Rejecting My Fated Mate Bond

The next morning, my phone buzzed relentlessly with messages from Paulina. I knew she was trying to provoke me, but I couldn’t stop myself from reading them.

"Alpha Remy says he feels so safe holding me," she wrote, her words dripping with smugness.

"Bet you couldn’t sleep a wink last night, huh?"

"Oh, there’s something I haven’t mentioned. Remember that stormy night three months ago?"

"While you were in the ER, he was right there with me, helping me sleep."

My hands trembled, and the phone slipped from my grasp, hitting the floor with a thud that echoed the shattering of my heart. I was done with him. Done with the lies, the betrayal, the pain. My face pale, I called the pack’s Healer, Dr. Ellis, to schedule the procedure for the day after tomorrow.

Not long after, my best friend Lorelei called.

"Hey, Phoebe," she said, her voice warm but strained. "My mate’s away on pack business. Are you free to come with me to check out a maternity center?"

"They might be able to check on the pup too," she added.

I hadn’t planned on telling her anything yet, not with her due date so close, but I couldn’t refuse her. "Sure," I replied, forcing a calm tone. "I’ll come with you."

We visited the top maternity center in the city, a place frequented by members of our pack and others nearby. As Lorelei discussed details with the staff, I wandered off on my own, my thoughts a chaotic storm. My gaze fell on the guest register, and my stomach churned as I saw Alpha Remy’s and Daphne’s names scrawled across the page. The saleswoman noticed my discomfort and chirped, "Alpha Remy and Daphne are one of our model couples."

My wolf growled faintly in the back of my mind, a low, protective rumble. What a farce, I thought bitterly. I felt like an outsider in my own life, my own pack.

"Alpha Remy bought the full service package for her as soon as she became pregnant," the saleswoman continued, oblivious to my pain. "And he always accompanies her."

I checked the dates, and my stomach dropped. They perfectly matched his so-called "pack business trips."

The saleswoman brought out an album of memories, and Lorelei, sensing my unease, tried to intervene. I waved her off. "Please, go ahead," I said, my voice steady despite the storm inside me.

Flipping through the album, I saw pictures of them baking together, something he had always dismissed as too much trouble when I suggested it. "If you want something sweet, just buy it," he’d say.

There were photos of them crafting woven hearts pinned to his jacket—a stark contrast to the friendship bracelet I once made him, now long forgotten.

Though I’d braced myself for this, a suffocating pain enveloped me, sharp and unrelenting. Lorelei seethed beside me, her protective instincts flaring.

"I can’t stand it," she hissed. "I should tell her the truth."

As we argued, Paulina and Alpha Remy emerged from a room, all smiles. The moment he saw me, he instinctively moved to shield her.

"Phoebe, this is all a misunderstanding," he said, his voice pleading but laced with defensiveness. "I was just passing by for pack business and thought to check in—nothing more."

Lorelei stepped in front of me, her posture protective. "I’m curious," she said, addressing the saleswoman. "How much is the full package here?"

"Fifty thousand dollars," the woman replied.

My friend let out a mocking laugh. "You hesitated over a few imported painkillers for Phoebe during surgery, yet you splash out on this... woman."

Paulina, tears streaming down her face, pleaded with Lorelei. "Please, can we talk about this privately? I’m begging you."

Lorelei disdainfully brushed her off with barely any force, but Paulina dramatically crumpled to the ground. Anyone could see through the theatrics, but Alpha Remy angrily shoved my friend away.

"Don’t push it," he snapped, causing her to almost stumble.

"Lorelei, my stomach hurts," she whispered, her voice strained.

Panic surged through me, and I rushed her to the pack’s clinic. Before leaving, I glared at Alpha Remy and Paulina. "If anything happens to her, I’ll make sure you pay."

Thankfully, Lorelei was alright. As she lay in the clinic bed, she looked at me with regret. "I shouldn’t have dragged you along today."

I forced a relieved smile, though my heart still ached. "I should be thanking you," I said. "Now I know exactly what I have to do."