All Chapters of The Bet That Cost Him His Mate: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

I stood before the double doors of the banquet hall, my heart pounding with excitement and nerves.Tonight was the full moon. The night Wyatt and I were supposed to have our marking and bonding ceremony. I had even worn his favorite red velvet dress just for the occasion.I imagined the hall filled with my favorite roses, maybe even romantic petals scattered on the floor...But when I pushed the doors open, I wasn't met with the scent of roses. Instead, I was hit by the deafening, mocking laughter of the pack members. "Haha! I told you Valerie would wear red! You lose, Wyatt!" Harper's shrill laughter pierced the air.I froze in the doorway.The hall was brightly lit. Over a dozen core pack members stood around with drinks in their hands, their eyes all locked on me. There was no blessing in their gazes, only the amusement of watching a good show.And Harper stood next to Wyatt, looking at me with a provocative smirk.Around her neck hung the glowing Luna necklace.It was the symbol o

Chapter 2

I leaned against the car window, staring at the encrypted message on my phone.It was from Leon, the most trusted Beta of my father—the Alpha King who ruled all the packs in North America."Lady Valerie, the Alpha King has reserved the last three days for the Heir Declaration. The private jet is on standby. He is waiting for you to come home."Three years ago, to escape the powerful Alpha Silas Thorne—the fated mate the Moon Goddess had chosen for me—I stubbornly believed I should be the one to choose my own mate.I hid my noble Sterling last name, suppressed my Alpha bloodline, and came to this remote Crescent Ridge pack all alone.Here, I accidentally saved a heavily injured Wyatt.To repay me, he slowly wove himself into my life. My attitude toward him softened from distant caution to genuine affection.Then came that grand, romantic confession.He covered the streets with my favorite roses, got down on one knee in front of his pack, and said, "Let me take care of you, Valerie."Mov

Chapter 3

Hearing my words, Wyatt's face completely clouded over. He gripped my shoulders hard."Valerie, my patience has a limit. Do you have any idea how dangerous it is out there for a mateless Omega without a pack's protection?"He sounded like he was worried about me, but all I felt was disgust.Gathering all my strength, I slapped him hard across the face.His head snapped to the side, five bright red finger marks immediately blooming on his cheek.Wyatt was stunned. He clearly never expected the usually submissive me to lay a hand on him. "Ah! Valerie, you crazy bitch! How dare you hit Wyatt!"Harper suddenly rushed out, screaming, her sharp nails aiming straight for my face.Seeing her lunge at me, my Alpha instincts flared.I was about to block her, but Wyatt roughly grabbed my wrist.Harper's nails slashed across my cheek, and losing my balance, I fell hard onto the floor.A sharp pain radiated through my body, and I gasped.But Wyatt didn't even glance at me. He immediately shielded

Chapter 4

When I opened my eyes again, all I saw was blinding white, and my nose was filled with the sharp smell of antiseptic.An IV dripped into the back of my hand, but it couldn't fully soothe the burning, itchy hives still lingering on my skin. "Valerie! You're awake!"Wyatt, who had been guarding my bedside, shot up and grabbed my hand.His eyes were bloodshot, and dark stubble covered his jaw. He looked like an absolute wreck."The healer said we got you here just in time. You're out of danger. Thank the Goddess..." I glared at him coldly and tried to pull my hand back, but he held on tight."Valerie, please, listen to me," Wyatt pleaded, his tone desperate and guilty. "Harper really didn't do it on purpose. She just wanted to make peace. She had no idea you were deathly allergic to lilies. I already yelled at her. Please don't hold it against her, okay?"Looking at his eager face trying to defend Harper, my stomach churned with nausea."She didn't know?" I gazed straight into his eyes.

Chapter 5

（Wyatt’s view)When Wyatt walked back into the hospital room and found it empty, he didn't immediately panic.It wasn't until ten minutes had passed that true fear began to set in.He kept glancing at the door, then at his phone, then back to the small drops of blood on the pristine white sheets.He told himself Valerie was just in the bathroom. Or with a nurse. Or finding somewhere quiet to cool off, because that's what she always did.She would get quiet, walk away, and then, once he figured out the right thing to say, she would obediently come back to him.Except this time, the room felt far too empty. Harper impatiently shifted her weight on her heels. "Where did she go? If she doesn't come back soon, my apology expires. I already said I didn't do it on purpose."Wyatt glared at her. "Whether she comes back or not, you owe her an apology.""Wow, listen to you. It started as a stupid bet, and now you're playing the role of the devoted mate."Normally, comments like that would just

Chapter 6

When Wyatt returned to the estate, the house was dead silent.Valerie's slippers were gone from the entryway.Her books were gone from the coffee table.The bathroom counter was wiped clean of her perfume, her lip balm, and those little hair clips he used to find everywhere.In the closet, empty hangers swung where her dresses used to be. In the bedroom trash can, he found the torn pieces of his vow."I, Wyatt, swear on my wolf that for every thunderstorm from now on, I will hold Valerie in my arms and never let her face the dark alone."He picked up the shreds, staring at the words until his vision blurred.He had written that after she had braved a terrible storm just to take care of him. He had sworn to keep everything that could hurt her far away.He remembered how tears of emotion had filled her eyes as she threw herself into his arms.But now, he was the thing hurting her.Not only did he abandon her during the storm, he let her walk out into it alone.How completely broken must

Chapter 7

（Valerie’s view)When I arrived, the Sterling estate was fully lit.My father was waiting on the front steps.There was silver in his hair now, and seeing it made my eyes sting. But his steady, overwhelming presence hadn't changed at all.People called him ruthless. They weren't wrong. But when his eyes landed on the fading hives on my neck, that ruthlessness turned into pure, protective fury."Who did this?"Leon took my bags from the driver. "The healers are waiting upstairs, my lady." My father stepped down and adjusted my coat himself. "You don't have to say a word tonight. But the daughter of the Alpha King does not come home bleeding, swallowing her pain just to protect the people who hurt her."My throat tightened.For three years, I told myself that leaving home proved I was strong and independent.But I had forgotten that true strength didn't mean having to stand completely alone."Wyatt's friends," I murmured quietly. "Wyatt allowed it to happen."My father's expression didn

Chapter 8

Wyatt didn't stop coming.Every Friday afternoon, his car would park outside the Sterling estate.Sometimes he brought my favorite roses. Sometimes the coffee I used to drink. Once, he brought a Black Forest cake, leaving it there until it rotted, untouched.At first, the guards reported his visits. But once they saw how little I cared, they stopped mentioning him."Your admirer is here again," Leon would sometimes tease."He's not an admirer.""True," Leon shrugged. "Admirer sounds too flattering. He's just a fool who briefly held a diamond and threw it away."I laughed and let it go. After Harper was exiled from Crescent Ridge, she tried to find a new pack to take her in. But she quickly realized no pack would accept her.That, of course, was my father's doing.Forced to become a rogue wolf, she lasted less than a month before she tried to play the victim.She ran to the steps of the Werewolf Council, sobbing and claiming that I had destroyed her life over a harmless joke.She said

Chapter 9

The night before the full moon the following year, an unknown number called my phone.I answered it without thinking.Wyatt's gravelly, drunk voice came through the speaker. "Valerie."Honestly, with how busy my life was, I had almost forgotten about him.I didn't say anything."Tomorrow is the day we were supposed to have our bonding ceremony. I promised you. I had it all planned out, did you know that...? I got a new ring, with the sapphire you liked. I planned the decorations... but you left." He let out a hollow, broken laugh. "You really left. Everyone said you'd come back. I told myself you'd come back. I thought if I just explained everything, you'd soften up.""But you left. You're really gone." I gazed out the window into the dark gardens.Down below, Silas was standing in the courtyard."You still think I left just because of that bet," I said. "But I didn't. I left a little bit at a time, Wyatt. Every time you made me swallow my pride, every time you ignored how I felt, I s

SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP