My Second Chance Mate is the Alpha King

Chapter 1: Abandoned the Engagement Ceremony (Aurora's POV) Standing in front of the mirror at Silver Rose Bridal Shop, I watched as Linda, the stylist, fussed over my engagement dress. The delicate silk fabric flowed like moonlight against my skin, making my silver-white hair shimmer under the boutique's warm lighting. "You two are simply perfect together!" Linda gushed as she adjusted the dress's hem. "The heir of Silver Moon Pack and the heir of Storm Pack - it's like a fairy tale!" I couldn't help but smile at her words. Alex and I had come such a long way from our days at the orphanage. "We grew up together in the neutral territory orphanage," I explained, watching Linda's eyes widen with interest. "Neither of us knew our true identities until we were fifteen." "Oh my! What a beautiful story!" Linda clasped her hands together excitedly. "Found by your respective packs and discovering you're both heirs! And then becoming mates at eighteen - it's destiny!" The memory of that moment when we both awakened as wolves and felt our mate bond snap into place still made my heart flutter. Looking at my reflection, I touched the crescent moon birthmark on my collarbone - the mark that had identified me as the true heir of Silver Moon Pack. "The young girls in both packs are so envious," Linda continued as she worked. "You're their ideal love story - childhood sweethearts who turned out to be destined mates!" I smiled softly, remembering how Alex had always protected me at the orphanage. Even before we knew what we were to each other, he had been my guardian, my rock. "The engagement party is in three days, right?" Linda asked, pinning up another section of the dress. "Yes, both packs will be there to celebrate," I confirmed, excitement bubbling in my chest. The fitting room door opened slightly, and Alex poked his head in. His storm-gray eyes lit up when he saw me. "You look stunning," he breathed, stepping fully into the room. He was already dressed in his engagement suit, looking devastatingly handsome. Linda excused herself with a knowing smile, leaving us alone. Alex approached me slowly, his eyes drinking in every detail. "I can't believe you're mine," he whispered, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind. His lips found my neck, sending shivers down my spine. I turned in his arms, bringing my hands up to his chest. "We've come so far from those days at the orphanage..." His lips were just about to meet mine when his phone rang shrilly. The moment shattered as he pulled back to check the screen. I saw Isabella's name flash across it before he answered. My good mood instantly evaporated. "What's wrong?" Alex's voice was tense as he listened. "Isabella, calm down..." I could hear her hysterical voice through the speaker. "Since you're going to propose anyway, you don't need me anymore! I'm in so much pain... I can't take it anymore!" Rolling my eyes, I stepped away from Alex. "Another suicide threat? How original." Alex shot me a pleading look, but before he could respond, his phone pinged with a message. The color drained from his face as he looked at it. "She's in the bathtub... she's cut her wrists..." he muttered, already moving toward the door. I grabbed his arm. "Don't you dare leave! She does this every time we try to be intimate. She's never actually hurt herself - it's all manipulation!" "Aurora, please understand," Alex begged, his eyes torn. "I have to make sure she's okay. We still have three days until the engagement party. I'll be back in time, I promise." "If you walk out that door today, there won't be an engagement," I threatened, my voice cold. He hesitated for a moment, then gently removed my hand from his arm. "I'll make it up to you. I just need to handle this." I stood there in my beautiful engagement dress, watching Alex's back as he rushed out of the bridal shop without a second glance. My hands trembled as I tried to hold back the tears threatening to spill. Linda, the stylist, knocked gently on the fitting room door. "Miss Aurora, are you alright? Would you like help removing the dress?" "Yes, please," I managed to whisper, my voice barely steady. As Linda helped me out of the dress, I couldn't stop thinking about how Isabella always seemed to have perfect timing. Every intimate moment between Alex and me was interrupted by her dramatic suicide threats. "Such a shame Mr. Storm had to leave so suddenly," Linda commented sympathetically while hanging up the dress. "The dress looks absolutely stunning on you." I didn't respond. What could I say? That my fiancé had just abandoned me for another woman? Again? Once alone in the changing room, I began removing my makeup with trembling hands. The carefully applied foundation and mascara smeared under my angry swipes. A soft knock interrupted my thoughts. "Aurora? It's Hazel." Relief flooded through me at the sound of my best friend's voice. Hazel walked in, her emerald eyes filled with concern. "Alex called me," she explained, pulling me into a tight hug. "That i***t cousin of mine asked me to keep you company." I let out a bitter laugh. "How thoughtful of him to arrange a babysitter." Hazel's face darkened with anger. "I can't believe he left you here for that manipulative witch again. I already gave him a piece of my mind over the phone." "What did he say?" I couldn't help but ask. "He just kept repeating that Isabella saved his life and he owes her," Hazel rolled her eyes. "Come on, let's get out of here. You need food and a friend right now, not this fancy prison." She practically dragged me to a nearby restaurant, ordering my favorite comfort foods without even looking at the menu. "Look," Hazel said gently as we waited for our food. "I know Alex loves you. He's just... caught up in this twisted sense of obligation to Isabella." Deep down, I knew she was right. Alex and I had grown up together, protected each other. He did love me. But knowing that didn't make his constant choice of Isabella over me hurt any less. Just as I was starting to calm down, my phone rang. Alex's name flashed across the screen. "Aurora?" His voice was tense. "Isabella's condition is critical. The doctors say she lost a lot of blood..." My heart dropped. "What are you saying?" "I... I can't make it back in three days for the engagement ceremony. We'll have to postpone-" "Postpone?" I cut him off, my voice rising. "There will be no engagement in three days, Alex. And there won't be one in the future either!" "Aurora, be sensible," he sighed in that condescending tone I'd grown to hate. "Don't make a fuss about this. I have to go." The line went dead before I could respond. I stared at the screen,my hand shaking with rage. "Alright,that's it," Hazel declared,pulling me up from my seat. "We're going to the club. You're drinking tonight, Aurora. I don't care if I have to carry you home. You're not sulking in this restaurant all night." The club's music pounded like a steady drumbeat against my skull, the rhythm doing little to drown out the chaos in my head. My hands gripped the edge of the bar as I swirled the amber liquid in my glass. Drink after drink burned down my throat,but none of it burned away the deep ache in my chest. "I can't believe this," I mumbled,more to myself than to Hazel,who was watching me with growing concern. "Three days. Our engagement was three days away. And he—he just... left." Hazel placed her drink on the countertop with a sharp clink. "Aurora, the man's a fool, alright? And I swear,if you weren't already ripping him apart in your head,I would have marched straight to that hospital to knock some sense into him.” I laughed bitterly,tipping my glass back and polishing off the rest of the alcohol. "Knocking sense into Alex? Good luck. If anyone knows how stubborn he is,it's me.” Hazel started to speak again,probably to tell me to slow down on the liquor,but I cut her off. "Hazel," I said, setting my glass down harder than necessary. "Do you know what's the worst part? It wasn't just today. It wasn't just Isabel. This—this whole thing has been building for years. And I let it happen.” Her frown deepened. "Aurora,you can't blame yourself. You've given Alex more than anyone else ever has. More than he probably deserved,if we're being honest.” "Exactly!"I snapped,laughing humorlessly again. "I gave him everything. Everything, Hazel.” Memories flooded back. I remembered being sixteen, standing before the Storm Pack council. They had sneered at me, called me 'that orphan girl from neutral territory.' "It's absurd that he should be considered as heir," one elder had said. "An illegitimate pup with no ties to the Luna's line? It's an insult." But I hadn't flinched. "The moment Alex awakened as his wolf Asher, the pack bond recognized him. If the bond accepts him, why can't you?" I had found every loophole to force them to consider his candidacy. That day, Alex's name was put forward as a legitimate contender. "You're amazing, Aurora," he'd whispered afterward, gripping my hands tightly. "I couldn't have done this without you." But that was just the beginning. For two years after, I kept fighting his battles. When other heirs sabotaged his training, I stayed up helping him recover. When his Luna stepmother blocked his resources, I exposed her corruption. Every victory he'd achieved had come at a price - one I'd paid willingly. At eighteen, when our mate bond formed, I thought it had all been worth it. Destiny had written our story in the stars. "How did we get here,Hazel?"My voice cracked slightly,bringing me back to the present. "I held his hand every step of the way,and now he's... he's holding someone else's." Hazel softened visibly,leaning closer with a rare seriousness in her voice. " You got him to the top, and now he's too blinded by guilt for Isabella to value what you've given him. But worse than that," she hesitated, her tone gentler now, "he might not even realize how much he's hurting you.” I wanted to argue,to fight back against her words,but I couldn't. It felt too raw,too true. I reached for yet another drink,but Hazel snatched it away before I could. "Come on," Hazel pulled me up. "If you're going to drown your sorrows, we're doing it on the dance floor." I threw myself into the crowd, letting the music batter through my thoughts. But eventually,the motion,the noise,the heat—they overwhelmed me.