Secretly Engaged to an Alpha

"Rowan, your first love is back. Are you going to dump Marydale?"

For six years, I had a secret relationship with my older brother's best friend, the Beta Wolf, Rowan. We were looking forward to getting married in the future.

But tonight, I was flabbergasted to overhear a conversation between him and his friend, Troy.

"Man, I'm impressed with your boldness to date Freddie's sister and make her a rebound. Now that Heidi's back, what are you going to do with her?" his friend laughed.

"Let me handle this," Rowan said, cockiness dripping from his voice. "But you're right, I'm using Mary to make Heidi jealous. She'll regret dumping me the moment she sees me with another wolf."

Troy's voice was a low growl. "Aren't you scared of Freddie? He'll despise you when he finds out you hurt his little sister."

Rowan waved a dismissive hand. "Not a problem, Troy. Fred's in the dark. We're keeping this from him, and Mary's so naive, she'll swallow anything I tell her."

I froze in my spot, hearing those words from him. I couldn't help but feel infuriated knowing the man I trusted was just using me all this time.

The next day, Rowan took me to Heidi's welcome party, and I saw that many people had come. She was indeed popular in her own right since she came from a wealthy pack. While Rowan was acting strangely, displaying his affection for me whenever Heidi looked our way. After hearing what he said the other night, I knew he was making her jealous just to win her back.

Suddenly, Heidi walked out of the hall, and I saw Rowan immediately stand up and follow her. Also, I couldn't help but follow them outside. I was so nervous that I didn't notice the waiter coming my way, and I bumped into him, causing him to spill hot soup all over me.

"I'm so sorry." The waiter looked scared, but I assured him it was fine, even though my skin was burned. I just grabbed a napkin and wiped my wet dress. Then I continued outside and found them in the garden.

Heidi was crying in Rowan's arms, and I saw a smirk on his face as he realized his plan was working because he was using me as a tool. This was so painful to watch, so I turned my back and decided to return home rather than stay at the party with Rowan, who was desperate to get back with his first love.

I returned home in my messy dress, with burns on my arms and legs. I treated the burns and covered them with gauze. A little later, I took my phone and searched for my brother's phone number, as he was currently abroad.

"Freddie, I've made up my mind. I agree to the arranged marriage," I said seriously.

"Marydale? Are you sure about this?" My brother sounded surprised, and I could sense his confusion on the other end of the line. I took a heavy sigh.

"Yes, brother. I think there's nothing wrong with agreeing to this. I'm going to get married anyway, and I trust Mom and Dad's decision. I know they found the perfect mate for me." I tried to sound bubbly and forced a smile.

Freddie was silent for a second before responding. "I'm glad you've figured it out, Mary. So when are you coming back? Do you want to meet your fiancé before making the final decision?"

"No need, Fred. I should agree so that our pack's conflicts with alliances will be resolved sooner. You can inform them to start preparing for the wedding, and let's set the date for a month from now."

"Gotcha! Oh, by the way, do you still have contact with Rowan, my best friend? I heard his ex-girlfriend is finally back. You should reach out to him and celebrate; who knows, he might bring some good luck."

I was surprised that my older brother also knew about Heidi. No wonder Rowan had always insisted on keeping our relationship a secret from him. I felt another pang in my heart as if a knife were stabbing through it.

"Sorry, Fred, but I'm not close to him," I reasoned.

Just then, my heart raced when I heard the sound of the door unlocking. I ended the call and put my phone back in the drawer.

"Who are you referring to that you're not close to?" Rowan suddenly asked, a grin on his face.

"You, of course," I said coldly, and he looked surprised.

He walked closer to me and suddenly pulled me into his embrace. "Why would you say that, babe? Are you sulking because we didn't spend some nights together, hmm?" he whispered, and I could feel his warm breath against my ear.

Before, his touch would make me weak and set my heart racing, but now I felt nothing but discomfort and simmering anger. I tried to push his hands off me, but then I noticed a lipstick stain on his collar.

At the same time, the burns on my body ached, and my heart throbbed as if it would explode at any moment. I could feel tears forming in my eyes.

"Mary, what's wrong? Are you okay?" he asked, worry etched on his face.

Then he wiped the tears streaming down my cheeks, unaware that he was the reason I was crying. I noticed he lowered his gaze, and his eyes widened when he saw the red marks on my arms and wrists.

"How did this happen? When did you get burned? Why didn't you tell me?" His voice trembled.

I just stared at him. "You were busy comforting Heidi."