Betrayed by My Alpha Mate

The summons came at midnight, a formal request from my Alpha that couldn't be ignored. I'd been preparing for tomorrow's Phoenix Summit announcement for months, my fingers tracing the roster predictions posted on the pack house bulletin board earlier that day. My name had been at the top, alongside Nash's—as it should be. We were the Moonveil Pack's premier mated warrior pair, destined for greatness.

But something in Nash's message felt wrong. *My office. Now. Alone.*

I smoothed my training gear—still damp with sweat from evening drills—and made my way through the silent corridors of the pack house. The moonlight streaming through the high windows cast long shadows across the polished floors, making my footsteps echo with an ominous rhythm.

Nash stood by his desk, his broad shoulders tense beneath his white Alpha shirt. He didn't look at me when I entered, his eyes fixed on some distant point beyond the window.

"You wanted to see me?" I kept my voice steady, though my wolf, Emma, stirred uneasily within me.

"Jessica." He finally turned, and the nervous energy rolling off him made Emma whimper. "There's been a change to the Summit roster."

The world tilted. "What kind of change?"

"I'm giving your position to Veronica."

The words hit me like a physical blow. I staggered back, my hand catching the edge of his desk to steady myself.

"Veronica?" My voice cracked. "But she only returned to the pack last month. She hasn't even completed basic reintegration training."

Nash ran his hand through his dark hair, a gesture I'd once found endearing. Now it just seemed like he was stalling.

"She has... special circumstances." His eyes darted away from mine. "Her wolf suffered severe trauma during her time away from the pack. The healers say the sacred energies at the Phoenix Summit are her only hope for recovery."

Emma howled in anguish inside me, the sound echoing through my mind with such force that I pressed my palm against my temple.

"You're taking my position—my *earned* position—and giving it to your former chosen mate?" The words tasted bitter, each one cutting my tongue like glass.

"It's not like that." But his defensiveness only confirmed what I already knew.

We'd built something incredible together, Nash and I. From the moment our mate bond snapped into place, we'd been unstoppable—training together, fighting together, rising through the ranks as the pack's golden couple.

And now he was throwing it all away.

---

That night, I couldn't sleep. Nash had taken the guest room, claiming he needed to "process," leaving me alone with my thoughts and Emma's mournful whimpers.

I reached for our mate bond, that sacred connection that had once felt like coming home.

*Nash?* I pushed my consciousness through the link, feeling the familiar warmth of his presence.

*Jessica.* His response was guarded, distant.

*How could you do this?* My mental voice broke. *Everything we've worked for—everything we've built together—you're just throwing it away for her.*

I felt his anger flare through the bond. *Don't be selfish, Jessica. This isn't about us. Veronica needs this.*

*Selfish?* Emma snarled inside me, lending me her strength. *I've trained every day for three years for this mission. I've bled for it, nearly died for it. And you're calling me selfish?*

*I'm still Alpha of this pack.* His mental voice hardened, taking on that commanding tone that made lesser wolves cower. *And I've made my decision.*

*You're not thinking clearly.* I pushed harder, desperate to reach him. *Veronica is manipulating you. Can't you see that?*

*I said enough!* The Alpha command slammed through our bond like a physical blow. *If you can't accept my decision as your Alpha, perhaps you should consider whether this mate bond is worth keeping.*

The threat hung between us, terrible and final. The pain of it made me gasp aloud, clutching my chest as the bond twisted painfully.

*You'd reject me?* I whispered through our connection, tears streaming down my face.

*I won't be questioned on this.* His mental walls slammed down, cutting off our conversation and leaving me alone with Emma's broken whimpers.

---

Later that night, unable to sleep, I wandered to the pack house gardens. The moon hung full and bright overhead, illuminating the carefully tended roses that lined the paths.

Voices drifted from behind the stone fountain—hushed, urgent tones that made me freeze in place.

"We need to make this convincing," Veronica's voice, all pretense of vulnerability gone. "The council will want evidence of my condition."

"Here." Nash's voice, low and determined. "These medical records will show the trauma patterns in your wolf's energy signature."

I peered around the fountain, my heart shattering as I watched Veronica hand Nash a folder of documents—documents I knew instantly were falsified.

"And if they ask about treatment options?" Nash asked, flipping through the papers with a furrowed brow.

"Just tell them what we discussed." Veronica's hand slid possessively along his arm. "That only the sacred healing of the Phoenix Summit can restore my connection to my wolf."

As they huddled together in the moonlight, plotting to destroy everything I'd worked for, Emma's whimpers faded into a terrible silence.

In that moment, I knew there was no going back.