The Alpha Who Mended My Rejected Heart

Three years into my mate bond with Ryan Ford, Beta of the Ford Pack, he returned from abroad with a strikingly beautiful race car model, Lyla, an Omega from the Lyla Pack. The day before the pack’s Thanksgiving gathering, he stood before me in the grand hall of the Ford Packhouse, his voice steady but devoid of emotion.

"Lyla and I have a lot in common. You, on the other hand, are sheltered—there’s no way you could grasp the excitement of racing," he said, his alpha tone cutting through the silence like a blade.

I clenched my fists, my wolf whining softly in the back of my mind. "Does it have to be today?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

He smirked, the alpha aura around him making the air feel heavy. "Do we really need to schedule a rejection?"

I nodded, letting go of any further arguments. A month later, I found myself competing in the same race as him. Little did he know, I had understood the exhilaration of racing long before he did.

Later, I stood at the marking ceremony with Felix Griffin, the Alpha of the Griffin Pack, on Ryan’s birthday. His eyes were red as he asked, "Does it have to be today?"

I smiled, my voice steady despite the storm inside me. "Mate bonds are all about timing, and today happens to be an auspicious day."

---

When Ryan visited me, it had been nearly six months since our last encounter. He had been traveling abroad for pack business and returned without even letting me know. A few days ago, I received a voice recording sent from overseas. As soon as I played it, laughter echoed from the speakers.

"Hahaha, Ryan, you're quite the catch. You've got your racing license and snagged the most beautiful race model! Lyla, tell us, how does Ryan perform off the track?" someone teased.

A sultry voice responded, "What do you think? He goes straight for the fast lane!"

The loud squeals that followed were piercing, so I turned the volume down, taking a moment to collect myself before continuing.

"So what about that mate back home? You've been bonded for three years. Aren’t your folks pushing you to mark her?" another voice teased.

My fists clenched instinctively as I turned the volume back up.

"What mate? We were kids—what did we know about mate bonds then? Raven and I haven’t seen each other in over six months. She’s basically a free upscale babysitter for my folks. She’s obedient and easy to manage," Ryan scoffed.

"Got to hand it to Ryan, huh? He managed to get Raven, the Griffin family warrior, to willingly play housekeeper," someone chimed in.

There was a short pause before Ryan laughed, "Ha, who told her to adore me so much?"

After listening to the recording, my mind went blank. I decided to wait for Ryan to return and give me his side of the story. Now, his red Ferrari was parked outside my house. The window was rolled down, and he was in the driver’s seat, one hand caressing Lyla’s chin and the other at the back of her head, as they kissed brazenly.

I suddenly recalled the day Ryan left for his travels three years ago. In the packhouse courtyard, he had kissed my cheek softly, his eyes full of promises. "Raven, be good and wait for me at home. I’ll come back and mark you once I return." But it seemed he had forgotten all that.

I took a deep breath, stepping aside to look away. Apparently, an explanation was pointless. It was a full ten minutes before I heard the car door open. Ryan strolled over to me, wiping his lips.

"So you saw everything?" he asked, unfazed. "Let’s just sever our bond."

"You’re great, just too dull," he added. "I want someone confident, lively, and full of energy. You have none of those."

The Ferrari’s window lowered slightly, and Lyla in the passenger seat whistled and blew a kiss our way. Ryan seemed to like it, smiling warmly.

"Her name is Lyla, and she shares my interests," he said. "Someone like you, raised in a bubble, will never understand the thrill of racing."

The moonlight glimmered on his face, but the look he gave Lyla was softer than the moon’s glow. I fought back the storm inside me, my voice laced with bitterness. "Are you certain? Does it have to be today?"

Ryan hesitated briefly, then laughed, "Do we need to choose a date to sever a bond?"

Fair enough. I nodded, "Alright, I understand."

Maybe my calm demeanor was unexpected; Ryan seemed slightly perturbed. "If you need any help, just let me know. Maybe explaining things to your family?"

"No need," I said. That voice recording had already told me everything I needed.