No Bride for My Alpha Mate

Scrolling mindlessly through the pack's social media platform, I was on the brink of shutting it off when a single post caught my attention. My blood ran cold as my thumb hovered over the screen. The picture was harmless enough—a baby onesie laid out on a bed, surrounded by neatly folded blankets. But it was the caption that hit me like a silver bullet to the chest.

"Thank you to my one and only for this incredible gift. I can’t wait to meet our pup."

The post was signed with hearts, and Araceli’s name was tagged right underneath.

For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. I read the words again and again, praying I was mistaken. The Delta, the smug, attention-seeking she wolf who had always hovered too close to my mate, was thanking him for the unborn child growing inside her. My mate—Luciano, the Alpha of this pack—was the only one it could possibly be.

The air seemed to grow heavier as realization settled in. This wasn’t just a mistake. This wasn’t paranoia. This was betrayal, glaring at me from the screen.

I pushed myself to my feet, the phone slipping from my trembling hand and hitting the floor with a dull thud. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat echoing the same thought over and over: He wouldn’t. He couldn’t.

But he could. And he did.

I stormed out of my room, the hurt morphing into a blinding fury with every step I took. It wasn’t hard to find him; Luciano never bothered to hide his whereabouts. His arrogance wouldn’t allow it. He was in the pack’s meeting room, lounging in his chair with his legs casually crossed, as though the world itself owed him comfort.

“Luciano,” I said, my voice cutting through the low hum of conversation between him and his Beta.

He looked up at me, his golden eyes narrowing slightly as though I’d interrupted something crucial. “Isadora,” he said, his tone clipped. “Can’t you see I’m busy?”

“I’m sure you’ll want to make time for this,” I said coldly, stepping closer. My chest burned with barely contained rage, but I refused to let it show. Not yet. “Care to explain why Araceli is thanking you for a pup that’s apparently yours?”

His expression didn’t falter. Not even for a second. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, the corners of his mouth twitching into a faint smirk. “You’re jumping to conclusions again, Isadora.”

My hands clenched into fists at my sides. “It’s a direct accusation, Luciano. Did you or did you not sleep with her?”

He stood up slowly, his height and presence towering over me, but I didn’t back down. “What you’re accusing me of is ridiculous,” he said, his voice calm and condescending. “You’re letting your insecurities get the better of you. Again.”

“Insecurities?” I repeated, my voice shaking with disbelief. “You think this is about me being insecure? I saw the post! She’s pregnant, Luciano. And she’s thanking you for it!”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said dismissively, brushing past me.

I grabbed his arm, forcing him to face me again. “Stop gaslighting me, Luciano! I’m not stupid.”

His gaze darkened, and for a moment, the air between us crackled with tension. “Don’t embarrass yourself, Isadora. You’re acting like a jealous little pup.”

“Jealous?” My voice cracked as the betrayal clawed its way out of my chest. “You betrayed me! You slept with her!”

“You don’t have proof,” he said, his tone still maddeningly calm. “What you saw was a post. A stupid, meaningless post. That doesn’t mean anything.”

“It means everything,” I said, my voice rising. “You’ve been distant for months, and now this? How dare you try to turn this on me!”

Luciano stepped closer, his smirk returning. “Maybe you’re the problem, Isadora. Have you ever thought of that? You’re so focused on being the perfect Luna that you’ve forgotten how to be my mate.”

His words were like a slap to the face. My breath caught in my throat as I stared up at him, my chest heaving. “You’re unbelievable,” I whispered. “You’re really trying to blame me for this?”