When the Alpha Chose His Pregnant Mistress

After five years as the Gamma of the Harrison Pack, strengthening their warriors and securing their borders, the Alpha, Gavin Harrison, finally agreed to let me mate into their family. On the day of the mate pairing ceremony, I stood at the end of the aisle in my ceremonial gown, the scent of rosemary—my mate’s scent—filling the air. But instead of Dash Harrison, my intended mate, walking toward me, he appeared with Leanna Duncan, his supposed 'true mate,' her belly swollen with child and a smug smile plastered across her face. He tossed the mate certificate in my direction.

"Only a compassionate she-wolf like Leanna deserves to stand beside me. Sit down and enjoy the ceremony. If you make a scene, we’ll have you escorted out," Dash said, his alpha tone cutting through the air like a blade.

"Evangeline Wright, I’ve already mated with Leanna," he announced, his laughter echoing in the grand hall. "An older she-wolf like you dreaming of being my Luna? Take a good look in the mirror!"

I glanced at Gavin Harrison, the Alpha of the pack, who just yesterday had assured me that having a Gamma like me as his daughter-in-law would be a boon for their pack. Now, he looked delighted at the sight of Leanna’s pregnancy.

"Evangeline, our pack has always wanted a strong heir. Considering the circumstances, I know you’re sensible. Stay for a drink, and perhaps hand over your Gamma title as well," Gavin said, his voice dripping with condescension.

Standing calmly in my ceremonial gown, I met their gazes. "With your small pack, without me, let’s see if you can survive a month! And even if Dash doesn’t mate with me, I’m still claiming my place today!"

The pack members, always quick to follow the Alpha’s lead, were once fawning over me. But now, seeing the shift in power, they turned on me, their mocking laughter filling the hall.

"Haha, Dash clearly doesn’t want her, yet she insists on being his mate? How shameless!" chuckled Zachariah Knight, a Delta in the pack, pointing to an elderly Omega in the corner. "Evangeline, if Dash isn’t keen, why not consider old Arlo at the door?"

Arlo quickly waved his hand, "No way! I want a she-wolf who knows her place. Who knows how many Alphas she’s entertained to get where she is!"

Laughter erupted at his words, and I struggled to hold back tears, watching their gloating faces.

Leanna strutted over, flaunting her mate certificate with a grin. "You think the pack won’t last a month? Did you forget we just secured a treaty with the Lycan Kingdom? We’re set for years!"

Realizing the truth, she continued, "Oh, right, you were the one who negotiated that treaty. You must’ve entertained those Lycans, huh? Now, all these benefits are ours."

Leanna’s laughter rang out, and Dash looked at me with contempt. "Who do you think you are? The pack will thrive without you! You only got those results by compromising yourself. A she-wolf like you doesn’t deserve to be my mate!"

I was stunned, staring blankly at the wolf I once loved. So many nights I trained their warriors, patrolled their borders, and he watched from the sidelines. I didn’t care what others said, but he knew the truth.

"Dash, you know exactly how those treaties were secured," I stated without further defending myself, knowing it would have been futile. I pointed at Leanna, "Is this your choice?"

"Of course, I choose Leanna! You’re always out there, dressed up like a show-off, negotiating with strange wolves, and still want to be my mate?"

His words cut like knives, my eyes turned red, and I dug my nails into my palms. Even the pain of shifting for the first time wasn’t as excruciating as this.

"I negotiated to strengthen the pack, and there were always other wolves around. Those Alphas never crossed the line," I replied, holding back tears.

A few pack members couldn’t bear the injustice and finally spoke up. "Actually, Evangeline is really amazing. She secured many of the pack’s alliances, and those Alphas respect her; there’s none of that shady business."

"That’s right. She stayed up many nights to craft the proposal for the Lycan treaty," another added.

Hearing these voices, Dash’s face darkened instantly. "Silence! Anyone else who speaks out of turn won’t need to return to the pack tomorrow!"

The ones who spoke fell silent immediately.

Leanna leaned in and whispered, "I heard you lie there like a log. It’s no wonder. Unlike me, who excels at everything, Dash loves it."

I glared at the she-wolf in front of me, unfazed by her sly charm.

Dash chimed in, "Evangeline, you should know when to bow out."

If I hadn’t seen their mate certificate, maybe I would have argued more. But now I realized it would do no good.

"Know when to bow out?" I sneered, opening my hands. "You owe me three years of Gamma bonuses. Settle that now, and I’ll be on my way."