After The Alpha's Betrayal I Reclaimed Myself

By the third year of our mate bond, Adeline returned.

For the first time since becoming my mate, Drake, the Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack, skipped dinner at the pack house. He grabbed his coat and headed straight for the airport. That night, he didn’t return.

I found Adeline through Drake’s Instagram by checking who he followed. Scrolling through the updates, I saw her latest post:

“Finally back home, surrounded by love and friends.”

In the accompanying photo, Drake stood beside Adeline, his commanding presence unmistakable even in a casual setting. They were surrounded by his pack warriors—friends he had never introduced to me. My chest tightened as I closed the app, shutting my eyes and my heart along with it.

After my duties at the pack’s headquarters, I dined alone at a quiet restaurant by the riverbank. The cool night air brushed against my skin as I drove back to the pack house. The lights from the windows indicated that Drake had returned.

I opened the door and stood at the entrance, slipping off my heels. It was rare for Drake to greet me like this, taking my coat and handbag to hang them up. His alpha aura, usually so commanding, felt subdued tonight.

“Why are you back so late, Luna?” he asked, his voice softer than usual. “I tried calling, but you didn’t answer. Your assistant said you left work a while ago.” He paused, his dark eyes searching mine. “Have you eaten? I made dinner…”

These were usually my actions, my words. But tonight, it was him.

I raised a hand to interrupt him. “I’m tired, Alpha. I have an early meeting tomorrow, so I’ll sleep in the guest room tonight.”

As I walked through the living room, I noticed a spread of dishes on the dining table, even candles. The scent of rosemary and roasted meat filled the air, but it did nothing to ease the churning in my stomach.

What’s the point? Guilt over spending last night with Adeline, trying to make amends? It’s revolting.

I pushed open the guest room door, and Drake’s voice stopped me. “Elaine, what were you trying to say last night?”

I turned around. The warm light cast shadows on his chiseled face, giving it a hint of false tenderness. This face I’d seen for countless years, never tiring of it. But after seeing him in Adeline’s intimate photo, it was no longer familiar.

“I forgot,” I said, my voice flat.

I lowered my eyes and stepped into the bedroom. Lying in bed, my hand unconsciously brushed my abdomen. Last night, I had wanted to tell Drake I was pregnant. But he had received a call, dropped his fork, grabbed his keys and coat, and rushed out the door, leaving a mere “There’s an issue at work” behind.

I had sat by the dining table, waiting in silence until the food grew cold and lost its original warmth.

A friend from the pack had sent me a message saying Adeline had returned. On impulse, I had opened Drake’s Instagram and scrolled through his follow list. Tracking back, I found her.

A minute ago, she had posted: “Finally back home, surrounded by love and friends.”

In the photo, nestled in Drake’s arms, both looked at the camera, surrounded by his pack warriors—friends he had never introduced to me. Each time I attempted to join his circle, he dismissed them as insignificant, never agreeing. After a while, I stopped trying.

As I scrolled further down the timeline, it became clear that over the years, they had maintained close contact.

Drake had arranged her study abroad. The apartment overseas was under his name. Even Adeline’s extravagant spending abroad was covered by him.

I never knew Drake’s gentle attentiveness, the same care he had shown me as Luna, could be so casually transferred to another.

That night, I had tossed all the food from the dining table into the trash bag and taken it out to feed the stray wolves that roamed the edges of our territory.

With a click, the guest room door opened. I turned over and closed my eyes.

The bed on one side suddenly sank, and I felt a chill on my back as Drake climbed into bed.

I stiffened, fists clenched against my chest. After a while, a hand reached over, wrapped around my waist, and a warm chest pressed against my back.

My heart jolted, waves of nausea washed over me.

I abruptly sat up and switched on the bedside lamp.

The bright light flooded the room. Drake squinted as he sat up, his face grim.

“Elaine,” he began, his alpha tone slipping into his voice, a tone that usually commanded obedience. But tonight, it only made me feel more hollow.

“Don’t,” I said, my voice trembling despite my best efforts. “Just… don’t.”