The Alpha's Rejected Heartache

AVA POV. The doctor glanced at the test results one last time before looking up at me with a warm smile. "You're going to be a mother, Mrs. Meyer," she said gently. Extending her hand, she added, "Congratulations." "Huh?" I sat frozen, staring at the paper in the doctor's outstretched hand. Pregnant. The word echoed in my mind. Then, as if waking from a dream, I took the doctor's hand and grasped it with both of my own. "Thank you," I managed to say around the lump in my throat. Finally, Mark's biggest wish is coming to pass. I released the doctor's hand and slumped back in my chair, releasing a long breath as a smile slowly spread across my face. My eyes drifted back down to the page, tracing each letter with joy and relief. After so long, the sight there was the most beautiful sight I'd ever seen. Pregnant. Positive. As I sat thinking about the news, when he found out that we were mates, at first he wasn't happy, but he later approved of me, and we got married since an alpha is incomplete without his Luna. A child was the only thing that could save our marriage. Without an heir, Mark had the freedom to choose another Luna capable of providing a child for our pack. Rising from the chair and leaving the hospital, I folded the papers carefully and tucked them inside my bag. Even though I still didn't feel entirely okay because I had a slight headache, this great news overshadowed the pain. At last, the future looked bright once more. My marriage was secured! I practically bounced to my car, brimming with happiness. I started the ignition, my hands curling tightly around the steering wheel. The road ahead blurred past as I drove. I recalled the elders' harsh pronouncement that, without a child, I was useless to the pack. They suggested that he take another wife to provide the heir or even find his true mate, but he refused. Against all tradition, he remained by my side. I smiled gently as I remembered how loyal Mark was. While others criticized me, he was the only one who believed. It was his trust that made me love him even more every day. Finally, our love was now bringing something wonderful: I was pregnant with our baby! Driving up to the mansion, my earlier joy dimmed a bit. Lately, Mark had been avoiding me, though he waved it off with vague excuses. But I could sense it wasn't because of work. As Alpha, the burden of leading the pack and overseeing his business dealings was taking a toll on him, but I suspected it was something else. I parked my car in the empty garage and stayed there for a moment, feeling uncertain as doubts started to return. When I entered the sitting room, it was quiet, which confirmed my worries. It was another meeting with the elders, for sure, taking up Mark's time and energy. They always asked so much of him. I had just reached for the doorknob of my room when a voice boomed out behind me. "Luna Ava" I spun to find one of the pack's security officers striding towards me, eyes narrowed with suspicion. As he approached, I quickly looked down to see if I had done something wrong. My clothes were tidy, and my hands were empty, but the guard stared at me as if I were caught stealing. "What is it?" I asked evenly, though a hint of fatigue crept into my tone. The guard lowered his gaze, hesitated, and then said, "Alpha Mark wants to see you." I let out a sigh because I was feeling a bit tired and in need of rest. "Okay, but let me just..." "He said now!" he said, my head snapping up. I was startled, and furrowed lines appeared on my forehead in response to his sharp tone. Calming myself, I asked, "Is it that serious?" The guard shifted, avoiding my gaze. "You should come with me because the pack elders also want you there," he muttered gruffly. My heart felt heavy, like a sinking stone. What could have made both Mark and the elders want to see me? Trying to gather my courage, I walked behind the guard and left the house. What new problem brought them here this time? I hoped it wasn't the old insult about being barren. That wound had finally healed. But the elders' constant demands exhausted Mark endlessly. If only this meeting could give them a break instead of bringing up old conflicts again! My fingers drifted to massage my temple. Then I felt the crinkling of papers in my bag. I curled my fingers around the test papers tucked inside. No matter what, this proof of fertility would make me more worthy in the eyes of the elders and put an end to all the troubles we are facing. My steps became confident as the palace gates rose before us. Smiling to myself, I entered with my head held high, ready to share the news. At the palace entrance, the guard drew back the thick curtains, revealing the throne room inside. I quickly looked for Mark, who was sitting on the throne, carrying the regal aura of a king. On his left side, the elders whispered to each other in low voices. There were six of them, as the tradition required. They carefully observed me as I approached. However, it was Mark's facial expression that made me feel uneasy. Instead of the usual warm affection, his face appeared distant, as if he were displeased by my presence. My steps wobbled under his cold stare, confusion and hurt filling my heart. What changed since the last time we spoke to make him look at me with disdain? "Good day, elders," I greeted and bowed, hoping to reduce the tension in the hall. Instead, hisses rose from some seated figures. Before anything else could be said, a voice erupted with accusations. "Not only are you barren, but you are also a cheat." I was taken aback and turned to my left to find that it was Elder Sinclair, one of the elders, staring at me with anger. After the death of Mark's father, Elder Sinclair assumed the role of guiding and training Mark as his son, fulfilling the late Alpha's final wish before succumbing to illness. But why was he so angry? I looked directly into his eyes, even though I felt confused, and asked calmly, "I don't understand, please. Why are you accusing me of being a cheat?" I looked at Mark, hoping seeing him would make me feel better. But instead of support, I saw a smirk curl on his lips. Betrayed was an understatement to describe how I felt at that moment. I felt fear creeping through my body. What lies had they spread to make even my husband turn against me? I walked closer to him, pleading, "Mark, please, you have to understand that I would never do anything wrong. The things they're saying about me are not true. I would never cheat on you, and you know that! You have to trust me!" Even after what I said, his stare remained cold, and his shoulders stiffened like stones when I touched him and begged. Did he believe these allegations without any evidence to support them? "Our love is real. If nothing else, believe in that!" I said my voice was on the verge of breaking. "I have always trusted you." Suddenly, something fluttered and fell to the floor in front of me. I bent down and picked up a few scattered photographs with my fingers. My breath caught in my throat as I looked at the pictures. They showed a woman who looked so similar to me, intimately tangled in silky sheets with another man. What on Earth was this??!! I gasped and studied each snapshot intently, hoping to find a mistake that would reveal the trick. And then I noticed a sparkle in the fake "me" eyes that gave away the change. No camera had taken this picture; it was all done using clever hands and dark art. But could Mark see the truth, or did he not trust me anymore? I couldn't even brace myself to do this, even if I wanted to! I looked at him with pleading eyes, hoping he could see through the elders' deceptive tricks. "Mark, my love, you know me better than this," I begged softly. "Please look closer at these pictures before letting them tear us apart with more lies. I swore my heart to you, and I would never betray that trust. You have to believe that I would never cheat on you. These photos are false. Someone is trying to come between us!" "Are you trying to tell me that it wasn't you in the picture!? Do you think I'm stupid!?" Alpha Mark bellowed, his eyes full of madness. I flinched, scared of his anger, realizing how crazy he could be. My heart raced with fear because I had never felt so frightened before. How could I convince him? If he didn't believe me about this, would he even believe that I was pregnant with his child? I anxiously ran my fingers through my hair, feeling tears welling up, but held them back. I wasn't the person in those pictures. The worst part was that I couldn't prove it because the lady in it had all my features. But who would plan all of this? Why do they want to see me fall? "All rise!" the herald commanded all of a sudden. The whole assembly stood up in unison, heads bowed respectfully. I was quite lost because such formality was typically reserved for the king and queen. Wait…. Martha??? Glancing at Mark's side, I froze in horror. Approaching the throne was Martha, my best friend, adorned in my jewelry as if it were her own. What was she doing there? She took her place beside Alpha Mark, reaching for his hand with a smile that sliced deeper than any sharp weapon. My world shattered like broken glass. "Martha?" I exclaimed, tears welling up in my eyes and streaming down my face. Through a haze of tears, I saw nothing but betrayal in the eyes of my best friend. A small cry escaped my trembling lips as everything I cherished was destroyed. How could Martha, of all people, do this?