"Happy birthday, Rose!"

"Thanks." I smiled at my parents, but deep inside, my heart was crying. Peter, or should I say Alpha Peter, should also be present here in my birthday celebration. But the seat I saved for him remained empty.

We had been anticipating this day—when we would formally reveal our relationship as mates.

He was the first one to recognize our bond three years ago. And just last year, when I turned nineteen, we had marked each other. But now, as I blew out the candles on my cake, Zelda was howling, longing for Peter's presence.

"Have you met your mate yet?"

I almost choked on my food when my father asked me that question. When I turned to face them, both my parents were staring at me.

"No, not yet." I hated lying to them, but I couldn't tell them the truth just yet. I promised Peter we'd expose our relationship jointly, and I wanted to honor his intentions. He had just taken over as the new Alpha of Cerulean Peak Pack when his father died, and although he was still grieving, he was responsible for the entire pack, so revealing our relationship would only increase his stress. So I've decided to keep it a secret for now.

It was 1 a.m., and I still couldn't sleep. I wished Alpha Peter was conversing with me, yet despite my efforts to mind-link him, he didn't respond, and his phone remained switched off. What if the hunting excursion put him in danger? What if the rogues ambushed him on the way back?

'Why don't we visit the packhouse so we can check in on him? ' Zelda, my wolf, suggested. She was as restless as I was.

"But showing unannounced might cause more than good." I tossed and turned in bed. "What if he gets upset at us for intervening without permission?

Zelda, being more stubborn than I, argued back, "But what if something really did happen to him? We can't just sit here and do nothing."

"Fine!" I sat up, raising my hands as though surrendering. "Let's go."

After all, I badly wanted to know why he didn't show up earlier at my private birthday dinner.

I jumped out of my window, and Zelda surfaced as soon as I fell. Our house was only a few trees away from the mansion, so we made our way there swiftly. But, in order to dodge the pack guards, I dashed through the tree branch that connected to his room's balcony.

My heart was racing when I shifted back to human form and took a peek at the glass door. Peter was surely in there, as I could hear the shower running.

'Don't knock anymore. Just walk in,' Zelda said, and I slowly turned the knob. My hand was shaking as I pushed the door open.

But then I froze when I saw a blonde woman emerge from the bathroom, wrapped in a towel.

I could see my own shocked expression on her face, but when the main door opened, she quickly composed herself and greeted Peter himself. On the other hand, I stayed frozen, gazing intently at the woman as she wrapped her arms around Peter.

"Peter, there's an intruder!"

My mate clenched his jaw as he approached me. I stepped back, but he grabbed my arm tightly and said, "Let us talk. Now."

Before I realized it, I was following Peter to the balcony. My chest felt heavy, like something solid was bearing down on it. I was annoyed, but I couldn't do anything about it.

The way Peter turned around and glared at me made it seem like he was accusing me of something. "Did you just sneak out like a freak in the middle of the night?"

His sharp words made me grasp the metal railing hard. "I was calling you, Peter. But you seemed to be ignoring me." I looked behind his shoulder, and the sight of the blonde woman sitting on the edge of his bed made me ball my fists. "You were absent from my birthday party, but it's obvious now why you weren't available."

"Suzie is a family friend, okay? Peter explained, pointing at the woman, "She was the daughter of Alpha Felix, my father's best friend." She arrived this afternoon, devastated and distraught over her parents' deaths following their pack's attack by rogues. I had to comfort her."

My shoulders stiffened as I analyzed Peter's explanation. Was he saying the truth? Taking a glimpse back at the woman, I said, "I can take care of her for you. I have clothes that fit her size and a spare bedroom where she can stay for the night."

"No need." Peter waved his hand dismissively. "I've already made a call to the department store, and they will deliver some essentials for her later, any time soon."

"A-alright." I nodded. Despite his story, my gut still felt unsettled.

"You must return home, Rose. Beta Noel will worry if he finds out you're missing," Peter said, dragging me out of the room. "Remember, no one knows about our relationship just yet. So it's best if you keep your distance for now."

Was that the real reason he wanted me to return home?

I walked out of the mansion, this time through the front door. Giving the packhouse one last glance, I shifted to Zelda form, and instead of returning to my place, I ran into the forest so my head could clear.

Morning arrived, and the sunlight streaming through the window curtains jolted me up from my restless slumber. My brain felt heavy, and my heart ached from uncertainty. I despised waking up the next day feeling even more disoriented than the night before—this had been happening since that blonde girl Suzie entered Peter's life.

Previously, even though my relationship with my Alpha was private, he never failed to make me feel appreciated. However, everything felt different when Suzie came. I rarely receive messages from him, nor do I see him in person or during pack meetings. Dad generally organized the conventions because, according to him, the Alpha was preoccupied with other territorial security concerns. I hope Suzie was not involved in these matters.

My phone beeped. Just by the sound of it, a notification from FaceGram popped up, saying, 'Peter Evans uploaded a new photo.'

All the drowsiness I felt instantly disappeared as I opened it. But then goosebumps formed on my skin when the picture of them flashed before my eyes. It was a photo of Suzie snuggling up to my sleeping mate, and the caption read, "Woke up like this."

Another photo was posted, and it was a close-up of them kissing. But Suzie was showing her hand where a bracelet was clearly visible. The caption said, "A birthday gift for my mate."

My blood instantly felt blistering hot as I punched Peter's number into my phone. Goodness, my hand was trembling right now. Zelda, on the other hand, was howling in rage.

'That girl is a whore. We need to confront her in person, not via text message!'she said.

My eyes were shut as I hit the send button. Zelda was right, but since my sanity was still intact, I decided to wait for Peter's response. Confronting Suzie in person was definitely the next step, but I needed to approach the situation with a clear mind.

It was 10 minutes later, and Peter had still not responded. "That's it," I hissed, turning to face the window. I saw Dad mowing the lawn outside, but my rage was too strong to distract me. So I jumped out the window, and Zelda started roaring as we fell on the soft grass below.

"Rose, where on earth are you going?" Dad shouted.

But I ignored him and sprinted straight to the forest, aiming for the packhouse. The guards were at the main door when I reached, so I returned to human form and barged past them.

"Where do you think you're going?" the guard questioned, grabbing my arm.

I shot him a dead look and said, "I need to talk to Pete—to Alpha Peter. This is important, so back off!"

"You will be punished for this behavior, little pup." The other guard scoffed, yanking me toward the door. "Return to your house, otherwise, your father will bear the consequences of your disobedience!"

"Let me go! Do you know who I am?" I yelled, struggling against his grip. "I am—"

"Release the lady."

Peter appeared, sprinting down the staircase. The guards immediately let go of my arm and nodded before returning to their original stance.

When we were alone, Peter grabbed my wrist and drew me into the study room. He closed the door, and as he turned to face me, his fangs had already extended. "What's difficult about understanding a simple command, Rose? I told you not to barge into my residence without permission. And now you're going to reveal that you're my freaking mate? Really, Rose?"

"What about you? Tell me why the woman was sleeping in your bed!" I demanded and pushed him away. "You want me to be your secret mate, yet you are so proud to even post your morning selfies with her on social media!"

Peter frowned. "What are you talking about? I lost my phone while hunting several days ago."

It was then that a knock on the door interrupted our argument.

"Open the door, Peter. I can tell you're there just by hearing your voice. Open the door."

Peter wiped his face and sighed before standing up to open the door. As soon as he did, Suzie barged in.

My eyes widened when I noticed the jadeite bracelet dangling from her wrist. It's ironic that Peter managed to give her a gift while his mate, who had recently celebrated her birthday, remained without anything.

"Why don't you ask Suzie about your lost phone?" I told Peter.

Suzie just smiled smugly at me before turning to him, saying, "You should be preparing for the ceremony at this point."

"What ceremony?" I asked.

"A ceremony for me, dear," Suzie explained, putting her arms across her chest. She lifted her brow and inspected me from head to foot. "Leave, so my soon-to-be husband can get ready. You have the option to remain and observe our marriage. I can lend you a dress since we seem to have the same size.” She winked.

"I knew you were a stealing bitch the moment I saw you," I shot back.

"I was actually saving their reputation by preventing you from marrying into their family."

Her statements were like a slap in the face, and I was surprised that I didn't know how to defend myself. Perhaps it was because I knew she was right. I wasn't suited to be Peter's future bride, let alone the Luna of the pack.

I spun around and left the room, blinking back tears. But Peter was quick to follow me.

"Listen, Rose. My mother requested that I marry Suzie because she's from the alpha bloodline. I can't refuse because it's a tradition in our family to follow our parents' wishes when it comes to marriage."

"That's understandable," I said with a laugh. But deep down, my soul was screaming in agony. "Since we can't be together, let's end this officially. Just make it quick, so the pain doesn't linger."

"You mean a rejection?" Peter chuckled, and I gasped when he clutched my jaw firmly. "Well, that's not going to happen, babe. Zelda continues to hold strong feelings for me, and I am unable to deny that a portion of me shares her sentiments.

"Then what'll you do? Make me your mistress?"

His silence confirmed the answer to my question.

"Reject me. Otherwise, I will scatter the information about our real connection. I know you fear exposure more than anything!"

His face darkened, like he was about to shift to his wolf form right in front of me. "Are you testing my temper, little pup?"

"No!" I yelled. Zelda, on the other hand, was growling in pain. Zelda refused to comply with Peter's demands, which further infuriated me. Courageous. "I'd rather be a mateless she-wolf than a secret toy for you. Please reject me."

"You have no idea what you're asking for." His hand flew, and I almost jumped as it landed on the wall next to my head. "But if that's what you truly want, then so be it. I, Alpha Peter Evans, reject you, Rose Smith, as my mate."

"I, Rose Smith, accept your rejection." I bit my lip so hard, as the invincible pain crept from my heart to my entire body.

"You are fortunate that I will not banish you from my pack."

“I'd rather be a mateless she wolf than a secret plaything for you. So, bye, Alpha Peter.” I turned my back and walked off. But when I arrived in the forest, his voice penetrated through my mind, saying, “Is this what you really want, Rose? Come bac—”

Before he finished his sentence, I blocked him.

However,at this moment,an unexpected message entered my mobile phone