Rejected Luna's Redemption

Loretta’s mate had passed.

Alpha Harlem, ever the compassionate leader, stepped in to comfort her. He pulled strings to secure a position for her late mate in the pack’s steel plant. Concerned that her salary wouldn’t cover her needs, he gave her thirty dollars from his own forty-dollar monthly stipend.

I was against it, but he dismissed me with a wave of his hand. “We’re not struggling, Alexandria. You have your own income. Loretta’s alone, and her in-laws keep demanding more from her!”

Yet everyone knew Loretta’s mate had received a hefty payout for a workplace accident from the factory. Her in-laws, simple farmers from a neighboring pack, hadn’t seen a single coin of it.

In the past, I would’ve argued, but I was done. I packed my belongings and gathered my papers, ready to lay everything bare.

When Harlem finally returned home at ten o’clock, he noticed our mating certificate sitting on the table immediately.

“Why is this out so late?” he asked, his tone sharp.

Before I could respond, he added impatiently, “Put it away! What if someone sees it? They’d be upset!”

I laughed bitterly to myself. “If it could truly upset her, I’d have shown it to her long ago.”

“Alpha Harlem,” I said, my voice steady, “whose mate are you, really? You rush to her side at every call. Does this place feel like a pit stop to you?”

“Enough,” I continued, cutting him off before he could interrupt. “We’re ending this.”

Harlem’s face darkened. “Alexandria King, stop being unreasonable! She’s going through a hard time, and I’m just trying to support her!”

“Support?” I scoffed. “If she truly wanted to move on, she’s had three years to do it. Only you, Alpha Harlem, are gullible enough to be led around by her.”

“If you won’t agree to end this,” I said firmly, “I’ll make it public. Tomorrow, I’ll go to the pack hall and announce it with a loudspeaker. Let everyone know whose Alpha is constantly at the widow’s door.”

His expression turned stormy. “You’re being completely irrational!”

I laughed instead of arguing. “Yes, I’m irrational. So, how long do you plan to keep this up?”

“It was you who marked me first, Alexandria King, not the other way around.”

“Alpha Harlem,” I said, my voice rising, “do you ever invest in this home? Look around, inside and out. What have you arranged?”

“I got my hair styled, and you didn’t notice. Loretta wears a new hairpin, and you fall over yourself complimenting her.”

“My mother fell ill, and you barely glanced at her before leaving. Loretta catches a cold, and you’re rushing to brew her coffee and bring her medicine.”

I sniffed, feeling a deep ache of loneliness.

“Life isn’t meant to be lived alone. Since you can’t let go of her, why drag me down with you?”

I turned away and said firmly, “I mean it, Alpha Harlem. This is over.”

Harlem stayed silent for a long moment before finally speaking. “I don’t want to end this.”

I hadn’t expected that, after all this, he still wouldn’t agree.

But it didn’t matter. I had one week left.

Once I was gone, Loretta would have all the opportunities she needed.

At that point, just the two of them alone—I didn’t believe Harlem wouldn’t succumb. His heart had already strayed.

The next morning, I woke to the sound of sweeping outside the door.

I got up to look and saw Harlem cleaning. The sun must’ve been acting up because he was actually doing chores.

I ignored him, freshened up, and made myself eggs and toast.

None for him.

Harlem came in, looking slightly taken aback.

I glanced at him. “I bought the eggs. You gave your money to Loretta; if you want breakfast, go find her.”

Three years as mates, and we had no savings.

My income wasn’t going to support this biased Alpha.

Just as I finished speaking, Nola, my Omega neighbor, walked in.

“Both of you home?” she said, setting down a bag of dried apricots. “Alexandria, my sister-in-law sent these from back home. Thought you could use them to build yourself up. You look pale; you can’t ignore being run down.”

Nola turned to Harlem, her tone firm. “Alpha Harlem, not to meddle, but Alexandria works tirelessly for this pack without much in return. You, as her mate, should be looking out for your own family more.”

“Look at Loretta,” she added, her voice sharp. “Her face is all bright, and then look at your mate! Good grief!”