Shatter the Alpha's Reflection

"Miss Gray, are you sure you want to go through with another cosmetic procedure? This will be your ninety-ninth one. You know, you’re already quite stunning, even more so than..."

"Just do it."

Lyra Hansen, the pack’s healer, hesitated, her tone softening as she tried to reason with Alexia Gray. She had hoped to convince Alexia that her natural beauty was more than enough, that she didn’t need to keep altering herself to fit someone else’s ideal. But Alexia only smiled faintly, her fingers twisting the mate mark on her neck. She understood what Lyra was leaving unsaid. Still, she yearned more than anything to become what Enzo Dixon admired.

A few days later, once her facial wounds had healed, Alexia hurried from the clinic to the Silverfang Pack’s headquarters, her heart racing as she hoped to make it in time for the fourth anniversary of her marking ceremony with Enzo, the Alpha of the pack. She stood outside his office, her hand raised to knock when she overheard voices inside.

Instinctively, she paused, her sharp werewolf hearing catching every word of Enzo’s conversation.

"Alpha Dixon, I heard your stepsister is planning to return after finishing her studies at the Lycan Academy. Has she changed her mind about you?"

Enzo’s voice was calm, almost fond. "I don’t know, but Opal has always been the most important to me. Whether she wants to be with me or not, I respect her choice. Just being close to her is enough."

A chill swept through Alexia, her breath catching in her throat. Enzo’s words became a blur, each syllable cutting deeper than the last.

A packmate chuckled, "Didn’t expect you to be so smitten, Alpha! If Opal hears this, she might just agree to be your Luna. After all, she’s just your stepmother’s daughter; there’s no blood connection."

Enzo said nothing, and another voice chimed in, "Have you heard about Alexia Gray? She’s had all those surgeries to get your attention. She must look quite a bit like Opal by now, huh? Doesn’t that affect you, Alpha?"

Alexia held her breath, her heart pounding as if awaiting a verdict on her fate.

Enzo’s voice was cold and dismissive. "Alexia? No imitation could ever compare to my Opal."

One sentence, like a sledgehammer, shattered Alexia’s heart, leaving her breathless.

The questioner seemed surprised. "Then why do you treat her so kindly? I thought you genuinely cared. Maybe she thinks so too, or why else would she keep altering herself? It sounds painful just to imagine."

Enzo chuckled lightly, his tone dismissive. "You’re overthinking it. She’s just a distraction to fill the void Opal left. If you’re interested, I could introduce you to her."

Laughter erupted in the room, and one of his packmates readily agreed. "That’d be great; I’ve been curious about her for a while."

Outside, Alexia’s face turned pale, her nails digging into her palms. The pain in her chest threatened to erupt, but she forced herself to stay silent.

She had always known her relationship with Enzo was complicated, yet she had agreed to anything for the man she had adored for seven long years. Even abandoning her own dreams to become what he desired was a sacrifice she made willingly.

But she never imagined that, to Enzo, she was just a substitute for his beloved, an expendable distraction. Ridiculously, she had tried for four years without ever truly reaching Enzo’s heart.

Tears brimmed in her eyes, the searing pain spreading through her body as she fled in desperation. Only when she was outside the pack’s headquarters did her shattered heart resume beating, her mind flashing with memories.

Four years ago, during a pack gathering, her old tormentors had shoved her into the river. Though the water was shallow, it drenched her ceremonial dress, ruining her carefully done makeup and leaving her utterly humiliated. All eyes turned to her, the scrutiny feeling like a reliving of her nightmarish past.

Just when humiliation threatened to drown her, Enzo appeared at the riverbank, pulling her out. As before, he draped his jacket over her shoulders.

Being so close, Alexia could feel Enzo’s warm breath on her face. She paused, her heart racing, yet reminding herself not to entertain fantasies. Five years had passed; surely, Enzo had forgotten her.

But as she lifted her gaze, finding him still looking at her with what seemed like delight, he called her name.

"Alexia Gray, your eyes are stunning."

She instinctively reached to adjust her glasses, only to find them missing. Before she could speak, his lips met hers, his hands firmly holding her head, offering no room for refusal.

She only resisted briefly before surrendering. She couldn’t say no to Enzo, the man she’d secretly loved throughout her youth.

Looking back, the signs were there all along, yet she was too engrossed in the euphoria of being marked as his mate to notice. Even later, when Enzo expressed dissatisfaction with her appearance and began to ignore her, she didn’t hesitate to change herself through surgery.

Foolishly, she believed such efforts would earn Enzo’s sincere affection and lasting love. But now, clarity dawned—Enzo had never loved her.

Suppressing the pain pricking her heart like a thousand needles, Alexia picked up the phone and dialed her mentor. "Professor Hudson, you once mentioned an opportunity for further studies at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts. Is it still available?"