Unmarked: A Mate’s Silent Betrayal

"Alpha, you’re tying the knot with Rebecca in two weeks. What’s the plan for your little side situation? You know, Elyse, your mate?"

I froze just outside the door, my breath catching as my name slipped into the conversation—followed by Rebecca’s, the she-wolf I’d long suspected was tangled up with Max, my mate and the Alpha of the Harrison Pack.

The words hit me like a fist to the stomach. So, it was true—my mate, Alpha Max, had another woman. And instead of choosing me as his Luna, he’d gone with her?

I flattened myself against the wall, my heart pounding so hard I was sure they’d hear it.

Then Max’s voice cut through, slow and casual, like he was shrugging off a passing rain shower. "Just keep it under wraps. As long as you don’t spill, Elyse won’t catch on."

Won’t catch on? So that was his game—carry on with Rebecca, build their perfect little life, while I got shoved aside as the dirty secret?

Tears pricked my eyes, blurring the world around me. The man I’d loved for years—the one who’d sworn I was his mate—was reducing me to some shameful footnote. The truth sank in, sharp and undeniable, and my mind was already spinning, plotting my escape.

That was it. I was done. I reached out through the mind link to the one person I’d avoided contacting until this moment.

"Are you sure? If you go through with this, Elyse Garza will disappear—completely. No one you know will ever track you down."

"Yeah, that’s exactly what I want." A bitter laugh slipped out, my voice steady despite the storm ripping through me.

"Got it, Ms. Garza. We’ll have it all sorted in two weeks and set you up with a new identity. Here’s to a clean slate."

A clean slate?

Sure. I’d settle for that—if I could just outrun the wreckage.

....

I cut the mind link, my legs stiff from crouching, and made my way to the street to hail a cab. Back to the pack house, I showered and was about to climb into bed when the door burst open. Alpha Max, my mate, stumbled in, the scent of alcohol heavy around him.

He found me immediately, wrapping his arms around me and whining playfully, "Honey, why didn’t you come to pick me up? I’ve been waiting for you... You smell so nice..." He buried his face in my neck, his hands starting to wander.

My mind drifted back to the three years he had spent pursuing me, proving his love. When Juliana, his mother and the former Luna of the Harrison Pack, had opposed our relationship, he’d clung to me, saying, "It doesn’t matter if my mother doesn’t approve of us. I’ll never take another mate. We can be together forever. Trust me, I’ll never mark anyone but you."

Later, when Luna Juliana couldn’t shake me, she had Max dragged back to the pack house, forcing him into an arranged mating with the daughter of the Phillips Pack’s Alpha. When he escaped back to me, pale and exhausted, I learned he’d been on a hunger strike, refusing to be manipulated by his mother. From then on, no matter how much Luna Juliana threatened me, I never backed down. I had someone fighting alongside me.

But now, I was grateful I’d overheard the conversation earlier. Otherwise, how long would he have kept deceiving me? Until the mating ceremony? Or when I was publicly shamed as his mistress?

Swallowing my bitterness, I gently disentangled myself from him and murmured, "I’m a bit tired today."

Alpha Max didn’t push me, tenderly helping me onto the bed and holding me from behind. "You should get some rest. I feel like you’ve gotten thinner lately."

I feigned sleep, refusing to respond.

---

The next morning, I woke to find Max at the wardrobe, changing into his tailored suit. Hearing me stir, he turned and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Good morning, love."

"It’s Packgathering Eve today. Let’s go out and have some fun. Get dressed."

Before I could decline, he was already heading downstairs.

Once dressed, I joined him in the kitchen. Jazmin James, the Beta housekeeper, greeted me warmly. "Good morning, Luna. I’ve got some coffee and spiced honey cake ready for you."

The title stung. We weren’t officially mated, but Max had insisted the household staff call me Luna, claiming I would be his only mate. Yet, in two weeks, he would have a legitimate Luna, and my unofficial title was nearing its end.

I lowered my head with a self-deprecating smile and joined breakfast.

Afterward, Alpha Max dismissed the driver, claiming we needed some alone time, and drove me himself. We strolled through the pack, visiting a garden restaurant and an aquarium. He was incredibly attentive, stopping to rest whenever I seemed even slightly tired.

---

That evening, just when I thought we were heading home, Max drove up a hill. Seeing my confusion, he explained, "You once mentioned that watching fireworks from the hilltop would be beautiful. I thought we could experience it tonight, see if it truly is."

It was something I had casually mentioned while watching a video, a passing comment I’d almost forgotten. Yet, here he was, remembering it.

I didn’t respond, and he didn’t mind. Noticing my low spirits, he chatted incessantly, trying to cheer me up. Though Alpha Max was generally a man of few words, he seemed never to run out of things to say when he was with me.

Half an hour later, we reached the summit. The night view was mesmerizing.

As the final hour of 2024 ticked away, Max’s phone buzzed suddenly. Glancing at the screen, he gave me a wary look. Seeing I was still watching the view below, he relaxed, quickly swiping to reply.

With a slight turn of my head, I glimpsed the message contents.

"Alpha, spending pack gathering alone is so lonely. Can you come over? [wink]"

I saw him reply with a dismissive "Don’t be silly."

"But I’m scared of the dark, dear Alpha. I need you."

After two seconds of hesitation, Max sent back a "Wait for me."

Before he could see my reaction, I turned back to the view.

Max’s voice reached my ears, "Elyse, there’s an urgent issue at the pack house. I’m sorry, but I have to go."

I replied with a calm "Okay," maintaining a façade of indifference, though my fists clenched tightly, betraying my true emotions.

Max was gone in under a minute from the moment he spoke. He was so eager to leave, he forgot he’d taken the only car, leaving me stranded with no way down. Ridesharing services didn’t reach up here.

With a pang of sadness, my heart felt as if gripped by a massive hand.

The second hand moved into place, and fireworks exploded in the valley below, magnificent and dazzling, breathtakingly beautiful.

I knew the display was for me, but the one who had orchestrated it all was now at another woman’s side.

Almost as if to confirm this thought, my phone buzzed in my hand.