Alpha’s Temporary Companion

The night of our mating ceremony, my destined Alpha, Alex, basically tossed a three-year temporary mate bond agreement at me.

He said he only had eyes for one wolf girl, Lily, an Omega.

He told me he’d wait until the day he was in charge of the pack, then he’d personally cut our mate bond.

Lily would be his one and only.

That was until Lily had a huge fight with him and just up and vanished. Alex, after too many nights drowning his sorrows, accidentally marked me.

It seemed like he was finally starting to get that I was his real mate.

He even started willingly holding me as we fell asleep.

Just when I thought Alex had totally accepted me, Lily came back.

To save Lily’s mom, Alex didn’t think twice about giving up his own precious life force.

To make Lily happy, he publicly shamed me at the Moon Festival, even snatching the only moonstone bracelet my grandma had left me.

Lily smashed the bracelet, and my heart broke right along with it.

On our third bonding anniversary, Alex booked my favorite restaurant, wanting to say sorry.

But what he didn't know was that I’d already broken our mate bond. I wasn't going back.

1

“So, what do you need to do to break a mate bond?”

My voice echoed in the big, empty room. My nails were digging into my palms, leaving little red crescent moons, but I couldn’t feel a thing.

"Three years apart, plus the Elders' blood ritual," Elder Marcus’s voice crackled over the phone. "You've already done the first part, Sophia."

“Then let’s set up the ritual.”

I hung up and looked around the house I’d slowly put together. The life I’d dreamed of with my mate never happened. Alex hardly ever even smiled at me.

Every single day felt like I was drowning in the deep end, waiting for my Alpha mate to throw me a lifeline he was never going to offer.

I heard a car pull up downstairs. Alex was back. My heart started hammering – stupid mate bond instincts. Even though my head had told me a long time ago, he wasn’t mine.

The door opened.

His Alpha scent hit me like a blast of cold air.

And tangled up in it was that sickly sweet Omega smell, like vines choking his scent, staking its claim.

He slipped off his suit jacket and handed it to me, casual, like I was just a coat rack.

"The pack's annual meeting is next week. You need to be there with me." He was loosening his tie, his voice all command.

My fingers tensed up as I took the jacket. I shook my head. "I can't go."

Alex’s icy gaze landed on me. "Is this about Lily again? How long are you going to keep this jealousy thing up?"

Jealousy? I almost wanted to laugh, but all I felt inside was this deep, cold sadness.

"It’s not because of her." I calmly