Rejected by My Fated Alpha

Adelina, ignoring her frail state, stumbled and fell to the ground behind me, undeterred as she crawled over, her face streaked with tears and mucus.

"Lilliana, don't get the wrong idea. Alpha Damien and I are just friends. You are, and will always be, his mate. He's just too kind-hearted to let a friend like me suffer, which is why he takes extra care of me. Please, don't misjudge him."

With just a few words, she cast Alpha Damien in a favorable light once more.

I abruptly dropped to my knees, facing Adelina directly. The surrounding crowd gasped at my unexpected gesture. My wolf whimpered in the back of my mind, sensing the tension, but I pushed the thought away.

"Princess Adelina, I can't accept such a grand gesture from you, especially since you're still unwell. I'm a healer, not a miracle worker. If you keep straining yourself like this, even ten lives wouldn't be enough."

Feigning helplessness is a skill anyone can master; I've just never wanted to play that game. But now, as I was about to leave, why should I swallow my pride?

"Get up, Princess."

Adelina was taken aback by my actions. I quickly helped her up, offering a warm smile. "I know it's just your illness speaking. Don't worry; I've arranged for the best healer to take care of you. If you're still unsure, I'll personally oversee your care."

Adelina finally snapped out of her shock as she lay back in the bed.

"No need, no need."

She tried to get up again, but I dropped my smile. "Princess, this is a healing chamber."

I was reminding her to heed the healers, and she quieted down immediately.

"Just because it's a healing chamber doesn't mean you have to act all high and mighty," Alpha Damien defended her indignantly. I gave him a cold stare.

Even knowing that Alpha Damien resented and disliked me, I hadn't expected him to speak such hurtful words repeatedly.

"Lilliana," Emberlynn, my Gamma friend, also heard it and worried I might react poorly.

But I simply carried on quietly, checking on Adelina before heading back to the packhouse.

Alpha Damien didn’t come back. He stayed at the healing chambers with Adelina, which gave me some peace. After all, I was leaving soon and needed to pack my things.

My parents, both Omegas in the Silver Moon Pack, arrived in a rush at eight that evening after receiving my message. They had aged, and they had hoped their only daughter would find a mate and bring joy to their lives. Now, suddenly learning that I was planning to volunteer as a roving healer in a remote pack, their faces were filled with urgency.

"Lilliana, don’t go. If you don’t want to be with Alpha Damien, you don’t have to. Your father and I can support you. We’ve heard about what happened at the healing chambers. Alpha Damien isn’t a good match, but there are plenty of other wolves out there. Surely, they’re not all as shameless as him. Please, don’t leave, okay?"

My mom clutched my hand, her eyes glistening with tears. I paused my packing and looked at her. "Mom, it’s not just about Alpha Damien. You both know my dream has always been to help those in need, especially in struggling packs. For a year, I abandoned my belief because of one wolf, and that's something I regret. That was my mistake, and now I have to make it right. You’ll support me, won’t you?"

Stubbornness had always been in my nature. My mom released my hand and moved to the wardrobe.

"I’ll help you pack."

"Dad can check if there’s anything else you need to take. The border packs aren’t like here."

They didn’t explicitly agree; they just started preparing my things for departure in unison.

That’s what real love is, something Alpha Damien could never offer because he doesn’t truly love me.