Rejected by Her Mate Claimed by Four Alphas novel Chapter 242

CHAPTER 222

Clara’s POV

I turned to find Sarah, one of the pack mothers, approaching with a look of concern.

Her youngest daughter, Melody, was clinging to her leg, thumb in her mouth as she stared up at me with wide, curious eyes.

“Are you feeling well?” Sarah asked. “You look…”

“Tired,” I finished for her. “I know. It’s nothing serious. I haven’t been sleeping well.”

She nodded, clearly understanding my current situation.

“Perhaps you should see Dr. Mitchell,” Sarah suggested gently. “You’ve been under so much stress lately. It’s natural for it to affect your health.”

Melody tugged on her mother’s sleeve. “Mama, why does Luna Clara look sad?”

Sarah’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “Melody, that’s not polite to ask.”

But the innocent question cut straight to the heart of things. I crouched down to Melody’s level, managing a small smile for the little girl.

“Sometimes grown-ups have difficult decisions to make,” I told her gently. “And that can make us look sad even when we’re trying to be strong.”

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“When I have difficult decisions, Mama helps me,” Melody said matter-of-factly. “Maybe someone

can help you too.”

The simple wisdom of a child’s perspective made my chest tighten with emotion. If only it were

that easy.

“That’s a very good suggestion,” I told Melody. “Thank you.”

“I’m fine,” I said to Sarah automatically, though the words felt hollow.

Sarah didn’t look convinced, but she nodded respectfully. “Of course, Luna. But please, take care of yourself. The pack needs you strong.”

After they left, I continued toward my office, her words weighing on me. The pack did need me strong. They needed a leader who could focus on their wellbeing, not someone torn apart by an impossible choice between mates.

I settled at my desk and tried to lose myself in paperwork, but concentration was impossible. Every few minutes, my mind wandered back to Lucien’s suggestion, to the possibility that there

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might be another path forward.

What would that even look like? Four Alphas sharing one mate? The idea was so radical, so against everything I’d been taught about pack dynamics and mate bonds, that it seemed like pure fantasy.

And yet, my wolf had been saying the same thing. She wanted all of them, saw no reason why we should have to choose. Maybe there was wisdom in that primal certainty.

The morning dragged on with administrative tasks that normally would have held my attention but now felt meaningless. Territory agreements, supply inventories, training schedules-all the mundane details of running a pack that somehow kept functioning even when its leader was in crisis.

A knock on my office door interrupted my spiraling thoughts.

“Come in,” I called.

Bethany entered, carrying a tray with lunch. “I thought you might be hungry,” she said. “You missed

breakfast.”

金燒ㄌ*

The sight of food made my stomach clench, but not with hunger. The smell of the roasted chicken

sandwich on the plate triggered a wave of nausea that came out of nowhere. The aroma that

should have been appetizing instead made my mouth water in the wrong way, saliva flooding as

my body prepared to reject whatever I might try to eat.

“I…” I started, then pressed my hand to my mouth as the feeling intensified.

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“Luna Clara?” Bethany set the tray down quickly, moving toward me with concern. “What’s wrong?”

I tried to speak, to reassure her, but another wave of sickness washed over me. The room seemed to spin slightly, and I gripped the edge of my desk to steady myself.

“I think I need some air,” I managed.

Bethany was at my side immediately, her hand on my arm. “Let me help you to the garden.’

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She guided me outside, where the fresh air helped clear some of the nausea. I sank onto a bench, taking deep breaths and trying to center myself.

“Has this happened before?” Bethany asked, sitting beside me.

I tried to think back, but the memories were fragmented, scattered across weeks of stress and emotional upheaval. “I can’t really recall,” I said honestly. “Everything’s been such a blur lately.”

But even as I said it, flashes of memory began to surface. That night when all the Alphas had been present and we nearly had a confrontation, I had felt overwhelmed and sick to my stomach. I’d attributed it to stress at the time from the pressure of realizing that they were all my mates.

CHAPTER 222

I had also simply just waived off the feeling believing it was the goddess’ blessing to help me get out of difficult situations.

But if I had to think about it, it happened a long while ago. Even if I was indeed pregnant and the signs started showing back then, it should have been obvious by now.

My wolf stirred uneasily, as if she’d been trying to tell me something I hadn’t wanted to hear.

I took a deep breath trying to recall anything I could.

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