Secretly Engaged to an Alpha

I'd been secretly dating Rowan,a beta and my brother’s best friend,for six years,a secret kept from my brother,the deception weighed heavily on me!

CHAPTER 1

I'd been secretly dating Rowan, a Beta and my brother's best friend, for six years—a secret kept carefully from my brother. The deception weighed heavily on me, a constant, low thrum of guilt.

Then, one night, hidden in the shadows, I overheard him and a friend. Their careless words painted a picture: Heidi, his first love, was back.

And I? Just a rebound, a temporary placeholder until she returned. He planned to dump me, oblivious to the fact that I was already planning my escape.

However, my arranged marriage to Alpha Daniel Gavinski—a union settled by our packs—was my ticket out. I wouldn't let him discard me like a worn-out toy. I'd be the one to end things, on my terms, leaving him with the bitter taste of his betrayal.

——

"Rowan, your first love is back. Are you going to dump Marydale?"

For six years, I had a secret relationship with my older brother's best friend, the Beta Wolf, Rowan. We were looking forward to getting married in the future.

But tonight, I was flabbergasted to overhear a conversation between him and his friend, Troy.

"Man, I'm impressed with your boldness to date Freddie's sister and make her a rebound. Now that Heidi's back, what are you going to do with her?" his friend laughed.

"Let me handle this," Rowan said, confidence oozing from his voice. "But you're right, I'm using Mary to make Heidi jealous. She'll regret dumping me the moment she sees me with another wolf."

Troy's voice was a low growl. "Aren't you scared of Freddie? He'll despise you when he finds out you hurt his little sister."

Rowan waved a dismissive hand. "Not a problem, Troy. Fred's in the dark. We're keeping this from him, and Mary's so naive, she'll swallow anything I tell her."

I froze in my spot, hearing those words from him. I couldn't help but feel infuriated knowing the man I trusted was just using me all this time.

The next day, Rowan took me to Heidi's welcome party, and I saw that many people had come. She was indeed popular in her own right since she came from a wealthy pack. While Rowan was acting strangely, displaying his affection for me whenever Heidi looked our way. After hearing what he said the other night, I knew he was making her jealous just to win her back.

Suddenly, Heidi walked out of the hall, and I saw Rowan immediately stand up and follow her. Also, I couldn't help but follow them outside. I was so nervous that I didn't notice the waiter coming my way, and I bumped into him, causing him to spill hot soup all over me.

"I'm so sorry." The waiter looked scared, but I assured him it was fine, even though my skin was burned. I just grabbed a napkin and wiped my wet dress. Then I continued outside and found them in the garden.

Heidi was crying in Rowan's arms, and I saw a smirk on his face as he realized his plan was working because he was using me as a tool. This was so painful to watch, so I turned my back and decided to return home rather than stay at the party with Rowan, who was desperate to get back with his first love.

I returned home in my messy dress, with burns on my arms and legs. I treated the burns and covered them with gauze. A little later, I took my phone and searched for my brother's phone number, as he was currently abroad.

"Freddie, I've made up my mind. I agree to the arranged marriage," I said seriously.

"Marydale? Are you sure about this?" My brother sounded surprised, and I could sense his confusion on the other end of the line. I took a heavy sigh.

"Yes, brother. I think there's nothing wrong with agreeing to this. I'm going to get married anyway, and I trust Mom and Dad's decision. I know they found the perfect mate for me." I tried to sound bubbly and forced a smile.

Freddie was silent for a second before responding. "I'm glad you've figured it out, Mary. So when are you coming back? Do you want to meet your fiancé before making the final decision?"

"No need, Fred. I should agree so that our pack's conflicts with alliances will be resolved sooner. You can inform them to start preparing for the wedding, and let's set the date for a month from now."

"Gotcha! Oh, by the way, do you still have contact with Rowan, my best friend? I heard his ex-girlfriend is finally back. You should reach out to him and celebrate; who knows, he might bring some good luck."

I was surprised that my older brother also knew about Heidi. No wonder Rowan had always insisted on keeping our relationship a secret from him. I felt another pang in my heart as if a knife were stabbing through it.

"Sorry, Fred, but I'm not close to him," I reasoned.

Just then, my heart raced when I heard the sound of the door unlocking. I ended the call and put my phone back in the drawer.

"Who are you referring to that you're not close to?" Rowan suddenly asked, a grin on his face.

"You, of course," I said coldly, and he looked surprised.

He walked closer to me and suddenly pulled me into his embrace. "Why would you say that, babe? Are you sulking because we didn't spend some nights together, hmm?" he whispered, and I could feel his warm breath against my ear.

Before, his touch would make me weak and set my heart racing, but now I felt nothing but discomfort and simmering anger. I tried to push his hands off me, but then I noticed a lipstick stain on his collar.

At the same time, the burns on my body ached, and my heart throbbed as if it would explode at any moment. I could feel tears forming in my eyes.

"Mary, what's wrong? Are you okay?" he asked, worry etched on his face.

Then he wiped the tears streaming down my cheeks, unaware that he was the reason I was crying. I noticed he lowered his gaze, and his eyes widened when he saw the red marks on my arms and wrists.

"How did this happen? When did you get burned? Why didn't you tell me?" His voice trembled.

I just stared at him. "You were busy comforting Heidi."

CHAPTER 2

"What do you mean?" Rowan acted as if he had amnesia, forgetting what he had done earlier.

"Nothing. I think I'm just tired," I mumbled, turning my gaze away.

"All right, stop crying now. I'll put some ointment on your wounds, okay?" He gently patted my head to soothe me as he got up to grab the first aid kit, muttering along the way.

"You're a big girl now, Mary, but still afraid of pain and always crying? What would you do without me?" He said it as if he were the only person I could depend on.

Even though he had spoiled me for a full six years, I still knew how to take care of myself and could do anything without him.

But how could I tell him that I didn't want him anymore? That I didn't want this fake love anymore?

That night, I struggled to sleep, enduring both my burn marks and my aching heart.

I tried to sleep, but how could I when the man who caused my heartbreak was lying right next to me? Rowan was sleeping peacefully, his arms wrapped around my body. But I didn’t like him touching me, so I gently pushed his hands away.

By dawn, I felt Rowan pull me out of bed. I whimpered, trying to push him away, but he just chuckled and leaned in to kiss me.

Instantly, all my sleepiness vanished, and I was irritated by his presence to the point that I wanted to slap him, but I controlled myself and tried to calm down.

Luckily, he just gave me a quick kiss, but if it had lasted longer, I wouldn't have hesitated to punch him in the face.

"Wake up, my dear Mary," he said softly.

I got up and wiped my mouth in disgust. "It's the weekend, Rowan. Why can't you let people sleep in?" I said, annoyed.

Rowan looked surprised by my reaction. "Mary, you had a fever last night. I'm waking you up because I'm taking you to the clinic."

Although I felt mostly fine, I couldn't argue with him, so I reluctantly got up. "I can go there alone; you don't need to accompany me."

"No, I'm coming with you," he insisted.

I just shrugged and went to the bathroom to wash my face. Seeing my reflection in the mirror, I noticed something had changed in me. My face looked gloomy, and anger was evident in my eyes.

When we arrived at the clinic, we walked down the hallway and unexpectedly ran into Heidi. It looked like she was having a hard time walking and struggled to hop down the hallway on her own.

I turned to Rowan and saw that he felt pity for Heidi. I wasn't surprised by his next move; I watched him release my hand to go to the woman he had once loved.

I tried to steady myself, but it hurt to see him forget me so quickly as if I no longer existed.

"Heidi? What happened to you?" I could hear Rowan's voice filled with worry.

Heidi smiled at him, then threw a glance toward me. "Oh, I just sprained my ankle; I fell down the staircase because I was drunk. What about you? Are you here for a checkup too?" she asked.

Rowan's expression froze as he glanced back at me, and I could feel him staring at me like a stranger.

"Oh, that's my best friend's little sister. He was away, and Mary got a fever, so I brought her here," Rowan lied.

I wasn’t surprised by that; I had grown used to being called a friend, sometimes a sister. The worst thing he called me was a servant.

From the moment Rowan and I got into a relationship, he always told me not to publicize it and that we should be a low-key couple. Some of his closest friends knew about us, but he warned them not to spread it.

"All right, that's good to hear, Rowan. You're such a kind guy. You better take her to the doctor first; I'll wait here," Heidi said, gesturing toward the clinic.

Heidi turned her back and hopped on her own, but Rowan didn't think twice and scooped her into his arms, startling her.

"Mary, wait for me. I'll just take her inside; she needs to be seen right away."

I was left standing there, watching them enter the doctor's room. Suddenly, I felt my knees weaken, and I grew dizzy. I leaned against the wall to keep from falling.

Rowan didn't even ask my permission; he just carried another woman, leaving me behind.

The fact was that no matter how well he acted like a perfect boyfriend when he faced Heidi, his true feelings for her slipped out, and he forgot his facade. It seemed Rowan didn’t even realize he was making a mess.

"You're busted," I forced a bitter smile and turned, walking on my own to another clinic room.

What I was feeling today wasn't just a headache. I was sick. My temperature had risen to 43.5°C, and the doctor advised that I should stay here for a day.

The burn marks had become infected, worsened by my recent emotional stress, leading to a viral infection that required IV treatment.

Out of habit, I reached for my phone to call Rowan to come over, but I stopped myself from dialing. There was no point in calling him; I didn’t want to waste my time begging.

Suddenly, I heard my phone beep and saw that it was a message from my brother Freddie.

[I've heard you're at the clinic; what happened to you?]

CHAPTER 3

I didn't know what to say to my brother, but I didn’t want him to worry. I texted back and just told him I had a monthly check-up.

Hours later, I finished my IV bag and felt even dizzier. I didn’t even realize I had fallen asleep for a long time. I felt thirsty, but there was no nurse around, so I got out of bed by myself, almost stumbling with my first step.

Rowan still hadn’t returned, and it was already evening. There were no calls, no messages, and I had no idea if he was still with Heidi.

I took my phone again and decided to finally call him to avoid any misunderstandings. He didn’t answer right away, but on my last attempt, he picked up.

"Rowan, I'm still in the hospital. Don’t you plan to take me home?" I asked coldly. I couldn’t manage to go home alone because I was still dizzy. I needed him to assist me, just one last time.

"I'm so sorry, Mary. I was supposed to come back for you right after taking Heidi home, but she suddenly threw up, so—"

Before he could finish, I heard the voice of a waiter in the background. "Sir, your dishes are all served. Please enjoy your dinner!"

Though Rowan quickly covered the receiver, he was foolish; I had already heard everything.

"Okay, seems like you're having some fun. Go on, I can manage myself," I said, about to hang up, but he stopped me.

"Mary, just head home. I'll explain everything later."

I rolled my eyes. What would he explain? To lie just to keep me hanging? Well, there was no need because I had already caught him. I ended the call without a word and contacted my close friend to take me home.

Tonight, I was all alone since Rowan didn’t come back. I was wide awake and remembered there was a meteor shower, so I went to the window to watch the night sky.

One of the beliefs is that it brings good luck when you see a meteor shower and that you should make a wish.

I closed my eyes and wished upon the stars, hoping they would grant it. "I want to be truly loved, to be seen and heard."

After wishing, I returned to bed, but I couldn’t help but scroll on my phone and stalk Heidi. I noticed she had a new story, and when I clicked on it, I saw a romantic photo of her with Rowan under the meteor shower.

[Years apart, and then, beneath a shower of shooting stars, I found my way back to your embrace—a celestial reunion, a love story written in the heavens!] The caption was so poetic.

I stared at their picture for minutes, and I admit I was jealous, but I realized that Rowan wasn’t the mate destined for me and that he was a pathetic wolf who took advantage of me.

Feeling uninterested in prying into their affair, I turned off my phone and tried to rest. The next morning, I arrived at a fine restaurant to meet with my friends and informed them I was going to leave soon.

"But why would you leave our town, Mary?" my friend Gale asked.

I hesitated to tell the truth, but they were my friends, and I trusted them. "It's because I'm going to get married. But keep this a secret, okay?"

My friends were so shocked and curious about who my fiancé was, but I had no idea either, so it was a big mystery.

"Whoever that man is, we hope he won’t hurt you, Mary. We will celebrate your happiness," Gale said happily.

While having a great time with my friends, I couldn’t help but look around the restaurant where Rowan and I frequently had dinner dates.

Halfway through the meal, I excused myself to go to the restroom, only to run into Heidi.

"Hey, Mary!" she greeted. "I didn’t expect you’d be here too! You know, this was the restaurant where Rowan and I had our first date. We've come here so many times."

I was startled by her sharing it when I wasn’t even asking. I forced a bitter smile but didn’t say anything. I was about to leave, but she blocked my way.

"Mary, I'm not stupid. I know you're Rowan's rebound girl. Do you think I wouldn’t know? I noticed Rowan's actions, and it's clear to me he's just toying with you. Poor girl," Heidi sneered, looking me up and down.

What she said made me pause, and I didn’t know what to say. I just felt humiliated and degraded by the way she looked at me.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about," I tried to deny it, and she just laughed sarcastically.

"You see, Mary, even though I left him a long time ago and looked for someone else, he will crawl back to me. He can't replace me with someone like you," she bragged.

"Okay, believe what you want to believe, but get out of my way!" I demanded, but she didn’t listen.

"You think you got his heart, huh? Let me tell you this, Marydale. Those years you've been with him, he never loved you and only thought of me," she added.

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I suddenly remembered a memory where Rowan and I celebrated our anniversary in this restaurant.

He always told the waiter to avoid putting spice in my food when I liked spicy foods. I thought he was just concerned, as eating too much spice isn't good for me. But I was so naive not to realize that all along, he was thinking of Heidi.

CHAPTER 4

I fell silent for a moment, snapping back to reality. I saw Heidi's face, a sarcastic smirk playing on her lips.

"Now what? Does it ring a bell?" she asked.

She was taking this moment to humiliate me, but I refused to give her any satisfaction.

"Sorry, I can't remember anything," I lied, turning my back. But before I left, I wanted to warn her about something. "Whatever you have with Rowan, it's none of my business."

Back at the table with my friends, I tried to act like nothing had happened, but I could sense their curious gazes.

"You okay, Mary?" Gail asked.

"Of course, I'm fine," I forced a smile.

Just as I was about to put that unpleasant encounter with Heidi behind me, I saw the door open.

I was startled to see Rowan walk in. He scanned the room, as if searching for someone, and his eyes landed on me. I could see anger in them, though I couldn't understand why.

"Mary!" he called out, his voice loud enough to draw attention from everyone around us, especially my friends.

"Hey, Rowan? What are you doing here?" I asked, puzzled.

"Come with me," Rowan suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me outside the restaurant's corner.

"What's wrong with you?" I was annoyed by his sudden appearance and the disrespectful way he dragged me away, right in front of my friends.

"I should be the one asking, what is wrong with you, Mary? Why did you hurt Heidi?!" He was furious, and I didn't expect the slap he gave me across my cheek.

It was the first time he had ever hit me. I stared at him in disbelief. He showed no sign of remorse—just pure fury.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I held my cheek. The slap still stung, like his palm had left a mark on it.

"What the heck! I didn't do anything to Heidi!" I defended.

"Don't lie to me, Mary. I knew you were harsh on her because I assisted her in the hospital. You're so pathetic! You even pushed her, and now she got a knee injury," Rowan muttered.

In the distance, Heidi hobbled toward us, using her cane, but earlier I saw she could walk properly. Rowan immediately reached Heidi to help her, and she dramatically fell into his arms, as if she wanted to prove Rowan would always catch her.

"You should have stayed in your seat. I would have brought her over to apologize to you," I heard Rowan say, his voice filled with tenderness.

With tears in her eyes, Heidi shook her head. "It's okay, Rowan. It's not a big deal. She didn't do it on purpose. Don't be so hard on her," she said softly.

"No! I won't tolerate this. She needs to apologize," Rowan insisted, his voice laced with venom.

"Rowan, we can't do that. If her brother finds out you hit his sister, it might ruin your friendship. It can also ruin the bond in your packs," Heidi added as if she was concerned.

At the mention of my brother Freddie, a strange expression crossed Rowan's face, but it looked like he didn't mind my brother's reaction as he was too focused on Heidi.

"Freddie entrusted her to me. So I have the right to tell her that what she did was wrong," Rowan clarified.

I couldn't stop myself from laughing. "What exactly did I do wrong? Tell me, Rowan! What right do you have to dictate what's right and wrong to me? And who are you to have the authority to control my life? My brother didn't say anything like that!" I said angrily.

Rowan frowned and seemed agitated. "I am your brother's trusted friend, and you were left under my custody."

"Custody?" I was flustered. "Don't treat me like a kid, Rowan! I'm not a robot for you to control me whenever you want! You can't make me apologize for something I didn't do," I dictated.

Rowan clenched his fists and glared at me. "Enough with your lies, Mary! I knew you did it on purpose because there's no camera in the restroom, but you can't run away from your consequences!"

He treated me like a convict when he had no proof, he just believed Heidi's lies. I felt so helpless, but I had to defend myself and not be stung by the injustice.

"How sure are you that it was me, Rowan? She can't show any proof, but you easily believed what she's saying?" I looked at Heidi, who I knew had made up a story just to ruin my name.

Rowan then shook his head. "Why would Heidi wrongfully accuse you? She must have a reason, and she's not the kind of person who lies. I've known her since we were kids," he defended her.

"So you're saying I'm the liar here?" I asked, bitterly.

After years of being together, I thought he would trust my character, but I was wrong. In front of Heidi, our six years meant nothing.

One word from her, and my name would be ruined, and I had no chance to defend myself. I would instantly become a convict in his eyes. Indeed, she was the favorite one, and I was just his second best. She was his everything, and I was nothing but a replacement.

There was no point in arguing. I would just waste my time with these idiots who knew nothing but how to humiliate me.

"Where are you going?" Rowan asked as I turned my back.

I stopped for a second to give him one last look. "Somewhere peaceful, somewhere you don't exist," I mumbled.

CHAPTER 5

As I stepped out of the restaurant, I immediately hailed a taxi. Once inside, I texted my circle of friends in our group chat, apologizing for what happened earlier.

While chatting with my friend, I noticed a flood of notifications. I opened them and was shocked to see a post from Heidi. She had revealed my face to the public, claiming that I had harassed her in the restaurant's restroom.

The hateful comments from her followers were pouring in. I couldn't read them all; the anger was building inside me.

My friends were also worried, having seen the post. They tried to defend me, but I told them not to engage with the bashers. No matter what I said, they wouldn't believe me, and I would only end up looking bad in their eyes.

Finally, the taxi pulled up in front of our apartment. Before getting out, I paid the driver.

Dragging my exhausted body inside, I felt utterly drained and slumped onto the couch in the living room.

My gaze drifted around the four walls, each corner holding memories we had made with Rowan over the past six years. Most of them were happy memories. I could recall them all too vividly, but now they were stabbing into my heart like a thousand sharp blades.

My eyes landed on the pictures displayed on the shelves. I approached them and carefully examined each one. Our happy faces were captured in beautiful places we had visited.

Rowan loved photography, and he made me his muse in every shot. Those were the moments I felt most loved by him, moments where I felt no insecurity. He also loved to spoil me with gifts, even when I didn't ask. He was so genuine and generous that I never doubted his love.

It was agonizing to reminisce, but I needed to leave everything in the past. It was a difficult process, and I knew I would go through different phases to overcome this challenge.

Next, I went to our bedroom, a place that only intensified the weight in my heart. These walls had witnessed everything. There were intimate moments we shared in this room that were hard to forget. There were nights when the rain poured heavily outside, and only Rowan's presence provided warmth.

It had been a week, and Rowan hadn't come back. I was alone, busy packing my things and disposing of all the furniture. I wanted to leave the place as it was when I first moved in—empty and miserable. This apartment was bought by my brother Freddie for me to stay in while he went with our parents to another country and I was left in this small town to finish my studies.

Suddenly, Rowan had courted me in high school, and I accepted his love, unaware of the destruction it would bring in the future. He decided to stay under the same roof, even though I told him my brother wouldn't like it. He insisted on keeping it a secret.

After cleaning up, I was ready to leave. But before I went, I wanted to say something to Rowan. I decided to call him, but every time I dialed, he rejected my calls.

After a while, he sent me a short message: "Mary, if you won't apologize to Heidi, we better not talk anymore."

Reading his message, I was furious. I was about to type a reply, but I just threw my phone on the bed. If he thought I couldn't live without talking to him, he was wrong. I would give him what he wanted, even if it meant never speaking to him again.

I grabbed my luggage and looked at my once lovely home, which I now had to leave behind.

As I walked down the staircase, I was surprised to see Heidi coming upstairs. I immediately hid in a trash bin, trying to peek. I saw her with Rowan entering a room on the third floor. I couldn't believe he was so close to me all this time, sleeping with Heidi.

Remembering the post-Heidi had created to destroy my reputation; a flame ignited within me. I wanted to retaliate, to make her taste my fury.

Luckily, I found a pizza delivery guy and called him over to a corner. He told me he was about to deliver a pizza to door 012, which was Rowan and Heidi's room. A brilliant idea struck me.

"Hey, I'll pay you to put this on their food," I said, placing a small jar containing wolfsbane in his hand.

The delivery guy looked confused and asked, "Is this pepper?"

I shook my head. "No more questions. Just do what I say. Put everything in it, and after a few minutes, take a picture of them and send it to my number." I even entered my number into his phone.

"Wait. Are you poisoning those people inside?" he worried.

"Looks like it," I smiled.

Over the next few minutes, I headed to the airport with my suitcase, ready to board. I sat near the window, looking out at the beautiful town of Sweetdale.

Just before boarding, my phone buzzed with messages from the pizza guy. I smirked as I saw pictures and videos of Heidi and Rowan, intoxicated by the wolfsbane. I replied to the delivery guy and gave him his reward.

Before closing my phone, I prepared a post under an unknown account to expose their betrayals, especially Rowan's secret of using me as his rebound to get back with Heidi, and the fact that they had cheated on me behind the scenes.

With one click, I posted everything. Within minutes, my notifications were flooded with hundreds of reactions and comments.