When the Alpha Chose His Pack Over His Mate Chapter 14

When the Alpha Chose His Pack Over His Mate Chapter 14

Rowen Watson slammed his hand on the table, sending the teacup crashing to the floor. The scalding liquid soaked his sleeve, but he didn’t seem to notice.

“You’re going to tell me the truth,” he growled, his Alpha aura thick with anger. “Ivy was pregnant, and she lost the pup? Why did you lie to me, saying she was just sick?”

In her journal, she had written only one line:

> “Rowen, I lost our pup. From now on, let’s each live our own lives.”

He was her mate, her Alpha, and yet he hadn’t known a thing.

Zen Hoffman, his Beta, knelt on the floor, head bowed. “Ivy didn’t want me to tell you, Alpha,” he stammered. “She said it would affect your bond with Sky. So I kept it to myself.”

Zen hesitated before continuing. “She was so happy, Alpha. She wanted to tell you the good news, but then she found the rejection letter you’d hidden in the drawer. She was so distraught that she fell, and… the pup was gone.”

For a moment, Rowen felt as though the ground had been ripped out from under him. His blood turned to ice, his chest tightening with a pain he couldn’t describe.

No, it wasn’t like that.

The rejection letter in the drawer—he’d written it years ago, when he was still a low-ranking Beta with nothing to his name. He hadn’t wanted to hold Ivy back, hadn’t wanted her tied to someone who couldn’t provide for her. But she had stayed, always smiling, always encouraging him, telling him things would get better. And they had—he’d climbed the ranks, become the Alpha of his pack. He’d forgotten about that letter entirely.

The new one—the one he’d written the day she left—that was different. It was full of apologies, of regret for not being able to give her the life she deserved.

But no matter which letter it was, the truth remained: he had written them. He had given up on her.

His throat tightened, and tears streamed down his face as he thought of Ivy’s broken expression, the way she must have felt when she found those words. He had been so preoccupied with Sky’s arrival, so blind to what was happening right in front of him. When Ivy had stayed in bed for days, claiming to be sick, he hadn’t even questioned it. He’d been a fool.

He flipped through the journal with trembling hands, the later pages filled with erratic, tear-stained words. The ink was smudged in places, as though the pages had been soaked with her pain.

Rowen’s tears fell onto the paper, blurring the already faded ink.

Outside, the sky darkened, clouds gathering as if the world itself mourned with him.

He clutched the journal to his chest, sinking to the floor. Slowly, the pieces began to fall into place.

When he had been at his lowest, it was Ivy who had encouraged him. “Only by becoming stronger can you protect what’s yours,” she had said. He had held onto those words, working tirelessly to rise through the ranks, to become the Alpha he needed to be. But now, he realized the truth: the person he had been fighting for wasn’t Sky. It was Ivy.

Sky had been a childhood obsession, a lingering regret from his past. But now that he had her, it felt hollow, empty. His heart ached with guilt and longing for the mate he had pushed away.

—

Sky arrived unannounced, her scent sharp with irritation. Tomorrow was their marking ceremony, and she should have been preparing, but her instincts told her something was wrong. She couldn’t risk losing him now.

She found Rowen in his room, his eyes hollow, his face pale. He looked like a ghost of the Alpha she had known.

“Rowen,” she said softly, stepping closer. “Tomorrow is our day. Don’t let anything distract you.”

She reached for him, her fingers brushing his arm, but he flinched away.

“Sky,” he said, his voice cold and distant. “We’ll have our ceremony tomorrow. Until then, you should leave.”

Her face twisted with anger. “If you’re still thinking about Ivy, you’d better reconsider. Remember, she looks just like the Lycan Princess. If I were to suggest to the Lycan King that she take the Princess’s place in the alliance, she wouldn’t survive.” Rowen’s eyes snapped to hers, wide with shock. “I’ve already agreed to mark you. I’ve kept Ivy away from you. Why are you still trying to destroy her? What has she ever done to you?”

Sky smirked, her voice dripping with venom. “You agreed to mark me? Don’t lie to yourself, Rowen. You just wanted an excuse to rekindle things with me while abandoning your mate. You’re pathetic.”

Her words cut deep, and Rowen staggered back, his Alpha aura flickering with pain and rage.

“Sky,” he said through gritted teeth, “if you lay a finger on Ivy, I swear I’ll end you.”

She laughed, a cold, mocking sound. “We’ll see who wins in the end.”

With that, she turned and left, leaving Rowen alone with his despair.

—

Moments later, Memphis Reynolds, his fellow Beta, burst into the room, his face pale with urgency. “Alpha, the Lycan King has summoned you. It’s an emergency.”

Rowen barely had time to process the words before Memphis grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the door.

As they hurried through the pack territory, Memphis glanced at Rowen, concern etched on his face. “You look terrible, Alpha. Tomorrow’s your marking ceremony. Shouldn’t you be in better spirits?”

“I haven’t been sleeping well,” Rowen muttered, his mind elsewhere.

Memphis hesitated. “It’s not Ivy, is it? The other night, when we were drinking, you kept saying her name. I thought you’d moved on.”

Rowen didn’t respond.

“You know,” Memphis said carefully, “back then, Ivy came to me. She wanted me to help her talk to Sky.”

Rowen froze. “What are you talking about?”

“You didn’t know?” Memphis looked surprised. “When Sky was chosen to mark you, Ivy went to her. She offered to take her place, to spare Sky from the alliance. But Sky refused. She humiliated Ivy, made her kneel and beg, then told her to leave.”

Rowen’s vision blurred with rage as he remembered the day Ivy had come home, her forehead bruised and bleeding, claiming she had fallen. He had believed her. He had always believed her.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he demanded, his voice shaking.

Memphis sighed. “Ivy asked me not to. She wanted you to have a reason to fight, to rise through the ranks. She thought it would give you purpose. I never thought it would come to this.”

Rowen clenched his fists, his Alpha aura flaring. “I’m going to the Lycan King. I’ll explain everything. I’m not marking Sky. I’m going to find Ivy. She’s out there, waiting for me. I know it.” Memphis nodded, his expression grim. “Then let’s hurry, Alpha. The Lycan King doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”