After My Mate Fell for the Omega, I Let Him Go

I woke to the sound of the shower running. Grayson had returned sometime in the night, slipping into bed without a word. Now he was up early again, his movements hurried and distant.

My wolf, Luna, stirred within me. *He smells different.*

I sat up slowly, my senses immediately alert. The morning light filtered through our bedroom window, casting long shadows across the floor. Grayson had left his clothes in a careless pile by the door—training clothes, still damp with sweat.

As I approached them, a scent caught my attention—faint but unmistakable. Floral. Sweet. Not mine.

My fingers trembled as I touched his shirt. "Who wears flowers to training?" I whispered to myself.

Luna growled softly. *She does.*

The shower shut off with a metallic squeak. I quickly moved away from his clothes, my heart pounding. I shouldn't be snooping. But the cards from last night still haunted me—The Tower, The Moon reversed, The Three of Swords.

As Grayson stepped out of the bathroom, steam billowing behind him, I busied myself making the bed. He barely glanced at me, his eyes already distant, mind elsewhere.

"I need to grab something to eat before the next training session," he muttered, toweling his hair dry.

"Of course," I replied, keeping my voice neutral despite the ache in my chest. "Will you be home for dinner tonight?"

He paused, considering. "I'm not sure. The new recruits are struggling with basic formations."

As he turned away, something shifted in the air—a subtle change in energy that made my oracle senses tingle. I closed my eyes, focusing on the disturbance.

That's when I felt it—a residual echo of a mind-link, unguarded and raw with emotion.

*"I can't stop thinking about yesterday,"* Kylee's voice whispered through the link.

*"Neither can I,"* Grayson's voice responded, intimate and warm in a way he hadn't spoken to me in months. *"But we need to be careful. The pack... Lilith..."

*"I know. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."*

*"Don't apologize. Just... not here. Not now."*

The link faded, leaving me frozen in place, my hands clutching the bedsheets so tightly my knuckles turned white.

"Lilith?" Grayson's voice cut through my shock. "What's wrong?"

I turned to face him, my eyes locking with his. For a moment, I saw it—guilt flashing across his features before his expression hardened into defensiveness.

"I heard you," I said quietly.

"Heard me what?" He pulled on his shirt, movements sharp and sudden.

"Kylee." Her name tasted bitter on my tongue. "I heard your mind-link."

His aura flared—Alpha-in-training, powerful and intimidating. "You were eavesdropping?"

"Eavesdropping?" The word struck like a slap. "Grayson, we're mates. Our minds have been linked since our first shift together."

"This is different," he snapped, his command tone vibrating through the room. "This is pack business. Kylee is struggling, and as future Beta, it's my responsibility to help her."

"Help her?" My voice cracked. "That wasn't help I heard. That was..."

"That was what?" he challenged, stepping closer, his aura pressing against mine.

"The cards were right," I whispered, tears burning behind my eyes. "The Tower. The Moon reversed. The Three of Swords."

Something flickered across his face—recognition, perhaps even fear. But it vanished quickly, replaced by cold anger.

"Your cards," he scoffed. "Always with the cards, Lilith. Can't you just be a normal mate for once?"

The words hit harder than any physical blow. Luna howled within me, a sound of pure anguish that echoed through my soul.

Suddenly, the memory crashed over me—our first shift together, seven years ago under the full moon. His wolf had been magnificent, silver-gray and powerful, circling mine with such tenderness.

*"Mine,"* he had growled, his wolf's voice rumbling through our newly formed bond. *"My Luna. My mate."*

His aura had glowed so brightly then, wrapping around mine like a protective embrace. The mate mark had burned like fire when he placed it on my neck, a promise of forever.

Now, standing before me was a stranger—cold, defensive, his aura fractured and pulling away from mine with each passing day.

"Get out," I whispered.

"What did you say?" His eyes widened.

"Get out!" I repeated, louder this time, my own aura flaring with newfound strength. "Get out of our quarters. Now."

For a moment, we stood locked in silent combat, two wolves facing off in human form. Then something in him broke—not remorse, but irritation.

"This is ridiculous," he muttered, grabbing his jacket. "We'll talk when you're thinking clearly."

As he stormed out, I sank to the floor, surrounded by the lingering scent of flowers and betrayal.