Mated to My Fiancé's Rival Alpha

Silvia

I buried the only parents who ever loved me in the pouring rain.

When I came home--soaked, hollow, desperate for warmth--

I found my fated mate in our bed with another she-wolf.

"It's just instinct," Zack smirked, sweat still glistening on his chest.

"You'll always be my Luna... even if I seek out others."

That was the moment my world split in two.

My wolf, Keal, howled for blood. For vengeance.

But instead of tearing out his throat,

I did something far worse--

I rejected him.

And then I married his half-brother--his greatest enemy.

--

Earlier that night.

The rain poured down as I stood in the cemetery, watching the twin headstones of my adoptive parents blur through my tears.

They had been everything to me. And now, because of a cruel twist of fate on the road, they were gone too.

"I miss you,"I whispered, the words breaking apart in the storm.

My wolf, Keal, whimpered inside me. She was just as heartbroken as I was.

The water soaked through my black dress, chilling me to the bone,

but I couldn't bring myself to leave.

When I finally did, every step away from their graves felt like a betrayal.

I needed Zack now more than ever.

My mate--the one the Moon Goddess had chosen for me, claiming me as his forever.

I drove to our apartment--the one we'd decorated together.

Keal paced anxiously within me, seeking our mate's presence for comfort.

When I unlocked the door, the scents hit me immediately.

Zack's familiar pine and cedar, but underneath it, something else--something sweet, floral, and distinctly omega.

Foreign. Female. My heart plummeted to my stomach.

"No," I whispered, but Keal already knew.

Keal growled,"Who in there!? Let's shift-- I'll kill her!"

The sounds coming from our bedroom confirmed my worst fears before I even pushed the door open.

"Harder, Zack--don't stop!" the blonde omega moaned, her voice shamelessly echoing off the walls of our bedroom.

The sound carved through me like claws to the chest. The mate bond burned, searing and twisted, every heartbeat a reminder of his betrayal.

They froze the moment they saw me standing in the doorway, drenched from the storm, my eyes wide with disbelief.

"Silvia!" Zack scrambled off the bed, his face blanching before panic flickered in his eyes. "I--what the hell are you doing back already?"

The blonde omega pulled the sheet lazily across her chest, not so much embarrassed as irritated, like I had ruined her evening. She arched a brow at me, her lips curling in a smirk that made my stomach turn.

"How could you?" I whispered, my voice sounding distant to my own ears. "How could you do this when my parents just died? When I needed you most?"

Zack's expression shifted from shock to defensive anger. "Look, it's not what you think. This is just--this is nothing. It's just instinct, Silvia. It means nothing."

"Nothing?" I echoed, feeling something crack inside me.

"She came onto me," he continued, gesturing dismissively toward the omega who now looked outraged. "Come on, you know how this works. Sometimes I seek out others. But you're my mate. You'll always be my mate when I take over Nightfang Pack."

A hot, useless laugh escaped me. "So I'm supposed to swallow this? Let you bring strangers into our bed? Why do I have to accept it?"

He rolled his eyes, slipping into the patronizing tone I'd come to hate. "Don't be dramatic. If you weren't my destined mate, you wouldn't have any of this -- the protection, the status. I can give you more than you'll ever lose."

I looked at Zack--really looked at him--and wondered how I'd never seen his true nature before. This entitled, arrogant werewolf who thought being an Alpha's son gave him the right to treat me like this.

Inside me, Keal howled with righteous fury.

"Silvia, he is not worthy of our love, we must leave him!"

I straightened my spine, squared my shoulders.

"I, Silvia of Blackwood Pack, hereby reject you, Zack of Nightfang Pack, as my destined mate!"

The pain hit instantly--like molten metal poured directly onto my heart.

I gasped, clutching my chest as the mating bond began to tear.

Keal howled in agony within me, the rejection ritual tearing at our very souls.

"Silvia, you can't!" Zack's face drained of color as he lunged toward me. "Take it back! You have no idea what you're doing!"

I yanked the Red ruby necklace--his claiming gift--from my neck, ignoring how the chain cut into my skin. With trembling fingers, I threw it at his feet.

"I know exactly what I'm doing," I managed through gritted teeth. "I'm choosing myself."

Turning my back on him was agony -- each step a struggle against the bond tearing inside me.

But Keal and I pushed through, leaving behind his desperate calls.

"Silvia!" he shouted after me. "You can't leave me! We're destined!"

The door slammed behind me.

--

The drive back to my childhood home was hazardous in my condition.

Keal had gone silent inside me--a terrifying development.

Rejected wolves sometimes went dormant, but I needed her strength now more than ever.

"Stay with me, Keal," I whispered, gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white. "We'll get through this together."

Keal answered weakly from inside me, "I'm still here... just weakened."

By the time I reached the Blackwood Pack territory, night had fallen.

Our pack home--once bustling with activity when my parents were alive--now stood quiet and imposing against the stormy sky.

Only Noah and I remained of what had once been our small but proud pack.

The house was dark when I entered, which was unusual. Noah always left a light on for me.

"Noah?" I called out, flicking on the hallway light. "I'm home."

Silence greeted me, heavy and unnatural.

My wolf senses--diminished as they were from the breaking bond--still picked up something wrong.

The air smelled of distress and pain.

My heart rate accelerated as I noticed a book lying splayed on the floor, a coffee table knocked askew.

Signs of a struggle.

"Noah!" I shouted, panic rising in my throat as I rushed toward his bedroom.

His room was empty.

Silvia

I sprinted toward Noah's study but stopped cold.

My brother lay collapsed on the floor, his tall frame twisted in agony.

His skin was pale, slick with sweat, and his body trembled with violent spasms.

"No, no, no!"

I dropped to my knees beside him, pressing trembling fingers to his neck. A pulse--faint, erratic--fluttered beneath my touch.

"Noah, please! Don't leave me too!"

My voice broke. My hands shook so hard I nearly dropped my phone as I called the pack doctor.

He was all I had left. My last piece of family. I couldn't lose him too.

While I waited for help to arrive, I cradled Noah's head in my lap. His breathing came in shallow, broken gasps.

"Stay with me," I whispered, stroking his damp hair back from his forehead. "I can't do this alone. Please."

Within minutes, the pack doctor burst in with his team. The room filled with the sterile scent of medicine and fear.

They moved fast--checking vitals, inserting IVs, calling out orders. I stayed beside him, numb, useless, terrified.

"What's wrong with him?" I asked when one of them paused, tears streaming down my cheeks.

The doctor looked at me with grave sympathy. "His heart's in severe distress. Has he experienced any significant trauma recently?"

Trauma.

The word tasted bitter on my tongue.

"Our parents just died," I managed hoarsely. "And... his heart's always been weak."

The doctor nodded slowly. "I'm sorry. Pack bonds can amplify loss. Sometimes the heart can't take it."

They lifted Noah onto a stretcher. I gripped his limp hand, whispering over and over,

"Hold on, Noah. I'm right here. I won't leave you."

--

The hospital corridor was a sterile nightmare.

My pacing had probably worn a path in the linoleum floor as I waited outside the emergency room where they'd taken Noah.

The antiseptic smell burned my nostrils, and Keal paced restlessly within me, sensing my distress.

"Miss Silvia?" A nurse approached, clipboard in hand.

"The doctor will speak with you shortly about your brother's condition."

I nodded, unable to form words past the lump in my throat.

My fingers nervously twisted the sleeve of my rain-soaked sweater.

After what felt like hours, a tall doctor with salt-and-pepper hair and tired eyes emerged from the double doors.

"Miss Silvia? I'm Dr. Mitchell." He extended his hand. "Would you mind stepping into a private room?"

I nodded and followed him into a small consultation office, my heart pounding against my ribs like a war drum.

"Your brother has just suffered a major cardiac event," he said, his tone steady but edged with concern. "The external injuries--though concerning--appear to be blunt force trauma, most likely from a fall after he lost consciousness. Given the severity of his heart condition, I strongly recommend emergency surgery."

"Is he going to be okay?" I asked, barely recognizing my own voice as it cracked.

Dr. Mitchell hesitated. "With immediate surgery, yes, his chances are good. But..."

He cleared his throat. "I have to discuss the financial aspects. Without insurance, the procedure costs $58,000."

The number hit me like a physical blow. "$58,000?" I whispered. "I don't... I can't possibly..."

"I understand this is difficult." His eyes reflected genuine sympathy. "But we need to move forward with treatment within 24 hours. Beyond that, the damage may become irreversible."

My mind raced frantically. "What about payment plans? There has to be something--"

"The hospital requires at least half the amount upfront to schedule the surgery." Dr. Mitchell handed me some paperwork.

"These forms explain your options. Do you have any other pack members who might help?"

I shook my head numbly. "No. Just Noah and me now."

"I'm truly sorry." He squeezed my shoulder gently. "Call this number when you've made arrangements. But please don't wait too long."

After he left, I collapsed into a chair, my body trembling.

My fingers hovered over my phone. Zack flashed in my mind. He was wealthy--his family owned the massive Nightfang Pack territory and businesses.

But the thought of crawling back to him after what he'd done...

And worse, the look of humiliation on Noah's face if he learned I'd begged my cheating ex-mate for money...

"No," I said aloud. "Never."

My gaze drifted to the waiting room television where a business news segment was playing.

"What are we going to do?" I whispered to Keal.

"We first need to calm down and things will turn around," Keal said.

"Alpha Sherman Carter, CEO of Carter Enterprises, has just announced a merger valued at over two billion dollars," the news anchor reported. "This marks the third major acquisition this year for the Nightfang Pack Alpha, solidifying his position as one of the wealthiest werewolves in North America."

The camera panned to show a tall, imposing man with piercing blue eyes and golden hair, dressed in an immaculate suit.

Alpha Sherman Carter. Zack's half-brother and greatest rival.

Memory flashed through my mind--six months ago at the Carter family gala.

I'd gone as Zack's mate, uncomfortable in the formal setting among wolves who clearly saw Blackwood Pack members as beneath them.

"So you're the omega who's caught my brother's eye," a deep voice had said behind me while Zack was fetching drinks.

I'd lifted my chin, meeting his intense gaze directly. "I am Silvia of Blackwood Pack, yes."

A smile tugged at his lips, sharp and knowing. "Sherman Carter. Alpha of Nightfang Pack. Tell me, how does an omega from a fading pack ensnare an Alpha heir? Even one as... unremarkable as my dear brother?"

The insult to both me and Zack had stung.

"The Moon Goddess chooses our mates, not social status or wealth."

He'd laughed then, the sound both beautiful and dangerous. "The Moon Goddess has an interesting sense of humor, then."

His eyes had traveled over me in a way that made my skin heat uncomfortably. "Though I can see the appeal. You have spirit, little wolf."

"I'm not interested in your approval," I'd replied coldly.

"No? But perhaps you're interested in something else?" He'd moved closer, his scent--A rich rum flavor--enveloping me.

"My brother could never satisfy a wolf like you. When you tire of being his pretty little ornament--come to me. My door is always open."

I'd stepped back, disgust evident in my expression. "I would never betray my mate."

"Not even for someone who could give you everything he can't?"Alpha Sherman had challenged, his eyes flashing with something primal and possessive.

"Think about it, little wolf. You deserve better than playing second fiddle to every omega that catches his eye."

I'd walked away, disgusted by his arrogance and dismissing him as just another rich playboy.

But now, watching his face on the TV, something inside me shifted.

Power. Wealth. And a hatred for Zack that ran deeper than blood.

"He could help us," Keal whispered.

The thought was madness. Dangerous.

And yet--completely logical.

I stood slowly, my reflection staring back from the dark window:

a drenched, exhausted omega who had lost everything.

I needed money to survive, power to protect what was left.

And he held both.

I had no choice anymore.

I had to find Alpha Sherman Carter.

Silvia

The city was still ghostly when I stepped out of the hospital.

The cold dawn bit through my clothes.

I pulled my black coat tighter, trying to guard the fragile composure I had left.

Every step toward the Nightfang Pack's world was a step away from everything that had once been simple and safe.

Finding Carter Enterprises wasn't hard.

Everyone in Blackwood Pack and beyond knew those blue-glass towers marked Sherman Carter's domain--a monument to an Alpha's arrogance and power.

Still, as I passed through the shimmering glass doors in my wrinkled dress and rain-specked shoes, a part of me quaked.

What was I really about to do?

At the marble reception desk, a sharply dressed woman immediately rose.

Her gaze held a flicker of recognition. "Miss Silvia?" she asked, almost too polite. "Alpha Sherman Carter asked to be notified should you arrive. He's waiting for you on the 27th floor."

I stared, numb, as she handed me a glossy keycard.

Had he expected me? Or--worse--had he always been watching?

With no choice, I took the silent elevator up. Every new floor seemed to heighten my tension, my pulse roaring in my ears.

The doors glided open onto the 27th floor--quiet, understated luxury in soft grey and blue, smelling faintly of rum.

At floor twenty-seven, the doors whisked open to reveal a spacious foyer, where Alpha Sherman's Beta, Felix, smiled coolly and ushered me into the Alpha's lair.

Alpha Sherman Carter was right behind his desk--flawless in his tailored shirt, golden hair tousled just enough to look artfully effortless His eyes pinned me instantly, glacial blue and midnight.

It was as if he'd been waiting specifically for me all night.

"Silvia." My name rolled off his tongue smooth as whiskey.

He gestured to a leather chair across from him. "Please. Sit."

For just a second, I hovered, drawn between the urge to bolt and the impossible need for his help. Finally, I slid into the chair.

Alpha Sherman pushed a delicate cup across the table to me--sweet tea, just the way I liked it--and set a thin slice of Victoria sponge cake before me, light as spun sugar.

Vivaldi's Spring played quietly from invisible speakers, so peaceful it almost made me suspicious.

I blinked, thrown off by the details. "Did Zack tell you that?"

A twist of a smile--almost cruel--tugged at his mouth. "He talks more than he should, about things he ought to protect better."

There was a loaded silence.

For a heartbeat, I almost asked him what exactly he knew--about Zack, about everything.

But I forced myself back to reality. "You know why I'm here, don't you?"

His eyes flickered to mine, sharp and unreadable.

"I guessed." His voice was even. "You need something. Money for the surgery. You think I'll give it to you, because you have nothing left to lose and I hate Zack even more than you do."

"Did you know he was cheating on me?" My words came out colder than I intended. "Did you laugh?"

He didn't look away. "I warned you, Silvia. My brother is a spoiled fool."

I straightened in my seat, pulse hammering.

My wolf Keal stirred within me, wary and restless.

We could both sense that only ruthless honesty would cut through this.

"Let's not pretend, then," I said quietly, breath barely steady. "I can't pay for Noah's surgery. I will do whatever it takes to save my family. I know your dilemma, we can make a deal."

His lips twitched, but his eyes never left mine. "A deal? What exactly do you have in mind, little wolf?"

My heart was pounding so loud I could barely hear anything else.

All I could see was my brother Noah, hooked up to those machines, so pale. I had to do this. For him.

I took a shaky breath, trying to sound way calmer than I felt.

"As an Alpha, you don't have long to go on your bachelor vacation." I spoke, my gaze looking straight into those bottomless blue eyes, not daring to divulge a hint of cowardice, "The new rules of the Council of Elders...... I can help you. Marry you, play your Luna, help you stabilize the situation. And you just need to give me a sum of money to save my brother."

For a second, Alpha Sherman just stared. Then this cold, mocking smile spread across his face.

He stood up, and damn, he was tall.

"You?" he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"What makes you think you're the one? I could have any she-wolf I want. They'd be falling over themselves to be with me."

My stomach dropped, but I pushed back.

I forced a shrug, like it was no big deal. "Yeah, maybe. But here's the thing: I won't fall in love with you. When this is over, I'm gone. Plus, let's be real--it would really piss your brother Zack off. Isn't that what you really want? "

Something flashed in his eyes--anger, maybe, or just surprise.

He didn't say anything.

Crap. Was that not enough?

I was running out of options.

I turned like I was about to leave and dropped my last card, the risky one. "You know what? Forget it. I'm sure someone else will help me. Maybe your father--I hear he likes helping young women."

That got him.

"Don't you dare."

His hand shot out and grabbed my wrist--hard.

He pulled me close, so suddenly I almost lost my balance. His face was right in mine, his blue eyes blazing.

"Alright, Silvia Brown," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "You got what you wanted."

His thumb rubbed rough circles on my wrist, sending a weird shiver through me even though his grip was tight.

"But just remember," he said, locking eyes with me. "From now on, I make the rules."

And just like that, I knew--I'd made a deal with the devil to save my brother.