After My Alpha Left, Ethan Saved Me

I stood outside Nathan's study, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. The silk robe I'd chosen clung to my curves, the sheer material leaving little to imagination. This was attempt number one thousand—not that I was counting—to seduce my own mate. My fingers trembled as I smoothed down the delicate fabric, the cool silk a stark contrast to my feverish skin.

My wolf, Luna, whined anxiously inside me. *He has to notice us tonight. He has to.*

"He will," I whispered, more to convince myself than her. "He has to."

I took a deep breath and pushed open the heavy oak door without knocking. Nathan sat behind his massive desk, his broad shoulders hunched over a stack of papers, the lamp casting golden shadows across his chiseled features. My breath caught—even after a year of neglect, the sight of him still made my heart stutter.

"Nathan," I called softly, letting the robe slip slightly off one shoulder. "It's late. Don't you think it's time for bed?"

He looked up, those piercing blue eyes sweeping over me with clinical detachment. No heat. No desire. Nothing but cold, empty recognition.

"Claire." My name on his lips sounded like an inconvenience. "I'm busy."

I moved closer, the silk whispering against my skin. "Too busy for your mate? It's been a year, Nathan." I tried to keep the desperation from my voice. "A whole year, and you've barely touched me."

His jaw tightened. I could see his wolf stirring behind his eyes—just barely—before retreating back into indifference.

"I have pack business to attend to," he said, his voice taking on that Alpha edge that made my knees weak even as it broke my heart. "Go back to your chambers."

"My chambers," I repeated hollowly. "Not our chambers. Never our chambers."

"Claire." The warning in his tone was unmistakable. "Not tonight."

Not tonight. Not any night. Never.

The humiliation burned through me like acid. I turned away quickly, blinking back tears. I wouldn't let him see me cry. Not again. As I reached the door, my gaze caught on the edge of his desk drawer—slightly ajar, with the corner of a paper peeking out.

"Wait," Nathan called, suddenly rising. "I need to step out for a moment. Stay here if you must, but don't touch anything."

He brushed past me without a second glance, his scent—pine and winter—swirling around me in a cruel reminder of what I couldn't have. The door closed behind him with a soft click.

I stood frozen, the rejection still raw. Luna growled inside me. *Look in the drawer.*

"We shouldn't," I whispered, even as I moved toward his desk.

*He doesn't deserve our loyalty.*

With trembling fingers, I pulled open the drawer. Inside lay a stack of papers—maps, sketches, and handwritten notes. I lifted the top sheet, and my breath caught.

It was a detailed drawing of a female wolf with distinctive markings around her eyes. Territorial maps of the Northern Territories were marked with red circles and timestamps. Journal entries documented sightings, descriptions, and possible locations.

*Northern Pack Alliance Meeting, two years ago. Silver-gray fur with unique crescent marking on left flank. Scent of wild roses and rain.*

My stomach dropped as I flipped through page after page of obsessive documentation. Nathan was hunting someone. A she-wolf. The realization hit me like a physical blow—while rejecting me night after night, he'd been searching for another.

I heard footsteps approaching and hastily shoved the papers back, retreating to the door just as Nathan returned.

"I told you to leave," he said coldly.

I nodded, unable to speak past the lump in my throat, and fled.

---

Three weeks later, I knelt in the sacred Moon Grove, silver moonlight bathing the clearing as pack members gathered in a circle around us. Tonight was our mating anniversary—one year since Nathan had reluctantly claimed me as his Luna before our merged packs.

One year of emptiness.

Nathan stood beside me, his face an impassive mask as Elder Rowan recited the traditional blessing. I could feel the pitying glances from the pack members who had witnessed a year of my humiliation.

"May the Moon Goddess strengthen the bond between Alpha and Luna," Elder Rowan intoned. "May she—"

Nathan suddenly stiffened beside me. His eyes glazed over—the telltale sign of a mind-link. I watched as his expression shifted from boredom to sharp interest.

"I have to go," he announced, cutting off Elder Rowan mid-blessing.

"Alpha?" The elder's voice wavered in confusion.

"Something urgent has come up." Nathan was already backing away. "Continue without me."

And just like that, he turned and strode from the grove, leaving me kneeling alone under the moonlight, before our entire pack.

Lyra Meadow's gasp echoed in the sudden silence. Marcus Thorne lowered his eyes in secondhand embarrassment. The whispers began immediately.

I remained frozen, my knees pressed into the cold earth, as the full weight of Nathan's final rejection crashed over me. This wasn't just neglect—this was public humiliation.

Slowly, I rose to my feet, my legs shaking but my spine straight. In that moment, as Luna howled in anguish inside me, I finally understood the truth.

My Alpha would never love me because he was chasing a ghost.

And the cruelest irony of all? I had a sinking feeling that ghost was me.