My least favourite mate turned out to be the only one who loved me

I stood frozen at the door of Noah, the cake I prepared investing the whole day for him clutched tight in my hands as Emily's excited voice echoed through my ears.

"Beta Noah, are you sure your are going to cancel your mating ceremony with Princess Isadora, for me?"

"She is nothing before you." Noah's response was more chilling. "Even if she is born in an Alpha family, the one I like is you."

"Beta Noah! I'm so scared right now. If Princess Isadora finds out the woman you have always loved is me, not her, she will be deeply hurt."

It was Emily, an omega I had sheltered when I was nine. But, what caused my heart to shatter into pieces was Noah's cold reply.

"I don't care. I'm done with her continuous persistence. I don't like her. I like you, Emily. What matters the most is what you feel for me."

"Don't speak like this, Beta Noah. If Princess Isadora finds out, she will create trouble for you." Emily sobbed, her voice laced with innocence and fear as if she had been severely bullied.

I felt like someone just poured a bucket full of cold water on me as Noah added, I have decided. I'm not going to hide my feelings for you anymore. If there are any consequences, I'm ready to face them.

But, the shock I received tonight was not just over. Another pair of voices landed on my ears, sending chills down my spine.

"You should not be afraid of Isadora, Emily. Since you choose Noah over us, we will keep Isadora busy."

"Yes, you two elope from the pack and we will keep Isadora out of your lives."

These were the voices of my twin mates who kept pestering me day and night, telling me how much they loved me.

It turned out, they had only been keeping me busy so that their beloved could spend time with my betrothed.

"Wh-What if anyone finds out? Pack members will defame me for stealing my princessmates." Emily asked, her voice laced with concern yet sounded as if she was expecting more than what the twins promised.

They glanced at each other before they said, their voice cold and eyes dark. Then they will have the same result as Isadoras fourth mate.

My hands clenched into fists. Why did they suddenly mention Tyral Beckham?

Out of the four mates Moon Goddess blessed me with, Tyral was my least favourite. I could not even tolerate his presence in the pack. So, I asked my Dad, who was the Alpha of the pack, to discard him.

He was left with no choice but to leave the pack silently. But, why did they mention him?

"That Tyral!" Noah cursed, his eyes turned dark. "He wanted to expose us before Isadora. But, we made her discard him before. Stupid Isadora, she doesn't even know the mate she is rejecting, is the only one who truly loves her."

My hand, frozen mid-air, trembled uncontrollably. The carefully curated surprise, the nervous excitement, the joyful anticipation—all of it dissolved into a bitter, acrid taste in my mouth.

It felt as if a giant fist had reached into my chest, grabbed hold of my heart, and squeezed until all the air left my lungs. The world, which just moments ago had been a vibrant canvas of my future with Noah, turned to ash.

I stumbled back, my legs betraying me, a hollow ache spreading from my gut and consuming my entire being. The cake box, a symbol of my devotion and hopes, slipped from my grasp and crashed to the ground, a final, heartbreaking sound in the deafening emptiness of my shock.

"Who's there?" Noah shouted from inside. My heart clenched. I was not ready to look at these betrayers right now. So, I ran away.

I was running aimlessly on the grassland. Each voice I had just heard echoed in my mind, not as a sound but as a searing brand of pain, burning away the illusions I had so desperately held onto.

I was a fool, a puppet dancing on strings pulled by the very people I trusted most.

Out of all these voices, suddenly a soft voice of my mother sounded. She had connected me through telepathy. “Isadora, your twenty-first birthday celebration is coming up and so is your mating ceremony.”

“There are piles of marriage proposal documents lying in pack manor. Have you decided whom are you going to choose?”

My mom's words cut deep through my heart. Throughout these years, I was so sure whom I was going to choose in my mating ceremony.

Nolan Morgan! The man I chased for twelve years.

But now, my mind was blank. My mating ceremony... It was the least thing I wanted to care about. But, I had to answer my Mom, who was the Alpha of the pack.

“It must be our young beta, Noah. Right?” My mom’s excited voice sounded from the other end. But, it only sent chills down my spine.

“No.” I almost screamed.

“No?” My Mom was taken aback with my response.

“Then, out of those twins? Good choice, Isadora. In comparison to Noah, they have adored you the most. But, which twin are you going to choose? Damien or Kevin?”

“None of them.” I replied, my voice devoid of any emotions. It was being unbearable for me to suppress the anger and hurt.

“Then, you are left with only one mate, Isadora. Don't tell me you are choosing your forth mate, Tyral Beckham.”

Tyral Beckham!

My eyes widened in a sudden realisation. Noah's voice still echoing in my head.

"Stupid Isadora! She doesn't even know the mate she is rejecting is the only mate who truly loves her."

“Yes, I’m choosing him.” I replied. “I’m choosing Tyral Beckham, my fourth mate.”