Chapter 2
From that point on, Alpha Julio Riley didn’t so much as glance in my direction. He even had the gall to saunter off with Gamma Daphne Aguilar on his arm right in front of me. I just laughed it off, though the sound felt hollow even to my own ears.
Once I got back to my quarters—a small, modest space that reflected my Omega status—I took out the photograph I’d carefully tucked away in the drawer. It was taken for our mate pairing ceremony, the only picture Alpha Julio and I had together. As I looked at the photo, memories of our time together rushed back, leaving me feeling nothing but the absurdity and irony of it all. We had known each other for a decade, yet that paled in comparison to the single year with Daphne. I held the photo over the flame of a candle and watched as it gradually turned to ash, the scent of burning paper filling the room.
Later that night, as I drifted between dreams and consciousness, I suddenly felt a hand on my waist.
“Who is it?” I sat up quickly, startled to find Alpha Julio beside me.
“Relax, it’s just me,” he grumbled, his deep voice carrying the weight of his Alpha authority.
I frowned, pulling away slightly. “Why did you come back all of a sudden?”
His expression darkened, the sharp angles of his face illuminated by the moonlight streaming through the window. “This is my territory too. Do I need your permission to return? Besides, it’s our marking night. Do you want the whole pack to talk about us?”
He got up and lit the lamp on the nightstand. Part of me wanted to say that people hadn’t gossiped about us enough yet, but arguing with an Alpha seemed pointless now. I tried to settle back down, but he pulled out a ring from his pocket. It was the mate ring I had chosen personally, the one I had seen him give to Daphne during the ceremony. Had he taken it back for me? Lost in thought, he slipped the ring onto my finger. When I looked up at him, I saw a smug smile on his face that reminded me of his adamant claim, “She can’t live without me.”
Without hesitation, I removed the ring. “Isn’t this the one Daphne liked? You should give it to her.”
His smile vanished, replaced by a look of disbelief. “This is our mate ring. I’ll get Daphne something else. It’s just a sibling relationship between us, Ayleen. Can you stop being so irrational about her?”
He added, his tone sharp and commanding, “You brought today’s mess on yourself. Daphne has always treated you like a sister.”
I let out a cold laugh, the sound harsh even to my own ears. “Oh really? Should I thank her then?”
Hearing the sarcasm in my voice, he ran a hand through his dark hair, frustration etched across his features. “Ayleen, when did you become so unreasonable?”
Just then, someone banged on the front door. “Alpha, are you awake? Daphne seems unwell again. You should check on her!”
Julio quickly got dressed, his movements swift and purposeful. As he was about to rush out the door, I stopped him. “Julio,” I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me, “if you think I’m unreasonable, then why don’t you just reject me as your mate?”
He paused, his hand on the doorknob, and turned to look at me. For a moment, it felt like time stood still. The knocking resumed, and he finally said, “That’s not happening. We’ll sort out the mate bond in a few days.” With that, he left without another word, his Alpha aura lingering in the room like a heavy weight.
The person at the door was Kash Munoz, a Gamma warrior and Daphne’s brother’s comrade. His gaze was tinged with disdain as he said, “Sister-in-law, just because Daphne has no family doesn’t mean you can push her around. Besides the Alpha, her brothers, including us, will always protect her.”
I closed the door without responding, my heart heavy but my resolve firm. The pack’s hierarchy was clear, and as an Omega, I had no place to challenge it. But that didn’t mean I had to accept it. The mate bond might still linger, but I was determined to forge my own path, even if it meant walking it alone.
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