Twenty Gowns For One Betrayal

While I was out shopping during the day, I ran into my usually calm and composed Alpha mate, Lucian, buying the haute couture gown I had reserved for the pack's annual gala.

By evening, that same gown was being worn by his Omega personal assistant, Kiara.

I didn't cause a scene. Instead, a knowing smile played on my lips.

At my signal, the bodyguards assigned to me by my Alpha King father brought over twenty more of the same gown, piling them high in front of him.

I decided he could have his fill of them.

My sister, Nina, even worked through the night to prepare everything necessary to initiate the bond-severing ritual.

My bloodline is noble, my power immense. I have no shortage of Alpha followers.

————————

1

At the Mooncreek Pack's annual gala, I was holding a glass of wine, mingling with several of the pack's high-ranking members.

Since mating with Lucian, I had taken on the role of Beta in his pack, helping him manage its day-to-day operations.

As the music swelled, the dance floor pulsed with an electric energy.

Only then, as all eyes turned to the entrance, did Lucian finally arrive with his assistant. They were late.

Then I saw it. There, at the main entrance, he was adjusting the brooch on Kiara's gown.

A faint smile touched his lips, his Alpha's gaze possessive and utterly pleased with his masterpiece.

With his adjustment, Kiara's delicate features instantly became more striking.

Only then did she barely seem worthy of her haute couture.

In that moment, any illusion I had shattered.

When I saw Lucian leaving the boutique that morning, I had been filled with joy, thinking he was picking up the gown for me.

I even had my makeup artist create a specific look to complement the gown.

But right up until the gala began, he never brought it home.

I had specifically asked him, testing the waters, if he had something for me.

He brushed me off with the excuse of being busy, but I still caught the sound of a sickeningly sweet female voice on the other end.

"Alpha, will the Luna be unhappy if she finds out?"

"Don't worry, her closet is about to burst anyway."

And just like that, I understood. He was straying.

Kiara tilted her head up and gave me a sweet smile, her lovely dimples looking exceptionally familiar.

A lot like mine.

"Luna, you look so stunning tonight."

Her compliment did nothing to thaw my expression as my gaze turned colder, raking over her.

"That's a nice gown. It's the same style I had on order."

The implication was clear; no one needed it spelled out.

An Omega who had just come of age, from a small, declining family, could not afford this level of high fashion.

My stare made Kiara fidget. She bit her lip, her hands wringing nervously as she darted glances at Lucian.

Lucian met my gaze, his expression as calm and unruffled as ever.

"Eleanor, don't misunderstand. Kiara mentioned she's never attended such a grand gala, nor has she ever worn a designer gown."

"Seeing how hard she works, I bought her one as a reward."

I raised an eyebrow and nodded to my assistant standing nearby.

The next second, twenty uniformed bodyguards marched into the hall, each holding an identical gown, and came to a stop before Lucian.

Lucian stared at me, his expression baffled.

I crossed my arms, leaning against a nearby carved pillar, a sly smile on my lips.

"Pay up."

"The assistants to all the high-ranking members are here tonight. Every single one of them is hardworking. Lucian, as an Alpha, you wouldn't want to play favorites with just your own assistant, would you?"

Kiara knew I was publicly humiliating them both. The color drained from her face, and her voice trembled on the verge of tears.

"Luna, please don't make things difficult for the Alpha. It's all my fault. I'll return the gown right away."

Incredible. As if I were the unreasonable one, the villain spoiling their precious moment.

"Kiara, is it? You're overthinking things. It's just twenty gowns. That's hardly 'making things difficult.'"

"Lucian has been waited on hand and foot since childhood. It's understandable that he wouldn't grasp the implications of an Alpha gifting clothing to an Omega."

"But as his personal assistant, you should have a better sense of propriety than he does. Or did you not know either?"

Kiara lowered her head in panic, apologizing profusely.

Lucian's bloodline, status, and abilities were all superior; he'd lived a charmed life, a rising star from birth.

Countless she-wolves adored him.

All these years, he had always maintained his Alpha pride.

Any woman who dared approach him was met with an icy, unapproachable glare.

He had held me in his arms on countless nights, whispering softly in my ear.

Telling me I was the mate he cherished most.

But now, everything had changed.

I saw the ache in his eyes, but it was for another woman.

Lucian shook his head with a faint smile, took a black card from his pocket, and handed it to the lead bodyguard.

He strolled unhurriedly to my side, wrapped an arm around my waist, his gaze deep and intense.

Under the cover of the music, his unique, magnetic Alpha voice murmured in my ear.

"It's just a gown. I didn't realize you cared so much. Forget about scaring the girl; if you get angry, I'll be the one with a broken heart."

His tone was light, as if he were discussing something trivial, effortlessly shifting the focus away from Kiara.

A cold smile formed on my lips. My slender fingers wound around his tie, pulling him closer.

"Kiara has feelings for you. An Alpha as smart as you can't possibly have missed it."

"I know you don't care about the money. What happened today was a first. I expect it to be the last."

The surrounding pack members, thinking we were just flirting, erupted in good-natured hooting.

So close I could feel his breath on my skin, a flush crept up Lucian’s neck, and his legendary composure finally cracked.

He frowned awkwardly.

"Eleanor, don't be like this. What will the pack think if they see?"

"Kiara and I have a purely professional relationship. Don't let your imagination run wild."

I huffed softly and released his tie.

Humiliating him would be easy, but it would reflect poorly on me.

A jealous squabble over some Omega was beneath the daughter of the Alpha King.

Having vented my anger, I decided to let them off the hook for now.

After all, I had no concrete proof of anything between them.

I took his arm and walked toward the stage to deliver the annual summary of the year's achievements.

The assistants of the high-ranking members, all savvy enough to take a hint, gleefully took their gowns and made a point to saunter past Kiara.

"We have you to thank for this, Kiara. If it weren't for you, we probably would've never worn such an expensive gown in our lives."

"To the Alpha, giving a gown is like giving a pup a piece of candy. You wouldn't get any improper ideas about him because of this, would you?"

"Those eyes, those dimples..." one of them clicked her tongue. "So similar. No wonder the Alpha treats you differently."

One by one, their faces filled with mockery, their words laced with warning.

Kiara had probably never been so humiliated. Her head hung lower and lower, as if she wished the floor would swallow her whole.

Tears splashed onto the marble.

She waited until the crowd dispersed before running out, her eyes red.

She didn't return for the rest of the gala.