Bound to the Alpha Who Betrayed My Heart

On the day Kaitlyn Owens' pack fell into ruin, I broke the mate bond with her without warning. Six years later, she rose as a formidable entrepreneur, the leading female CEO in the Midwest werewolf community. Her first act upon returning was to force me into a mate bond with her. Our marking ceremony became the talk of the packs; everyone whispered about how a Lycan princess was reclaiming her first love, a broken Alpha from a cursed lineage—calling it destiny.

Yet, on our marking night, she brought a young, handsome Delta into our chamber. I remained calm, my composure unshaken, which only fueled her fury.

“Aren’t you enraged that I’ve defied the mate bond so many times?” she sneered.

I stayed silent. A dying Alpha doesn’t have the energy for rage.

...

In the Healer’s den, Dr. Phoebe Pierce sighed regretfully, but I felt oddly detached. My family’s lineage carries a rare and fatal illness that weakens the inner wolf, claiming my grandfather Eliezer and my father Waylen before they turned forty. I’d lived in constant fear, yet I couldn’t escape it.

Even though I was mentally prepared, the reality struck hard. I just needed someone to talk to. After some thought, I reached out to my closest friend, Rhys, a Gamma in our pack, and asked him to meet at a local tavern that evening.

Upon arrival, I encountered many familiar faces. They were all associates of Kaitlyn’s and greeted me with a mix of curiosity and disdain.

“So, this is Kaitlyn’s mate? He looks like he’s on his last legs. What does she see in him?”

“You think Kaitlyn’s into him because he looks like me? Please, I’m at least ten times more commanding.”

Though I didn’t recognize this Delta, I could guess he was yet another of Kaitlyn’s recent companions. To be honest, he did bear some resemblance to my younger self, especially around the eyes.

Three years ago, Kaitlyn returned with a vengeance, determined to bind me as mate as payback for severing our bond. Since then, her companions had come and gone, and I’d grown numb to it. I was immune to provocation, and indeed, he was right—I wasn’t much to look at anymore. The looming shadow of death had drained my vitality day by day.

Someone in their group pulled him aside, whispering, “Cruz, don’t say things like that. Just because Kaitlyn favors you doesn’t mean you can provoke him. Kaitlyn cares about him, and if you upset him, no one can save you.”

Hearing those words left a bitter taste in my mouth. Ever since we bonded, Kaitlyn had banned me from taking on any pack responsibilities or interacting with other she-wolves. She even used her influence to trap me in this territory. People think she cherishes me, but she actually despises me. Her hatred runs so deep that she only allows herself to torment and humiliate me.

I wondered what she would do when my illness finally took me. Tired of