Rejected by the Beta's Mate

Asa Clark and I have known each other since childhood. Our mothers were best friends, so naturally, we often ran together during pack gatherings. I remember Alpha Foster Clark and his Luna would jokingly refer to me as their "future daughter-in-law." My own parents would laugh and say, "Maybe Asa will claim little Loretta as his mate when they grow up."

I’m not sure if Asa ever took those words seriously, but I did—I kept them close to my heart. However, when I was in first grade, my parents had to relocate to Manchester for their work within the Crimson Fang Pack, and we lost touch with the Silver Moon Pack.

Tragically, not long after, my parents passed away in an accident during a pack skirmish. I became a pup without a home until Alpha Foster and his Luna took me in. That’s when Asa and I reconnected. Whether it was out of pity or a sense of responsibility, after we graduated from the pack’s training academy, he proposed the mate bond. So just like that, we ended up together, as if by default.

At first, I was always insecure, thinking that someone as strong and commanding as him—a Beta, no less—deserved a better mate. But Asa would reassure me, telling me not to worry and that I was the only one he wanted by his side.

I had been training in combat and healing since I was young, dreaming of becoming a pack healer. But Asa didn’t want me in such a prominent role. So, out of love for him, I gave up my aspirations and settled for a Delta’s position, focusing on supporting the pack from the sidelines. Back then, I naively believed his possessiveness meant he couldn’t stand the thought of me being too far from his side.

Just when I thought we were heading toward the marking ceremony, Ellie Perkins returned from studying abroad. It was then I discovered that after my parents moved to Manchester, Asa had grown close to Ellie, an Omega from the neighboring Crimson Fang Pack, and they’d stayed connected for over a decade, not becoming mates only because of our parents’ joking promise.

Initially, Asa was often impatient with me. I understood he held me responsible; he believed that if I hadn’t been in the picture, he could have been with Ellie freely. But over time, he seemed to grow accustomed to my presence, maybe out of pity or because I was always attentive and put him first. He was touched by this and softened toward me, which I mistakenly took for love.

I now realize that what I perceived as love was merely one-sided. Asa’s reluctance for me to pursue healing wasn’t about protection; he was afraid I’d embarrass him as a Beta’s mate. In his mind, I could never measure up to Ellie. Now that I see things clearly, I refuse to lose myself for anyone. I’ve come to believe that letting go might be the real path to freedom.