When I found the text messages between my boyfriend, Alpha Daniel, and a strange girl, I didn’t hesitate. I walked straight up to him and shoved the phone in his face, demanding an explanation. After a long, heavy silence, he finally confessed. “She’s an Omega I met when I visited the Southfall Pack… I admit, I was momentarily distracted by her.” “But Emily, you are the only one I want as my Luna. I swear, I’ll keep my distance from her from now on.” Looking into Daniel’s pleading eyes, I swallowed my heartbreak. I chose to forgive him, letting our mate ceremony proceed as planned. But on that day, in front of the entire pack, Gamma Zachary suddenly burst into the hall. “Alpha Daniel! Sophia found out about the ceremony. She just slit her wrists with a silver dagger!” The ring dropped onto the floor with a sharp clatter. Daniel bolted for the door without a second thought. With tears welling up in my eyes, I screamed at his retreating back, “Daniel! If you walk out that door today, we are over!” His footsteps paused for a fraction of a second, but he still left the ceremony hall without looking back. In the end, he broke his promise. ***
The ceremony hall fell into chaos. The guests’ whispers felt like sharp needles stabbing into my ears. Our parents rushed over, completely lost as to what was happening. Zachary stood to the side, looking helpless, his face flushed red. “Emily… Sophia, she’s Alpha Daniel’s fated mate. He saved her life last time when she tried to slit her wrists. She’s completely dependent on him. Only Daniel can calm her down… You know how the fated mate bond works. He had no choice. Please, don’t blame him…” Zachary had been with the pack for three years. He had always been respectful, greeting me with a warm smile. But now, he didn’t even have the courage to look me in the eye. I didn’t know how many things he had helped Daniel hide from me, or what kind of mess Daniel had gotten into with that girl, Sophia. A sharp, stabbing pain spread through my chest. I felt the bitter sting of Daniel’s betrayal. My parents held my hands, frantic. “What on earth is going on? Isn’t he supposed to be completing the ceremony? What kind of emergency could possibly drag him away right now?” The Elder Alpha, guilt-ridden, tried to mind-link Daniel, only to realize he had blocked the link. So, he pulled out his phone and dialed Daniel’s number, repeating anxiously, “Don’t worry, Emily. I’ll call that brat back right now. If he dares ignore me, I’ll teach him a lesson he won’t forget!” The ring lay on the red carpet, kicked aside by the bustling crowd. It looked just like my shattered heart. I stood there frozen, my heavy gown dragging on the floor like a wilted flower after a storm. I had dreamed of this ceremony a thousand times. I never thought it would end in such humiliation. An Alpha abandoning his Luna in the middle of a crowded hall for another girl. For five long hours, we called him a hundred and eight times. Daniel didn’t answer once. I watched my phone screen light up and fade, over and over, until it finally went black. The sunlight streamed through the windows, casting cold, mocking shadows on my empty ring finger. The guests gradually dispersed, leaving behind scattered confetti and half-eaten food. Inside me, my wolf was howling, wanting to tear him apart. Then she mocked me, blaming me for wasting so much time on him instead of finding my own fated mate. Suddenly, the world began to spin. The last thing I heard before blacking out was my mother’s panicked scream. When I opened my eyes again, the scent of herbal medicine filled the air. The healer saw me waking up and said softly, “You’re eating for two now. You can’t let your emotions get the best of you. Take care of yourself.” I stared at the ceiling, tears flowing silently. Daniel and I grew up together. From the age of seventeen, when I accepted his token at a pack gathering, to the busy days after he became Alpha when we barely saw each other, to the day of his coronation when he held me with red eyes and whispered, “I will protect the pack, and I will always protect you.” Seven years of memories flashed through my mind like a fast-forwarded movie. I looked at my parents and Daniel’s parents, who couldn’t hide their excitement about the baby. I smiled bitterly, tears stinging my eyes. How was I going to explain to them that this seven-year relationship had reached its end? ***
At seven in the evening, Daniel finally showed up after being missing for six hours. His face was pale, and his eyes were filled with guilt. “Emily, I’m sorry,” his voice was hoarse. “Sophia… she’s my fated mate. I couldn’t just watch her die. It’s my responsibility.” Swallowing the bitterness in my throat, I couldn’t help but ask, “Fated mate? If you found your fated mate, why did you still want to go through with our ceremony?” “And she chose today of all days to slit her wrists? Demanding you go to her? What is she trying to pull?” “Daniel, I am not an idiot.” After a long silence, he took my cold hand, his voice cracking. “Emily, in these seven years, I’ve never begged you for anything. Just this once, I beg you, don’t let this get out. Don’t let it ruin Sophia’s reputation, okay? She’s my fated mate, and she’s just a fragile Omega. I don’t think she can handle the pack’s judgment.” Looking at the desperation in his eyes, my heart felt squeezed so tight I could barely breathe. He shouldn’t be begging for her. He should be apologizing to me. A person’s first instinct never lies. He hadn’t thought about how humiliated I was at the ceremony hall. He hadn’t worried about why I ended up in the clinic. The moment he opened his mouth, it was all about Sophia. My tears fell like broken strings, soaking into the white bedsheets. It took everything I had to squeeze out one word. “Okay.” He visibly relaxed and added, “Sophia is mentally unstable because of the ceremony. Let’s postpone our ceremony for now.” “I’ll spend some time helping her through her therapy. Once she’s doing better… maybe in three months, we’ll have our ceremony. What do you think?” Daniel’s voice was cautious, testing the waters. I had waited seven years. Another three months shouldn’t have mattered. But as I looked at his concern for another woman, I realized I couldn’t wait even another three seconds. The little life in my womb seemed to feel my grief, shifting slightly. I gently touched my abdomen. A six-week-old life was growing inside me. It was ours, yet it felt like he had nothing to do with it anymore. I slowly pulled my hand away, my voice as dead as still water. “Daniel.” “I don’t have the best memory, but I still remember when you were seventeen. You gave me your token at the pack bonfire, and you were so nervous you couldn’t even walk straight.” “I remember the first time you held my hand. Your palm was so sweaty, but you didn’t let go for blocks.” “I remember the day you became Alpha. You held me and promised to protect me forever, saying you’d make me the happiest mate in the world.” “Through all these years, you remembered that I hate onions, and you knew every little habit of mine… I genuinely believed you cherished me above all else.” I looked up at him, my tears spilling over. “But today, I can’t feel your love anymore…” As seven years of memories rushed through us, Daniel’s eyes reddened. His throat bobbed, and a single tear escaped. “But Emily, Sophia is my fated mate. She needs me right now.” That single phrase, *fated mate*, completely crushed my last shred of hope. I looked at him and suddenly smiled through my tears. “Then go to her.” He froze, clearly not expecting me to let go so easily. But in the end, he said nothing. He turned and left the room. ***
The next morning, as I packed my things to leave the clinic, I bumped into Daniel at the corner of the hallway. His eyes weren’t on me. All his attention was focused on the girl beside him. She was wearing a patient gown, looking pale and fragile, clinging to him like a frightened little deer. So, this was the girl who made him abandon me at our own ceremony. Perhaps my gaze was too heavy, because Sophia noticed me first. She instinctively shrank behind Daniel, her fingers gripping his coat. Only then did Daniel look up. His brows furrowed immediately, his tone laced with impatience. “Emily, Sophia is very fragile right now. Let’s talk at home. Don’t make a scene here and scare her.” Sophia peeked out from behind him, her voice barely a whisper. “Emily, there’s nothing going on between Daniel and me… Please don’t misunderstand.” I gripped my medical report, my knuckles turning white, but I forced a smile. “You’re overthinking. I’m just here to get my prescription from the healer.” With that, I ignored them and walked past. Daniel’s expression flickered with confusion. He hadn’t expected me to be this calm, and a sudden emptiness seemed to wash over him. He reached out to grab me. I instinctively turned, and my eyes fell on the dirt smudge on his jacket. His eyes followed mine. Seeing me shrink back, he took off his jacket and tried to drape it over my shoulders, but I dodged him. He froze, then tried to take my bag. “Let me carry that. Since you love this jacket so much, I’ll take it back and have it dry-cleaned for you.” I shook my head and threw the jacket straight into a nearby trash can, my voice flat. “Just throw it away. I don’t like things that are stained. You know I’m a perfectionist.” Seeing my cold face, Daniel’s smile stiffened. He knew I wasn’t just talking about the jacket. I was talking about us. Before he could say another word, I turned and walked away. Not long after I left the clinic, my phone buzzed. It was a text from Daniel: *Don’t be mad at me. I ordered those chocolate tarts you love from that bakery downtown. Make sure to eat them.* When the delivery arrived, I stared at the familiar pink box and smiled bitterly. In the past, whenever he made me angry, he would always buy these tarts to coax me. I took a bite mechanically. It used to taste so sweet. Now, it just tasted like ash. Daniel didn’t come home that night. Ending a seven-year relationship was far more painful than I had imagined. I couldn’t sleep. By midnight, I got out of bed and started packing my things. The matching hoodies in the closet, the photo frames lined up on the bookshelf, the sticky notes on the fridge… Every single item felt like a thorn covered in memories. I remembered the year Daniel had just become Alpha. He was drowning in work. Yet, he would still run to see me during his few hours off, his eyes shining like stars. “Emily, once I get the pack settled, we’ll have our mate ceremony.” Three years later, he stood before me with a diamond ring, his voice trembling. “I did it. I built us a home. I kept my promise.” The sun was so bright that day. I held him and cried for a long time, believing I was the luckiest girl alive. We decorated our house together, planting sunflowers on the balcony because I loved them. He said he wanted our home to always be filled with sunshine. But now, this house had no room left for me. By the time I taped up the last moving box, the sky was turning gray. When the moving truck arrived, both of our families showed up. I hadn’t told my parents about Daniel yet, so they still didn’t understand why a couple who was supposed to be mated two days ago was suddenly splitting up. My parents sighed but didn’t push. They only said, “If you want to come home, just come home.” But Linda held my hand, refusing to let go. “Emily, please give Daniel another chance, okay? What happened at the ceremony… he was just confused…” I remained silent, letting the movers carry the boxes. Just as Linda was about to beg further, the front door opened. Daniel walked in. And he brought Sophia with him. ***
She was wearing Daniel’s jacket, clinging to his arm like a lost puppy. The living room fell into a suffocating silence. All eyes locked onto them. Linda’s voice trembled. “Daniel… did you… did you betray Emily?” Robert was shaking with anger. “Who is this girl?!” Daniel didn’t answer. He swept his eyes over the empty living room before locking onto me. “You’re moving out?” “Yes,” I replied calmly. “Back to my parents’ house.” He seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. “Okay. I’ll come pick you up before our next ceremony.” He took a deep breath and gently pulled Sophia to his side, his arm instinctively protective around her waist. “This is Sophia, my fated mate. Her mental state is very fragile right now. I can’t just leave her alone.” He didn’t look at me when he said this. His tone carried a sense of entitlement, as if this explanation should make everything okay. Sophia stood timidly beside him, her fingers clutching his sleeve, her head bowed in silence. Linda looked at me with a conflicted expression. “Emily, maybe… we should all sit down and talk this through?” Just as I was about to refuse, Sophia suddenly spoke up, a flash of provocation in her eyes. “Why don’t you stay, Emily? The more, the merrier, right?” *Slap!* The sharp sound of a slap echoed through the room. My eyes widened in shock as I watched my mother strike Sophia across the face. “Sarah!” Robert gasped. My mother glared at them, her eyes red and her voice shaking violently. “I carried Emily for nine months. Do you think I don’t know my own daughter?” “She has been with you since she was seventeen, Daniel! She is twenty-four now! Seven years! For you, she turned down the Beta position at the Silver Creek Pack just to stay here and manage your pack affairs. She learned how to cook your favorite meals, and she knows where every single pair of your socks is… If her heart weren’t completely broken, would she be leaving?” “I never demanded she marry into extreme wealth, but you abandoned her at your own mate ceremony for some Omega, and today you have the nerve to bring her into our home? As her mother, I will not stand for this!” “If Emily won’t stand up for herself, I will do it for her!” My mother’s words hit me like thunder, making my eyes burn. Sophia held her cheek, tears welling in her eyes, but she didn’t dare make a sound. Daniel immediately blocked her, his face dark and menacing. “Emily! How old are you? Still running to your parents to fight your battles…” Before he could finish, I stepped forward and slapped him hard across the face. “Daniel, you are the one who deserves this the most!” After the slap, I grabbed a piece of paper from the coffee table drawer and threw it at him. It was my medical report. “Do you want to know what my biggest regret is?” Daniel picked up the paper. The moment he read the words, his pupils shrunk. “Emily… you’re pregnant?” Looking at the sudden joy lighting up Daniel’s eyes as he rushed toward me, shouting, “I’m going to be a father!” I felt a wave of disgust. He forgot Sophia standing right there. He forgot his abandonment at the ceremony. He forgot his cold shoulder over the past few days. He behaved as if a baby could magically erase all his sins. But how could those nights of tears, those moments of being abandoned, and my shattered heart be forgotten? I shoved him away with all my strength, screaming with tears in my eyes: “You’re celebrating too early!” “Yesterday, when you were begging me to help you protect Sophia, I booked an appointment to terminate the pregnancy.”
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “464908”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster
Leave a Reply