Rejected by the Beta's Mate

Despite my pale complexion, I managed to keep a composed smile.

"Beta Asa, you're massaging the wrong spot. It's my stomach that hurts, not my hand," Ellie teased with a playful pout. I smiled warmly at her, "Alright, little princess. You're hard to please."

Watching her bright smile and the boundless affection I showered on her, Loretta's heart must have shattered into pieces.

I never knew Loretta could look so broken.

Thinking back to those days when her cramps left her bedridden, all she wanted was for me to get her a cup of hot coffee.

Just a simple request.

I not only refused to help but mocked her, "Can't you use your own hands?"

And now, I was doing what she wouldn’t even dare to dream of, for another woman, right in front of her.

People truly can't be compared.

When it came to Ellie, Loretta never stood a chance.

She lost, and she accepted it.

Makenzie wanted to stand up for her.

But Loretta gently tugged at her sleeve and, with all the strength she had, whispered, "Makenzie, let it go."

Although her allergic reaction was subsiding, her voice was still terribly hoarse when she first spoke.

Hearing her voice, I finally glanced at her.

"Loretta, what's with your scratchy voice? Have you been up to something behind my back?"

My insinuating tone cut like a sharp blade.

She had promised herself not to care about me anymore, but when it came to facing reality, it was much harder than she had imagined.

Tension filled the air for a moment, then Rosemary, the pack healer, walked in.

She removed Loretta's IV needle and reminded her to take her allergy medication regularly.

"It's nothing serious. You'll be able to leave tomorrow morning."

Loretta clutched the healer's arm and asked with effort, "Can I be discharged tonight?"

With Ellie and me around, she couldn't stay in that space another moment.

Rosemary didn't understand her urgency but nodded in agreement.

As Loretta followed her to leave, I suddenly caught up and grabbed her arm.

She turned and met my intense gaze.

"Loretta, what are you doing? You know I won't let you leave in the middle of the night alone. Ellie's still getting her IV. Are you trying to cause trouble?"

"I'm not..."

She hurried to explain but didn’t know where to begin, so she fell silent halfway through.

Taking the opportunity, Ellie spoke up, "Beta Asa, you should go. Loretta's more important."

Despite her words, when I looked back at her, a tear the size of a pearl slid down her cheek.

Then, as if not wanting to be noticed, she stubbornly turned her head away.

Predictably, my heart ached.

I forcefully dragged Loretta back to the hospital room and flung her onto the bed.

Then, I went over to hold Ellie in my arms, kissing away her tears with tender kisses.

"Nonsense. In my heart, you're the most important."

The girl, who was avoiding my kisses earlier, clung tightly to my waist upon hearing those words.

We couldn't resist kissing.

Only when Makenzie dropped a glass did we snap back to reality.

After reluctantly pulling apart, Ellie finally seemed to remember Loretta's presence.

She looked at Loretta apologetically, "Sorry, Loretta. Beta Asa was just trying to comfort me. Please don't misunderstand."

I wiped away the corner of her mouth, "Are you done fussing?"

My voice was cool and pleasant, but it made Loretta's ears ring.

She wanted to pull the blackout curtain, but Makenzie held it firmly to keep her from doing so.

"Loretta, you..." Her voice rose in frustration, knowing Loretta's inability to take a stand.

But Loretta was truly out of strength.

This allergic reaction nearly cost her life.

Fortunately, fate was still on her side.

This disaster opened her eyes to my true nature, and it strengthened her resolve to leave me.

For a girl who values her worth, there's no place in a loveless home.

She lay on the bed, staring out at the black night sky.

It wasn't until the first rays of dawn broke through the clouds that she closed her tired eyes.

Last night, Makenzie said she'd risk a heart attack from anger and left the hospital against Loretta's wishes.

Now, Ellie and I were sleeping in each other's arms on the adjacent bed.

Loretta quietly got out of bed and went to complete the discharge paperwork.

Stepping out of the hospital building, the fresh air cleared the knots in her heart.

She pulled out the email from a week ago—the invitation from the Emerald Howl Pack in Dublin—to join as their lead warrior.

She dialed the number provided.

"Gamma Marcus, I've decided to join the Emerald Howl Pack."