Rejected by My Fated Alpha

As I brushed past Raphael, I caught his scent—a mix of pine and something sharp, unmistakably Alpha—as his voice cut through the cold air:

"The winter chill is here. Has Azalea’s condition improved?"

Just those words nearly brought tears to my eyes.

I clenched my teeth, quickening my pace.

"She’s fine," I said stiffly, refusing to let my voice waver. "No need for your concern."

My life, my pain, would no longer be tied to him.

Not even if he pitied me for the past we shared.

In my previous life, everyone in the pack had said I was lucky.

I’d met Raphael during a pack run, a chance encounter that led to a bond I thought was unbreakable.

When I returned to the main pack, I became his chosen mate—his Luna.

For years, his pack whispered about how devoted he was to me.

There were no others in his life, save for one chosen mate, an Omega who bore a striking resemblance to Ximena.

He even defended me against those who mocked my lineage, declaring publicly that I was his one and only.

I had believed him then.

But now, I knew better.

That chosen mate, the one who lingered in the shadows of his life—her scent mirrored Ximena’s, a heady mix of roses and something darker.

My mate, the Alpha I had trusted, had loved Ximena all along.

I thought back to the first time Raphael had met Ximena.

Azalea had been ill, burning with a fever that no one in the pack cared enough to treat.

Desperate, I had gone to Raphael, begging for his help.

He had sent a healer, and Azalea had recovered.

But it was during that visit that Ximena had appeared.

She wore a crimson dress, her scent filling the room, intoxicating and undeniable.

Raphael’s words, his admiration for me, had faltered.

He had stared at her, just for a moment, but that moment had been enough.

I had dismissed it then, but now I knew.

That brief glance had been his eternity.

An eternity he would spend chasing her, even as he stood beside me.