The Alpha's Other Woman by Vielle Nye (best ereader under 100 txt) 📕

Carrie

It was a long moment before I could process what Dane had said.

He had found his mate.

His true mate.

My heart clutched tightly in my chest. "What does that mean?" I asked, even though, deep down, I already knew.

He raked his fingers through his hair. "She's my mate."

Somewhere under all my pain and panic, sparked the first touch of anger. I was so confused. "I'm your mate. Your chosen mate."

He shook his head. "Not anymore. I'm sorry. I can't—"

"You can't what, keep to your word? You asked me to marry you the night before last! You said you loved me. Were you lying that whole time?" This couldn't be true.

"I did, Carrie, but now... I just can't."

I should have kept a reign on my anger, but my only other choice was to break down into tears and my wolf was pushing me with her own anger. Dane might not be my true mate, but he was her territory. "So, what would have happened if you found her in two years after we were married, or when our pups were ten? Would you have just thrown me to the side, then, too?"

"Of course not! It would have been different once we marked each other," he said defensively, not meeting my eyes.

"Would it? Then mark me now," I challenged him. I had been so patient, waiting for him to be ready, and finally I had thought I was going to have forever with the man I loved.

"I can't." He was like an immovable wall.

"Can't? Or won't?"

"Won't," he said, and he cupped his forehead with his hands as if he were getting one of his headaches. I used to feel sympathy for him when he got them, but I was cold now.

"Won't?" I whimpered.

"I don't want to anymore. You don't know what it's like, Carrie. I can't want you anymore."

The words were like knives.

"But you promised..."

"I was wrong."

I couldn't think of anything else to say to him.

He stood up abruptly. "I'm going to bring her here in a few days, so I need you out of my room as soon as possible."

My room. It used to be our room such a short time ago. I felt tears begin to prick at the corners of my eyes.

"Carrie, I'm sorry," he said, and he left as abruptly as he came.

—————

I cried on top of my desk until there were no more left for me to shed. I felt so broken, and so incredibly foolish.

This was what everyone had warned me about, and I had ignored them. It hadn't mattered when it had been Dane and I up against the naysayers, it had brought us closer together, but now it was only me. I was alone.

I didn't want to leave the room, but his words had clearly been an order from my alpha, not a suggestion from my chosen mate. My ex-chosen mate, I corrected bitterly.

The worst was, I still loved him under all my misery. If he suddenly changed his mind, I would absolutely abandon my pride and forgive it all.

My wolf was upset. I imagined it was not as bad as it would be to be rejected by my true mate, but she was hurting. She had grown attached to Dane and his wolf and this dismissal hurt her, too. I would go for a run after I moved my things.

I didn't make eye contact with anyone in the halls as I moved forward and wound my familiar way to my—to Dane's room. I forced down the next bout of tears as I began to place my things in boxes and carry them down a floor to an empty room. I could have asked for help, but I didn't want any witnesses to my misery.

A part of me wanted to load everything up into a moving truck and find a new pack, but I didn't really have anywhere I wanted to go. My family was here, my friends were here, my pack was here. Where would I run to? To my sister’s pack? I hadn’t seen her in years, so I rejected the idea of showing up there pathetic and needy.

I sniffled as memories of doing things with Dane resurfaced along with certain items. Dancing with him in a particular red dress, a blouse I often wore as his acting luna, the black panties he had always said were his favourite on me.

It was the first time in my life I regretted that I had been born a werewolf. Our love had been real, but it had been so easily snatched away by some impersonal fate. It wasn't fair.

Once everything was moved, I threw on some casual clothing. The luna duties weren't my problem anymore, were they? The rest of my day was free. Eventually, she would assign me something else to do, unless I returned to my former position as a scout, which would put me squarely under the direction of the delta.

Or maybe I could be the missing elementary school teacher I had been trying to replace, I thought bitterly. I could teach the packs pups, because I would never have pups of my own. Tears threatened again.

I slipped down and out of the pack house, avoiding everyone as much as I could, and anyone I could not avoid seemed reluctant to talk to me. I was only a couple of hours into being discarded and I was already being pitied. I gritted my teeth, my wolf's rage and grief warring with my own. I hurried out into the forest.

Throwing off my clothing, I transformed into my wolf. Wasting not a moment, I began to run through the forest as hard as I could, as if I could run fast enough to escape the pain of my dismissal. Letting my wolf have control, I dodged trees and other obstacles flawlessly. I was fast and reasonably strong, and I very well might have been fit to be the true luna if only the winds of fate had blown differently.

By the time I returned to my clothing, I was panting and tired. I made my way back to the room that had been empty only that morning and collapsed onto the bed that smelled like no one.

—————

I was woken up by a knock on the door.

"Carrie?"

I didn't feel like seeing anyone, not even my best friend. I was half relieved and half disappointed that it wasn't Dane. I knew it wouldn’t happen, but a part of me couldn’t help but hope he would change his mind.