When My Alpha Faked Death for Her

Elisa Ferguson and Ray Schmidt had shared everything—from their days in the Shadowfang Pack’s training grounds to the moment they began planning their mate ceremony.

But on the eve of their marking, Ray was pronounced dead.

Elisa wept until her body trembled, her wolf whining softly in the back of her mind. Yet, before her eyes, a bizarre stream of comments appeared, as if the Moon Goddess herself were mocking her grief.

"Can someone tell the devastated Luna-to-be that he’s only pretending to be dead?"

"Ray’s favorite influencer from the Moonclaw Pack ran off when she heard he was getting marked, so he faked his death to chase her around the globe. Elisa’s crying at his grave, while Gabriela’s sobbing in bed. It’s infuriating."

"What a pity. When he returns from his fake demise, Elisa will be none the wiser and will happily mark him..."

Two weeks later.

News of Elisa’s arranged mate pairing with Westin Phillips, the Alpha of the Shadowfang Pack, spread through the territory like wildfire.

Ray’s friends, who were in on his deceit, hurried over to confront her. Jones Daniels, the pack’s Gamma, and Shawn Anderson, a Delta, stood at her door, their expressions a mix of guilt and accusation.

"Alpha Ray has just passed away, and you’re already looking to move on?" Jones asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.

Elisa’s eyes narrowed, her wolf bristling at the audacity. "He’s gone; am I supposed to mourn forever?"

==============================

When the stream of comments first appeared, Elisa thought it was a hallucination brought on by her grief. But they kept coming, relentless and taunting.

"If the Luna-to-be goes to the rooftop now, she’d discover that her Alpha isn’t really dead."

"She’s barely eaten in two days because of him; now she’s struggling to walk, and you expect her to go to the rooftop?"

With heavy legs, Elisa forced herself toward the rooftop. Just a few steps from the top, she heard a voice she knew all too well, laced with its usual mischief. "Is my funeral still ongoing?"

The voice was coming from Jones’ phone.

"Not over yet, Alpha," Jones replied.

"And Elisa? She hasn’t figured it out, has she?"

Jones hesitated, then said, "No chance. She’s been running herself ragged, almost fainted yesterday from too much crying. She’s probably still in her room sobbing."

Ray’s tone was casual, almost dismissive. "Make sure to comfort her for me."

Then Shawn chimed in, his voice cautious. "But Alpha, you’re really smitten with that influencer, aren’t you? Faking your death to chase her to England and dragging us into this act."

The comments were right.

Elisa gripped the stair railing tightly, her whole body trembling. Her wolf growled low in her mind, a mix of anger and heartbreak.

She heard Ray say:

"Whether I’m smitten isn’t your worry. Just keep it under wraps."

Jones asked, "So you’re still getting marked?"

"Absolutely. When I return, the marking ceremony will proceed as planned. But before then, can’t an Alpha have some