Before My Alpha Destroyed Our World

Dawn crept through the windows of our bedroom, painting the walls with pale light that did nothing to warm the chill in my bones. I sat at the edge of our bed, fully dressed in my running gear, waiting. The pendant hung heavy around my neck, its familiar weight a small comfort after nearly losing it forever. My fingers traced the smooth stone, still cool from its night in the lake waters.

The door to our suite opened and Ethan strode in, already dressed in his running clothes. His powerful frame filled the doorway as he grabbed his water bottle from the nightstand, not sparing me a glance.

"You're ready early," he remarked, his tone casual as if last night had never happened. As if he hadn't thrown my mother's pendant into the lake. As if he hadn't watched me nearly drown.

"For the pack run," I said, rising to my feet. "I thought we could lead together this morning."

Ethan's eyes finally met mine, cold amber against my blue. "You should rest. After your... display last night, the pack needs to see strength, not weakness."

My wolf bristled at his words. *Display? We almost drowned retrieving what was ours.*

"I'm fine," I insisted, stepping closer. "The pack expects both Alpha and Luna."

His hand shot out, gripping my wrist. Not painfully, but with enough pressure to remind me of his strength. "The pack expects what I tell them to expect, Olivia." His voice dropped, that familiar Alpha tone sending unwelcome shivers down my spine. "You'll stay and handle the arrangements for the trade delegation. That's Luna business, isn't it?"

Before I could respond, he released me and walked out, leaving me with the ghost of his touch on my skin and the hollow echo of our mate bond in my chest.

From the courtyard window, I watched as wolves gathered for the run. Ethan stood tall among them, his black fur gleaming in the early light as he shifted. The others followed suit, bodies contorting and reshaping into their wolf forms. I searched the crowd for Vanessa, my stomach knotting when I spotted her honey-colored wolf slipping into position near the front—where I should have been.

With a powerful howl that used to make my heart soar, Ethan led the pack into the forest, leaving me alone in our home that suddenly felt too large, too empty.

Hours passed as I paced the courtyard, unable to focus on the trade delegation papers. My wolf paced with me, restless and hurt. *Reach for him,* Luna urged. *Make him acknowledge us.*

I closed my eyes, concentrating on the mate bond that had once flowed between us like a river of light. Now it felt thin, fragile as spider silk. *Ethan?* I called through our connection. *We need to talk about last night.*

The response was immediate—a wall slammed down between us, blocking my thoughts from reaching him. The rejection stung like a physical blow.

My phone buzzed with a text message from him: *Stop. You're being paranoid and ungrateful. I have important pack business to handle.*

Ungrateful. The word burned like acid. Ungrateful for what? For him throwing away my mother's pendant? For ignoring me as I nearly drowned? For replacing me with Vanessa at the pack run?

I sank onto a stone bench, the morning sun doing nothing to warm the chill that had settled into my bones. What had happened to us? When had his ambition begun to poison what we'd built together?

The sound of running footsteps pulled me from my thoughts. Rebecca burst into the courtyard, her normally composed face flushed with exertion and something else—worry. Her dark eyes found mine immediately.

"Olivia," she gasped, barely catching her breath. "I need to show you something."

"What is it?" I rose, alarmed by the urgency in her voice.

Rebecca glanced around, ensuring we were alone before stepping closer. "I was patrolling the eastern border," she whispered, her voice tight. "Near Moonstone Ridge."

My heart began to pound. "And?"

"I saw them together," she said, her eyes filled with a mixture of anger and pity. "Ethan and Vanessa. They weren't running with the pack at all. They were meeting at the old oak clearing."

"Maybe it was pack business," I said weakly, even as my wolf howled in denial.

Rebecca shook her head, her expression grim. "Not with his hand on her waist, it wasn't. And not with the way she was looking at him." She reached for my hand, squeezing it tightly. "Olivia, they were whispering together like..."

She didn't need to finish. The truth hung between us, as undeniable as the weakening bond in my chest.