Mated And Betrayed: My Alpha's Secret

Kieran didn’t return to the den that night. Instead, I received a short, clipped message:

“Lyla, I’m tied up with some urgent pack matters and will be staying at the stronghold. It’s getting cold, so make sure to keep the fire going. Stay safe. Love, Kieran.”

I stared at the message, feeling nothing. In the past, I would have worried, sent a response, or anxiously awaited his return. But now, I couldn’t bring myself to care. I had once believed I was the luckiest Luna, with the most devoted Alpha. But the truth had shattered that illusion—leaving me numb. People’s hearts are hidden beneath layers of flesh, and their lies are often written in their actions, not words.

A few days later, I received the separation papers my advisor, a wise elder from the council, had drawn up. I signed them, ready to leave the life I had known behind. As I packed my things, preparing to return to my old family pack, my communicator chimed with a message from an unknown number.

It was Selene.

We agreed to meet at the Moonlit Tavern. Selene arrived with the smug look of someone who believed she had won a war. She sat across from me, her lips curling into a smile, the scent of victory radiating off her like cheap perfume. A bag sat at her side, filled with goods from the market, no doubt flaunting her new life.

“You showed up,” she said, feigning surprise. “I half-expected you wouldn’t.”

I met her gaze, my heart steady, devoid of any lingering attachment. “Why wouldn’t I come? I’ve done nothing to be ashamed of.” I leaned back, crossing my arms. “You, on the other hand, are quite familiar with hiding, aren’t you? After all, no matter how hard you try, you’ll always be nothing more than the hidden third.”

Her eyes flashed with anger, but before she could retort, I continued.

“Thank you, by the way,” I added, voice cold as steel. “For being careless enough to leave all the evidence of your affair for me to find. You saved me the trouble of gathering it myself.”

Selene’s face tightened, and I could see the facade of confidence beginning to crack.

“So, this drink’s on me,” I said, standing up and tossing a few silver coins onto the table. As I turned to leave, her hand shot out, grabbing my arm.

“What do you mean by that?” she hissed, eyes narrowing.

I pulled my arm free, meeting her gaze with the kind of calm that comes from making peace with loss. “I don’t want him anymore. If you want him, you can have him.”

The fury in her eyes flared, and before I could react, she shoved me. I stumbled backward, my body hitting the cold stone floor of the tavern with a dull thud. My breath caught in my throat as a sharp pain tore through me, unlike anything I had ever felt before. My wolf howled inside me, warning of danger.

Blood stained the floor beneath me, and I gasped, clutching my abdomen. The world spun as I screamed, “Help! Someone help me!”

The tavern erupted into chaos. I vaguely registered Selene fleeing from the scene, but my mind was fixated on one thing: survival. Forcing myself to stay conscious, I pleaded with the tavern staff to call a healer. My vision blurred as the pain intensified, and soon I found myself being lifted onto a stretcher.

“Stay with us, Luna,” a healer urged. “We’ll get you to the infirmary.”

Through the haze of agony, I barely noticed as they contacted my emergency link. My communicator rang out, the sharp tone cutting through the fog of pain. They tried Kieran, my mate, six times before he finally answered.

“Kieran,” I whispered as the healer held the device to my ear. “Something’s wrong…”

But Kieran’s voice was curt, cold. “Lyla, I’m in the middle of an important meeting. Can we talk later? Be good, alright?”

The line went dead, and with it, any last shred of hope I had for him.

I turned away from the healer’s pitying eyes, biting down on my lip to keep from breaking down. My fingers trembled as I reached for the communicator and dialed my mother’s number.

Her voice was warm, comforting, and immediately filled with worry. “Lyla? What’s going on? Are you okay?”

“I… I’m at the infirmary,” I managed to say through the pain. “I need help, Mom.”

“Stay calm, sweetheart,” she urged, her voice steady. “Listen to the healers, and do whatever they say. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

I ended the call, feeling my strength slipping away. Another wave of pain hit me, fiercer this time, and I cried out. Cold sweat dripped down my face, and my vision dimmed. I clutched the healer’s arm, my voice barely a whisper.

“Please… save me,” I begged, tears streaming down my cheeks. “I can’t lose everything. Not again.”