My mate, Alpha Nathan Lynch, renowned for his expertise in healing rare diseases, gave the only dose of a groundbreaking medication to Siena Hawkins, a Delta in our pack who suffers from the same rare blood disease I do. On the brink of death, I watched as he made the choice to save her without a moment’s hesitation.

As I lay there, blood pouring from my mouth, feeling the shadow of death closing in, intrusive thoughts flickered through my mind: *Don’t blame Nathan; Siena once made sacrifices for him. She gave up a pregnancy for him. He’s just trying to repay her by giving her the medicine.*

*This is a tragic story with an inevitable ending for the heroine. But Nathan will eventually realize his mistake.*

I found it absurd. Should I die just to make an Alpha see the light? I couldn’t accept such a fate. As an Omega, I had always been at the bottom of the pack hierarchy, but I refused to let that define my end.

Nathan held Siena tenderly, his Alpha aura radiating concern as he asked, “Are you feeling any side effects after taking the medication?” Meanwhile, I was on the floor, coughing up blood, every inch of my body in agony. He didn’t even notice.

The intrusive thoughts continued: *The heroine won’t die just yet; it’s not time.*

*Once she dies, the hero will regret it. His true mate has always been the heroine.*

*Can’t wait to see the hero’s remorseful expression—die quickly, heroine!*

I coughed again and again, tears slipping uncontrollably down my face. Nathan remained oblivious to my struggle, fixated on Siena as if she were his Luna. I bit down hard on my lip. Everyone seemed to desire my death, and Nathan didn’t care, giving the only cure to Siena.

Everyone wanted me gone, but I refused. Even if Nathan would feel regret, what difference would it make? It was my life at stake, and I wouldn’t trade it for his remorse.

After what seemed like forever, Nathan finally turned his attention to me. His towering frame loomed over me, his broad shoulders and muscular build a reminder of his Alpha status. He held my hand, his touch firm but devoid of the warmth he reserved for Siena. “Maeve, don’t be scared,” he said, his deep voice steady. “I’ll find a way to save you.”

“I’ll make another batch of the medication soon.”

“I gave it to Siena first because her condition is more severe than yours.”

I’d heard his excuses so many times. He might think I didn’t know that Siena had once given up a pregnancy for him, which is why she received the drug.

I kept quiet as he continued, “Please don’t be upset. I’ve done everything I could. This was so difficult to develop.”

Yes, he had spent over a year working on it, partly because one of the ingredients was incredibly rare and hard to find. He had trekked through the Alps for months, sourcing it himself until he finally succeeded. That’s why there was only one dose of the medicine.

The precious dose he had given to Siena the moment it was complete.

His dark eyes, when they turned to me, held a semblance of concern, but it wasn’t the same sincerity he reserved for Siena. After all, he’d failed to notice my condition earlier.

I suppressed the pain to say, “Alpha Nathan, I reject you as my mate.” My voice trembled, but I forced the words out, each one a dagger to my own heart.

No one knew the courage it took to say those words. In the five years since we mated, I had been fighting tirelessly against my illness. He promised me time and again that he would give me the medication as soon as it was ready.

I had waited so long, only to see my hope shattered today.

The room fell silent. Even Siena, who had been basking in Nathan’s attention, froze. Nathan’s expression darkened, his Alpha aura flaring with intensity. “Maeve,” he said, his voice low and commanding, “you don’t mean that.”

“I, Maeve Lynch, reject you, Alpha Nathan Lynch of the Silvermoon Pack, as my mate,” I repeated, the formal words cutting through the air like a blade.

The moment the words left my lips, a searing pain tore through my chest, the mate bond screaming in protest. My wolf whimpered in the back of my mind, but I silenced her. This was my choice. My survival.

Nathan’s face paled, his Alpha composure cracking for the first time. He reached for me, but I stepped back, my resolve hardening. “Don’t,” I said, my voice firm despite the tears streaming down my face. “You made your choice. Now I’ve made mine.”

He stared at me, his expression a mix of shock and something I couldn’t quite place—regret, perhaps? But it didn’t matter. Not anymore.

I turned and walked away, my steps unsteady but determined. I wouldn’t let my fate be decided by anyone else. Not Nathan, not the pack, not the voices in my head. I would find a way to save myself—or die trying.

"Alpha Nathan, please," I said sharply, my voice trembling with frustration, though I tried to keep it steady. I knew better than to raise my voice at an Alpha, especially my mate, but the weight of his betrayal was crushing me.

"Maeve, stop acting like a child," Nathan shot back, his Alpha tone slicing through the room like a blade. His broad, muscular frame towered over me, his dark eyes cold and unyielding. "I’ve explained this to you. Siena’s condition is more severe. The medication was hers by necessity, not choice."

"Can’t you see how this feels?" I demanded, my voice breaking. "You’re my mate. My Alpha. You’re supposed to protect me, to put me first!"

The pack’s whispers were relentless, buzzing in my ears like a swarm of bees. "She’s just an Omega," someone muttered. "Why is she even questioning the Alpha’s decision? She should be grateful he’s even bothered with her." Another voice chimed in, "Omegas like her are meant to serve, not complain. She’s lucky he hasn’t cast her out already."

My hands clenched the edge of the bed, my knuckles turning white. Why is my life worth so little? Why does Siena get to live while I’m treated as disposable? Even Nathan, my mate, seems to agree.

Years ago, Siena was the one who infected me with this rare blood disease. When I’d confided in Nathan, he’d brushed it off, his voice calm but dismissive. "I’ll find a cure for you, Maeve. Siena didn’t mean any harm. You’re overreacting."

For the last five years, whenever Nathan developed a new treatment, Siena was always his priority. I used to believe he was just being cautious, testing the drugs on her first to ensure they were safe for me. But now, it’s painfully clear—I was wrong.

His only concern was ensuring Siena’s survival.

I’d loved him for ten years, been his mate for five. Never in my wildest nightmares did I imagine he would treat me like this.

Now, my heart felt hollow, a void where our bond once burned brightly. "Alpha Nathan," I said, my voice steady despite the ache in my chest, "I’ve made my decision. Tomorrow, we’ll go to the pack elders and formally reject our mate bond. We’ll divide our assets equally, and I’ll leave the pack."

Before I could finish, Siena stirred from the bed across the room, her voice weak but filled with false concern. "Sister Maeve, please don’t do this. It’s my fault. I should be the one to leave."

Her pale, delicate face was framed by golden hair, and her wide, innocent eyes glistened with tears. She looked every bit the perfect Delta—beautiful, selfless, and utterly infuriating.

"Siena, don’t say that," Nathan interrupted, his voice softening as he turned to her. He stepped closer, his towering presence protective, his hand brushing her arm gently. "Your illness is more severe. You need the medication. Maeve will understand."

His affection for her was always on display, yet the pack insisted he still cared for me. "He’s just trying to do what’s best for the pack," they’d say. But if he truly loved me, how could he prioritize her so blatantly?

"Alpha Nathan," Siena continued, her voice trembling as she inched toward the window, "if I hadn’t taken the medication, none of this would be happening. I deserve to die."

Nathan rushed to her side, his strong arms wrapping around her protectively. "No," he said firmly, his voice laced with panic. "You have to live. I owe you for what happened five years ago, and I intend to make it right."

Five years ago, when Nathan and I were still unmated, he’d already fathered a child with Siena. And I’d been completely in the dark.

What a cruel joke the Moon Goddess had played on me.

I clutched my chest, the pain of our bond fraying almost unbearable. The pack’s whispers grew louder, their judgment harsh and unrelenting. "She’s just an Omega," someone sneered. "She should know her place. The Alpha’s decision is final." Another voice chimed in, "She’s ungrateful. She doesn’t deserve him."

These wolves, with their perfect lives and their blind loyalty to Nathan, could say whatever they wanted. But I was just an Omega, a pawn in their world. I wanted to live. Was that too much to ask?

If they were in my position, they’d want to live too.

Nathan held Siena tightly, his cold gaze turning back to me. "Maeve Lynch," he said, his voice dripping with disdain, "I’ve never been more disappointed in you."

"I never said I wouldn’t help you," he continued, his tone cutting. "I’ve always been there for you. Are you only satisfied when someone else pays the price?"

I stood my ground, though my legs felt like they might give out. "You’ve always been there for her," I said, my voice quiet but firm. "Not for me."

I stared at him in disbelief, my heart pounding in my chest.

He had never spoken to me like this before. No matter the situation, he used to say, "Maeve, you're my mate, my Luna, and you'll always come first." Throughout all our years together, he had never raised his voice at me, let alone used his Alpha tone to assert dominance. Yet now, because of Siena, he called me disgusting, his words laced with a venom that cut deeper than any physical wound.

["She deserves it; she brought it upon herself."]

["Alpha Nathan wouldn’t have gotten angry if she hadn’t insisted on rejecting the mate bond."]

["Exactly, what’s the point of fighting for a life that feels like it’s slipping away?"]

The whispers of the pack members around me echoed in my ears, their voices cold and judgmental. A bitter laugh escaped my lips as blood surged up, forcing me to cough it out. Nathan didn’t notice; he was too busy carrying Siena out of the lab, his focus entirely on her. The stark white floor was stained with my blood, a stark reminder of my frailty. Beside me, the machines beeped urgently, signaling my irregular heartbeat.

Am I going to perish? I still have so much to do. I mustered all my strength to get up, only to be stopped by one of Nathan’s Deltas.

"Luna Maeve," he said, his tone formal but firm, "Alpha Nathan has instructed that you cannot leave."

"Why?" I asked angrily, my voice trembling despite my best efforts.

What right does he have to imprison me? I’m his mate, his Luna, even if he seems to have forgotten that.

"Because… Alpha Nathan said Delta Siena just took her medication and is still under observation. Seeing you could unsettle her."

I stumbled backward, overwhelmed. It’s Siena, always Siena! And what about me? What am I to him? Nathan once told me he couldn’t bear to see Siena suffer, not after everything she’s done for the pack. That’s why he brought her into the lab. But ever since that day, Nathan’s every action has revolved around her. Whenever there’s something good, he thinks of her first, as if I’m nothing more than an afterthought.

My wolf whined softly in the back of my mind, a sound of pain and confusion. *Why does he treat you like this?* she asked, her voice tinged with sorrow. *You’re his mate. He should protect you, not push you aside.*

I didn’t have an answer for her. All I knew was that the bond between us, once so strong and unbreakable, now felt like a chain, binding me to a man who no longer seemed to care.

The room felt suffocating, the weight of the pack’s judgment pressing down on me. I could feel their eyes on me, their silent accusations. To them, I was weak, unworthy of being their Luna. And maybe they were right. Maybe I was just a pebble under their feet, something to be discarded without a second thought.

But I couldn’t give up. Not yet. I still had a spark of defiance left, a refusal to let Nathan or anyone else dictate my fate. I wiped the blood from my lips and straightened my shoulders, determined to fight for myself, even if no one else would.