Betrayal

CAEL

The night burned with excitement as omegas and alphas stepped into the moonlit circle. All around, the air was rich with pheromones cedar, musk, wildflowers, rain a storm of scents that made my skin prickle.

One by one, choices were made.

The first omega stilled before a broad-shouldered alpha, her lips trembling before she pressed a shy nip to his neck. The altar flared with silver light, sealing their bond as the pack cheered.

Another followed, her wolf nearly leaping from her chest when she found her mate. The way she clung to him, eyes glowing gold, left no doubt. More light. More cheering. More bonds.

But where joy filled the clearing, he stood apart.

my heart thudded with every new pairing. walking round the circle, inhaling, searching but the scents only brushed against me, nothing stirring deep enough to awaken my wolf. No spark, no pull, no claim.

An alpha touched my wrist, lingering a bit too long. Another leaned close, daring a brush of lips against his temple. Still, nothing. My wolf remained silent, restless, unsatisfied.

As the last omega stepped forward and marked her mate, the crowd roared one final time. All around him, laughter and embraces swelled, but I stood alone, the moonlight suddenly colder on his skin.

The Eldre’s voice broke through the noise, quiet but heavy.

“Not all bonds are revealed under the first moon,” she said, her gaze falling on me. “Fate waits for its own hour.”

But her words did not quiet the ache. My chest felt hollow, my wolf pacing in frustration. Tonight again I had seen joy written on every other face, but my own.

No bond. No spark. Just emptiness.

I bowed my head, forcing the emptiness down as best I could.

And beneath the altar’s fading glow, I whispered silently to the moon: When?

Maybe I don’t have a mate, I thought bitterly. Maybe I should move on.

And then I saw him.

Rayan.

The man of my dreams. The one I had secretly longed for. He stood right in front of me, his crimson-red eyes locking onto mine as though he could see straight into my soul. My heart stopped.

But his lips curled, and the words that came next shattered me.

“I don’t believe this… I can’t have you as my mate.” His voice was low, meant only for me. “I, Rayan of Rose Pack, reject you, Cael Jackson, as my mate.”

Before I could breathe, he turned away. One of his omegas rushed into his arms, and he embraced her without hesitation. They left together, looking like the perfect pair.

Tears burned my eyes. I hadn’t even felt the mate bond properly before he broke it.

Am I that worthless? That disgusting?

Was this my punishment from the goddess? Some cruel twist of fate?

I couldn’t stay there. Not another second. I stormed out of the ballroom, colliding with the pack Alpha himself.

“I’m sorry, my Lord,” I muttered quickly.

He frowned, studying me. “Are you alright, child?”

“Yes,” I lied, bowing and rushing past him.

How could I ever tell him that his precious son had just rejected me? He never liked me anyway.

I stumbled to the fountain outside, collapsing at its edge, my sorrow heavy in my chest.

How did I miss the bond? Did he always know? Did he ever even like me?

Maybe I should just leave it all behind. Live among humans. I could pass as one easily enough. I had skills. I could marry a human, pretend to be normal. Anything would be better than this.

“I don’t see why you’re so calm,” my wolf’s voice echoed in my head, sharper than mine. “We just lost our mate!”

“I know,” I whispered back. “But it saves us the pain of sharing him with all his other omegas. And… I barely felt the bond. How would I even know?”

Silence stretched. Maybe she was right. Maybe that was why he rejected me, because I was different. Because I was broken.

I couldn’t trust anyone with my heart again. Not after this.

Maybe I should go with Lyra to her father’s pack.

I pulled out my phone. “Hello, Mum? Can you come pick me up? Please. I’m tired. I need you.”

Her voice was immediate, steady. “I’ll be there soon, love.”

No questions. No judgment. Just rescue. Goddess, I loved her for that.

“I’ll wait by the Alpha’s entrance,” I said softly before hanging up.

Omegas were supposed to be the weakest link in a pack. Recreation tools. Homekeepers. But me? I was less than that. No wolf. No pheromones. No mate. No future. No child. Nothing to keep me going.

I walked mindlessly toward the entrance, head bowed in shame.

And then—

It hit me.

A presence. Thick, commanding, impossible to resist.

The air shifted. My lungs tightened. My wolf stirred violently inside me.

This was no ordinary Alpha.

I froze, bowing instinctively as a tall figure strode past me, mid-shift. His power rolled off him in waves.

And for the first time in my life, I felt something I could not explain.