My Mate Chose Her Over Me

What transpired at the hospital did not escape the notice of Beta Rhys’s parents.

That same evening, I was summoned to their old estate. Rhys knelt stubbornly on the floor, his broad shoulders hunched in defiance, while his father, the Gamma of the Blue Moon Pack, smashed a coffee cup in anger. The sharp clatter echoed through the grand hall, and the scent of his alpha tone—commanding and furious—filled the air. "How did I end up with a son like you?" he roared, his voice reverberating with authority.

Rhys’s mother, a respected Healer, held my hand, her worried eyes searching mine. Her aura, usually calm and soothing, was tinged with unease. "Honey, I’m sorry for all you’ve been through," she said softly, her voice trembling.

I shook my head, forcing a small smile. "It’s alright, Mom. I’m used to it."

Her eyes widened in surprise, and she hesitated, unsure how to comfort me. Her mate’s anger was palpable, and even as a Healer, she knew better than to challenge his authority in this moment.

Rhys stood up abruptly, his towering frame casting a shadow over me. His face was dark, his jaw clenched. "You’ve hit me, yelled at me—can I leave now?" he snapped, his voice laced with bitterness.

His gaze locked onto mine, filled with resentment. I couldn’t help but smirk; after all, I wasn’t the one who had let the truth slip. My wolf stirred faintly in the back of my mind, a low growl of disdain echoing my own feelings.

"You’re not going anywhere," his father said coldly, his alpha tone brooking no argument. "You’re staying here and kneeling through the night. Use the time to think." He paused, his gaze sharp and unyielding. "And that woman—give her some money and send her away. She doesn’t belong in this pack."

Rhys’s fists clenched tightly, his knuckles white. "No, Dad, I really care about her. Without her, I can’t go on. Please, let her stay with me."

His father turned the beads in his hand, a habit he’d always had when deep in thought. He gave Rhys a calm but piercing look, his alpha aura pressing down on all of us. "You said the same thing when you begged me to let you bond with Georgina—do you not remember?"

Rhys froze, his gaze tangled with complexity as he looked at me. For a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of something—regret, perhaps—but it was gone as quickly as it appeared.

I picked up the coffee cup from the table and sipped it indifferently. The steam rose, irritating my eyes and stirring an unexpected urge to cry. My wolf whimpered softly, a quiet ache in the bond that had once been so strong.

His mother sighed, her frustration with Rhys’s stubbornness evident. Her aura shifted, a mix of disappointment and sorrow. "If only you realized the regret waiting for you, foolish boy," she murmured, her voice heavy with emotion.

The room fell silent, the weight of the unspoken words hanging in the air. Rhys’s father turned away, his posture rigid, while his mother squeezed my hand gently, her silent support a small comfort in the midst of the storm. Rhys remained kneeling, his head bowed, but the tension in his body betrayed his inner turmoil.

My wolf growled again, a quiet reminder of the strength I’d found within myself. I set the cup down, my resolve hardening. No matter what Rhys or his family said, I knew my path forward was clear. The bond between us was broken, and I would not let his failures define me.