The Scent of Betrayal

The notification of my successful hospital appointment glowed on my phone as I slowly awoke. My mate, Karl, leaned in to scent my neck as he did every morning, but I shifted away, pretending to check my phone.

Karl froze, his Alpha pheromones suddenly spiking with confusion. When his eyes fell on the phone next to my pillow, his brow furrowed into a frown.

"You need to spend less time on that device," he said, his voice carrying that commanding Alpha tone he used when concerned. "It's not good for our pup."

I offered a bitter smile and nodded, quickly closing the prenatal appointment page on my screen. Despite being an Omega, I'd learned to mask my scent well enough that Karl didn't notice my distress. He merely glanced at my phone before the corners of his lips curled almost imperceptibly.

He dressed quickly, his powerful frame moving with practiced efficiency as he buttoned his shirt. "There's an important pack alliance meeting today. Don't wait for me tonight."

He strode out before I could respond, his Alpha authority filling the room even after he'd gone.

In the past, whenever he had pack business, I would rise early to prepare his favorite breakfast and fuss over him, reminding him to be careful around other unmated Omegas. I would spend the entire day restless, my Omega instincts making me yearn for his return.

But now I just lay in bed, exhausted. His words from last night echoed in my mind like a cruel mantra.

The happiness I'd believed in was nothing but a cruel joke.

The Alpha who had sworn to be my mate for life had been lying to me all along.

I'd discovered Natalie's Instagram account yesterday—an Omega from a neighboring pack—and found countless photos of her with Karl. For three years, all those "diplomatic missions" he claimed to be on were actually trips to see her in the Northern territories.

My attention was drawn to a user with the same avatar as Natalie in the comments section. When I clicked on their profile, my breath caught in my throat.

The profile had only a few videos, but they showed me a side of Karl I'd never seen—genuinely happy, unguarded. In one video, he nuzzled the Omega girl's neck tenderly, promising her "years together until our fur turns gray."

My phone vibrated with a message from Karl, telling me to take care and eat well.

In the past, such concern would have made my Omega preen with joy. Now, I wondered if he'd just finished sending similar messages to Natalie.

Thinking of the pup growing inside me—a pup I'd fought so hard to conceive despite my "faulty Omega biology" as the pack doctor had called it—I forced myself to send a loving reply.

Almost immediately, Natalie updated her status. The Alpha who was supposedly at an alliance meeting was actually decorating a Christmas tree with childish ornaments. When he tilted his head, I could clearly see the mating bite he'd left on her neck—fresh and raw.

"Karl promised me the most beautiful tree in the territory," her caption read.

I could imagine his devotion and tenderness through the screen.

Yet just yesterday, when I'd mentioned wanting to decorate our den for the winter solstice, he'd dismissed me coldly: "How childish can you be? If you have too much energy, join the pack's prenatal classes instead of wasting time on human traditions."

Karl had always been stern, a powerful Alpha focused on pack business. I'd grown accustomed to his lack of affection.

But the photos before me cut like silver blades into my heart. He wasn't incapable of romance—he'd simply never wanted to share it with me.

I still couldn't understand why he maintained our mating if he'd found his true mate in Natalie. Was I just a political alliance? A broodmare for his lineage?

As these thoughts swirled, sharp pain lanced through my abdomen. I gently stroked my belly, silently apologizing to the tiny life within.

Now that I knew the truth, how could I allow this charade to continue?