Rejected by the Alpha’s Choice

On our seventh anniversary as mates, the Alpha of our pack finally agreed to accompany me on a trip I’d been planning for months. But as we stood in the bustling airport, Kingsley’s phone buzzed relentlessly. It was Angel, his Beta, throwing a tantrum because she refused to eat. Without hesitation, he turned to me, his Alpha aura pressing down on me like a weight.

“I have to go back,” he said, his voice firm, leaving no room for argument.

I clutched the itinerary in my hand, the paper crinkling under my grip. “Please, Alpha,” I pleaded, using his title out of habit, though my voice trembled. “It’s our anniversary. Can’t this wait?”

He scoffed, his dark eyes narrowing. “Anniversaries come every year, but Angel refusing food could be serious. Do you think everyone has your resilience, someone who wouldn’t starve if they skipped a meal?”

His words stung, but I held back my tears. He leaned in, pressing a cold kiss to my forehead. “Wait for me. Once I calm her down, I’ll come right back to you.”

I watched as he boarded his private jet, his broad, muscular frame disappearing into the cabin without a backward glance. My hand drifted to my swollen belly, where our pup grew. With a bitter smile, I shoved the prenatal report back into my bag. This suffocating mate bond—I couldn’t take it anymore.

---

The sterile smell of the hospital filled my nostrils as I stepped into the room. Angel Murphy, Kingsley’s Beta, lay on the bed, her golden hair fanned out like a halo. Kingsley stood by her side, his towering frame radiating dominance. His Alpha aura filled the room, making it hard to breathe.

Seeing me enter, Kingsley instinctively moved to block my view of Angel. His dark eyes flickered with something—guilt, perhaps—but it was gone in an instant. Angel, ever the manipulator, sent him off to fetch her a cup of coffee, batting her lashes sweetly. He hesitated, glancing back at her every few steps, his concern for her palpable.

My throat tightened. When I was ill, he wouldn’t even fetch me a glass of water. Yet here he was, at her beck and call.

A soft laugh came from the bed, and I turned to face Angel. Her eyes, so much like mine when I was younger, glittered with ambition.

“You should know that the Alpha is a mated man,” I said, my voice cold.

Angel met my gaze without flinching. “Of course I know. They all say I resemble the younger you. But now I’m younger, and I’m here to take your place.”

Her words ignited a fire in me. I lunged forward, grabbing her hair. “Who do you think you are? What right do you have to replace me?!”

Angel shrieked, falling to the floor as if I’d struck her. Before I could react, I felt the scalding pour of hot coffee douse my arm. The searing pain forced a scream from my throat. I stared