Rejected by My Alpha Mate

In the end, the Alpha didn’t move Rosalie to another room; instead, he stayed with her the whole time, and I couldn’t help but eavesdrop on their conversation through the thin walls of the infirmary.

"Alpha," Rosalie’s voice was soft, almost fragile. "Do you remember when we first met? You swore you’d always look out for me."

"Of course," Alistair replied, his voice steady. "I’ll always see you as a sister and take care of you."

The word “always” hit me like a blow. He’d said the same to me once, back when the mate bond was still fresh and unbroken. Turns out, “always” wasn’t as permanent as I’d thought it was.

I chuckled quietly to myself, the sound bitter. In a week, I’d be gone. Earlier today, Bryce Stone, a Gamma from the neighboring pack, had spoken passionately about the need to develop the frontier territories. He’d called for volunteers, and I’d stepped forward without hesitation. I realized my life shouldn’t be tangled up in mate drama or the politics of packs. What I needed was to serve, to build something meaningful. To prove that a female could be as strong as any male.

The thought gave me a strange sense of comfort, but my throat was dry. I reached for the cup of coffee on the bedside table, only to find it cold. I set it aside with a sigh.

"Josephine," Rosalie’s voice cut through the silence, sweet and saccharine. "Do you want some coffee? I’ve got a fresh cup here."

Alistair appeared in the doorway, holding the steaming cup. He extended it toward me, his expression unreadable.

"No, thanks," I said, my tone flat.

"Josephine," Alistair’s voice was sharp now, the alpha tone slipping through. "Rosalie is just trying to be kind. You can’t just refuse like that."

"I’m not thirsty anymore," I replied, meeting his gaze. "Are you going to force me to drink it?"

"Josephine, don’t be unreasonable!" He slammed the cup down on the table, coffee sloshing over the edge. His aura flared, the pressure of his alpha dominance pressing against me.

I smiled faintly, catching the smug look in Rosalie’s eyes. She’d won, and she knew it.

When I was discharged from the infirmary, I left alone. Alistair walked out with Rosalie, who’d been admitted for nothing more than a mild cold. He didn’t look back at me, not once. Maybe I didn’t matter to him anymore.

Back in my small room at the edge of the pack territory, I pulled out the mate rejection papers. The words were still fresh in my mind, the vow I’d made to sever the bond between us. “I, Josephine, daughter of Beta Moreno of the Silver Moon Pack, reject you, Alistair Mills, Alpha of the Shadow Fang Pack, as my mate.” The pain had been excruciating, but it was nothing compared to the years of neglect I’d endured.

I traced the edge of the paper, thinking about everything that had happened. All those years I’d spent as his mate, trying to be enough, couldn’t compare to the three years Rosalie had known him. It was ridiculous, pathetic even.

I tucked the papers away. Only five days remained until I’d leave for the frontier.

Alistair returned late that night, and I was half-asleep when I felt a hand brush against my stomach.

"Who’s there?!" I jerked upright, my heart racing.

"It’s just me," Alistair said, his voice low. He stepped back, his face illuminated by the moonlight streaming through the window. "I just wanted to see if you were feeling better."

I pushed his hand away, my chest tight. "I’m fine."

He lit the oil lamp on the table, the flickering light casting shadows across the room. For a moment, we just stared at each other, the silence heavy with unspoken words. Then he turned away, his shoulders stiff.

"Get some rest," he said, his tone clipped. "You’ll need your strength for the journey."

I didn’t reply. Instead, I lay back down, my thoughts churning. The bond between us was broken, but the pain of it still lingered, like a wound that hadn’t quite healed. And as much as I wanted to forget him, I knew it wouldn’t be that easy.