Begging me to Come Back? No Way!Chapter 1

On the night of my birthday, while I sat alone in the Shadowveil Pack house, my mate, Alpha Haynes, was hosting a lavish banquet—not for me, but for his beloved childhood sweetheart. The news reached me through a pack member who had seen it all, and the whispers of the wolf guards only confirmed my worst fears.

"Our Alpha didn't even care about the Luna's birthday," one muttered.

"She's pitiful," another added, their voices dripping with disdain.

The rumors spread through the pack like wildfire, and soon, everyone was casting pitying glances my way. The daughter of the Bloodmoon Pack's Alpha, a true Lycan, reduced to a laughingstock. And as I sat there, surrounded by their judgment, he was in the arms of another, laughing as if I never existed.

***

It was supposed to be a special day—my birthday. I had woken up that morning with a small flicker of hope in my chest, clinging to the idea that Haynes, my mate and Alpha of the Shadowveil Pack, might remember the significance of today.

By noon, that hope had begun to wane. But still, I held on. He had promised he’d come home early, just for me, to celebrate. And like a fool, I believed him.

But as the afternoon stretched into evening, he mind-linked me. I listened to him with a nervous smile, expecting to hear him say he was on his way. Instead, his voice came through, distant and cold.

[I won’t be able to make it home early, Aeliana,] he said, his tone flat. [An unexpected meeting came up. I’ll be late.]

The disappointment hit me like a punch to the gut, but I forced a smile, even though he couldn’t see it. “It’s okay,” I lied. “I understand.”

The line went dead, and I stood there, clutching the phone in my hand, staring at the wall as the truth slowly settled in. He wasn’t coming. Not because of some important pack matter, but because of her—Leila. I didn’t want to believe it at first, but the rumors were too loud, too insistent to ignore.

One of the pack members had seen them together at a famous hotel, where Haynes was hosting a grand banquet for her, his childhood sweetheart. Just because she was sad. The irony stung more than I could bear. While I sat alone, on the day that was supposed to be mine, my mate was with another woman, celebrating her.