The Alpha's Chosen Mate

Chapter 1: The Bite of Betrayal

　　Have you ever been bitten by betrayal? Well, that’s how my 18th birthday started.
　　My name is Laura Williams, a she-wolf from the Night Shade pack, or so I thought. And today is my 18th birthday, the day that drastically changed my life.
　　“Laura dear, I know this is such an exciting day for you. I really hope that I’m there to celebrate it with you but I’m still here in Paris for the grand runway of our designers’ handbag promotions. But I…sent you a special box for today…did you get it?”
　　My grandma Victoria calls me early in the morning while I slip into the elegant and intricately designed dress that she gave me.
　　“Yes, I just put it on and it’s quite lovely, Grandma. You know that I've been waiting for this day my entire life. I'll finally discover if Daniel is really my fated mate. The excitement bubbles inside me…I can’t wait to see him, I’ll surprise him!”
　　“Don’t get too excited, dear. Just enjoy the rest of the day. Call you later!”
　　As I prepare for this momentous event, my heart pounds in my chest. I make my way to the pack house. As I step inside, the pack members greet me with adoration in their eyes.
　　“Happy 18th Laura!”
　　“Happy birthday pretty lady!”
　　“Laura, you look amazing as always! Perfect as always! Happy birthday!”
　　They see me as the perfect she-wolf, the future Luna of the Night Shade pack. It's both an honor and a burden. I can feel their expectations weighing on me.
　　“Thank you, everyone. By the way, is Daniel upstairs?”
　　“Yes, I think we saw him just now. Just check out his bedroom.”
　　Following the familiar scent of Daniel, I reach his bedroom door. I hesitate for a moment, butterflies dancing in my stomach. But this is the day we've both been waiting for, and I can't let fear hold me back. I push the door open, and my world shatters.
　　“Daniel…Abigail…”
　　My heart drops as I take in the sight before me. Daniel, my supposed mate, is entangled with my best friend, Abigail. They kiss passionately as their arms fold on each other. Their bare skin touching in burning flame.
　　Then, their eyes widen in shock as they see me standing there. My voice trembles as I confront them, the pain in my chest threatening to suffocate me.
　　“Daniel…Abigail…How could you…?” I manage to choke out, tears welling up in my brown eyes.
　　Daniel stammers and jerks away from Abigail, “Laura, I...I can explain.”
　　Abigail, her face flushed with guilt, whispers, “Laura…Laura…. There’s an explanation for this.”
　　My anger surges, and my voice sharpens. “Explain? Abigail, you’re my best friend, and Daniel, you were supposed to be my mate. Is this how you both repay my trust?”
　　Daniel hurriedly puts his shirt on and pushes the rest of Abigail’s stuff on the floor away from him, “Laura, we should talk about this…listen to me…”
　　Abigail's voice cracks as she admits while hiding her bosom with just her bare arms, “Laura, I love Daniel! And he loves me too! I can't help it. I love him more than you ever could! We are mated with each other!”
　　Daniel looks back at Abigail with a ghastly face.
　　My heart aches at her words, and my world crumbles further. “How could you do this to me…?” I say, my voice trembling with anger and betrayal. “I don’t deserve this. You have both betrayed me and hurt me to my inner core!”
　　Both Abigail and I are now crying our eyes out yet the man in between has just stood there like a stone with no backbone.
　　I need to state my piece. The last one drew to end this ordeal, “Daniel Miller, you are no longer mine. I reject you as my mate!”
　　Tears stream down my face as I turn away, leaving behind the shattered pieces of my heart. Abigail's betrayal is a wound that cuts deeper than any bite. She is my best friend, now she no longer is. It's a wound that may never heal.
　　I storm out of the room, leaving them both behind. “You’re a man worthless of my affections. And…you’re a friend I now consider as a foe.”
　　“Laura, wait! Laura….” Daniel shouts back at me but Abigail prevents him.
　　I made my resolution immediately. I go deeper into the pack house. Then, I run into Alpha Carter of the Night Shade pack, Daniel's father. He is a stern and imposing figure yet I do not falter.
　　“Alpha Carter,” I say, my voice steadier now as I have cleared my face with the previous useless tears, “I need your permission to leave the pack. It is a matter of urgency.”
　　“Calm down, young one. What makes this decision immediate?”
　　“This cannot be delayed. I am going right now and I have every right to ask your permission. If you wish to investigate further, you may interrogate your son, Daniel and Abigail. Let me go…”
　　Alpha Carter's eyes hold a mix of sympathy and regret as he replies, “Very well, Laura, if that’s what you wish, I cannot stop you. You have my permission to leave and find your own path. I will make my investigation and once I have made a final decision, expect that I will have to contact you for it.”
　　I nod, my heart heavy with the weight of my decisions. With Alpha Carter's blessing, I know I can't stay in this pack any longer. I turn and leave the pack house with a few things that I carry at my back. I am finally leaving behind the life I once knew.
　　As I run through the forest, the tears in my eyes blur the path ahead. I can't help but think about the betrayal that has torn my world apart. I've lost the love of my life and my best friend in one painful moment.
　　In the solitude of the woods, I let out a long, anguished howl, a cry of pain and loss that echoes through the night. My wolf spirit Elysia covers me with her warmth emanating from within.
　　“I feel your heartache. They don’t deserve you. You are worth so much happiness and love…” Elysia reassures me.
　　“Thank you for your companionship Elysia.” I mind-meld with her.
　　Elysia and I wander deeper into the woods, the moon casting an eerie glow on the path ahead. The pain in my heart is a constant ache, like a wound that refuses to heal. I can't comprehend how Daniel, the boy I thought was my true mate for three long years, could commit such a vile act of betrayal. And Abigail, my closest friend, the one I confided in about every aspect of my love affair, has betrayed me in the worst way possible. I'm lost, not just in this forest but in my own emotions. The memory of their faces, intertwined and guilty, haunts my every thought.
　　“I thought I had everything, that I was the perfect she-wolf with the best grades, good looks, and an approachable personality. But now, I'm adrift in a sea of pain and betrayal.”
　　Elysia continues to encourage me, “Don’t let your past define you.”
　　“How could they do this to me? I had trusted them completely, believed in the bond we shared. Now, that bond lies shattered at my feet, and I have no idea how to piece it back together.”
　　“Laura, you are strong and I’m here with you. We will put your life back together.”
　　My wolf spirit, a constant presence within me, shares in my pain. She longs for the mate we thought we had. But now, that dream is nothing but ashes.
　　As I walk aimlessly through the woods, the weight of my options presses down on me. I'm torn between two paths: one filled with vengeance and the other with escape.
　　“Elysia, tell me should I stay and confront the people who hurt me, make them pay for their betrayal? Or should I run away, leave it all behind, and start anew in the vast unknown of the world beyond the pack?”
　　Elysia helps me weigh the option. “Vengeance calls like a seductive whisper. Imagine confronting Daniel and Abigail, making them feel the same pain they've inflicted. But would that truly heal this shattered heart? Would it bring back the trust and love that has been spent?”
　　I then think of the other option, “On the other hand, running away seems like the only way to escape the suffocating web of betrayal. The world beyond the pack is vast and unpredictable, filled with dangers I can't even fathom. How can I, a lonely she-wolf, survive on my own? Yet the idea of leaving it all behind, starting fresh where no one knows me, is tempting. It's a chance to rediscover myself and perhaps find a love that's true and untainted.”
　　I stop by a serene pond, the moon reflecting in its still waters. My own reflection stares back at me, the pain and confusion in my eyes mirrored in the wolf's golden gaze. I reach out to touch the water's surface, and the ripples distort my image, as if to say that nothing will ever be the same again.
　　“I’ve made my decision.”
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