Dumping the Female Alpha

Dylan loved the female Alpha Lily, the aloof leader of the Silverclaw Pack, ever since she saved his life in a deadly ambush. To stay close, he pretended that he was a homeless wolf, enduring mockery as a weak mate, unaware he was heir to the region’s strongest pack.

At eighteen, they discovered they were fated mates, and Dylan thought he’d found his forever. But years later, Lily’s childhood sweetheart and Beta returned, bringing chaos to their bond. Dylan’s heart shattered when he found hidden photos of the Beta kept by his mate, realizing Lily had never truly loved him.

When Lily’s indifference became undeniable, Dylan decided to leave. “Lily, let’s end this mateship.” He wrote in the calender's final countdown.

As he walked away, Lily finally realized her love for him. Now, she must fight to win back the mate she once took for granted. Will it be too late?

***

"Dad, Mom, I've decided to go back to our pack."

Hearing their son finally relent, his parents—Alpha and Luna of the formidable Crescent Pack—were thousands of miles away but sounded full of relief.

"Dylan, you’ve finally come around! Your dad and I can finally set our minds at ease! Take some time to prepare; we’ll get everything arranged, and in about half a month, our family and pack will be reunited."

Unlike his parents' cheerful and carefree tone, Dylan’s voice was low and indifferent.

"I understand."

After a few polite exchanges, the call was disconnected.

Outside, it was pitch black. Dylan sat in the dark, his eyes slightly red, betraying little emotion.

Half an hour later, the sound of footsteps came from the doorway.

Dylan didn’t get up to greet her like he used to. He stayed seated, watching quietly as the harsh white light from the ceiling lamp illuminated the room.

After changing her shoes and entering the living room, Lily noticed Dylan leaning against the sofa.

Lily was his fated mate, the Alpha of Silverclaw Pack. Dylan had been mated to the female Alpha for two years, yet they had never truly acknowledged their mateship through a wedding ceremony.

Since the previous Luna and Alpha—Lily's parents—had died because of pack wars, their only daughter had to step up as the female Alpha of the Silverclaw Pack. They had sacrificed themselves to protect the pack, leaving Lily to bear the heavy burden of leadership.

She raised her eyes slightly and asked Dylan, "Why aren’t you asleep yet?"

"I was waiting for you. Didn’t you see the messages I sent? I even tried to mind-link you."

His tone wasn’t particularly pleasant, but the female Alpha didn’t seem to care at all. She casually made up an excuse.

"I was in the pack office all day. I didn’t have time to check my phone, and I was too preoccupied to notice your mind-link."

Without waiting for his response, she took off her coat and headed into the bathroom.

Soon, the sound of running water filled the air. On the coffee table, her phone, left carelessly, started buzzing.

Recalling what he’d heard earlier that day, Dylan’s intertwined fingers trembled slightly.

He leaned forward, picked up her still-vibrating phone, and unlocked it with practiced ease.

The messages were from a contact with a blue bear avatar and the name "Oliver."

Oliver was the Beta of the Silverclaw Pack, though he had been away for the past two years to complete his university education. But his decision to leave had deeper roots.

When the pack wars had happened, Oliver's parents—the former Beta and his mate—had also been killed. Devastated by their loss, Oliver had taken up the position of Beta, but he had wanted to escape the constant reminders of his grief. That was the reason why he escaped the grief through going abroad to study.

The texts read,

[I had a great time today!]

[I’m home now! I can't wait to see you soon.]

The intimacy in the tone was unmistakable. Dylan scrolled up, revealing a message from 9 p.m. the night before.

[I'm going back to Silverclaw Pack today. Will you come pick me up?]

The reply followed immediately,

[Sure.]

Last night, Lily returned home at 8:50 and went to take a shower. She didn’t come out until an hour later.

So that’s what she was doing—replying to his messages.

Dylan’s lashes trembled slightly as he pressed his lips together.

He exited the chat and opened another, one with the name "Dylan."

From reminders about pack meetings and photos of her training with the wolf warriors to snapshots of her duties with the Omegas, the messages were a sea of white speech bubbles. Dozens of them.

All sent by him. None of them replied to by her.

The contrast between the two chats couldn’t have been clearer. How pathetic he was, playing the role of her nominal husband, her supposed fated mate.

Whether it was because he’d already decided to leave or because he had truly let go, Dylan found that the realization didn’t even hurt anymore.

He placed her phone back on the table gently, his mind a tangled mess.

He thought back to the first time he’d met Lily.

Dylan had been sixteen years old when he was ambushed. He remembered how many rival wolves had attacked him, to the point where he had nearly lost his life.

He was huffing, feeling like his world was ending, when suddenly the young sixteen-year-old Lily appeared and saved him.

At that moment, Lily—the powerful but young female Alpha—had just been passing by. Witnessing the ambush, she had decided to help.

From that very second, Dylan's obsession with her began. That moment was the start of Lily holding a piece of his heart.

Badly injured, Dylan had been taken to the Silverclaw Pack to heal.

When he stepped onto the unfamiliar pack’s grounds, he was already smitten with Lily.

"Do you really have nowhere else to go?" Lily had asked him.

He nodded, acting weak. "Yes. I am homeless. So please, take me in." His obsession with her left him no choice.

"Please, let me join your pack. Let me stay here," he had begged, the only way he could think of to stay by her side.

His parents—Alpha and Luna of the Crescent Pack—had been furious when they found out.

"Son, many are coming after your life as the only heir of Crescent Pack. How about your safety?" his mother had worriedly asked.

"You need to go home, Dylan. It's an order," his father had even used his Alpha command.

But Dylan resisted.

"No, Mom, Dad. Please let me stay here. I will be careful. I won't reveal my identity as the heir to the Alpha throne. But please, let me stay. I know she’s the one for me. I’ve never liked anyone this much."

Eventually, his persistence wore them down, and they let him stay.

For two years, Dylan lived in the Silverclaw Pack. Though young at sixteen, his infatuation with Lily had only grown stronger.

Over time, countless suitors pursued Lily, eager to win her over. But her aloofness meant she turned them all down, leaving broken hearts in her wake.

When they turned eighteen, destiny took an unexpected turn.

"Mate," Dylan had uttered under his breath. "You’re my mate."

Joy consumed him, but Lily’s reaction was the opposite.

Although she hadn’t rejected him outright, Dylan later learned why: she hadn’t done so because he reminded her of someone else—Oliver.

Even after they mated, she remained as distant as before, ignoring his messages, refusing his calls and mind-links.

Still, Dylan worked harder to maintain their relationship, convincing himself that her aloofness was simply her personality.

But two weeks ago, he stumbled upon something that shattered that belief.

Borrowing her computer, he had accidentally opened a folder. Inside were thousands of photos of one man—Oliver.

He later learned that Oliver had been Lily’s childhood friend. Their closeness as children had blossomed into Lily harboring feelings for him.

Before she could confess, Oliver had said, “I’ll study abroad. I need to get away from everything that reminds me of the death of my parents.”

For the past two years, Dylan had debated confronting her about Oliver. But before he could, he overheard someone say that the only reason Lily had agreed to mate with him was because he looked like Oliver.

With this knowledge, Dylan realized that she hadn’t truly let go of her first love.

For the first time, after enduring years of indifference, Dylan felt tired.

And so, he decided to leave—quietly, and for good.