My Alpha Chose His Beta Over Me

The holographic display flickered as I stared at the border maps, the red markers pulsing like a heartbeat. Another territorial dispute with the Eastern Packs. My temples throbbed with the constant pressure.

"Alpha, we've reinforced the northern perimeter," Beta Marcus reported, his voice steady but concerned. "But we need your decision on the eastern quadrant."

I rubbed my eyes, exhaustion seeping into my bones. Three nights without sleep. The Shadow Creek Pack's expansion had brought wealth but also enemies.

"Double the patrols," I ordered. "And contact Alpha Wilson. I want to know why his wolves are crossing our boundaries."

The command center hummed with activity—warriors receiving orders, technicians monitoring security feeds. This was what I'd built from the ashes of my father's legacy. A powerhouse pack that commanded respect.

A soft shuffle behind me broke my concentration.

"Alpha," Hattie's voice was barely above a whisper. "I made your coffee."

She stood there, holding a steaming mug with both hands, her thin frame dwarfed by the high-tech surroundings. Her eyes—those wide, vacant eyes that had once sparkled with mischief—now darted nervously around the room.

"Hattie." I kept my voice level, though irritation prickled beneath my skin. "I told you to stay in your quarters."

"I wanted to help," she said, taking another step forward.

Then it happened. Her foot caught on the power cable I'd warned her about countless times. The mug flew from her hands, coffee splashing across my terminal and dripping onto the border documents Marcus had prepared.

A heavy silence fell over the room.

I closed my eyes, counting to five. The pack warriors froze, waiting for my reaction. Hattie stood perfectly still, her face crumpling.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."

"It's fine," I said, though we both knew it wasn't. "Just... be more careful."

I gestured to Annalise, who appeared at my side like a shadow. "Clean this up."

Annalise's smile was sympathetic, but her eyes held something else entirely. "Of course, Alpha. I'll handle everything."

As she efficiently wiped the spill, I caught the look she gave Hattie—a flash of contempt quickly masked by professional concern.

---

Hattie wandered the corridors of the pack house later that afternoon. I'd been watching her through the security feeds, a habit I couldn't break. She moved like a ghost through spaces that should have felt like home.

In the kitchen, she paused near a group of Omega servants who didn't notice her presence.

"The Elders are meeting tonight," one whispered. "They're pushing Alpha Curtis to make it official."

"About time," another replied. "Annalise has been running things practically forever."

"But what about her?" The third servant glanced toward Hattie, not realizing she could hear.

"What about the broken one? She's nothing but a burden. The Alpha only keeps her around out of guilt."

Their voices dropped lower, but Hattie's sharp intake of breath told me she'd heard enough. She pressed her hand to her chest, that strange gesture she'd developed since returning to us.

"I don't feel