My Alpha's Heart Belongs Elsewhere

My hands gripped the steering wheel as I drove under pressure. My tears hadn't stopped as I tried to digest everything that happened. How could Axl propose to another woman named Lia?

Axl was drunk. That was the only explanation I could find. He didn't know what he was doing. He probably didn't even recognize me. It was a case of mistaken identity. But the way he looked at her, the gold ring on her finger, and the softness of his voice when he spoke to her wouldn't leave my mind.

I pulled into the driveway of the packhouse, vision still blurred. Axl was in the back seat and passed out. His friends begged me to take him home.

I got out of the car and dragged his tall and athletic body into the house. I almost stumbled when I dropped him onto the couch.

"How long have you been cheating?" I whispered while staring at him.

Just hours ago, I was sure Axl was the one for me. Now, I wasn't sure anymore.

Suddenly, Axl's phone vibrated. I hesitated at first to pick it up because I trusted him so much that I never checked his phone. But I wanted answers, so I picked up the phone and unlocked it. A message flashed on the screen, and it was from her.

The text message was simple but enough to shatter the hope that I had left. "Don't worry about tonight, love. I'll see you tomorrow."

I stared at the message, my hands shaking. Tomorrow we were supposed to choose my wedding dress. Axl promised to help me decide what to wear. Before I could wrap my head around the message, another one came. "Make sure you clean him up before you sleep."

My eyes widened. She knew I would be checking Axl's phone but wasn't bothered. She even advised what to do with him. Curiosity got the better of me, and I scrolled and read every conversation they had. They had been seeing each other behind my back for months. And she had been waiting for Axl to choose her.

A third message came. “He’ll never leave me. You’re just a distraction.” With that, I threw the phone. It bounced from the sofa before gently landing on the floor. So many questions formed in my head, making me doubt whether I should proceed with the mating ceremony. Axl didn't even wake up by the sound. He slept like a dead.

I couldn't sleep well, so when the phone rang the next day, I heard it.

"It still works," I whispered as I heard Axl answer with a raspy and low voice.

"I'm so sorry, Lia. Please don't cry. You know it breaks my heart hearing you cry. I know this must be hard for you. But rest assured that my heart belongs to you. It's just our mating ceremony had already been set. I can't back out now. I don't want to shame my father because he is our Alpha. And I needed to take care of her. That is the least I could do to repay her for saving my life."

Memories flashed back when I saved Axl from drowning ten months ago. He was escaping from a rogue attack but fell from a deep river. It was when we discovered that we were mates.

"So, this is what it's all about," I softly said in tears. I stood and decided to confront Axl of the truth. I would cancel the mating ceremony if he said he didn't love me.

Axl was shocked when I came out and stood before him. He abruptly ended the call with Lia.

"Lianna, did I wake you up? I'm sorry, love. There was an emergency I needed to attend to," he lied.

"Who was Lia? Why were you with her? How long have you been seeing each other? Is she your mate? Did you plan to mate me and ditch me later?" I asked right away.

"Woah! Slow down! What's with all these questions? Look, I was so drunk last night. I barely remember what I had been doing. Lia was a friend that I hadn't seen for a long time. She just came back so I invited her to our wedding. She used to work with models, so she will be there at the boutique to help us choose your wedding dress. I asked for her help. Now, relax, have breakfast, and I will see you later. I really need to go to take care of some emergency."

"I'm sure you did," I thought but didn't say a word.

Axl rushed to take a shower and left. I was left deciding whether to go to that boutique or just run away and never look back. But I went to the boutique an hour late.

"Why were you late? Lia had chosen a dress, and I believe it really suits your body," Axl said, eyeing a long, plain chiffon white dress.

"She will attend the mating ceremony as one of the bridesmaids. I remember one backed out."

I looked at Lia, who smiled with malice. She was wearing a white halter dress that hugged her hourglass body with diamonds all around it. She planned to make me look like the ugly duckling during the mating ceremony. The dress she had chosen for me was nothing compared to the dress I selected for the other bridesmaids. It looked dull, lacking life, and hid all my beautiful features.

"Oh, okay," I said plainly.

"Aren't you going try?" Axl asked in surprise.

"Nope. You said she worked with models, so I think she knew what's best more than me. Now, excuse me, I needed to do something important," I replied, turning my back to them, and walked towards the door without looking back.

Before I started driving, I booked a flight to London tonight. I would be going home to pack my luggage. I decided that I would not show up during the mating ceremony.