My Alpha Mate Rejected Me for My Sister’s Lies

The orphanage library had always been my sanctuary. Tucked away in the far corner of the Silver Moon territory, it was the one place where I could escape the whispers and stares. Where I could hold the small, worn photograph of Elder Caretaker Ruth—the only mother I'd ever known.

I sat cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by dusty books and the faint scent of old paper. My fingers traced the edges of Ruth's smile in the photograph.

"I wish you were here," I whispered to her image. "You'd know what to do."

The diagnosis still echoed in my mind: three months to live. And now Damien's rejection had stripped away what little dignity I had left.

The library door creaked open, and I quickly tucked the photograph into my pocket. But it was only Marina, her golden hair gleaming in the afternoon light.

"Still hiding in your little rat nest?" she asked, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "I heard you had quite the conversation with Damien earlier."

My stomach clenched. "It was nothing."

"Nothing?" She laughed, stepping closer. "I could smell your pathetic scent all over him. Did you really think you could seduce an Alpha?"

Before I could respond, heavy footsteps approached. Damien appeared in the doorway, his imposing figure filling the space.

"What's this place?" he asked, his nose wrinkling in disgust.

Marina slipped her arm through his. "The orphanage library. Where all the bad luck started."

I watched in horror as she pressed herself against him, whispering something in his ear.

Damien's eyes hardened as he looked around the room. "This place is a breeding ground for curses."

"No!" I protested, rising to my feet. "This is just an old library—"

"Silence!" he commanded, his Alpha tone making me flinch. "Marina's right. This place needs to be cleansed."

Within minutes, pack members arrived with torches. I watched in disbelief as they surrounded the building.

"You can't do this!" I screamed, lunging forward only to be restrained by Beta Braxton's strong grip.

"Edith, stop it," my brother hissed in my ear. "You're being hysterical."

"My things are in there!" I struggled against him. "Ruth's photo—"

"The photo of that old Omega?" He shook his head. "Let it go."

The first torch hit the dry wood of the library's exterior. Flames licked up the sides of the building, hungry and merciless.

"No!" I fought harder, but Braxton held firm.

"Edith, stop," he repeated, his voice softening slightly. "It's just an old building."

"It's all I had left!" I sobbed as the roof collapsed, sending a shower of sparks into the sky.

The photograph in my pocket seemed to burn against my thigh. I knew what it contained—not just Ruth's image, but the last vestige of love I'd ever known.

---

Night fell, bringing with it a bone-deep chill that matched the emptiness inside me. I moved through the pack grounds like a ghost, unnoticed and unwanted.

The Pack Border Bridge loomed ahead, its wooden planks stretching across the deep ravine that marked the boundary between pack territory and the Rogue Lands beyond.

I climbed onto the railing, the wind whipping my hair around my face. Below, darkness promised an end to pain.

"Goodbye, Ruth," I whispered, clutching the charred remains of her photograph in my palm.

I let go.

For one breathless moment, I was flying—free from pain, from rejection, from the curse that had marked my entire life.

Then strong fingers wrapped around my wrist, yanking me backward with such force that I slammed against a solid chest.

"Don't," a deep voice rumbled against my ear.

I looked up into eyes that glowed silver in the darkness—eyes I recognized from childhood.

"Mikael?" I gasped.

He wrapped a heavy cloak around my shoulders, his touch unexpectedly gentle despite the power I could feel radiating from him.

"Your life is not theirs to take," he said, his voice low and intense.

The aura surrounding him was terrifying—dark and ancient and powerful. But against my skin, it felt warm. Protective.

"You're a rogue," I whispered, though it wasn't a question.

He smiled, a flash of white teeth in the moonlight. "And you're still the girl who used to hide behind books when the others teased you."

"How did you find me?"

His eyes flickered to the ravine below. "I've been watching over you for longer than you know."

"Why?"

Instead of answering, he pulled me closer to his side. "Come with me, Edith. There's still time for you to see the northern lights."

The promise in his voice was impossible to resist. As he led me away from the bridge, I couldn't help wondering who this man really was—and why he seemed to care more about me than my own family ever had.