Divorced by the Alpha, Claimed by the Rogue

Alina’s POV

"No," I repeated, staring at him as the finality of his tone sank in.

"Yes, Alina," he insisted, his jaw tightening.

"Why not? I mean, Aiden won’t have a problem with it," I argued, trying to make him see reason.

Lucian let out a sharp, bitter scoff. "Are you being serious right now, Alina? We can’t be around that man. We aren’t wanted or needed over there, so we aren’t coming. It’s that simple," he said, his tone dropping into a dangerously stern register.

"Come on, Lucian. Please do this for Leo," I pleaded, taking a step closer and looking up at him. "You love him like he’s your own son, right?"

"Yes, I do love him," Lucian countered immediately, his expression softening for a fraction of a second before hardening again. "But I don’t love those people. And Aiden probably only wants us over there because he has other, hidden plans for us."

"He doesn’t, I promise! He just—" I stumbled on my words, the room suddenly tilting violently. A wave of intense dizziness washed over me, forcing me to close my eyes as I reached out to steady myself.

"Alina? Are you okay?" Lucian asked, his anger instantly vanishing, replaced by deep concern as his hands gripped my shoulders.

"Yes, I am okay," I lied, forcing myself to blink past the spots in my vision. I shook my head slightly to clear it, focusing back on him. "What I am saying is that I want you to be there. Please. You know how much I need you by my side."

Lucian let out a heavy, defeated sigh, staring at me. "Please don’t make me do this, Alina. We can celebrate Leo’s birthday here after his party over there, okay? I’ll organize everything, and we’ll all be happy."

I didn’t argue further. Instead, I just looked at him and let a prominent pout form on my lips. He tried to look away, resisting the manipulation, but he just couldn’t do it.

"Okay, fine," he groaned, rolling his eyes in mock annoyance. "We will attend. But that is strictly because you look so..." He trailed off, pulling me flush against his body. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pressed a deep, passionate kiss against my lips, a small, involuntary moan escaping him as the kiss deepened.

Breaking apart just a fraction, his dark eyes darkened with desire. "Alina, we haven’t had sex for a while now. I miss you."

"Hmm... maybe we shouldn’t tonight, Lucian," I whispered reluctantly, gently placing my hands on his chest. "I really don’t feel good."

Lucian immediately froze, his desire fading as he intently searched my eyes. "What is the matter with you?" he asked, his brow furrowing. "Are you sure you don’t want to go to the hospital? You do look a little pale."

"I will be fine," I reassured him, offering a small, weak smile. "I just need a little rest, and that’s exactly why I am here. So I can sleep beside you and get some actual rest."

Lucian looked at me for a long moment before finally nodding. Taking my hand tightly in his, he murmured, "Let’s go to the bedroom, then."

We walked upstairs into his room, and I crawled into the large bed, lying down beside him and resting my heavy head against his chest. As his familiar scent wrapped around me, I closed my eyes and let sleep take over, silently praying to myself. I really hope nothing goes wrong.

The banquet hall was completely packed with guests. Aiden had spared no expense—the entire space was decorated beautifully with balloons, streaming banners, and elegant tables all set up to celebrate Leo’s first birthday. The atmosphere was loud and cheerful, but my heart was sinking lower with every passing minute.

I scanned the crowd anxiously for the hundredth time. Lucian and the rest of his pack members were nowhere to be seen. Even my own brother, Boca, hadn’t arrived yet.

A cold knot of anxiety twisted in my stomach. Did they change their minds about attending? Did Lucian back out at the last second?

I clutched my hands together tightly, standing near the edge of the room as tears of frustration threatened to prick my eyes. I would be so incredibly sad if they chose not to show up for my son.

"Alina, come with me. We should go cut the cake with Leo," Aiden said, stepping up beside me.

I forced a faint smile onto my face and followed him toward the center stage, but my eyes never stopped scanning the entrance. I kept searching, desperately hoping that Lucian and the rest of the pack would walk through those doors at any moment. But still, there was nothing.

Aiden caught me looking away, his brow furrowing slightly. "Are you waiting for someone?"

"Yes. Lucian and the rest still haven’t shown up," I admitted, a heavy layer of disappointment bleeding into my tone.

"You don’t have to worry, I am sure they will show up very soon," Aiden said reassuringly. I offered a small nod, trying to match his optimism.

But as the hours ticked by, the party began to wind down, and the entrance remained empty. My anxiety spiking, I excused myself to dial Lucian’s number, then Boca’s, but each call went straight to voicemail. No response. A profound sense of sadness and bitter disappointment settled deep in my chest. How could he promise me he would be here and then just abandon my son’s birthday?

"Let’s go meet more of the guests," Aiden said, gently pulling me back into the crowd. I followed him mechanically, pasting on a fake smile, nodding and greeting pack members while my mind was miles away.

Suddenly, a deafening crash shattered the celebratory music.

The heavy double doors of the banquet hall were violently thrown open, and the joyous atmosphere instantly scattered into panicked screams. A pack warrior stumbled into the middle of the room, his clothes torn and his torso covered in thick, dark blood. My eyes widened in horror as he collapsed heavily onto his knees, gasping for air.

"The rogues... they are back to torment us," the warrior wheezed, his voice trembling with sheer terror. "They killed my sister and my brother... they slaughtered them!" he added, choking back a sob of agonizing pain.

Aiden pushed his way to the front of the crowd, his posture rigid and his expression darkening into pure fury. "Who did this? Which rogues?" Aiden demanded, his voice booming with absolute anger.

The warrior looked up, his eyes bloodshot and filled with tears. "It is the banished Alpha... Lucian. He did this. He killed them all."

The words echoed through the silent, terrified hall, causing my eyes to widen in complete, paralyzing shock. My heart hammered violently against my ribs as the room seemed to spin. No... no, Lucian wouldn’t do this. He promised me he was changing. He wouldn’t slaughter innocent people on my son’s birthday.