When Her Alpha Betrayed, She Took It All Back

Today would be my big day.

Things would be different.

I'd finally see my strategic growth proposal presented to the board.

I sat in the back row of the Daggerfang quarterly expansion meeting, my spine rigid against the leather chair, my heart pounding with expectations. The boardroom smelled of expensive cologne and ambition—scents I'd grown accustomed to over the past three years.

Three years of working behind the scenes, of building my mate Robert's empire brick by meticulous brick while remaining invisible.

Robert stood at the head of the table, his Alpha presence commanding attention. His tailored suit emphasized the broadness of his shoulders, the confidence in his stance.

Once, that confidence had drawn me to him like a moth to flame. But when I was young and reckless, I didn't know...

Moths burn.

"Gentlemen," Robert's voice carried across the room, as my heart tightened up suddenly due to a strange sense of foreboding, "I'd like to introduce our new strategic advisor, Diane Bright."

Whom? Wasn’t it my turn next?

I turned in confusion, and saw a woman stepped forward with sharp features and calculating eyes. I'd never seen her before, yet something about her felt vaguely familiar.

"Ms. Bright has developed an exceptional expansion strategy that will increase our territory by thirty percent within twelve months," my Alpha continued, his hand gesturing toward the presentation screen.

As the slides appeared, my blood turned to ice in my veins. Those weren't just similar concepts—they were my exact projections, my precise wording, even the color-coding system I'd developed for risk assessment.

My proposal. My work. My midnight hours spent analyzing market trends and pack demographics.

"This can't be happening," I whispered, too softly for anyone to hear.

But when Diane pointed to the financial forecast—the one I'd created using my family's proprietary algorithm—something in me snapped.

I stood, my chair scraping loudly against the floor. "That's my work."

The room fell silent. Every pair of eyes turned toward me, including Robert's. His gaze hardened, pupils contracting to pinpoints.

"I developed that entire strategy," I continued, my voice steadier than I felt. "Those are my projections, my risk assessments, even my phrasing."

Robert's smile never reached his eyes. "Elara, you seem confused."

"I'm not confused," I insisted, heart hammering against my ribs. "I can prove it. The original files are dated—"

"Security," Robert interrupted, his tone casual as if ordering coffee, "please escort my mate outside. She's not feeling well."

Two Beta guards materialized beside me. One placed a firm hand on my elbow.

"Robert," I pleaded, "you know this is wrong."

His expression remained impassive. "You're not a member of this meeting anymore, Elara. Please don't make a scene."

The humiliation burned hotter than my anger as I was led from the room, the doors closing behind me with a definitive click.

*****

Morning light streamed through the bedroom windows, but I hadn't slept. My eyes burned from staring at my tablet, attempting to access the Daggerfang servers—unsuccessfully. Every credential had