Bound to Alpha: My Secret Identity Crashed

Dean Russo is the Alpha of our pack.

One day, his gaming mate decided to end things, and that mate was none other than me, his Beta.

Recently, a new competitive web game called "Moonlit Shadow Wolf" swept through our pack like wildfire. Its fast-paced battles and dazzling visuals made it an instant sensation.

I, too, was completely hooked and quickly joined the ranks of its many passionate players.

As the Moonlight Festival drew near, the game introduced a special event where couples could team up to complete quests and unlock exclusive rewards.

As a solo player, finding a mate felt impossible. However, the rewards were simply too good to pass up.

With that in mind, I decided to post a message in the game lobby to see if I could find someone to team up with temporarily.

The moment I hit send, my inbox was flooded with a rush of messages.

A player named "Solitary Sailor" immediately caught my eye.

I couldn't tell if his profile photo was actually him, but the sharp jawline spoke volumes about his good looks. Not to mention, in the bottom right of the photo was also a well-defined hand holding a glass cup.

Prominent veins traced the back of the hand, and a sleek, expensive-looking watch rested on the left wrist.

That watch looked eerily familiar.

This man seemed to be both handsome and well-off. How perfect.

Without hesitation, I opened his profile, and to my surprise, he was already a Level 10 player.

I quietly congratulated myself again for having such good judgment.

In truth, romance wasn't on my mind. I just wanted a rich mate to show off in the game lobby.

"Hey, are you looking for a mate?" I messaged him.

He replied shortly after, "Yeah."

I explained that I was only looking for someone to team up with during the Moonlight Festival quest. Once the event ended, we'd part ways.

The man didn't respond for quite some time. But just as I was starting to think he'd lost interest, he finally replied, "Deal."

Just like that, we became mates in the game.

Throughout our time together, Solitary Sailor helped me succeed in matches and missions. Without any hesitation, he even passed all his rewards and gear to me.

Not only was he rich, but his gaming skills were impressive too. Thanks to him backing me up, my rank soared in no time.

Gradually, I began to feel hesitant about ending our partnership. After all, it was rare to find such a talented player.

On the event's last day, I asked if he wanted to team up again, and he said yes without hesitation. From there, our in-game partnership just kept going.

Every night, we teamed up to play, and on special occasions, he would surprise me with skins and gear. It almost felt like we were a real couple.

"Kylie Everest, what are you thinking?" I scolded myself. "You don't even know his real name or what he looks like. You can't start catching feelings just because he's been helping you through the game."

I used to wonder what kind of person Solitary Sailor was in real life.

But I never imagined I'd find out so soon.

One day, while I was delivering some documents to Dean's office, I caught a glimpse of his phone.

I froze in shock.

His screen showed the game interface of "Moonlit Shadow Wolf," with the username "Solitary Sailor" clearly visible in the upper-left corner.

Suddenly, it all made sense. The watch on his profile photo was an exact match to the one Dean wore every day.

My mysterious in-game mate had been Dean this entire time.

This realization hit me like a jolt of electricity, and my face turned pale as I stumbled out of the office.

If Dean ever found out that his in-game mate was actually his Beta, I'd never be able to stay in this pack again.

Once I got home, I grabbed my phone, ready to send Dean a breakup message. But the moment I entered the game lobby, a strange feeling of unease settled over me.

There were way more players than usual in the lobby, and as soon as I logged in, everyone's attention shifted to me.

Before I could even react, a flood of notifications appeared.

"Solitary Sailor sent 9,999 roses to Celeste Rain."

"Solitary Sailor sent 9,999 dazzling fireworks to Celeste Rain."

"Solitary Sailor sent 9,999 luxury yachts to Celeste Rain."

The screen exploded with a flood of special effects.

What on earth was happening?

The game lobby erupted in chaos.

"Whoa, who's this rich guy? Those gifts must be worth a fortune!"

"Isn't Solitary Sailor always at the forefront of the leaderboard? Who knew he was both a top player and filthy rich?"

"How sweet! Celeste Rain, you'd better say yes to him!"

Messages filled with awe and excitement poured in, but they only made my head spin. Then, before I could even make sense of it all, Solitary Sailor sent me a private message.

"Do you like the gifts?"

Stunned, I replied with just one word, "Yeah."

Almost immediately, he sent a flood of heartfelt texts, and it all built up to one simple question.

"I like you. Will you be my actual mate?"

I was too stunned to respond.