My Alpha Mate Rejected Me for My Sister’s Lies

The night air bit at my skin as Mikael led me away from the bridge, his hand firm but gentle around mine. I couldn't stop shivering—whether from the cold or the shock of what had almost happened, I couldn't tell.

"We need to move quickly," he said, his silver eyes scanning the darkness. "They'll realize you're missing soon."

"Where are we going?" I asked, my voice barely audible over the wind.

Mikael paused, studying my face. His expression softened as he brushed a strand of hair from my cheek. "You're dying, Edith."

The words hung between us, stark and undeniable.

"How did you know?" I whispered.

"I can sense it." His fingers moved to my wrist, pressing against my pulse. "Your life force is... fading. And I know what that means for someone without a wolf."

I looked away, ashamed somehow. "Three months. Maybe less."

Something fierce flashed in his eyes. "Then we'll make those months count."

He pulled me closer, his warmth enveloping me. "I'm taking you north, Edith. To the Neutral Territories. There's something there I think you've always wanted to see."

"The Aurora Borealis," I breathed, the words catching in my throat.

He nodded, understanding in his gaze. "The Moon Goddess's smile."

I hesitated only briefly before slipping my communication crystal from my pocket—the small stone that connected me to the pack's mind-link. Without ceremony, I tossed it into the mud beside the path.

"Good riddance," Mikael said with a small smile.

---

We traveled through the night, moving silently through territories I'd never seen before. Mikael seemed to know the land intimately, guiding us through hidden paths and across streams that would mask our scent.

"Rest now," he said as dawn broke over the horizon. "We'll be safe here until nightfall."

I nodded, exhausted beyond words. But as I sank to the ground, pain exploded through my chest—sharp, burning, and unstoppable.

"Edith!" Mikael caught me as I collapsed, his strong arms cradling me against his chest.

I couldn't speak, couldn't breathe. My vision blurred as darkness crept in from the edges.

"Stay with me," Mikael commanded, his voice urgent. He pressed his palm to my forehead, and suddenly I felt it—a surge of energy flowing from him into me.

The pain receded, replaced by a strange warmth that spread through my veins.

"How did you...?" I gasped, looking up at him.

His eyes glowed silver in the dim light—not just a reflection of the moon, but an inner light that pulsed with ancient power.

"What are you?" I whispered.

"Not just a rogue," he admitted, helping me sit up. "But I can't explain everything now. Just know that I won't let you die if I can help it."

---

Days blurred together as we continued north. Mikael never left my side, his strength becoming my strength as my own faded. When we finally crested the last hill and saw the valley below, I understood why he'd brought me here.

A small cabin sat nestled among towering pines, smoke curling from its chimney. Snow blanketed the ground around it, pristine and untouched.

"It's beautiful," I breathed.

"It was my mother's," Mikael said quietly. "No one knows about it except me."

The cabin was simple but warm inside—a fireplace, a small kitchen, a bedroom with a window facing north. Mikael showed me around, explaining that this would be our home until...

He didn't finish the sentence. He didn't need to.

That first evening, as I sat wrapped in furs by the fire, Mikael moved around the kitchen with surprising grace for someone so powerful. The scent of soup filled the cabin, making my stomach growl embarrassingly loud.

"Here," he said, placing a steaming bowl in my hands. "Eat slowly."

I took a spoonful, closing my eyes at the rich flavor. "This is amazing."

"I learned to cook when I was alone," he explained, settling beside me with his own bowl. "Nothing fancy, but it keeps you alive."

Later, as night fell and the first stars appeared through the window, Mikael found an old book on the shelf and began to read aloud. His deep voice filled the cabin, bringing the words to life.

"Why are you doing all this for me?" I finally asked, breaking the comfortable silence that had fallen between us.

He looked up from the book, his silver eyes meeting mine. "Because you deserve to be treated like a queen, not a servant."

Something warm unfurled in my chest—something I thought had died long ago.

"I never wanted power," I admitted softly. "I just wanted to be loved."

Mikael set the book aside and moved closer, his expression solemn. "I am Mikael Willis, son of the late Lycan Queen Elena. I was exiled after a coup attempt on my father's throne."

"A prince?" I whispered.

"A title that means nothing now," he said with a sad smile. "But there's something else you should know, Edith."

He took my hand in his, his touch sending warmth through my chilled fingers.

"I've loved you since we were children in that orphanage. Even then, I knew you were special—not cursed, but blessed."

The words hung in the air between us, impossible and wonderful and terrifying all at once.