Rejected the Alpha but Dated His Beta

Shirley I’m frozen. Completely struck with surprise as I stare at my phone, watching as my best friend - Jean - looks at me with tears in her eyes, her lip quivering. She’s pulling the collar of her shirt, allowing me to study her shoulder before she shifts and shows her stomach instead. Bruises. Large splatters of blues and purples decorate both areas. They look fresh, new. All I can feel is ice in my veins as Jean fixes her shirt again. “Jean…” I brush out. I wait for her to say something. To tell me it’s not what I think. But I know by the way that she’s hesitating that she won’t. So I wait. I breathe slowly as we both remain silent and she tries to muster up the strength to say her next words aloud. “He hurt me, Shir…” Jean whispers as her voice breaks, and immediately my blood only turns colder. “And this isn’t the first time. He’s been hurting me…,” Jean explains. “And it’s only getting worse.” Worse. I can’t believe this. Ralph…Jean’s true mate who should be protec

Keith The first time I had seen the woman was on the street yesterday. I had been on the phone at the time, slightly distracted as I made my way to a meeting. But I had still noticed her. At the time, she had been looking elsewhere, seeming as if she was admiring the lush trees and adorable shops lining the road. Since she hadn’t been looking at me, I was able to take her in from a distance as we remained on opposite sides of the street. But, even despite her baggy clothing, she made something deep within me stir. And now, here she is again. She’s sitting at the bar, an elegant baby blue dress beautifully outlining her chest and shoulders. The soft color makes her stand out against the blacks and grays that other people wear. But what makes her stick out the most is the fact that she’s sitting next to Ralph - my best friend since childhood. She’s laughing, smiling at him with such delight that I can’t take my eyes off of her from across the room. I don’t know why, but watchin

Shirley I stutter a little as I weigh Keith’s question in my hands. I had no idea that he’d noted my appearance the other night and had remembered me. However, his unwavering voice confirmed that he had no doubt in his mind that I’m the same girl from the bar. He did notice me, and has now clearly taken an interest based on the way he eyes me. Only, his gaze is skeptical, curious - suggesting that I may not like the type of interest he’s developed. It seems I’ve made an impression on him, but not a good one. Not the right one either. “What’s the matter, little wolf?” he asks, taking a step closer to me. I don’t back away, though. I keep my feet planted as he’s standing right in front of me now, slightly making me blush. I pray he doesn’t notice. My glasses always do a good job of protecting me, as if I can ward off his charms by having them on. However, I can’t help but prickle at his presence, an odd sense of fear pooling in my stomach. I’m not entirely sure why. But still,

Shirley She didn’t say it - not fully. Jean began to utter my real name, but only managed the beginning before the rest got caught in her throat. It’s as if she had an epiphany midway through, realizing who had been the one to call her and likely still stood off camera. Shir. That’s all she’d said. Not Shirley. Shir could easily be mistaken for “sure.” And I want to think that’s exactly how Keith has interpreted the sound as I sneak a glance over at him, meeting his calm expression. Nothing in his eyes suggests that he knows the clipped word she’d breathed is actually my nickname. So I shift my eyes back to Jean, keeping my shoulders relaxed as I hold her gaze. Everything in me tries to communicate with her through our simple stares, praying that years of friendship can make her hear the thoughts I can’t say aloud. Jean remains silent as I watch her study me. Slowly, I notice some of the surprise wear off of her face as she attempts to digest why my face is on Keith’s phone. A

Shirley We’re sitting at a table near the center of the room - surrounded by finely-dressed waiters, high-priced wine, and soft candlelight. I smile at Ralph as I listen to him, swiveling around my wineglass as I brush the delicate material of the tablecloth under my hand. He gladly accepted my invitation for tonight, not hesitating to make the reservation and sending me the confirmation for the restaurant only ten minutes later. And now here we are, chatting in the perfect romantic ambiance. He’s already apologized for last night, and for all the lies he told me. Upon sitting down, I relayed some of the things Keith had revealed to me last night, letting him know I was now aware of his mate and child. He’d been red in the face when I’d finished, his eyes wide as he’d jumped to explain himself. He’d admitted he had a mate, a family. But he’d also told me the relationship was in jeopardy and they were thinking about ending things. Ha. He said he was so shaken up about the whole