She'd known all along that Maximus had betrayed her , that their mate bond was shattered . Still , she'd clung to naive hope that a second child might bring him back to her . Now reality had dealt her a crushing blow , colder and more merciless than she'd ever imagined . To Maximus , she was nothing more than a womb to carry his heir . He'd forgotten how she'd spiraled into darkness after Maisie was born . Forgotten how the sight of blood made her tremble . Forgotten how the doctors had fought desperately to save her life . He worried about another woman's safety during childbirth , yet never realized the risks Calista faced were far more deadly . The voices in the room gradually faded into distant echoes . Calista's lips twisted into a bitter smile . She'd nearly died bringing a daughter into the world for the Gray family , yet Maximus still brazenly betrayed their mate bond . Despair surged from the deepest recesses of her heart . She clutched the pregnancy report , suppressing her wolf's anguished howls . Maybe it was time to end all of this . She had no reason to keep the child in her womb either . If no one cared about her life , at least she should do this for herself . As Calista turned to leave , Dolly , the Gray family's housekeeper , spotted her . " Luna , you're back so soon ? " Calista forced a smile and tucked the pregnancy report away before stepping into the hall . The moment she appeared , Mona and Maximus's conversation came to an abrupt halt . Calista acted completely out of character - she didn't even greet them when she walked in . In the past , she'd foolishly believed that by being the perfect Luna and mate , Maximus would eventually see her value . But life had taught her a cruel lesson . Even if she ripped out her own heart and offered it to the Gray family on a platter , they wouldn't spare her a single glance . Five years of sacrificing everything for this marriage had left her with nothing . Maximus knew exactly why he'd come home today . He glanced at Dolly with pointed meaning and commanded , " Dolly , show Calista out . " From beginning to end , Calista stood quietly in the corner , but her eyes had turned icy . Her wolf finally stopped its agitation , settling silently in the depths of her mind . Maximus led both Gray Corporation and the Silvermoon Pack , managing every affair with precision while bearing responsibility for an entire pack of werewolves . 11:23 Rejected by the Alpha , I Became the Pack's Queen 3.2 % 11:23 0 Chapter 2 In outsiders ' eyes , Maximus was the perfect pack leader . Their mutual friends often joked that Calista must have performed some miracle in a past life to become Maximus's mate . But only Calista knew his tenderness had never belonged to her - and after five years , Calista had finally accepted that painful truth . This cold , shattered mate bond - she no longer dared hope to possess it . As Mona passed by Calista , she suddenly stopped , speaking with icy contempt : " If you can't produce a male heir , you'll never become a true member of the Gray family . " Before , Calista would have swallowed such words quietly . But those days were over . She met Mona's gaze , all former obedience gone from her eyes . " Luna Mona , we're both women , so you should understand perfectly well , " she retorted . " Since when did a child's gender become my fault alone ? " Mona had always treated Calista like a docile rabbit to manipulate at will . This sudden defiance caught her completely off guard . Rage flared instantly . She raised her hand to slap Calista's face , claws nearly emerging . " You dare talk back to me ? " she barked . " Kneel . Now . " She was certain Calista would back down - she knew Calista would sacrifice her dignity for Maximus , abandon her pride , even willingly degrade herself to servant status for his sake . But this time , Calista refused to suffer in silence . Since the Gray family had never valued her sacrifices - had never even valued her life - she would no longer submit to them . She caught Mona's hand , meeting her gaze with newfound resolve . Then , without a word , she stepped forward and raised her own hand , slapping Mona across the face . ( 0 ) Rejected by the Alpha , I Became the P