His Mate in Secret His Shame in Public

“I’m sorry, miss, your name isn’t on the list.”

The Delta security guard didn’t even glance at me as he stepped forward, solid as a wall. His hand hovered near his earpiece.

I laughed—too loud, too awkward. “That’s impossible. Try again. Poppy Chen. I’m Alpha Rhys Montgomery’s Beta. We’ve worked together every day for two years.”

He didn’t blink. “Alpha Montgomery’s instructions were very clear. No uninvited guests.”

The night air bit at my bare shoulders. I clutched the bouquet tighter—white roses, Rhys’s favorite. I’d chosen them this morning, still believing this would be the night he kept his promise. My hands were trembling now, petals bruising under my grip.

“Call him,” I said. “Please. Just call and tell him I’m here.”

“I have my orders, ma’am.”

From Rhys.

It didn’t make sense. He wouldn’t—

But behind the towering glass doors, the Apex Project launch party glittered like a fantasy. Champagne flutes flashed under crystal chandeliers. People in designer gowns and tailored suits moved like royalty in a dream I helped build. My dream.

My heart stumbled against my ribs.

I stepped closer. “You don’t understand. That celebration in there? I co-led that project. I helped write the pitch. I stayed up nights fixing the back-end code. I negotiated the Singapore licensing myself.”

His jaw flexed, but his tone was stone. “Ma’am. Step aside.”

Just then, through the glass, I saw him—Rhys. Alpha of Montgomery Technologies. My Alpha. Tall, crisp, composed. He stood near the ballroom stage, laughing with a circle of executives, every inch the future of modern leadership. His charcoal suit caught the light just enough to look mythical.

He looked like a man who had never kissed me in the dark. Never whispered we’d “go public” tonight.

And then she appeared beside him.

Arden Blackwell.

Long black dress, gleaming red lips, her arm hooked through his like she was born to be there. Board member’s daughter. Junior strategist. Pretty, poised, and utterly forgettable—unless you once mentored her.

She smiled up at him with practiced ease.

He didn’t pull away.

A sharp, stupid laugh clawed up my throat. “Oh my God,” I said aloud, though no one listened.

A small chime echoed as Rhys stepped onto the stage. The crowd hushed.

My breath caught.

“Good evening,” he said, voice smooth as velvet. “Thank you for celebrating the success of the Apex Project with us. It’s been an incredible journey—and I want to especially thank the talented minds who made it possible.”

I stood straighter. Maybe—maybe he was going to acknowledge me.

He glanced at Arden.

“But tonight,” he continued, “I want to share something personal. Arden and I are engaged.”

What?? No!!

The bouquet slipped from my fingers. The white roses scattered across the sidewalk like spilled snow.

Cheers and applause thundered inside. Arden turned to him, beaming, as Rhys slid a diamond ring onto her hand.

It sparkled so bright, it hurt to look.

The same ring he once told me was “too gaudy for someone real.”

I couldn’t breathe.

A second security guard appeared beside the first, younger but equally unreadable. “Miss Chen, we’re going to need you to leave the premises.”

“Don’t touch me,” I whispered.

They didn’t. They didn’t need to. The humiliation already pressed down like a weight across my shoulders.

I turned away from the glass and walked. The wind sliced through the silk of my dress. I didn’t know where I was going—only that I couldn’t go home, not yet. The streets were too bright, too loud. My heartbeat pounded in my ears, frantic and uneven.

Inside me, Lyra stirred.

My wolf had been quiet for months. Too long. She didn’t understand betrayal. Only instinct. Pain. Fury. Justice.

I circled around the building like a ghost, steps aimless, until something red caught my eye.

The fire alarm.

For one reckless, electric second, I just stared at it.

Would it make a difference?

Probably not.

But I didn’t care.

I pulled the lever.

The scream of alarms tore through the night. Doors burst open. Guests poured out in confusion, heels clacking against marble, tuxedos flapping. Voices rose, questions and annoyance blurring into static.

In the chaos, I slipped through a side entrance.

The ballroom was still grand, still glowing—but now slightly off-balance, like a chandelier swinging from a fraying chain. Most people had cleared out, but Rhys stood by the stage, giving orders to security.

Then he saw me.

He froze. His eyes widened—but only for a second. Then his expression shuttered into something colder. Calculated.

“Rhys!” I shouted, storming across the ballroom floor. “What is this?!”

Some guests had stayed behind. They turned to stare.

He sighed. “Poppy, you shouldn’t be here.”

“You told me we’d go public tonight. You said no more hiding.” My voice cracked. “You lied to me.”

He didn’t flinch. “We’ve talked about boundaries. You misread the situation.”

“Tell them,” I said, louder now. “Tell them what we were.”

“There is no we.” He looked around, performative now. “Miss Chen was a valued employee. Nothing more.”

Laughter. The crowd didn’t know what to do with the tension. Some filmed.

Arden watched from the sidelines, a satisfied tilt to her smile.

“Stop it,” I said, fists clenched. “You used me. You told me you loved me.”

Rhys glanced at the security guards flanking me again. “She’s had a difficult year.”

As if I were unstable.

As if I were some sad, desperate girl who didn’t know when to let go.

I took a shaking breath, stared him dead in the eye. “You’ll regret this, Rhys. Maybe not now, but someday—when the lies unravel, when everyone sees what you really are—I hope you remember this moment. The one where you threw me away like garbage.”

He didn’t say a word.

The guards escorted me toward the exit. My legs moved, but my mind didn’t. I’d spent a year loving this man. Believing in him. Building for him.

And in return, he erased me.

Outside, under the sharp glare of streetlights, I paused. The roses were still on the sidewalk, crushed.

Like how I was crushed by the Alpha who I thought was my fate.

But I wouldn’t let him break me. Never,