Rejected by My Alpha on My Birthday

I come from a family of renowned healers, the Harrises, known for our centuries-old healing traditions. Eight years ago, while I was training in a rural pack, I met Andre Gibson, the Alpha of his pack, painting by the river.

Back then, Andre was everything I could have dreamed of—commanding yet tender, with a presence that demanded respect and a smile that could melt the iciest of hearts. The first time I saw him, I felt it—that unmistakable pull, the mate bond that the Moon Goddess herself had woven for us. His scent, a blend of cedar and earth, was intoxicating, and I knew I was his, just as he was mine.

But my parents, proud members of the Harris Pack, were vehemently opposed to our union. They believed an Alpha from a rural pack wasn’t worthy of their only daughter. I, however, was headstrong. Against their wishes, I secretly marked Andre, sealing our bond in a private mark ceremony under the full moon. It broke their hearts, and for years, the rift between us remained unhealed.

The first few years were blissful. Andre was everything I had hoped for—loving, attentive, and fiercely protective of our growing family. But then, tragedy struck.

Five years into our union, Andre’s younger brother, Memphis, a loyal Beta who had sacrificed his education to support Andre, took their mother, Noelle, a Gamma, to the city for a routine checkup. On the way back, their car malfunctioned, sending them careening off a cliff. Both were killed instantly. The shock was too much for Andre’s father, Kyree, a respected elder. He suffered a heart attack on the way to the hospital and passed away before they could save him.

The pack was in mourning, and Andre was devastated. In the wake of the tragedy, the elders and the pack council urged Andre to take in Yasmin, Memphis’s widow, as his second mate. They called it a “duty of honor,” a way to ensure she was cared for. I was horrified.

“Andre, you can’t be serious,” I pleaded, my voice trembling. “You’re my mate. You vowed to be mine, and mine alone.”

He looked at me, his amber eyes heavy with guilt and grief. “Cora, you have to understand. Memphis gave up everything for me. How can I abandon his mate now? It’s not about love—it’s about duty.”

I wanted to believe him. I truly did. His words were soft, almost convincing, but the scent of his unease lingered in the air, betraying his inner turmoil. Still, I let myself be swayed, trusting that he would keep his promise to care for her without crossing the line.

But I was wrong.

Everything changed the day Yasmin moved in. Her presence was like a shadow, creeping into every corner of our home. She was a master manipulator, weaving herself into Andre’s life with a subtlety that was almost frightening.

One evening, as I sat alone in the living room, the sound of laughter drifted in from the yard. I stood, my heart heavy, and walked to the window. There they were—Andre and Yasmin, standing close, their voices mingling in the cool night air.

Andre turned, his gaze meeting mine through the glass. For a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of guilt in his eyes, but it was gone too quickly to be sure. He stepped inside, his Alpha aura filling the room with an almost suffocating intensity.

“Cora,” he said, his voice calm but distant.

I pointed to the basin by the door, my hand trembling. “What’s that? Why is there blood in it?”

He glanced at it, his expression unreadable. “It’s nothing. Just a scratch from training earlier.”

But the scent of iron was sharp, almost metallic, and it made my stomach churn. I wanted to press him, to demand the truth, but the way he looked at me—like I was a burden, an inconvenience—stopped me in my tracks.

The cracks were forming, and I could feel them spreading, threatening to shatter everything I had built with him. But I was powerless to stop it. The mate bond, once so strong, now felt fragile, like a thread on the verge of snapping.

And deep down, I knew—this was only the beginning.