As the daughter of a Beta, I was raised from childhood to be the mate of Michael Thompson, the Alpha heir of our pack. Michael loved giving me numbered mystery boxes as gifts. But for the past three years, the boxes I opened were always disappointing—just repetitive designer bags and shoes that didn’t even fit me. Meanwhile, my adoptive sister, Nina Vance, always got exactly what she wanted. Limited-edition jewelry, round-trip first-class tickets, and luxury hotel reservations for trips with Michael. I used to think I just had bad luck. Until yesterday, when I accidentally saw a pinned Snapchat notification on Nina’s phone. It was a message from Michael. “For this batch of gifts, pick 1, 4, 5, 9, and 11.” “I put your surprises in those.” 0 Michael sent over another batch of mystery gift boxes today. As soon as Nina got the package, she immediately started a FaceTime call with Michael. When he picked up, Michael smiled. “Got the package?” “The usual rules, then. Nina gets to pick first.” Nina sat down next to me, holding the boxes, and casually tossed out a few numbers. “I’ll take 1, 4, 5, 9, and 11.” They were the exact same numbers I had seen in Michael’s Snapchat message to her yesterday. I bit my lip, my throat tightening with a sharp ache. So that was it. Every time we opened gifts, Michael insisted that Nina choose her numbers first. He wasn’t being polite. He was terrified I would accidentally pick the surprises he had meticulously prepared for her. With her numbers chosen, Nina eagerly tore open her boxes. Box 1 was a luxury couple’s vacation package to Paris. Box 4 was a limited-edition Hermès silk scarf. Box 5 was a custom pearl necklace. Box 9 was a VIP pass to a Swiss ski resort. And Box 11 contained an elegant, sealed envelope. I stared at it, confused. “What’s in that one?” Nina opened the envelope, glanced at the letter inside, and a smug, unstoppable smile spread across her face. I didn’t press further. I just reached for the remaining boxes left for me. One by one, I opened them. With every box I opened, my heart grew colder. By the time I finished, a pile of identical designer handbags and wrong-sized heels sat in front of me. I let out a self-deprecating laugh. What was I even expecting? Did I really think Michael would actually surprise me? Seeing my pile of repetitive, thoughtless junk, Nina let out a soft giggle. “Oh, Emily, why is your luck always so terrible?” “It’s been three years. You always get the same boring stuff.” I didn’t answer her. Instead, I looked directly at Michael on the screen. “Michael, what’s in that letter?” Before Michael could speak, Nina waved the paper in front of the camera. “Oh, nothing. Just a thank-you note from Michael.” “After all, I helped him plan the upcoming Mate Lottery.” I frowned. “What Mate Lottery?” Michael smiled, taking over the conversation. “I was actually just about to tell you, Emily.” “At tomorrow’s Pack Gathering, I’m going to let fate decide my Luna.” “You and Nina will each draw a slip from a box. Whoever draws the one marked ‘Mate’ will be my official mate.” “It’s completely fair. It all comes down to destiny.” As he said this, his eyes drifted toward Nina with a tenderness he hadn’t shown me in years. My chest tightened. “Why are you suddenly doing this?” “Doesn’t it sound romantic?” Michael laughed. “And this way, no one can accuse me of being biased, right?” I remained silent. The next day, at the Pack Gathering. The entire pack had gathered in the grand hall. Michael stood on the stage. In front of him was a wooden box containing two folded slips of paper. “Today, I will let fate choose my mate,” Michael announced into the microphone. “Emily, Nina, who wants to draw first?” Nina stepped forward eagerly. She slid her hand into the box, pulled out a slip, and unfolded it. Written in bold letters was the word—”Mate.” The crowd erupted into cheers. Nina gasped, covering her mouth as her eyes welled with tears. “Oh my god… I actually got it?” Michael smiled warmly, stepping up to take her hand. “It seems destiny has made its choice.” Then, he turned his gaze to me. “I’m sorry, Emily. Bad luck.” “But hey, you can’t argue with fate, right?” I stood frozen in the crowd, watching the spectacle. I watched Michael gently fasten the custom pearl necklace around Nina’s neck—the very necklace that was supposed to be my birthday present. I watched Nina lean into his chest, smiling like a triumphant queen. Suddenly, another message I had seen on Nina’s Snapchat yesterday flashed in my mind. “For tomorrow’s drawing, both slips in the box have your name on them.” So that was the truth. It had nothing to do with luck or destiny. From the very beginning, it was just a rigged show. I turned around and quietly walked out of the hall. As I walked into the cold wind, memories of my father rushed back. Back when my father was alive, even though Michael was already the Alpha heir, he had spent an entire month hand-carving a wooden comb for me. He used to remember every single book I casually mentioned and surprise me with them the next time we met. But during the first year after my father died, his gifts became lazy. By the second year, he started spending all his free time with Nina. And by the third year—now—he didn’t even bother to hide his indifference anymore. My father’s death didn’t just strip away my protection. It took away the last bit of Michael’s patience with me. 0
I went back to my apartment. Looking at the glass display cabinet stuffed with years of thoughtless, repetitive gifts, my eyes burned. From age eighteen to twenty-eight, my feelings for Michael had never wavered. I had cherished every single thing he gave me. Even if they were things I hated. But now I finally realized the truth. To Michael, I was just like these useless gifts—something not worth his time or effort. I took a deep breath, refusing to hesitate any longer. I dragged a giant trash bag over, cleared out the cabinet, and threw every single gift into the bin. Just as I finished, my phone buzzed with a Snapchat notification. It was Michael. “There’s a pack bonfire tonight. Come over.” I changed my clothes and walked over to the pack grounds. The moment I pushed the door open, I saw Michael sitting on the couch in the corner. Nina was curled up right next to him. Lately, at every pack event, Michael always sat by Nina. He would pour her drinks, hand her food, and lean in close when they spoke. I used to think he was just doing his duty as the Alpha heir, looking after a newly integrated pack member. But now, a cold dread settled in my stomach. I walked over and sat on the vacant side of Michael. He glanced at me, muttered a quick “You’re here,” and immediately turned back to whisper something in Nina’s ear. Nina pouted, complaining she was thirsty. Michael let out a fond, helpless laugh. “Alright, princess, I get it. I’ll go buy you one.” “Mango smoothie, right?” “You get the same thing every single time. Aren’t you sick of it yet?” Though his words sounded like complaining, he remembered her exact preferences perfectly. When he returned, he handed me a cup. “Here. I got you a mango juice.” I didn’t take it. Instead, I looked him dead in the eye. “I’m allergic to mangoes, Michael.” Michael froze, looking slightly embarrassed. “Oh. Sorry, Emily. I forgot.” “Just take a bottle of water then. I’ll give this to Nina.” He handed the mango juice to Nina. Nina took it and flashed me a sweet, victorious smile. “Thanks, Michael. You always remember what I love.” They shared a look, smiling at each other as if I were nothing but a ghost sitting beside them. I silently sipped my water, listening to them talk the entire night. They talked about the games they played together and the trips they took. I couldn’t get a single word in. As the party wound down, Nina got drunk. Her cheeks were flushed as she leaned heavily against Michael’s shoulder, muttering that she didn’t want to go home. Michael looked down at her, his voice incredibly soft. “Want to go rest in my room for a bit?” Nina nodded. Michael helped her up and turned to me. “Go home first, Emily. I’ll take care of Nina.” Then, he walked away without looking back. I watched their retreating figures, my heart turning to ice. I didn’t go home. I followed them. I watched Michael carry Nina into his room. When he finally stepped back out into the living area, he saw me. He blinked in surprise, then smirked. “Why did you follow me?” Before I could answer, a few of Michael’s friends walked out from the hallway. One of them saw me, grinned, and started cheering. “Oh, look! Emily’s here! Perfect timing. Come here!” Without warning, someone pulled me into the center of the living room and threw a white lace veil over my head. My mind went blank. Michael was planning a proposal. But before the joy could even register, Michael stepped forward and snatched the veil off my head. He laughed, looking at the friend who had draped it over me. “Wrong girl, man.” “She’s not the star of the night.” The friend blinked, confused. “Wait… isn’t Emily your girlfriend?” “Yeah, she is,” Michael said casually. “Emily is my girlfriend, but the one I’m proposing to tonight is Nina.” With that, he walked over to Nina, who had just stepped out of the bedroom, and gently placed the veil on her head. Then he turned to me with a smirk. “Don’t look at me like that, Emily. You only have your bad luck to blame. You lost the Mate Lottery yesterday.” “Since Nina drew ‘Mate,’ she is the one I have to propose to tonight.” 0
I stood frozen, my mind completely blank. Right in front of me, Michael dropped to one knee before Nina. He held out a sparkling diamond ring, his eyes full of devotion. “Nina, will you do me the honor of becoming my Luna?” Tears spilled from Nina’s eyes. She sobbed, “Yes! A thousand times yes!” To anyone else, they looked like a perfect, fated couple. I bit my lip so hard I tasted copper. I watched Michael pull Nina into his arms, pressing a tender, almost sacred kiss to her forehead. The room erupted into cheers and congratulations. I stood there, a silent spectator in the middle of the noise, watching my fiancé propose to my deceased father’s adoptive daughter. Whispers from the pack members drifted into my ears. “Honestly, now that Emily’s dad is dead, she’s nothing in this pack. Michael was nice enough to wait this long to replace her.” “Exactly. A Beta’s daughter with no backing trying to marry the Alpha heir? She was dreaming.” “Look at Nina. Even though she’s adopted, the old Beta treated her like gold. Who knows what secrets he left her…” “Left her what? The man is dead. Emily is an orphan now. There’s no way Michael’s family would let him marry a useless Beta.” “A shame, though. She wasted ten years of her life on Michael, and now she gets nothing.” “Get what? She only had status when her dad was alive. Now? She’ll be lucky if she isn’t kicked out of the pack.” I couldn’t stand it for another second. I turned to leave, but Michael grabbed my wrist. He looked at me, a lazy, amused smirk on his lips. “Oh, come on, Emily. It was just a joke. You’re not actually mad, are you?” I didn’t say a word. I just stared at him. Seeing this, Nina quickly took off the diamond ring and tried to press it into my hand. “Emily, please don’t be mad. Here, take the ring back. Just pretend Michael was using me to practice his proposal…” Her eyes filled with tears as she looked down at the ring, acting as if she were sacrificing her entire world for me. Michael frowned, looking annoyed. “Emily, since Nina likes the ring, let her keep it. I’ll buy you another one later.” “Don’t make a scene in front of everyone. Don’t embarrass her.” I looked at him and said softly, “Okay.” Michael blinked, clearly caught off guard by how easily I agreed. He smiled, reaching out to pat my head. “Good girl, Emily.” “Tell you what, as a reward, I’ll stay behind and spend a few extra days with you before my next border patrol.” “Don’t you always complain about me leaving for patrol? I’ll grant your wish this time.” I shook my head. “No need.” “I don’t need you to stay with me anymore, Michael.” I looked down at the ring on Nina’s finger and said calmly, “Since you’ve proposed to Nina, our engagement is officially over.” “From now on, you don’t ever have to worry about me again.” The smile on Michael’s face instantly vanished. “Emily, cut the drama.” “It’s just a ring. You’re seriously breaking off our engagement over this?” “Yes,” I said. Beside him, Nina burst into tears. “Emily, please don’t fight with Michael. This is all my fault. You two have been together for ten years, you’re practically ready to mark each other! You can’t break up over something this trivial…” “If you’re really that angry, I’ll beg for your forgiveness. I’m so sor—” Before she could finish, Michael pulled her protectively into his chest. “Stop apologizing to her.” “You’ve spoiled her too much over the years.” He glared at me, his brow furrowed in anger. “Emily, if you keep throwing these childish tantrums, you’ll prove to me that you’re too immature to be my Luna.” “Then I won’t be,” I said coldly. “Michael, the engagement is off. We are done.” With that, I turned on my heel and walked out.
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