The Alpha’s Broken Vow

Chapter 1

The night of uniting the two rival packs didn’t happen. I stood at the altar, waiting for my mate, Alpha Talon Night. The hours passed, but he never appeared. As the crowd began to murmur and disperse, I reached out to Talon through the mind link. Still, I couldn’t get in. The eyes of the pack burned into me, whispering behind my back about how Nightclaw’s Alpha humiliated me and my pack.

My mother, fragile from the pain of being mateless, had held on just to witness my union. But when Talon didn’t arrive, the heartbreak was too much. She passed away that very night. Grief consumed me, and just when I thought I couldn't endure more, I discovered a lie that tore my soul apart. Talon’s first love, Lily Greyfell, posted in the pack’s network with her, and Talon’s intimate picture was like daggers. When I confronted Talon, his response broke both me and my wolf.

“We can get married any day, but she can’t live without me.”

That was the final blow. The Alpha that my mother and I trusted and loved, had chosen another female werewolf over me.

I couldn’t pretend anymore.

"Let's take a break.” with that last message, I severed our bond and blocked the mind link.

I left Talon and the life I once dreamed of behind without knowing the secret lying in my blood until it was too late…

——

It was our packs’ union day, an event that should have marked the unification of the two rival werewolf packs through marriage. I wore a ceremonial gown, a symbol of peace between the Wildheart and Nightclaw packs, and adorned myself with jewelry that carried both our insignias. My mother, watched from a distance, her gaze full of hope. I waited for Talon Night with growing anticipation, but he never arrived.

I called him countless times, but there was no response. My pack who was proud and stoic, remained silent as whispers spread like wildfire. I felt humiliated before the very people I had sought to bring together. I wonder if this was the moon goddess’s will for our packs. The Wildheart Tribe and the Nightclaw pack can never be together.

My mother’s face, once hopeful, turned ghostly pale. Her heart—already weakened from the loss of my father in a territorial dispute with the Nightclaw pack—could not bear the weight of this betrayal. That very night, she collapsed, clutching her heart, and died before dawn.

I learned from the pack’s scouts that Talon’s first love, Lily Greyfell, had posted an image on the Nightclaw pack’s network showing their intimate closeness. It comes with the caption:

[You are always there for me when I need you. It’s great to have you.]

Anger coursed through my veins. Trembling, I took a screenshot and sent it to Talon.

[Is this why you missed our union?]

No response.

Until after my mother’s cremation when Talon cared to reply: [We can unite the packs any day, but Lily can’t live without me.]

The rage within me boiled over. It’s always been Lily.

[Talon, we need to take a break] I messaged him, then cut him from all communication channels. I even blocked through our mind links.

I’ve done my part for this union, embarrassingly done it with love.

I had chased after Talon for two years, eventually securing his attention, and we were together for five. Those seven years had been the best and worst of my life. I molded myself into someone I thought he’d want—cut my hair short when he told me he preferred it that way. I suppressed my inner wolf’s appetite to the point of starvation, denying myself anything indulgent.

My wolf always failed to shapeshift when I needed her, and I ended up getting injured when hunting or when trying to fight against the rival packs. But Talon always spoke of independence. So I learned to fight my battles alone. Even when I was gravely injured, I didn’t dare ask him to come with me to the healer. I feared he would see me as weak.

For years, I reshaped myself to fit his vision, believing that one day, he would realize how devoted I was. But it wasn’t until I saw Lily that I understood the truth—I had become a shadow of her.

Whenever Lily called, Talon would drop everything to be by her side. His words still haunted me, “You’re strong, Sloane. You can handle being alone. Lily can’t. She needs me.”

Pretending to be strong and fitting to his vision had become his excuse to abandon me repeatedly.

After blocking him, I knelt before my mother’s grave, guilt gnawing at me. My father had died defending our pack’s land, and now, my mother had been taken by grief—both because of the Nightclaw pack. She raised me alone, hiding the pain from her heart’s slowly failing. Her greatest wish was to see our packs united in peace. Here I am, kneeling alone and crying because I had failed her.

Chapter 2

I remained by her grave until it got dark. On my way back to Talon’s mansion, I saw them—Talon and Lily. He was supporting her fragile form, and in Lily’s hands, she cradled a small urn.

“It’s close to my home, Talon,” she whispered, her voice frail. “If I bury him here, it’s like he’ll never be far from me.”

The urn held the ashes of a small dog—a pet she had adopted a while ago. Seeing them together, a deep ache settled in my heart. I tried to walk past them unnoticed, but Talon’s sharp eyes caught me immediately. His expression soured.

“Sloane, are you following me?” he asked, his tone irritated. His accusing gaze burned into me. How could he not understand why I was here?

Lily stepped forward, her voice as soft as ever. “Sloane, my son died. Talon stayed to help me with the burial. Please don’t misunderstand.” Her words were sweet, but her eyes held the same smugness I had always known.

“Oh, you’ve got yourself a truly loyal mate,” I muttered.

Talon's frown deepened. “Sloane, show some sympathy. Lily’s been through a lot. You don't need to make this harder.”、

I had no more energy to argue. My mother was dead. I had no patience left for them. “It’s not necessary. I’ll be leaving now.”

I walked past them, ignoring the confusion on Talon’s face. But he wasn’t done with me yet. He rushed after me, grabbing my arm. “Are you still upset about the ceremony?” His voice was casual, like it was no big deal that he had failed to show up for our union.

“I don’t care anymore, Talon,” I said coldly.

He sighed, exasperated. “Lily needed me. I couldn’t leave her alone when her dog died. But your mother will forgive me, right? Tell her I’m sorry, and we can set a new date for the ceremony.”

I stopped in my tracks. The Alpha of the Nightclaw, the one I’d given seven years of my life to, didn’t even know my mother had passed.

“There’s no chance,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Talon reached for me again. “I was wrong. But your mother treated me like her own son. She’ll understand. Let’s just reschedule the union. It’s not too late.”

But it was. It had been too late the moment my mother died. “I won’t marry you, Talon,” I said, shaking off his hand.

He stood there in stunned silence as I walked away. Knowing that he was about to lose me, Talon took out his phone and called his Beta.

"Nico, help me apologize to Sloane’'s mother, and tell her that I will give Natalie a grand wedding in two days. Send her soem gifts to sooth her."

Before I leave the cemetery gate, the call came in—someone was digging up my mother’s grave! I turned on my heel and sprinted back toward her grave. Before my mother passed, she made me promise not to engrave her tombstone with words of sorrow but with, “May my daughter live a safe and happy life.” That was her only wish.

As I get close to the gravesite, I saw Lily and Talon again. Two of the Nightclaw’s pack scout were burying the dog Lily called her ‘son’ in my mother’s gravesite. My mother’s urn had been carelessly cast aside.

"What do you think you're doing?" I yelled, and rushed toward them. "Who told you to desecrate her grave?"

"Oh, Sloane, this is where I chose to lay my son to rest. The cemetery manager was notified. I saw the engraving, and it touched me. Such a loving message from a mother. I thought it appropriate for my son to have such a peaceful place." Lily smiled softly, but her words meant the opposite. "I’ll compensate the family—surely they won’t mind. Why are you looking at me like that?"

I ignored her and grabbed the nearest shovel and began digging frantically, undoing the damage they had done.

"Sloane, stop!" Talon’s commanding tone cut through the chaos as he tore the shovel from my hands.

"How could you, Talon?" I screamed, shoving him away and falling to my knees, clawing at the freshly packed earth with my bare hands.

“Stop her! Oh my, my poor son,” Lily gave signal to the two pack’s scout with them earlier.

Before I could even think of a retort, they grabbed me, and pinned me down.

"Apologize, Sloane," Talon commanded, his voice low and dangerous.

"Never!"

Lily desecrated my mother's grave just to bury her dog, and the thought it makes me want to send her to jail and to trial!

"Talon, you’ve always said she’s a good girl. But I think she’s only pretending to be sweet in front of you. You saw how unhinged she was just now. If you actually marry her, you’ll be the laughingstock of everyone in the pack."

"Who would dare laugh at me and my woman?" Talon’ response clearly irked Lily, but she didn’t let it show—deception was her specialty.

Talon then turned to me, his expression hard. "Slone, I can’t believe you’re acting out over a grave. I expected better from you. Just apologize to Lily, and maybe I’ll consider forgiving you."

"What if I won’t?"

I clenched my jaw, refusing to back down.

Chapter 3

Talon’s eyes darkened as he stepped closer, towering over me like a wolf about to strike. "Don’t forget, Sloane, your mother still needed my pack’s ancient healing remedies. I told you, there’s one last treatment that could cure her heart condition, and I’ve arranged for her to have it next week."

I froze. My mother had always adored Talon and treated him like the son she never had. She knew he’d be a good wolfmate to his destined one. Talon respected my mother because she saved him and took care of him when the war between the packs was going. He promised to cure her, let her live longer, and be able to play with her grandpups.

Now, he's trying to get me to apologize with the same promise.

"You’re threatening my mother’s life for Lily?" I spat with rage. I had always feared that Talon’s loyalty to Lily ran deeper than I realized but to this extent? It was beyond anything I could have imagined.

He shrugged, pulling out his phone as if my words meant nothing. "That’s right. So, what’s it going to be? An apology, or your mother’s life?"

The coldness in his voice struck me like a blow to the chest. The man I had loved for years was truly gone, consumed by his pack, his duties, and his twisted allegiance to Lily.

Tears welled up in my eyes, not just from the pain of betrayal but from the profound disappointment. I had trusted and sacrificed everything for him, and yet here he was, heartlessly threatening the person I loved most.

"You disgust me," I said.

Seeing my tears, Talon hesitated for a moment, his brow furrowing. But before he could speak, Lily said, "Sloane, stop being so dramatic. It’s not like I dug your mother’s gravesite.”

After she said that, she turned to the pack’s scouts and ordered them to refill the grave. “Let my son rest in peace."

The pack’s scouts released me and began to shovel dirt over my mother’s grave. I lunged to stop them, but Talon grabbed me.

“Stop it!” He pushed me aside, and I stumbled, colliding with the urn that held my mother’s ashes. It toppled, spilling its contents onto the ground.

The rain began to pour down and turned the ground into mud together with some of my mom’s spilled ashes. I couldn’t think or move at the moment. The grief inside me exploded into a primal howl.

Watching my mother die with regrets was the most painful thing for me. Now, I couldn't even protect her ashes.

"No! No, no, no!" I desperately tried to gather the remains, but they slipped through my fingers, lost forever in the rain and dirt.

I want to shapeshift and slash Lily’s face with my paw, but due to intolerable pain, my wolf won’t come out. The betrayal she’s feeling over her mate protecting another female wolf is unbearable to even survive shifting.

Lily approached and looked down at me. "Enough with the theatrics, Sloane. It’s just ashes."

"Go away!" I shoved her hard.

She stumbled backward, but Talon caught her before she hit the ground.

"Slone, you almost knocked Lily over!" Talon shouted, furious. "I won’t let this slide! You need to learn your place!"

Talon pulled his phone from his pocket and called his Beta. "Nico, don’t send the apology gift anymore. Stop supplying Samantha’s medication and cancel the surgery too.”

There was a brief silence on the other end before Nico responded, "Alpha, your destined Luna’s mother passed away on your supposed to be union day. Also, the grave you’re right now to bury Lily’s dog... belongs to Samantha Wildheart."