Rejected by My Fated Alpha

That night, I stayed up until the early hours, but Jalen never mind-linked me. Reflecting on seven years of commitment, it all felt like a cruel joke.

Jalen and I first met during freshman orientation at the werewolf academy. I wasn’t from the prestigious Mills Pack; I hailed from a small, lesser-known pack. That day, I clumsily dragged my overpacked, outdated suitcase across the courtyard until it finally burst open. My clothes tumbled everywhere, accompanied by the homemade spiced honey cakes I had brought from home.

While others watched with disdain and amusement, Jalen, the future Alpha of the Mills Pack, knelt down and helped me collect my things. That was the day this vibrant young man entered my life. Although I didn’t know his true rank back then, I knew he was commanding and powerful, with admirers aplenty. As an Omega, I had no choice but to keep my feelings hidden until he confessed his feelings for me, changing everything.

It was hard to believe someone as high-ranking as Jalen could fall for someone from a small pack like me, so I initially dodged his advances. Yet, that semester, he was always by my side, caring for me tenderly, and I couldn’t resist his gentle charm. His aura, even then, was magnetic, drawing me in despite the vast gulf between our statuses.

Once we started dating, I worked tirelessly to prove myself worthy of his love, to rise above my Omega status and show that I could stand beside him as an equal—or at least as close to one as possible. After graduation, he seamlessly took over as Alpha of the Mills Pack, while I struggled for three years to find my place in the pack hierarchy. Little did I know, a shattering blow awaited me.

Based on one woman’s words, he left me on our sixth anniversary without any explanation, fearing she might be kept waiting. A notification popped up on my phone; it was a post from one of Jalen’s Betas. I tapped on it.

The man who had once been by my side day and night was now on one knee, smiling, proposing to another woman. Surrounded by joyous pack members and allies, it was a scene I had pictured countless times. But now, the woman in the picture wasn’t me. It was Theodora, a Lycan Princess, her golden hair gleaming like a crown, her status as untouchable as her beauty.

I saw Jalen again last Friday when I got home from pack duties. As soon as I opened the door, there he was, setting the table with the air of someone who still belonged.

"Dahlia, you’re back. It’s been a long week for you. I brought your favorite pastries!"

He acted as if nothing had happened, making no mention of abandoning me just days ago.

"Alpha Jalen," I said, my voice tight with anger, "get out of my house! You’re no longer welcome here!"

Noting my displeasure, he quickly tried to grab my hand, his Alpha tone softening but still laced with authority. "Dahlia, don’t be upset. I got you a new silver bracelet as an apology!"

As the bracelet was about to slip onto my wrist, I flung it away, causing Jalen to stumble against the table. He steadied himself, stood, and moved closer to me, his smile evaporating, replaced by the cold, commanding expression he reserved for pack disputes.

"Dahlia, don’t take it too far!"

"I never wronged you; you came to me willingly!"

Anger flushed my face, and my body trembled slightly with rage. My wolf stirred within me, a low growl echoing in my mind, but I pushed her down. This wasn’t the time.

"Omega Dahlia Gibson," he said, his Alpha tone sharp, "in these seven years, I’ve spent more on you than most Omegas earn in a lifetime. You ought to be grateful!"

"There are plenty of young, willing Omegas out there, who are more understanding than you!"

Fury surged through me as I raised my hand and slapped him hard. The sound echoed in the small room, and for a moment, the world seemed to stop.

"Alpha Jalen, you shameless man! Have you no sense of my sincerity?!"

Jalen looked stunned, his Alpha aura flickering for a moment before he regained control. He pressed his tongue against his cheek, suppressing his anger, and said, "Dahlia, just be sensible, stay with me, and I won’t treat you badly!"

Ha, I was his mate, his chosen one, and yet here I was, treated like a caged Omega, a plaything to be discarded when a better offer came along.

"Dahlia," he continued, his voice softer now, "I don’t love Theodora at all, but her family’s alliance is crucial for the Mills Pack. Marriage is the best way to secure our future."

I recall him once saying that our meeting was the Moon Goddess’s finest arrangement. But faced with cold, hard pack politics, such words become meaningless.

"Alpha Jalen," I said, my voice breaking, "what does our seven-year mate bond amount to then?"

The words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of everything we had lost. And for the first time, I saw a flicker of something in his eyes—regret, perhaps, or guilt. But it was gone as quickly as it came, replaced by the steely resolve of an Alpha who had made his choice.