Chapter 2 · Rejected by My Childhood Sweetheart, I Bonded with a Low-Rank Rogue

Kieran leaped down from the massive horned deer.

Wearing his dark-gold Alpha cloak, he unleashed his crushing Alpha aura without holding back.

The sheer pressure forced the surrounding low-rank wolves to their knees, their faces pressed against the dirt.

His golden beast eyes pinned me in place, filled with condescending scrutiny and undisguised mockery.

He closed the distance, stopping just three steps away.

"Selena. It's been three years. Look at how pathetic you've become."

Kieran's eyes raked over my coarse, cheap cloak.

"You used to be the proudest pureblood she-wolf in the pack. But you just had to throw a tantrum and bond with a beggar."

"I thought you had some backbone. And yet, here you are, hiding in a filthy border town, buying cheap root-weeds?"

The sedan chair was lowered to the ground.

Lilia stepped out, supported by a maid. She reeked of the distinct Omega scent mixed with Kieran's heavy claim. She deliberately leaned into his chest.

"Oh, Kieran, don't be so mean to poor Selena."

Lilia covered her nose, her voice dripping with fake, sickly-sweet pity.

"She must have suffered so much these past three years. That mute rogue probably can't even hunt a decent piece of meat for her, can he?"

She looked at me with a venomous smirk disguised as sympathy.

"Selena, if you're really that desperate, just apologize to Kieran. Submit to him, and we won't let you starve in the gutters."

I stared at Kieran with dead eyes, hiding the pregnancy potions behind my back.

"Are you done talking? Then move."

Kieran's face darkened instantly. A vein throbbed at his temple.

He clearly hadn't expected me to still speak to him with such defiance after falling so low.

"Still stubborn!"

Kieran took a threatening step forward, lowering his voice into a vicious growl.

"You think I don't know? You threw that chain at the beggar just to spite me. You never actually let that filth mark you."

"Three years is long enough for a tantrum. I am the Alpha now. I rule this pack."

"Get on your knees, apologize to Lilia, swear eternal loyalty to me, and for the sake of our families' past friendship, I might just grant you a spot as my slave-mate."

A slave-mate. A breeder with no status, a toy for his bed, lower than the most submissive Omega.

I laughed out loud, staring straight into his arrogant, entitled eyes.

"Are you delusional, Kieran? Bonding with a street rat is cleaner than being your toy. Me, your slave-mate? You're not worthy."

"You have a death wish!"

Kieran snapped. The violent, crushing aura of a high-tier Alpha slammed into me like a mountain.

Blood rushed to my throat, but I bit the inside of my cheek and refused to take a single step back.

"Check the contract stele!"

Kieran roared at his Commander. "See if she actually finalized a bond with that stray!"

The Commander didn't dare hesitate. He immediately tapped into the wolves' mental network, reaching out to the ancient stone in the capital.

A moment later, the Commander's eyes snapped open. He dropped to one knee, his face entirely drained of color.

"Alpha... I found it."

"Lady Selena's name was permanently bound to a nameless rogue three years ago. It's... it's the highest tier. An Absolute Soul Bond!"

"What?!"

Kieran looked like he had been struck by lightning. His eyes widened in sheer disbelief.

Just then, Lilia's sharp eyes caught a glimpse of the vials I had tried to hide when I was forced back by the aura.

She shrieked, pointing a trembling finger at my stomach.

"Pregnancy-stabilizing potions! Kieran, she's holding potions from the Healer! She's pregnant!"

Kieran's head snapped toward me, his gaze dropping to my slightly rounded belly.

"You... you actually let that filthy stray touch you? You're carrying his bastard?!"

His eyes instantly bled into a murderous crimson.

"Selena! You are mine! Your destiny belongs to me! Who gave you permission to breed with a mutt?!"

Completely ignoring the iron law of the pack—never harm a pregnant she-wolf—Kieran threw his hand forward.

"Seize her! Throw her in the dungeon!"

Several massive, half-shifted guards lunged at me like starved beasts.

"Don't touch me!"

I shouted, preparing to fight back, but a sharp cramp suddenly spiked through my abdomen, stealing the breath from my lungs.

For the sake of my baby, I couldn't risk a physical brawl here.

Gritting my teeth, I let the two guards violently twist my arms behind my back and drag me toward the sedan chair.

The low-rank wolves in the market buried their faces in the snow, absolutely terrified. Not a single person dared to stand up to the frenzied Alpha.

"Kidnapping a bonded mate is a death sentence, Kieran!" I glared at him with pure ice.

"A death sentence?"

Kieran's face twisted into a demonic sneer. "In my territory, I am the law. I will personally wash that rogue's stench off your soul and carve that bastard out of your womb!"

Chapter 2

Kieran leaped down from the massive horned deer.

Wearing his dark-gold Alpha cloak, he unleashed his crushing Alpha aura without holding back.

The sheer pressure forced the surrounding low-rank wolves to their knees, their faces pressed against the dirt.

His golden beast eyes pinned me in place, filled with condescending scrutiny and undisguised mockery.

He closed the distance, stopping just three steps away.

"Selena. It's been three years. Look at how pathetic you've become."

Kieran's eyes raked over my coarse, cheap cloak.

"You used to be the proudest pureblood she-wolf in the pack. But you just had to throw a tantrum and bond with a beggar."

"I thought you had some backbone. And yet, here you are, hiding in a filthy border town, buying cheap root-weeds?"

The sedan chair was lowered to the ground.

Lilia stepped out, supported by a maid. She reeked of the distinct Omega scent mixed with Kieran's heavy claim. She deliberately leaned into his chest.

"Oh, Kieran, don't be so mean to poor Selena."

Lilia covered her nose, her voice dripping with fake, sickly-sweet pity.

"She must have suffered so much these past three years. That mute rogue probably can't even hunt a decent piece of meat for her, can he?"

She looked at me with a venomous smirk disguised as sympathy.

"Selena, if you're really that desperate, just apologize to Kieran. Submit to him, and we won't let you starve in the gutters."

I stared at Kieran with dead eyes, hiding the pregnancy potions behind my back.

"Are you done talking? Then move."

Kieran's face darkened instantly. A vein throbbed at his temple.

He clearly hadn't expected me to still speak to him with such defiance after falling so low.

"Still stubborn!"

Kieran took a threatening step forward, lowering his voice into a vicious growl.

"You think I don't know? You threw that chain at the beggar just to spite me. You never actually let that filth mark you."

"Three years is long enough for a tantrum. I am the Alpha now. I rule this pack."

"Get on your knees, apologize to Lilia, swear eternal loyalty to me, and for the sake of our families' past friendship, I might just grant you a spot as my slave-mate."

A slave-mate. A breeder with no status, a toy for his bed, lower than the most submissive Omega.

I laughed out loud, staring straight into his arrogant, entitled eyes.

"Are you delusional, Kieran? Bonding with a street rat is cleaner than being your toy. Me, your slave-mate? You're not worthy."

"You have a death wish!"

Kieran snapped. The violent, crushing aura of a high-tier Alpha slammed into me like a mountain.

Blood rushed to my throat, but I bit the inside of my cheek and refused to take a single step back.

"Check the contract stele!"

Kieran roared at his Commander. "See if she actually finalized a bond with that stray!"

The Commander didn't dare hesitate. He immediately tapped into the wolves' mental network, reaching out to the ancient stone in the capital.

A moment later, the Commander's eyes snapped open. He dropped to one knee, his face entirely drained of color.

"Alpha... I found it."

"Lady Selena's name was permanently bound to a nameless rogue three years ago. It's... it's the highest tier. An Absolute Soul Bond!"

"What?!"

Kieran looked like he had been struck by lightning. His eyes widened in sheer disbelief.

Just then, Lilia's sharp eyes caught a glimpse of the vials I had tried to hide when I was forced back by the aura.

She shrieked, pointing a trembling finger at my stomach.

"Pregnancy-stabilizing potions! Kieran, she's holding potions from the Healer! She's pregnant!"

Kieran's head snapped toward me, his gaze dropping to my slightly rounded belly.

"You... you actually let that filthy stray touch you? You're carrying his bastard?!"

His eyes instantly bled into a murderous crimson.

"Selena! You are mine! Your destiny belongs to me! Who gave you permission to breed with a mutt?!"

Completely ignoring the iron law of the pack—never harm a pregnant she-wolf—Kieran threw his hand forward.

"Seize her! Throw her in the dungeon!"

Several massive, half-shifted guards lunged at me like starved beasts.

"Don't touch me!"

I shouted, preparing to fight back, but a sharp cramp suddenly spiked through my abdomen, stealing the breath from my lungs.

For the sake of my baby, I couldn't risk a physical brawl here.

Gritting my teeth, I let the two guards violently twist my arms behind my back and drag me toward the sedan chair.

The low-rank wolves in the market buried their faces in the snow, absolutely terrified. Not a single person dared to stand up to the frenzied Alpha.

"Kidnapping a bonded mate is a death sentence, Kieran!" I glared at him with pure ice.

"A death sentence?"

Kieran's face twisted into a demonic sneer. "In my territory, I am the law. I will personally wash that rogue's stench off your soul and carve that bastard out of your womb!"