Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Calista Vance returned to Silver Villa at 10 pm . Tonight was the full moon - her fertile window . Ever since their daughter Maisie Gray was born , the Silvermoon Pack elders and the old Luna had been relentlessly pressuring her to produce another child . Most she wolves would've laughed off such demands , but the Silvermoon Pack was different . As the most powerful pack in the American South , their vast territory and $ 80 billion business empire desperately needed a pureblooded male heir waiting in the wings . When Calista entered the bedroom , her mate - Silvermoon Pack Alpha Maximus Gray - had already showered and was ready . No pleasantries , no small talk . They went straight to business . Three minutes later , Maximus went to the bathroom . When he returned , Calista remained still in bed . He dressed with his back to her , tossing the words over his shoulder , " Test on schedule . Call me if it's positive . " For five years , he'd always treated her with this bare minimum of speech . Their contract marriage was nothing but a hollow shell - Maximus had long been openly involved with the Wasteland Pack Alpha's daughter . Calista had spent countless sleepless nights until she finally found that she - wolf's Instagram account . Since then , she checked it compulsively , like picking at a scab that would never heal . She was Maximus's fated mate , yet he'd never accepted her . She'd always known this , but she hadn't cared . She'd believed that her love for Maximus would eventually break through to him . But reality and dreams always had a gap . Except for that one day each month , Calista barely saw Maximus otherwise . She could only track her mate's life through another woman's posts : lavish meals , exotic vacations , birthday celebrations . Knowing Maximus was eager to leave , Calista quickly stood up . " Wait , " she said , her voice catching . " We need to talk . " At the same time , her wolf paced anxiously in the depths of her mind . Maximus slowly turned , his face a mask of cold indifference . " About what ? " Calista's voice dropped to a whisper . " I want to make this work , " she pleaded , knowing deep down it was probably too late . But she had to try . She'd invested too much effort into this relationship , into becoming his Luna . And their daughter shouldn't have to face a broken home . Maximus showed no reaction . Calista couldn't tell if he hadn't heard or was deliberately ignoring her . This time , Calista stayed by the bed . No desperate hugs . No pleading for him to stay . The old habits had died quietly . Just as Maximus reached for the doorknob , Calista's composure shattered . 11:23 Rejected by the Alpha . I Became the Pack's Queen 0.0 % Chapter 1 Her wolf urged her forward to block his path . " You only come to Silver Villa once a month , " she cried out , her voice breaking . " No calls . No meals together . We're complete strangers . Tell me , Maximus , what are we even doing here ? " Maximus stopped , turning just enough to meet her gaze . Tears spilled down her cheeks while his eyes remained glacially cold . " When you're pregnant with a male heir , I'll come back . " The door clicked shut behind him . Calista stood frozen , her wolf whimpering in agony . For the first time in her life , she let him go . She'd poured everything into this relationship . Their daughter's birth had nearly killed her - the doctors had issued three critical condition notices during delivery . Even so , she'd been willing to risk her life again to give him a male heir . Now , standing alone in the empty bedroom , she began questioning whether her sacrifices meant anything at all . After her shower , Calista automatically grabbed her phone and opened the video app . Her " Frequently Watched " list contained only one account : " Vespera's Daily Life , " with Vespera's selfie as the profile picture . A new post from two minutes ago . In the video , two wolves ran through the forest under moonlight , their figures blurred . The caption read : [ Shadows in the moonlight - one is mine , the other is mine too . ] Her heart clenched , yet she felt strangely calm . The rage and grief that once consumed her had faded to mere ripples . Perhaps she'd grown used to this feeling , though her wolf still refused to face reality . These days , their meetings always ended with Maximus rushing off to see Vespera . But beneath this pain , she still clung to one belief : as long as Maximus needed her to bear an heir - a pup of pure Gray bloodline - no she - wolf could replace her position as pack Luna . But this shattered mate bond had become bitter medicine she had to swallow alone , day after day . A month later , on a cold Tuesday night , Calista burst through the doors of the pack house , her damp palms gripping a wrinkled pregnancy test report . Her heart pounded in her chest - not from the sprint inside , but from the report that would change everything . Tonight , she finally had news worth celebrating . As Calista approached the door , old Luna Mona's snarl cut through the air , freezing her in place . " Maximus , you're thirty - two years old with only one daughter . You see your mate once a month ? How's she supposed to get pregnant ? If it's not working , let Vespera try . As long as it's a Gray bloodline pup , that's all that matters ! " 11:23 Rejected by the Alpha , I Became the Pack's Queen 1.1 % Chapter 1 Maximus immediately growled his refusal . " No. " Calista stepped back , melting into the shadows . For a fleeting moment , her heart leaped - because Maximus was defending her . After all , no matter how unfaithful he was , she was still his mate . But then his tone shifted , becoming cold and calculated . " Have you forgotten how much blood she lost when Maisie was born ? " Mona's expression darkened . " Isn't that because of the curse she brought to the pack ? Silvermoon has never had a Luna who nearly died just giving birth ! " Her voice sharpened into a shriek . " Other she - wolves deliver pups easily . But our ' precious ' Calista ? One pregnancy and we became the gossip of every neighboring pack for days . Humiliating ! " Maximus completely ignored his mother's complaints . Instead , he explained , " Childbirth is dangerous . Calista's already been through it once - she can handle the risk . But Vespera is still young . I can't let her take that chance . " Calista froze outside the door , shock rippling through her like an electric current . Her wolf let out a low , guttural snarl . ( 0 ) ( 0 ) Chapter 2 Chapter 2