Rejected by the Alpha’s Choice

Seven years after my mate Yosef’s death, I stood before his grave, intending to honor his memory. But as I approached, I found his tombstone missing, the earth undisturbed as if it had never existed. My heart raced, and I quickly returned to Silver Moon Pack territory, seeking Alpha Ernesto.

“Alpha,” I said, my voice trembling, “Yosef’s grave is gone. Please, check the pack’s records. Where is he buried?”

Alpha Ernesto looked at me with a mixture of pity and regret. “Ariella,” he said gently, “Yosef’s resting place is not where you thought. He was buried beside Lorelai Wallace, the one he truly loved.”

The words hit me like a physical blow. Lorelai—the woman Yosef had always carried in his heart, even after our mate bond was formed.

“Yosef once told me,” Alpha Ernesto continued, his tone heavy with sorrow, “that he wished to be laid to rest with the one he had always loved, the one who truly held his heart.”

Lorelai. Of course it was Lorelai. I had given everything to save Yosef after he was injured in a pack battle—my strength, my healing energy—but he had dismissed my sacrifice. And in the end, he had chosen her, even in death.

The irony of it all left me hollow. I had been a fool, clinging to a bond that had never truly been mine.

But then, I opened my eyes, and I was back—before it all happened.

This time, I would not waste my heart on him. I would sever the ties that bound me to him and focus on my own strength. I would rise through the ranks of the pack, not as Yosef’s mate, but as Ariella Harris, the first female Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack.

---

I spent the next two weeks in the forest, recovering from an injury sustained during a pack training session. The cough that had wracked my body finally subsided, and I returned to my quarters, only to find Yosef absent.

He hadn’t checked on me once during my recovery. Instead, he had been busy comforting Lorelai after she’d been reprimanded by Alpha Ernesto for her recklessness. My injury, it seemed, was of no concern to him.

As I packed my belongings, Yosef walked in, his expression darkening when he saw the state of the room.

“I’ve only been gone for two weeks,” he said, his voice laced with irritation. “How did this place get so neglected, Ariella? What have you been doing?”

I didn’t look up as I continued folding my clothes. “I’ve been recovering in the forest.”

For a moment, he seemed taken aback, as if it hadn’t occurred to him that I might have been injured. Then, his demeanor softened, and he stepped closer, helping me with the packing.

“How are your injuries now?” he asked, his tone uncharacteristically gentle.

I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. It had taken two lifetimes for him to ask that question.

“I’m fine,” I replied curtly, not meeting his gaze.

Yosef noticed the bag I was packing and frowned. “Where are you going?”

“I’m leaving,” I said, my voice steady. “I’m going on a solo mission. I need to focus on my own growth.”

He hesitated, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a leather bracelet. “Ariella,” he said, his voice softening, “I found this for you during a pack run last week. I thought it would suit you.”

I stared at the bracelet, a pang of bitterness twisting in my chest. This was the first time he had ever given me anything—and it was only because I had stopped chasing after him.

“I don’t like leather bracelets,” I said, handing it back to him. Lorelai was the one who adored such trinkets, not me.

Yosef’s face hardened, and he clenched the bracelet in his fist. “Fine,” he snapped, his voice cold. “But there’s something else I need from you.”

“What is it?” I asked, though I already knew where this was going.

“At the last pack gathering,” he began, his tone demanding, “Alpha Ernesto mentioned he would reward you with a rare healing herb for your performance. Lorelai is still recovering from her injuries. You should give it to her.”

I looked him straight in the eye. “That herb was earned by my efforts. It’s mine.”

His jaw tightened, and I could see the frustration building in him. “You’re the Beta’s mate, Ariella. You should show some compassion to your packmate. Lorelai needs it more than you do.”

I laughed, the sound sharp and humorless. “If she’s so weak, that’s her problem, not mine.”

Yosef’s composure shattered. “I should have never completed the mate bond with you,” he hissed, his voice low and venomous. “You’re nothing but a selfish, heartless rogue.”

With that, he threw the bracelet to the ground, where it snapped in two. He stormed out, leaving me alone in the silence of the room.

I stared at the broken bracelet for a moment, then turned back to my packing. This time, I wouldn’t let his words break me. I had a pack to lead, and I would do it on my own terms.