My Alpha Marked Someone Else, So I Married His Rival

My Alpha boyfriend looked down on me for being wolfless. Behind my back, he marked someone else. At his bachelor party, Ethan’s close female friend, Nina, suddenly raised her glass and wrapped her arm around his shoulders. "I never thought you'd get married so early, Ethan. For this first glass, I toast to you for being such a loyal friend. Just because I mentioned wanting to see the Northern Lights, you left Clara behind without a second thought to fly across the world with me." "For the second glass, I toast to your years of taking care of me. Like that night when my power went out, and you stayed by my side until morning." The VIP room erupted into deafening applause and cheers. My mind went completely blank. My ears buzzed. So, on our fifth anniversary, the "emergency" Ethan had claimed was actually him flying abroad with Nina. And the night I suffered a miscarriage and lost our pup, he was staying awake all night just to keep Nina company! Amidst the rowdy crowd, Nina coquettishly coaxed Ethan to feed her a drink. Before taking a sip, she flashed a sweet, mocking smile at me. "And this last glass, I toast to Clara’s generosity." "Thank you, Clara, for letting Ethan mark me. It really helped me win that petty fight against my ex." *Clatter!* The wine glass slipped from my hand, shattering on the floor. "Make yourself clear, Nina. What do you mean... you and Ethan..." My voice shook. My fingers tightly gripped a piece of broken glass, but I barely felt the sharp pain piercing my skin. During my five years with Ethan, I had begged him to mark me ninety-nine times. But every single time he was about to do it, Nina would ruin it at the very last second. Just recently, Ethan had agreed to my hundredth request. He promised he would officially mark me right after our Mate Ceremony, telling the whole world I was his only Luna. But he had already marked Nina! The atmosphere in the room turned heavy. Someone quickly stepped in to ease the tension. "Oh, come on, Clara, don't take it to heart. Nina is just outspoken. Besides, we’re all from the same pack. Helping each other out is totally normal." "Yeah, Ethan just did me a small favor as a friend. Clara, you’re not going to be petty and jealous over something this minor, right?" Nina added. Before she could even finish, Ethan laughed and tapped her lightly on the head. "Shut up. Not even food can keep your mouth closed." Nina pouted and gave his chest a playful punch. "Oh, please. Your 'mouth closer' is way too big for me to handle anyway~" The crowd gasped, followed by a burst of wild, suggestive laughter. "Damn, Nina, you’ve actually seen Ethan’s? Want to compare it to mine and see whose is bigger?" a guy yelled. "Go away! Ethan is different from you guys. We grew up together. We’re best friends." "Is there any part of him I haven't seen?" As soon as she said that, the rowdy room fell dead silent. My mind went entirely blank. I didn't even notice the glass shard digging deeper into my fingertip. Seeing me frozen, she waved her hand and laughed dismissively. "Oh, don't look at me like that, Clara. Honestly, you should be thanking me. If it weren't for my coaching, would Ethan be this good in bed?" Blood rushed to my head. I couldn't take it anymore. I grabbed another wine glass and hurled it straight at Nina’s face. Before she could scream, Ethan moved like lightning, pulling her into his protective embrace. "Clara! Are you crazy? What the hell is wrong with you now?!" I stared at the red scrape on the back of Ethan's hand. My nails dug deep into my palms. After a long silence, my voice finally cracked. "You two really are 'best friends.' Best friends who jump into the same bed." I let out a bitter, mocking laugh. "Since you love her so much, why don't you just make her your Luna? Honestly, you two deserve each other—one cheap slut, one trashy bastard. You're both disgusting!" Ethan lost his temper instantly. He raised his hand and slapped me across the face. "Clara! That's enough! When did you become so vicious?" "Apologize to Nina. Now!" Nina hid in Ethan's chest. From an angle the others couldn't see, she flashed me a smug, triumphant smirk. Suddenly, I felt an overwhelming sense of exhaustion. It was so pathetic. I grabbed my phone and turned to leave. But Ethan grabbed my wrist, pinning me in place. "You humiliated Nina in front of everyone today. You embarrassed me." "If you don't apologize, the Mate Ceremony in three days is cancelled."As he spoke, Ethan's face naturally filled with arrogance. He looked down at me. He seemed entirely certain that I wouldn't leave. He was waiting for me to bow my head and apologize, just like the other ninety-nine times. "Clara, you'd better think this through. Once you walk out that door, who else would ever want a wolfless girl like you?" My heart sank. The Ethan standing in front of me felt like a complete stranger. I couldn't connect him with the passionate, fiercely protective boy from eight years ago. Tears welled up in my chest. Memories of that sweet boy began to flood my mind. When I was thirteen, when the other werewolves in the pack bullied me, Ethan was the one who stood up for me. Even when he was badly injured, he dragged me out of the dark. "Hey, your name is Clara, right? I fell in love with you at first sight. From now on, I'll protect you." "If anyone messes with you, just say my name. I'll make them regret it!" When I was fifteen, Ethan, who hated training, started waking up before dawn to run laps just to keep me company. He even stopped going to pack parties. When I was sixteen, my parents died in a pack conflict. We lost our income, and I had to sneak to the dangerous borders to work odd jobs to survive. It was sixteen-year-old Ethan who worked right alongside me every single day. He picked me up late at night, often falling asleep on the curb while waiting for me to finish my shift. On my eighteenth birthday, I finally came of age. But on that very day, I realized something devastating. Ethan was not my fated mate. But before I could even say a word, Ethan eagerly kissed my lips, begging and pleading with me to promise we'd be together forever. "Clara, you have me now. Don't be scared. I will cherish you for the rest of my life." At that moment, I didn't push him away. When I was twenty-one, I was brutally attacked and lost my inner wolf. The day I was rescued, Ethan held me and sobbed uncontrollably, swearing to make everyone who hurt me pay. But ever since he met Nina, everything we had evaporated into thin air. Ethan started bringing up Nina constantly in our daily conversations. I didn't even notice when her name began to dominate his vocabulary, or when he stopped coming home. He started keeping his distance. He began to despise me. He stood by and let others mock me. A gust of cold wind blew through the open window, snapping me back to reality. The warmth in my heart died out. The image of the sweet boy in my memory finally faded away. I looked Ethan straight in the eye and said, word for word: "Then cancel it. I wish you two a happy life together." Seeing me turn around to leave, a flash of panic crossed Ethan's eyes. Even his voice carried a hint of desperation. "Clara, stop right there!" "You don't even have a wolf! You're just a useless freak. Who else would ever want you?" Ethan’s voice wasn't loud, but it echoed like thunder in the quiet room. All the blood drained from my face. I turned my head, my body trembling with utter disbelief. My deepest pain, my most humiliating secret, was casually laid bare by Ethan in front of everyone. Ethan looked slightly panicked for a split second, but he quickly composed himself. "Clara, be good. Come here and apologize to Nina. I'll pretend this never happened, and our Mate Ceremony will go on as scheduled." Ethan's voice drifted through the room. The mocking stares of the crowd swept over me like daggers. Everyone knew I was wolfless. But in the past, Ethan had never allowed anyone to mention it. "Tsk, he finally said it. He usually acts so devoted, but deep down, he's just embarrassed that she’s wolfless." "Exactly. She’s just a useless human. Did she really think Alpha Ethan couldn't live without her?" The whispering and pointing pressed down on my chest, suffocating me."Ethan, you bastard!" "You don't know anything—" I lunged forward, my body shaking with pure rage and grief. Before I could control myself, I slapped Ethan hard across the face. *Slap!* The entire room fell into a dead silence. Nina immediately stepped up, wrapping her arm around Ethan's shoulder and pulling him toward her chest. "Clara, women like you are such a pain. Ethan and I are just friends. Do you really have to be this dramatic?" "Nobody else thinks it's a big deal. Stop being so dirty-minded!" Her words made the crowd look at me with even more disgust. The murmurs grew louder. Ethan kept his head turned, refusing to look at me. Something inside my chest shattered completely. Nina’s provocation, the crowd's humiliation, Ethan's silence—all the pain and unfairness of the past years slapped me back like a physical blow. "Ethan, I’ve tolerated you two for so long! 'Friends, friends'—it's always about your friends!" "Whenever I needed you, you were never there. I told you I wanted to see the Northern Lights, and you said it was boring. But the moment Nina mentioned it, you ran after her like a dog." "My miscarriage and the loss of our pup didn't even compare to Nina’s power outage! Last time, the time before that, and the time before that... every single Mate Ceremony we planned, you abandoned me the very next day for some minor emergency of Nina's! And now today!" "I am humiliated and provoked by her, and you still stand by her like an idiot. You casually expose my deepest wound just so these people can mock me!" "Ethan, am I really that worthless to you?!" I gasped for air, tears blurring my vision. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ethan reach his hand out toward me, but the waves of whispers around us felt like they were going to drown me. I couldn't take this agonizing pain anymore. I turned and ran like a coward. Before the door slammed shut, the last thing I heard was Nina’s teasing voice. "Wow, you really are a great friend, Ethan. Giving up your bride for me." "But hey, if you're just pretending not to care and want to go after her, we won't judge." Ethan’s confident reply echoed through the hallway: "Without me, no one will ever want her." They made a five-million-dollar bet that I would crawl back and apologize within three days. At that moment, the very last spark of hope in my heart died out. I pulled out my phone and dialed a number I hadn't called in years. Within three seconds, the call was answered. "My Mate Ceremony is in three days. Be there." The voice on the other end was incredibly excited. But before he could ask anything, a text message from Grandma Rose popped up. "Clara, how is the planning for the Mate Ceremony going? Do you want to come over for dinner tonight? I cooked your favorite dishes." Attached was a photo of a lavish feast. Grandma Rose had prepared every single dish that Ethan and I loved. The table was packed. I forced down the lump in my throat. I couldn't tell her the truth. I couldn't let Grandma Rose, who had worked her entire life to raise me, worry about me anymore. I recorded a voice message, trying to sound as cheerful as possible: "I got it, Grandma! I'm on my way back to see you now. But Ethan has a pack meeting tonight, so he won't be able to join us!" Before getting into the car, I instinctively looked back at Ethan’s villa. He and Nina were surrounded by the crowd, laughing and joking. His ears were flushed red. My cheek stung with a burning pain. Tears, which I thought had dried up, filled my eyes again. I covered my face with my hands, refusing to let anyone see my breakdown.I didn't even remember how I got home. By the time I snapped out of it, I had poked the food on my plate into a complete mess. Seeing my distress, Grandma Rose quickly put down her fork and pulled me into her arms. She asked softly, "Clara, tell Grandma. Did that boy Ethan hurt you?" Looking into Grandma Rose’s loving, concerned eyes, the truth rushed to the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed it back down. "Grandma Rose, can I take you away from here? Let's move somewhere else." After a long silence with no response, I looked up in confusion. A warm tear from Grandma Rose fell right onto my cheek. "Of course, my sweet Clara. Grandma promises you. Wherever Clara goes, I will follow and take care of you." "A Mate Ceremony isn't the only path to happiness. If my Clara doesn't want it, if Clara is hurting, you don't have to marry him. Grandma only wants you to be happy." Her comfort washed over me like a warm spring breeze. My emotional defenses crumbled completely. I buried my face in Grandma Rose’s chest and sobbed, letting out years of bottled-up pain. The next morning, as I was packing my bags, my secondary Snapchat account received a notification. It was a photo of Nina leaning into Ethan’s chest, both of them wearing ski gear. They looked like a passionately in-love couple. The caption read: "Someone came all this way to make up for my regret of never seeing snow. Meet my strict coach, Ethan~" I froze. A small snow globe plushie Ethan had given me fell out of my pocket. It was a gift he gave me to "make up" for not taking me to see the snow. He had promised he would take me north the moment he finished his work. But one busy week turned into another, and that promise was tossed into the dusty corners of his mind. My heart went numb. I picked up the plushie and threw it straight into the trash can. Suddenly, a loud scream came from Grandma Rose’s room. Grandma Rose’s residual wolf venom had flared up! I rushed her to the Pack Healer clinic. But when I arrived, I was told the Healer had been called away by Ethan to treat Nina's minor injury! Hearing this, I threw away all my pride and ran frantically toward the VIP clinic. "Ethan! Ethan! I beg you, please let the Healer save Grandma Rose!" "She always treated you like her own grandson! Three years ago, she was bitten by rogues while defending the pack borders. The wolf venom has been in her system ever since. She got poisoned to protect the pack! Please, let the Healer treat her!" The next second, Nina appeared, clinging to Ethan's arm. She dramatically clutched her chest, groaning in a high-pitched voice about how much it hurt. But it was clearly just a tiny scratch! It was barely even red! Ethan was about to speak, but Nina pulled him back. "Ethan, my chest hurts so much~" "She slapped you so hard last night. This is probably just another one of her dramatic tricks to force you back to her." The concern in Ethan’s eyes instantly hardened into cold indifference. "Clara, even if you want to lie, make it believable." "How dare you use Grandma Rose’s life to play your pathetic games!" "Since you love acting so much, fine. I'm taking away the pack's medical supplies. Let's see how long you can keep up this act!" The moment the medical equipment and stabilizing drugs were cut off, Grandma Rose’s breathing stopped. The person who loved me most in this world was killed by the man I once loved most. "No—!" I screamed in agony. But before I could reach her, a brutal slap sent me spinning to the floor. Ethan’s towering shadow blocked out the light. The disgust and anger in his eyes were unmistakable. My vision went dark. Warm blood trickled down my nose and the corner of my mouth. The metallic taste of blood filled my tongue. Nina stood right beside him, her lips curved into a smug, victorious smile that pierced through my heart. "Clara, stay on your knees and reflect on what you've done!" Ethan barked. I didn't know how much time had passed. It felt long enough for my soul to leave my body along with Grandma Rose. My knees were numb, my face throbbed, and the cold wind outside stung my skin. I dragged myself to the bed, my trembling hand reaching out to touch her cold, gentle face. *Grandma Rose, life is so hard. I want to go with you...* I left the pack alone, wandering aimlessly into the deep forest. Just as I drew a silver dagger, ready to end my life, I was pulled into a warm, familiar embrace. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I'm late."