing her hands on the young girl's shoulders and looking into her eyes seriously. "But he hasn't marked you yet, right? You're not officially Alpha Elijah's chosen mate?" Fernanda's question puzzled Elara, who could only nod in response.

"Yes, Mom, he hasn't marked me yet, but once he learns I'm carrying our pup, I'm sure he'll make me his chosen mate." Elara expressed confidence, as this had been a topic of discussion between them for a while.

"But he hasn't found his fated mate yet, sis. What if he chooses his fated mate over you? What about your pup?" Elara turned to Fiona, who had a disdainful expression. Elara bowed her head, acknowledging the possibility, but she still wanted to trust Elijah as her chosen mate.

"Elijah won't choose anyone over me; I trust him completely." Elara smiled at her sister's concerns, and Fiona shrugged, heading to the kitchen to get Elara's medicine.

"Well, you've been in a relationship for a long time. I'm sure nothing can separate you two." Elara smiled at Fiona's words and took the medicine handed to her by her stepsister.

"Take your medicine to get better, and take good care of your baby. And don't worry; your medication won't harm the baby," Fiona reassured. Elara trusted her stepmom and stepsister, so she took the prescribed medication for her illness.

Elara is grappling with a unique ailment that torments her body, a condition preventing her from unleashing her full potential as a Lycan. Her wolf has yet to awaken, relegating her to the omega rank, starkly contrasting to her father, a gamma and former beta.

"I'll be going for a while to find Elijah; he's not answering my calls. I'll personally tell him I'm pregnant," Elara cheerfully bid farewell to the two, and they smiled and waved in return.

"Take care, okay? Come back before dinner," Fernanda reminded, and Elara smiled, waving at them before leaving.

With Fiona and Fernanda left alone at home, their reactions swiftly changed. The smiles on their faces were replaced by irritation and anger, emotions they had been concealing in front of Elara.

"How did that happen, Mom? How can she be pregnant if we've been poisoning her? When will that woman die?" Fiona angrily inquired, unable to restrain herself from biting her nails.

"Tsk, I don't know how it happened. Don't worry; she won't get Alpha Elijah, and I'll make sure that woman dies," Fernanda replied, grabbing her phone.

"Hello, Aljern. Yes, I need those drugs again, but this time, a higher dosage. Hurry and send them to my house while Calisto is away." Fernanda quickly ended the call, a broad smile forming on her lips.

"I'll make sure that woman won't hinder our path. She can't be the Luna of the Forestheart pack."

Elara remains oblivious to the schemes unfolding around her. She trusts Fiona and Fernanda completely, unaware they are manipulating her and aiming to take something from her.

While walking towards the pack house, Elara encountered Damian, Elijah's younger brother and the black sheep of the Reed family. Damian, Elijah's half-brother through their mother, led the Nightraven pack, known for its fierceness in the Summergrave region.

Damian has also been Elara's mortal enemy since childhood. They never got along, and Damian constantly bullied her. Whenever their paths crossed, Elara couldn't help but frown, avoiding any sight of Damian.

Little did she expect the once troublesome kid would transform into a handsome and well-built man when they met again after four years.

Elara paused and looked up at the towering figure. He had a broad chest, shoulders, and tan skin that complemented his black hair and golden eyes. Elara couldn't help but stare at the long scar on Elijah's left eye—a testament to his battles for the Nightraven pack.

Elara couldn't comprehend why her heart raced as she gazed into Damian's beautiful, piercing eyes. It was the first time she felt a strange sensation coursing through her body as if something was preventing her from stepping away from Damian.

The young man's scent weakens her knees, a blend of her favorite vanilla intertwined with the salty fragrance of the sea, transporting her to the warm yet refreshing feeling of the shore.

"Do you feel it too, Elara?" Damian inquired—her expression one of perplexity. Elara merely raised her eyebrows in response, prompting Damian to sigh and rub his neck.

"Don't you sense that we're fated mates?" Elara was taken aback by Damian's question, witnessing a reaction she had never seen before—his ears turning crimson as he avoided her gaze.

What surprised her even more was Damian's question.

Elara didn't know how to explain her situation to Damian; she was unsure how to reveal that she was carrying Elijah's child. She lowered her head and earnestly rejected Damian, fueled by her love for Elijah and their unborn child.

"I'm sorry, but I must reject you as my fated mate, Alpha Damian."

TO BE CONTINUED