His Unwanted True Mate Is The Secret Pack Heir

ANIKA POV:

The scream that tore from my throat was primal, raw, the sound of a woman being ripped apart from the inside out.

Sweat plastered my hair to my forehead as another contraction seized my body.

And then—crying.

Two sharp, furious wails filled the delivery room, announcing their arrival to a world that would never welcome them.

"Twins!" the doctor exclaimed. "A boy and a girl. Healthy. Strong. Listen to those lungs!"

I collapsed against the blood-soaked sheets, every muscle in my body trembling, and I forced my eyes open.

Two tiny, wrinkled creatures, their skin flushed pink, their fists waving in outrage at being evicted from their warm sanctuary.

They were so small.

So impossibly fragile.

My pups.

My heart swelled with a love so fierce it threatened to crack my ribs open.

Through the haze of exhaustion and pain, I heard the nurses at the door.

"Alpha Dixon Christian? Your mate Anika Rhodes has given birth! Twins! Are you there?"

Sarah, the head nurse, called out into the empty hallway.

Her voice echoed.

"Anyone here for the new mother?"

Silence.

Not a response.

I knew he wouldn't come.

I had known it the moment I signed that Rejection Agreement three months ago.

But I had still called him.

I had still informed him I was in labor.

I had still, somewhere deep in my pathetic, lovesick heart, hoped he might show up.

That the sight of his own children might stir something inside that cold, frozen chest of his.

How naive I was.

"The father's not answering," Sarah murmured to the other nurse, her voice laced with pity. "Not even a single family member."

Orderlies wheeled me from delivery—too weak to fight, too spent to care about the blood and sweat crusting my skin.

The hallway was cold, fluorescents flickering a sickly pallor.

And then I heard it.

His voice.

"The elevator's this way, darling. I already spoke to Dr. Hayes. He'll take care of everything."

My blood went cold.

My heart stopped.

I turned my head, the movement costing me more effort than it should have, and looked down the hallway.

Dixon Christian.

Alpha of the Christian Pack.

My fated mate.

The father of my newborns.

And beside him, clinging to his arm like she belonged there, was Jaime Rhodes.

The true jewel of my adoptive family—the Rhodes family.

She was draped in designer maternity wear, her baby bump proudly on display, her smile radiant and smug.

Dixon's hand rested protectively on the small of her back as he guided her toward the maternity ward's entrance.

My vision blurred.

Hot tears spilled down my cheeks, mixing with the sweat and grime on my face.

This was why he hadn't come.

I was lying on a mobile bed, still bleeding, still trembling, having just given birth to his children, and he accompanied my adoptive sister to her prenatal check-ups.

"Ma'am?" one of the orderlies said, finally noticing my silent tears. "Are you alright?"

No.

No, I wasn't alright.

I was shattered.

Broken.

Dying inside.

When I opened my eyes again, I was already in a regular hospital room.

The dim ward held six beds, thin linens.

A husband fed his wife; across, a grandmother bounced a crying pup.

Laughter filled the air—but my corner was silent, save for the monitors' hum.

The nurses had placed my pups in their incubators beside my bed.

They were sleeping peacefully, their tiny faces peaceful, unaware of the cruelty of the world they had just entered.

The television mounted on the wall was playing an entertainment news program.

The volume was low, but each word felt like it was being driven into my ears.

On the screen, Dixon was gently guiding Jaime Rhodes into a high-end maternity clinic, Jaime nestled against his side, a victor's smile playing on her lips.

The headline read, "Christian Pack Alpha Spotted with Top Actress Jaime Rhodes at Clinic—Expecting?"

I could feel the gazes of everyone in the room upon me, mixed with contempt and pity.

Their whispering sounded like the buzzing of mosquitoes.

"Isn't she Anika Christian? She's the Omega the Christian Alpha publicly rejected, right?"

"So pitiful. Her mate is with another woman while she's giving birth."

"What's there to feel sorry for! You probably don't understand the real situation, the Rhodes family kindly adopted her, yet she stole her sister's lover!"

The other voice responded sharply, "If not for Dixon keeping her out of the spotlight all these years, the public would have torn her apart the moment they saw her for who she is. She got off easy!"

Those filthy words made me feel disgusted, and my heart pounded violently against my ribs.

I remembered months ago, when Dixon had thrown a "Rejection Agreement" in front of me.

He said he and Jaime were meant to be, and I was just a mistake made by the Moon Goddess.

He had threatened me.

If I didn't agree, he would ensure my pups were sent to the most remote Pack foster system the moment they were born, where I would never see them again.

To protect them, I signed.

But the law required the final rejection ceremony to be done in person, with both parties present to make the public declaration.

The process was never officially completed.

Now, the children were born.

I had to fight for a future for them, a future free from scorn and cold shoulders.

My hand trembled as I reached for the phone on the bedside table.

I took a deep breath and dialed.

The phone rang for a long time.

I thought he wouldn't answer.

I almost hoped he wouldn't.

But then—

"What?"

His voice was impatient, like I had personally offended him by interrupting whatever he was doing.

I swallowed the bile rising in my throat and forced myself to speak.

"Dixon. The twins are born. A boy and a girl. They're healthy."

I waited.

What was I waiting for—a glimmer of joy, a hint of surprise, any sign at all.

There was silence on his end.

And then—

"Honey," Jaime's voice interrupted, syrupy sweet, "is everything alright? Come see the screen! The baby's kicking again!"

My blood froze in my veins, followed by Dixon's even colder tone.

"Listen, Anika. I have more important things to worry about than your farces. If you need money, contact my assistant directly. If it's nothing important, please don't bother me again."

His words were like a bucket of ice water, extinguishing the last flicker of unrealistic fantasy in my heart.

I wasn't here to beg for money.

"Dixon——"

Before I could respond, the line went dead.

I sat there, frozen, staring at the screen as it slowly faded to black.

He didn't have to love me.

But how could he not even spare a shred of love for his own children?

I laughed, a dry, sorrowful laugh.

I looked at my children, and a force like nothing I'd ever felt before surged from the depths of my soul.

I had given him every chance.

I had tried to be understanding.

But this—abandoning his own children, dismissing their existence as unimportant—this was beyond forgiveness.

I stroked the twins' tiny cheeks, their warm skin soft beneath my fingers.

The tears were still streaming down my face, but my expression shifted from despair to one of steely resolve.

From this day forward, I was no longer the Anika who begged for his affection.

For my children, I would take back everything.