After My Groom Betrayed Me, I Found My Alpha

The morning sun filtered through the small basement window of my room, casting weak light across my tear-stained face. I hadn't slept. How could I, after discovering that the past five years of my life had been built on Ryan's lies? My body ached from yesterday's training session, but the physical pain paled in comparison to the hollow ache in my chest.

A sharp knock at my door startled me from my thoughts.

"Grace Mitchell." The voice was unfamiliar, formal. "Your presence is requested in the main hall immediately."

I quickly splashed water on my face, trying to erase the evidence of my night of grief. Whatever Isabella had planned for me today, I couldn't show weakness. Not now, when I'd finally made my decision to leave.

As I entered the main hall, I froze. Standing tall and imposing in the center of the room was my father, Alpha Marcus Mitchell of the Silver Creek Pack. His silver-streaked dark hair and commanding presence had always made him seem larger than life. Beside him stood our pack Beta, James, whose eyes softened slightly upon seeing me.

Across from them, looking distinctly uncomfortable, were Ryan and Isabella. The sight of Ryan made my stomach twist with fresh betrayal.

"Father," I whispered, my voice cracking. It had been five years since I'd seen him, since I'd chosen to stay with Ryan against his wishes.

"Grace." His voice was controlled, but I could see the shock in his eyes as he took in my appearance—the fading bruises, the way I held myself to protect my injured ribs, the Omega servant's clothes I wore.

Ryan stepped forward, his handsome face arranged in a concerned expression I now recognized as completely false. "Alpha Marcus, this is unexpected. We weren't informed of your visit."

"This isn't a social call," my father replied coldly. He pulled a formal document from his jacket. "I'm here to deliver an alliance proposal. My daughter is to return to Silver Creek immediately to prepare for a political mating with Alpha Nathan Sterling of the Northern Ridge Pack."

The room went silent. Isabella's eyes narrowed dangerously, while Ryan's face drained of color.

"That's impossible," Ryan sputtered. "Grace is—she's—"

"She's what, exactly?" My father's voice was deadly quiet. "Not your Luna. Not your marked mate. Just an Omega servant in your pack, from what I can see."

"This is ridiculous," Isabella hissed. "She belongs to our pack now."

"No." My father unfolded the document. "Under inter-pack law, an unmated wolf may be recalled by their birth Alpha for the purpose of a formal alliance mating. The law supersedes any... informal arrangements."

Ryan's eyes found mine, a mixture of panic and anger swirling in their depths. I looked away, unable to bear the sight of the wolf I'd sacrificed everything for.

"The Northern Ridge Alpha has formally requested her," my father continued. "The documents have been signed by the Council. Grace will return with me today."

For the first time in years, hope flickered in my chest. Freedom. A chance to escape this nightmare.

"Pack your belongings," my father instructed me. "We leave within the hour."

I nodded, turning quickly before anyone could see the tears of relief threatening to spill. As I hurried down the corridor to my room, my wolf stirred inside me, stronger than she had been in years.

It took less than fifteen minutes to gather my few possessions. Five years in this pack, and everything I owned fit into a single duffel bag. I was zipping it closed when a shadow fell across my doorway.

"So this is how you repay my generosity?" Isabella's voice dripped with venom. "Running back to daddy the moment something better comes along?"

I straightened my spine, facing her. "I don't owe you anything, Isabella."

Her beautiful face contorted with rage. "You ungrateful little bitch. You think you can just leave? Become some Alpha's Luna when you couldn't even carry a pup?"

Before I could react, she lunged forward, her claws extended. Pain seared across my forearm as she slashed through my skin, leaving four deep gashes.

"A reminder," she snarled, watching blood drip onto the floor. "You'll always be nothing but an Omega servant. No matter what title they give you."

I clutched my bleeding arm to my chest, refusing to give her the satisfaction of seeing me cry. "Goodbye, Isabella."

By the time I reached the main entrance, my father and James were waiting. A small crowd had gathered to witness my departure—some curious, others openly hostile. And there, at the bottom of the steps, stood Ryan.

"Grace, please." His voice was low, urgent. "Don't do this. We need to talk."

I tried to step around him, but he grabbed my injured arm, making me wince. "You can't leave me. You're mine."

"Let go of her." James stepped forward, his Beta authority radiating. "Now."

Ryan's grip tightened painfully. "You don't understand. She's my—"

"I'm not yours," I whispered, finally meeting his eyes. "I never was."

For a moment, something dangerous flashed in his gaze. "If you leave, you'll regret it. I promise you that."

James moved between us, breaking Ryan's hold on my arm. "That sounded like a threat, future Alpha. Not wise in front of witnesses."

As James guided me toward my father's waiting SUV, I could feel Ryan's eyes burning into my back. I didn't look back. Not even once.

Freedom tasted bittersweet as we drove away from the Moonstone Pack territory. I was escaping five years of lies and abuse, but heading toward an unknown future with a stranger as my mate. Would Alpha Nathan Sterling be any different from Ryan? Or was I trading one cage for another?