Alpha King's Silent Betrayal

Leah POVI was different from the others in my pack. My wolf could hear the truths hidden deep in someone’s heart.Whenever someone lied, she would immediately whisper their real thoughts to me.I was never fooled by fake smiles from the girls or sweet words from a charming guy.My wolf would growl softly, warning me whenever their words didn't match their hearts.To protect myself from the constant noise, I learned to avoid eye contact—to keep my gift from activating.But the day I first met Jace, my wolf was strangely quiet."Hi, I'm Jace. What's your name?""I'm Leah."My heart fluttered. A smile spread across my face as my wolf purred softly, no warnings, no doubts. Through our time together, my wolf stayed silent.Jace never lied to me. Every word he spoke, every gesture he made, was genuine. His love was true.I fell for him, believing he was my destined mate.But on the day before our marking ceremony, my wolf finally spoke up.Jace had just taken over his father's role as

Leah POVMy hand hung up the phone, stiff and numb.There were others—other women who needed him more than I did.That truth hit me like a punch to the gut. Tomorrow's marking ceremony loomed ahead, and the weight of sorrow nearly crushed me.A sharp twist curled in my belly, quickly growing into a fierce pain that made my knees wobble.Fear for my pup surged through me as I hailed a cab and rushed to the hospital.Thankfully, I made it just in time.After the doctor's swift, careful treatment, my little one was safe.Clutching the examination report, I stepped out of the consultation room.The door to the next room opened, and I caught the doctor's parting advice to a patient: "Your fetus is unstable. Avoid sex during the early stages of pregnancy." My breath caught.Our eyes met—Jace's and mine.My first instinct screamed at me to turn and run."Leah, what are you doing here?" Jace asked, releasing the woman in his arms. He blocked my path.Instinctively, I hid the report behin

Jace POVMatt came rushing over, panic etched all over his face.“Leah’s gone.”My heart kicked hard in my chest.Elena leaned close, her voice low and coaxing.“Don’t overreact. She’s probably just bored and went for a walk.” Her fingers brushed my arm. “It’s almost time. Mark me now. If she comes back, it’ll just make things harder to explain.”I hesitated, but… she had a point.Under the roar of applause, I pulled Elena into my arms and sank my teeth into her collarbone, sealing the mark.The moment the ceremony ended, I pushed her away and strode straight to the VIP room.Leah’s gown lay crumpled on the sofa, tossed aside. She’d changed back into her own clothes.One by one, my men returned. None of them had found her anywhere in the hall.A sharp, cold instinct hit me. She hadn’t left in a haze from the juice. She’d walked out on her own!She’d changed clothes… she had no intention of standing through the ceremony.Did she know my plan?I headed for home, fast.The second I ope

Leah POVI wasn’t waiting for Jace to come back.I had a new life now—new friends, days full of simple happiness and quiet purpose.I used to think I couldn’t survive without him. But now, it seemed leaving him was exactly what I needed to live well.Letting go wasn’t as hard as I’d feared.A few days later, I was coming back from a walk when I saw Jace standing on the path outside my apartment.He held out a huge bouquet of flowers, hope shining on his face.“Leah, I’m here to take you home.”I didn’t take the flowers.“Jace, how many times do I have to say it? We’re done.”The light in his eyes dimmed. He stared at me for a long moment, making sure I wasn’t joking.He whispered, “No. Leah, you promised you’d love me forever. You promised we’d never be apart.”“Jace, you belong with Elena.”“You know that’s a lie.”“But the whole pack witnessed it. The Moon Goddess blessed it.”He fell silent.“Leah, as a friend for so many years, I couldn’t stand to see Elena suffer all those rumors

Leah POVWhen I saw Jace again, he looked worn down—his face gaunt, his frame much thinner than before.He offered me a tired smile.“Leah, I came to see you again.”In his hands was a small bouquet of lilies, held somewhat awkwardly.“I… I only dared show up after I fixed everything.”I wasn’t sure what he meant exactly, but the change in him over just a few days was startling.“Are you sick?” I couldn’t help but ask, concern creeping into my voice.He gave a weak, embarrassed smile.“No, not sick. I just… removed the mark I placed on Elena.”“What? Removed the mark? That’s terrifying!”My hand nearly dropped the cup in shock.I knew the punishment was severe, but no one ever dared to risk it.It was almost like a myth—something everyone talked about but no one had witnessed.Pain flashed across his face for a moment, raw and fragile.“Yes. It hurts. All over.”I froze.No wonder a few days ago, a sharp burst of pain had flashed through my spiritual connection with him before disappea