Burned by the Alpha Who Chose Another

The day before Isaiah and I were supposed to have our marking ceremony, I spotted him through the window, caught in a passionate embrace with Laney, his assistant and an Omega from the Crimson Fang Pack. I didn’t cry or make a scene; I just tossed aside the ring I had in my hand.

His first words when he walked in were, “The marking ceremony tomorrow is off.”

“I know.”

This time, I didn’t bother asking why.

To my surprise, he offered an explanation, “The pack is facing some issues, and I have to go oversee a dispute with a neighboring pack.”

He squeezed my hand slightly, “Araceli, I’ll make it up to you next time.”

His assistant chimed in appropriately, “Ms. Hansen, where can I find Beta Foster’s luggage? I’ll take it downstairs. I don’t want to intrude.”

She glanced at Isaiah with an intense look, as if her eyes were glued to him.

“It’s in the bedroom; take your time packing. I need to go home and pick up a few things.”

Isaiah didn’t try to stop me, only urging me to come back soon.

The next day, as he left for his duty, I booked a flight out of the country.

---

Isaiah still thought I’d wait for him unconditionally like before. This was the third time he promised to reschedule our marking ceremony. We’d been together for eight years, from our first shift to our roles within the pack. He always said he’d mark me after he became Beta, but every time he used pack responsibilities as an excuse to postpone it.

“Araceli, I’ll only mark you in this lifetime; you won’t escape.”

The first time, while I was preparing for the ceremony in the pack’s grand hall, he suddenly told me there was an emergency: a rogue had attacked our borders, and he had to lead the warriors to handle it.

“The marking ceremony will be postponed.”

The second time, he claimed a dispute had arisen with the neighboring pack, and he had to negotiate, or the pack’s safety would be compromised.

Pack duty was his perpetual excuse.

And now, just the night before our marking, he said it again, “Ceremony canceled.”

Isaiah, I longed to mark you, but I won’t mark only you.

That morning, we were supposed to go together to prepare for the ceremony. I stood ready, but he was nowhere to be seen in the hall.

After searching around, I found him on the balcony, on a call.

“Are you really planning to mark her?”

I leaned against the wall; the voice on the phone was crystal clear and all too unsettling.

Isaiah rubbed his temples. “Who? Araceli?

“Of course not.”

The person on the other end chuckled lightly, “You were crazy about her when she first shifted, insisting she was your destined mate. Why are you so hesitant now?

“Were you just pretending all along?”

Isaiah sighed, “Who knows? Back then, she seemed beautiful, a bright young Omega.

“But.” He