Alpha's Mateo's Human Mate

I didn’t think twice about stopping by Nathan's place. Today was our second anniversary, and I had planned a surprise. A quiet dinner at his apartment, candles, a bottle of his favorite wine, and me, hoping to see that look in his eyes that always made me feel cherished.

The bouquet of red roses in my hand felt heavy as I fumbled with my keys. I imagined the look on his face when he saw me, dressed in the new outfit I’d bought just for tonight. My hand shook slightly as I turned the key, excitement bubbling inside me. I couldn’t wait to see him.

But when the door opened, everything I thought I knew shattered instantly.

Nothing could have prepared me for the sight that greeted me. The roses slipped from my fingers, scattering across the floor.

Nathan and Clarisse were tangled together in his bed. The sheets we had picked out were now wrapped around them. Their bodies entwined in a way that made me sick.

I stood there, frozen, watching the man I loved and the woman I trusted betray me. Their gasps and moans filled the room like a nightmarish soundtrack.

Finally, they noticed me.

Clarisse scrambled away from him, covering herself with the sheet while Nathan sat up. Shock and guilt were written all over his face.

“Laura, I—”

I cut him off. “Don’t,” I hissed, my voice trembling. “Just don’t.”

I wanted to scream, to throw something, to make them feel a fraction of the pain ripping through me. But I could only stand there with my heartbeat racing.

“How long?” I demanded. “How long have you been doing this behind my back?”

Neither answered. Clarisse looked down, pale, while Nathan just stared, his mouth opening and closing. There were no right words. Nothing they said would ever make this right.

“Laura, please, let me explain,” Nathan finally managed, but I couldn’t bear to hear more. I didn’t need his lies. The truth was right there, tangled in the sheets.

Without another word, I turned and walked out, slamming the door behind me. I needed to escape the stench of betrayal clinging to me like a second skin.

The cold night air hit me as I stumbled out, my vision blurring with tears. My hands shook so badly I could barely hold my car keys. Somehow, I managed to get into the driver’s seat.

I drove, not caring where as long as I was getting as far from Nathan and Clarisse as possible. My vision swam as tears finally spilled over, but I didn’t slow down. The pain in my chest was unbearable, a gaping wound that no amount of time could heal.

I needed to numb the pain. It was as if every laugh, every kiss between us had been a lie.

I found a liquor store, barely aware of how I got there. I grabbed the first bottle I saw, ignoring the cashier’s concerned look as I threw money on the counter and walked out. I couldn’t care less about appearances. I was beyond caring.

Back in the car, I unscrewed the cap with shaking hands and took a long, burning gulp. The alcohol was harsh, but I welcomed the sting, hoping it would numb the ache in my chest. I drank more, desperate to lose myself in oblivion.

The city lights blurred as I sped through the streets, the world outside a distorted mess of colors and shapes. I had no idea where I was going, and I didn’t care. My thoughts were a chaotic swirl of anger and betrayal, and the alcohol did little to quiet them.

The road stretched dark and winding before me, the cliff’s edge looming closer with each passing second. I should have slowed down, but I didn’t. The numbness I sought was finally creeping in, dulling the sharp edges of my pain.

Then, the car swayed violently, and I realized too late that I had lost control. The tires skidded on the gravel, the steering wheel slipping from my grasp as the car veered dangerously close to the cliff’s edge. Panic surged through me, but my reflexes were too slow, numbed by alcohol.

I screamed as the car tipped forward, teetering on the edge. The world spun around me, a dizzying blur of darkness and fear. For a moment, I thought this was it.

Alone, broken, and betrayed.

Just as the car was about to plunge into the darkness, something slammed into it with a force that sent it skidding back onto solid ground. The impact knocked the breath out of me, and everything went black.

When I woke up, the beeping of machines and the sterile smell of antiseptic greeted me. I was in a hospital, lying in a bed with a dull ache radiating through my body. For a moment, I couldn’t remember how I got here, but then the memories came rushing back.

The betrayal. The alcohol. The cliff.

But something else lingered at the edge of my mind. I remembered the car tipping forward, and the terror of knowing I was about to die. And then… something saving me. Something powerful and fast.

But there was no one here to explain. The nurse who came a few minutes later told me I had been found unconscious in my car by the side of the road, but no one knew who had saved me or how I had gotten there.

As I lay there, staring at the ceiling, the pain of betrayal still gnawing at my heart, a new thought took root. I had been saved by something… or someone.

But for what reason?