New life after My Alpha Cheated

### Chapter 1

On the night of the Blood Moon, a night meant to celebrate our bond, I waited for my mate, Aldric, the alpha prince of the Silverclaw Pack. But he never came.

Instead, I found out where he was through a public post from Seraphine, a graceful omega with whom Aldric shared a long history. Her post went viral, showcasing their closeness at a luxurious pack gathering. She was pressed against him, laughing in a way that made my stomach twist. The caption under the image was a knife to my chest.

"Thank you, Aldric, for always making me feel like the only one that matters."

The comments that followed made it worse.

"Seraphine and Aldric should be the true mates. They fit perfectly. Who needs an omega like Selene when you have someone as regal as Seraphine?"

The words burned, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away. Seraphine had always been a presence in Aldric's life, part of his circle before I came along. The pack adored her, and many believed she should have been his true mate, not me. But we had been blessed by the Moon Goddess with the mate bond—at least, that's what I had thought.

As I read through the comments, a chill swept through me. I wasn’t just an outsider looking in—I was the one being pushed out.

I clutched my phone, my fingers trembling as I scrolled through the images. They looked like the perfect pair. She belonged by his side, in the eyes of the pack. And me? I was just Selene, the daughter of an omega family, lucky enough to have been blessed with the mate bond. Or so I thought.

……

*Ping.*

A message from Aldric flashed on my screen, making my heart sink even further.

"Selene, something’s come up. I’ll be late. Don’t wait for me."

It was sent hours ago, at exactly 3:15 PM. I stared at the text, feeling the walls closing in around me.

I was supposed to be his Luna, but tonight I felt anything but.

“Don’t wait for me…” He didn’t even remember it was our bonding night, did he?

Aldric was my mate for five years. We had been bonded since our final year in the academy, though we kept it hidden until after we graduated. When our bond was revealed, it shocked not only the academy but the entire Silverclaw Pack.

Why had our mate bond caused such a stir within the pack?

Because Aldric wasn’t just anyone—he was the son to be Alpha, the sole heir to the Silverclaw Pack's leadership, destined to take over once his father stepped down.

And me? I was Selene, an omega from a humble family. I had no prestigious bloodline or ties to the elite pack circles. The mate bond between us was a blessing from the Moon Goddess, but it felt more like a curse to some.

Before our bond was made public, I had never been a part of the inner elite. I didn’t know the pressures that came with being linked to someone like Aldric. I had thought love was enough—thought our bond would be enough.

Aldric’s closest friends had always been Eamon, a fierce warrior from a powerful lineage, and Seraphine, a graceful omega with a long history by his side. They had grown up together, inseparable since childhood. Seraphine, in particular, was adored by the pack. Her family’s influence stretched across territories, and many believed she should have been Aldric’s mate.

It was no secret that the pack had expected Aldric to choose Seraphine. They were the perfect match in the eyes of many—both powerful, both beloved by the pack. So, when it was revealed that Aldric’s mate was not her, but me, an outsider, the backlash was swift.

Rumors spread like wildfire. I became the subject of gossip, of disdain. Some were curious, but many were hostile. They believed I had stolen something that should have belonged to Seraphine.

And while Aldric stood by my side at first, publicly defending our bond, Seraphine never left the picture. She and Aldric continued to attend pack gatherings together, always close, always surrounded by admirers.

The latest dagger came tonight, with a post from Seraphine that went viral within the pack. She had tagged Aldric in the post, showing them together at a pack gathering high in the mountains.

The caption beneath the images was enough to shatter what remained of my hope.

"Thank you, Aldric, for always making me feel like the only one that matters."

I stared at the screen, my heart breaking all over again. The comments beneath the post were even worse.

"They should be mates—Seraphine and Aldric are perfect together. Why settle for someone like Selene?"

"It was always meant to be Seraphine. The bond with Selene? It’s just a mistake."

I couldn’t breathe. Seraphine had always been in the background, but lately, she seemed to be moving more and more into the center of Aldric’s world. The pack worshiped her, and now they were openly questioning why Aldric would waste his time with someone like me.

The worst part? Aldric didn’t even seem to care.

I scrolled through more pictures—there was Aldric, smiling with Seraphine. Laughing with her in a way he never did with me. His usually cold, serious demeanor had melted away in her presence.

A part of me had always feared this day would come, but seeing it play out so publicly, so blatantly, was unbearable.

*Ping.*

My phone buzzed, and a message from Aldric appeared on the screen.

"Selene, something came up. Don’t wait for me."

It was sent hours ago.

I stared at the message, my hands shaking. He didn’t even have the decency to lie, to make an excuse. It was clear where his priorities were, and they weren’t with me.

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I forced myself to take a breath. I couldn’t keep doing this to myself. I had been holding onto a bond that Aldric no longer respected, clinging to the hope that things might change. But I was wrong.

I picked up my phone and, with trembling fingers, dialed his number. He answered on the first ring, his voice cold and distant as always.

“What is it, Selene?”

In the background, I could hear the sounds of laughter, of music and voices. He hadn’t even tried to leave the gathering.

"Where are you?" I asked, my voice shaking despite my best efforts to stay calm.

“I’m handling some pack business. What’s wrong?” His tone was detached, as if the answer didn’t really matter.

"Pack business?" I scoffed, unable to stop the bitterness from spilling out. "You mean another night with Seraphine?"

There was a brief silence on the other end before Aldric spoke again, his voice even colder. "Selene, you’re being unreasonable. I’ve told you before, Seraphine is just a friend. You’re overreacting."

My heart twisted painfully. I had heard this before, time and time again. His excuses, his indifference, the way he made it seem like I was the one in the wrong.

"I can’t do this anymore, Aldric," I whispered, barely able to keep the tears at bay. "I can’t keep pretending like everything is fine."

Another burst of laughter echoed in the background, followed by the sound of fireworks. Aldric’s voice remained as calm as ever, unmoved by my pain. "Selene, I don’t have time for this right now. We’ll talk later."

That was it. The final blow.

Taking a deep breath, I steadied myself and made a decision that had been building in the back of my mind for months. "No, Aldric. We won’t talk later. This is it. I’m done."

The silence on the other end of the line was deafening. I could feel the weight of my words hanging in the air, but I knew, deep down, that Aldric wouldn’t fight for me.

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