Chapter 5 My Alpha Mate's Rival

Janet's POV 

It seemed like Michael felt something shift in his chest, his inner wolf whining at the distress in my voice.

His throat tightened as he murmured, "How could you think that? I only want a pup from our bond. Liam's just a little thing. 

“He'll understand how pack dynamics work when he's older."

Watching his blatant, two-faced performance, disgust curled deep in my stomach, but underneath it, a dark satisfaction. 

My wolf bared her fangs in my mind, tasting his deceit.

Let the cheater and the homewrecker squirm.

No matter how cozy they got behind closed pack doors, they still had to pretend in front of me, the Luna.

Across the room, Tiana was barely holding it together. 

Her scent soured with jealousy; Michael's words had landed like a physical slap to her face.

She'd brought her son back to the Eastfield Pack territory for one reason clearly, to push me out. 

Permanently.

She turned to me, her expression a carefully tailored mask of omega-like submission. "I'm sorry, Luna Janet. Liam can be so stubborn. 

“If Michael doesn't play with him, his inner wolf will probably throw a tantrum and cause a scene. Do you mind...?"

Liam clutched his toy car, eyes red-rimmed, staring up at Michael with pathetic intensity. 

"Daddy, don't listen to the mean lady. Play with me, please?"

Michael shot me an awkward look, his alpha authority crumbling under the weight of his guilt.

I watched the scene play out, the boy, the pleading mother, the unfaithful Alpha, and slowly nodded. 

"Fine."

Michael took Liam's hand and led him away.

As I watched his retreating back, I let out a soft, humorless laugh.

I had genuinely loved him once.

Before he took the Alpha title, he'd been gentle, even-tempered, handsome. 

For years, he'd been tender with me, indulgent, attentive to my wolf's needs.

But now?

All I felt was revulsion. Whatever mate-bond affection had survived the morning had dissolved completely.

Halfway down the hall, Michael glanced back at me, something flickering in his expression.

He frowned.

This wasn't like me. 

A true Luna was supposed to be fiercely possessive, jealous, guarding her mate from any threat. 

I would never let him walk away to another woman's side that easily.

A thread of unease wound through his instinctual senses.

But Liam's whining pulled him back, and he let himself be led toward the garden.

---

Michael played with Liam, but his alpha instincts were distracted, his eyes constantly scanning the packhouse windows.

Tiana watched his face, anxiety coiling in her chest.

She bit her lip, stepping into his space. "Michael, did I do something wrong? Liam just misses his Alpha so much. I didn't know Janet would be here."

Michael's brow furrowed, thinking of my strange composure.

But when he looked at Tiana's vulnerable, ordinary-like expression, his voice softened. 

"It's just, our arrangement isn't public to the pack yet. Janet's still the Luna on paper. 

“I don't want her to read too much into things. If I can avoid hurting her, I will. 

“She did save my life during the rogue ambush once. And she's been by my side all these years..."

Besides, a part of his wolf still cared for Janet.

"I know," Tiana said quietly, her face falling. "Janet's been your Luna for so long. A simple wolf like me can't compete with that. And the pack codes, the elders...

“Liam and I just wanted to be with you so badly. Even if... Even if you don't want to present us to the elders, Michael, it's okay..."

"That's not true." Michael's eyes darkened, his predatory instincts rising, and he pulled her into a tender embrace. 

"You are the real Luna of my heart. I just want to give Janet some compensation before we announce the rejection. 

“You, me, Liam, we're the real family."

A gleam flashed in Tiana's eyes. Smiling, she melted into his arms.

"I was afraid. I thought you sidelined me. But now, I'm at peace. I love you."

She tilted her face up and pressed her lips to his.

From across the terrace, I watched them through the glass doors. 

A bitter smile curved my mouth. My wolf didn't even howl in pain; she just growled in anticipation of the hunt.

My phone buzzed.

A game invitation. 

From Drake. 

The Alpha I was arranged to get married to.

I blinked in surprise.

Before I knew it, my thumb had already accepted.

It was a co-op platformer, one of those old-school side-scrollers where you had to work together to get through the levels. 

Drake moved with the terrifying speed of an Apex predator, eve

n in a game. 

Within minutes, we'd cleared five stages.

`GTG.`

The words popped up in the chat.

I blinked again. 

I had been playing a silly video game with a rival Alpha for nearly half an hour.

His avatar went gray. 

I switched back to the messaging app and stared at his profile picture, a stark black-and-white image that matched the cold, ruthless alpha bio I'd glimpsed earlier.

Hard to believe a guy with that kind of bloodthirsty reputation had just spent thirty minutes on a dumb co-op game with me.

Strangely, my mood had lifted.

I thought about my pack’s failing investment situation and typed another message.

“Mr. Richardson. Would you consider investing in the Peterson Pack Group?”

The reply came instantly. ‘No.”

A few seconds later, another bubble appeared. “Unless…”

Unless what?