After My Mate Betrayed Me

Dawn broke cold and gray over the Moonveil territory as I made my way to the main house. Sleep had evaded me, leaving dark circles beneath my eyes and a hollow ache in my chest. My wolf whimpered constantly, confused by our mate's rejection and the lingering scent of his partial mark on my neck.

The sound of retching greeted me as I entered the Alpha suite. Olivia was hunched over a crystal basin, her auburn hair pulled back as she emptied her stomach. Post-birth purging—normal but uncomfortable. My nurturing instincts kicked in automatically, even as my heart twisted with pain.

"Here," I said softly, reaching for a cloth to dampen with cool water.

Ethan's growl stopped my hand mid-air. "Don't touch her."

He knelt beside Olivia, his large hands gentle as he wiped her mouth, murmuring soft reassurances. The tenderness in his voice cut deeper than any blade.

"It's normal," I explained, keeping my voice professional. "Her body is adjusting after—"

"I know what's happening to my mate," Ethan snapped, his eyes flashing gold. "Your job is to help with the pup's bonding, not give medical opinions."

Mate. He'd never called me that, not once in three years.

I retreated to the corner where the pup lay in an ornate bassinet. The tiny boy—just three days old—squirmed restlessly, sensing his mother's distress. I reached in, my fingers glowing with the soft silver light of my nurturing ability.

"Remember when I had my heat cycle last spring?" The words slipped out before I could stop them, my eyes fixed on the pup to avoid looking at them. "You said the smell made you sick."

The silence that followed was deafening.

"That was different," Ethan finally said, his voice cold. "Olivia is recovering from bringing my heir into the world. Your... biology... was just inconvenient."

Inconvenient. Three days I'd suffered alone in my apartment, my wolf howling for her mate while Ethan stayed away, disgusted by what was a natural part of being a female wolf.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and focused on the pup, channeling my energy into calming his distress. This wasn't about me. This was about my father. One hundred thousand dollars. Seven days.

I could survive anything for seven days.

---

"He's not settling in wolf form," Olivia complained the next afternoon, her wolf pacing restlessly around the den room. Her auburn fur gleamed under the skylight, her movements graceful despite having given birth days ago.

I approached cautiously, my hands already glowing with nurturing energy. "Let me help. Sometimes pups struggle with the dual nature. I can—"

A massive black wolf intercepted me, cutting between Olivia and myself. Ethan's wolf form was intimidating—jet black with piercing gold eyes that pinned me in place.

"Step back," he commanded through our pack mind-link. "I'll handle this."

Before I could protest, Ethan's wolf approached Olivia's, his massive form circling her protectively. He began grooming her, his tongue running through her fur in long, intimate strokes that started at her neck and moved down her spine. The gesture was deeply personal, something only mates or very close pack members would do.

Olivia's wolf relaxed visibly, her eyes half-closing in pleasure. "Mmm, your Alpha healing always works better than anything else."

I stood frozen, my nurturing glow fading as I watched my mate—the man who had marked me—perform such an intimate ritual with another female right in front of me. My wolf cowered, the rejection burning like acid.

Ethan's eyes met mine over Olivia's back, a challenge in their golden depths. This wasn't just about healing. This was a demonstration, a deliberate display meant to put me in my place.

I turned away, busying myself with organizing the pup's blankets, willing my hands not to shake. Three more days. Just three more days.

---

"Do you remember that full moon run last summer?" Olivia's laugh rang out across the formal dining room that evening. "When you chased me all the way to Silver Lake?"

Ethan's smile was warm, genuine in a way I'd rarely seen. "How could I forget? You led me on quite the chase."

I kept my eyes on my plate, pushing food around that I couldn't taste. The pack dinner was mandatory—a formal introduction of the pup to the visiting pack officials. As the nurturing omega, I was required to attend, though I'd been seated at the far end of the table, away from the Alpha pair.

"That was the night we knew," Olivia continued, her hand finding Ethan's across the table. "That our wolves were meant to create something special together."

"And now we have our moon-blessed son," Ethan agreed, raising his glass. "The culmination of our bond."

The visiting officials raised their glasses in toast, congratulating the "perfect Alpha pair" on their "destined union."

I set down my fork, appetite gone. Three years I'd been with Ethan. Three years of believing I was building toward something real, something permanent. And all that time, I'd been nothing but a placeholder while he ran beneath the moon with Olivia.

As the dinner continued around me, I traced the moonflower birthmark on my wrist, the gesture no longer bringing comfort. My wolf whimpered inside me, confused and heartbroken.

How many more humiliations would I have to endure before this week was over? And how would I ever heal from them once I walked away with my father's salvation and my shattered heart?