Her Rogue: Alpha Queen's Rejected Mate

"What... What is this? What's happening to me"

The pain spread rapidly, burning through my veins, tearing through my chest, suffocating me from the inside. It wasn't ordinary pain. It was deeper. Rawer. It felt like something sacred was being ripped apart.

My heartbeat became erratic. My vision blurred. The world tilted. I forced myself to stand, panic rising inside me like a storm.

No. No, I must be overthinking. Nothing is wrong.

He would never do it. Jayden would never betray me. But my hands were trembling uncontrollably. Why am I afraid? Another wave of pain struck, even stronger. It crashed through me like fire, forcing me to my knees on the cold marble floor.

A broken sound escaped my lips. Then I heard her.

"He really did, Serena. He betrayed us" Artemis's voice echoed inside my mind, filled with agony. I feel the same pain through the mate bond.

My heart stopped. I didn't scream. I didn't cry. I didn't even collapse the way my body begged me to.

But something inside me shattered. The pain was unbearable, suffocating, crushing, devouring every part of my being. It felt like my soul itself was being torn apart.

I forced myself forward, stumbling into the corridor of the first floor. My hand pressed hard against my chest as if I could physically hold my breaking heart together.

The mate bond was screaming. Burning. Breaking. Fading.

Each breath felt like knives carving through my lungs. Every heartbeat sent another wave of agony crashing through me. My wolf howled in torment, her grief so violent it nearly drove me mad.

I had endured pain before. Rejection. Humiliation. Loss. Being ignored. But nothing, nothing, had ever felt like this.

This was different. This was betrayal carved directly into my existence.

Artemis writhed inside me, her voice breaking with sorrow. Our mate is with another. He's breaking us.

"No," I whispered weakly, my voice barely audible.

"No... this isn't happening."

The bond never lied. I could feel everything. The intimacy. The connection. The unmistakable sensation of my mate touching another woman. Claiming her. Choosing her.

My knees gave way completely. I slammed my hand against the cold palace wall to keep from collapsing. The marble burned against my skin, but it was nothing compared to the destruction inside me.

I had to see. I had to confirm it myself. I followed the pain. Every step felt like walking toward my own execution. It was as if shattered glass covered the floor beneath my feet, slicing into me with each movement. Yet something stronger than fear pulled me forward.

The bond guided me. Directed me. Led me. To where he is. It led me toward a door on this floor. Toward Thalia's room.

My entire body began shaking violently. Is he cheating on our bond with her?

No. No. Never. I shook my head repeatedly, refusing the thought. Jayden would never do this. He loved me. He chose me. He promised me. I am his destined mate, the one blessed and gifted by the moon goddess. He will never do this to me.

The door ahead was slightly open. Light spilled through the narrow gap, warm and golden against the dark hallway. My heart pounded so loudly I could hear it echo in my ears. My hand trembled as I pushed the door open slightly.

Time slowed. The world narrowed.

And then, I saw him. Jayden. My mate. My king. His back was to me, powerful and bare, muscles shifting under candlelight. His head bent toward the woman beneath him, his body moving with intimate familiarity.

The woman's pale skin glowed against the silk sheets. Black hair spread across the bed like moonlight. Thalia. The dragon princess. My breath stopped.

The world shattered. This cannot be him. This is not my Jayden. He would never do this to me. He has forgiven me and would never do this for revenge. My vision blurred with tears as the bond continued to scream inside me, confirming what my eyes refused to accept.

My heart broke completely.

"No," I said.