On our marking night, Rohan brought home a little girl and another woman.

"This is my first love, and we have a daughter together. From now on, we’ll all live together peacefully," he declared, his alpha tone leaving no room for argument. The air around him seemed to thicken with his authority, his commanding presence filling the room.

"And isn’t it convenient? Someone can take care of you, considering you can’t shift anymore."

I looked down at my legs, the ones that had been rendered useless after the rogue attack where I’d saved his life. I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. He seemed to have forgotten that it was because of him I’d lost my wolf form entirely.

Later, I left without saying a word, and he apologized, begging me to come back.

"Alpha Rohan, do you even realize what you're saying?"

I stared at him in disbelief, the man I had loved for five years and marked as my mate just today. Beside him stood his first love, Imani, and a young girl. A moment ago, he told me the girl was his daughter with Imani.

The child looked about four years old, which meant that when we first got together, his first love was already pregnant. My hands gripped the arms of my wheelchair tightly, my whole body trembling uncontrollably.

"Are your ears blocked, or do I need to repeat myself?"

Rohan glared at me, his alpha aura pressing down on me like a physical weight. His eyes, usually sharp and commanding, now held a cold indifference.

"I told you, we’re going to live peacefully from now on."

“And you should be grateful. Now someone can look after a cripple like you.”

"Don’t worry, Aurelia, I’ll take good care of you," Imani chimed in, wearing an irritatingly warm smile. Her scent, a mix of lavender and vanilla, wafted toward me, almost mocking in its sweetness.

"By the way, my daughter's name is Layne, and she’ll be helping to look after you too."

This was insane—what did he think this was, some ancient pack tradition where such things were normal? Rage and sadness burned within me. It was still our marking night, and he’d dropped such a “surprise” on me! This was beyond absurd!

"Alpha Rohan, I reject you as my mate," I said, my voice trembling but firm.

Never in a million years did I imagine that on the very night of our marking, I’d be rejecting him. But honestly, who could tolerate something like this? My newly marked mate suddenly introducing me to his daughter and his first love and expecting us all to get along.

"Reject me?"

Rohan chuckled, the sound low and menacing. His alpha tone sharpened, cutting through the air like a blade.

"Aurelia Hamilton, have you forgotten you can’t shift? Where can you go without me?"

"Let me give you a piece of advice: Just stay home, cook, and do laundry. Now there’s even someone to help with chores and to care for you; you should feel glad!"

Glad, my foot!

I nearly cursed at him but held back, my wolf whimpering in the back of my mind, urging me to stay calm.

"Alpha Rohan, I won’t accept this."

"We’re severing the mate bond tomorrow."

I used to be like a loyal Beta by Rohan's side, never daring to speak to him so coldly, let alone reject him. But now, he had completely broken my heart.

"Without me, you’re nothing!"

He leaned down, his towering frame casting a shadow over me. He tapped my face with his hand, the gesture patronizing and cruel.

"Don’t think you can threaten me with rejection."

"If you’re so bold, wheel yourself out of this house right now and never come back."

"Fine."

If it were before, I’d have clung to him, begging him not to make me leave. I loved him so much I couldn’t bear to be away from him. But now, he had shattered any semblance of trust or love between us.

I looked at the marking ceremony decorations plastered all over the house. I had fought tooth and nail for this, otherwise, Rohan wouldn’t have marked me. And now, I deeply regretted it.

I maneuvered my wheelchair straight toward the door.

Behind me, Imani's voice sounded concerned, "Alpha Rohan, considering Aurelia’s condition, are you sure she’ll be okay out there?"

Rohan scoffed, his alpha tone dripping with disdain. "She’ll come back on her own soon enough. She’s just a burden; she can't live without me."

Rohan was convinced I couldn’t live without him.

And honestly, it wasn’t surprising he’d think that way. After all, everyone knew how wildly in love I was with him. He was tall, muscular, and commanding—a dominant Alpha with the kind of aura that made others bow their heads in respect. People said I was lucky to have landed him, as if he was a prize that only came around once in a lifetime.

Once, after a fiery argument with Rohan, I crashed at my friend Mauricio’s place. Mauricio, a Gamma warrior, tried to comfort me, “Alpha Rohan is quite the catch. A bit of a temper is normal for an Alpha—don’t be so high-strung about it.” Everyone seemed to think that as long as the Alpha was interested in being with me, I should ignore his faults, let things slide, and not hang onto old grievances.

But I wasn’t with him for his status or power. I was there purely for love.

Rohan and I grew up in the same pack, and back then, he’d narrowly escaped a rogue attack that left him with depression, causing him to withdraw. I painstakingly helped him through that darkness, turning him into the confident Alpha everyone admired. He depended heavily on me then. Wherever he went, he wanted me there beside him. He often said, “Aurelia, thank you for always being there.”

Eventually, we took our mate bond, and I moved into his home as his Luna. One pack gathering, we went out to celebrate the full moon run, and the rogue who had attacked him earlier tracked him down, seeking revenge. I happened to witness him being ambushed. I shielded him with my own body, taking the brutal assault meant for him.

My wolf form was brutally crushed, and I blacked out from the pain. When I came to in the pack healer’s den, I was told I’d never shift again. Rohan, with tears streaming down his face, looked at me and said, “Aurelia, I’m so sorry I couldn’t protect you. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you from now on.”

Losing my ability to shift was a devastating blow, but his words offered some comfort. I hung on because of him, trusting in what he’d said. Yet, less than a month later, he started not coming home much, and we ended up sleeping in separate rooms. He’d said it was because he was afraid he’d accidentally hurt me in his sleep. I bought it at the time.

But now I realize that wasn’t the real reason—he had already begun to see me as a burden.

I checked into a hotel room alone, the scent of pine and fresh linen doing little to calm the storm inside me. As soon as I settled in, I pulled out my phone and opened the pack’s social network. My fingers froze as I stumbled upon a post from a tabloid account. There, in stark clarity, was a picture of Alpha Rohan Castro at an exclusive private school, with Imani Cunningham and their daughter, Layne.

The caption read: “Alpha Rohan Castro, renowned singer and leader of the Silverclaw Pack, seen with his mate and their pup, enrolling her in school.”

Rohan, the Alpha of the Silverclaw Pack, was not only a powerful leader but also a celebrated singer whose fame stretched across the werewolf community. Yet, despite our bond, he had never publicly acknowledged me. To the world, he was a single Alpha, untethered and free.

Just then, I noticed Rohan had posted on the network, addressing the rumors. “I do have a mate and a pup, and I love them dearly,” he wrote.

The words hit me like a rogue’s claw to the chest, tearing through the remnants of the mate bond that still lingered. Rohan and I had been mates for five years, and for five years, he had deceived me, hiding Imani and Layne from my sight.

At that moment, my phone buzzed. It was Mauricio, a Gamma warrior and someone I once considered a friend. “Did you have another argument with Alpha Rohan?” he asked, his tone casual, as if my world hadn’t just shattered. “He just called to check if you were at my place.”

“I’ve told you to move on and stop being so sensitive,” Mauricio continued, his voice tinged with exasperation. “You still rely on him, so don’t upset him.”

It was always the same. Everyone seemed to think I should be grateful for Rohan, for the scraps of affection he threw my way. But in a mate bond, both parties should be equals. A strong bond isn’t built on one wolf’s endless sacrifice and patience. And now, with the discovery of his pup, the betrayal was unbearable.

I ended the call with Mauricio. Friends like that, I could do without.

Early the next morning, a text from Rohan lit up my screen: “Going to my parents’ place today.”

I couldn’t fathom how he could act as though nothing had happened, as though my heart hadn’t been ripped apart the night before. But perhaps it was for the best; I needed to visit his parents’ house too, to settle the matter of our broken mate bond.

So, I replied, my fingers trembling slightly as I typed: “I’ll take a cab there myself.”

The drive to the Castro estate was quiet, the hum of the engine doing little to drown out the thoughts swirling in my mind. As I stepped out of the car, the imposing structure of the Alpha’s family home loomed before me, a stark reminder of the hierarchy I had once been a part of. I squared my shoulders and walked inside, determined to face whatever came next.