Goodbye My Fated Mate, I Married Your Alpha King

Tessa's POV

The kitchen smelled like sugar and vanilla, soft and warm, almost enough to soothe the restless beat of my heart.

I smoothed the final swirl of frosting across the cake, steadying my hand so the moon and the little wolf I'd drawn didn't smear. The candlelight flickered across the icing, and for a moment I let myself smile.

"My moon goddess," I whispered, folding my hands as if I were still a little girl praying at bedtime. "I'm turning twenty-one today. My first wish... my mate Jasper, the future Alpha of Bloodmoon Pack, will marry me and make me his Luna."

The words tasted sweet, like the frosting at the tip of my finger. My smile faltered, but I pressed on.

"My second wish... please, let my wolf Julia return. She's been silent for three years. Ever since I gave her strength to save my mate."

The memory stabbed sharp. Three years ago, the night when I turned 18 and met my wolf Julia for the first time, Jasper was trapped in a burning pub.

He was born two days after me and still had no wolf. I rushed into the flames and noticed he was seriously injured. Without hesitation, I shared Julia's strength to save him.

But then Julia disappeared. That night had cost me everything, my wolf, my father's pride, and any chance of being treated like more than the Beta's strong daughter. Still, it had been worth it. Jasper was alive.

The phone on the counter buzzed. I wiped my hands on my dress and leaned over.

A text from Jasper.

Jasper: Come over. Got a surprise for you.

My heart leapt. A surprise, from him? A smile broke across my face before I could stop it. Maybe he was finally ready to propose.

I snatched the cake box, hugged it close, and ran out the door before doubt could catch me.

The packhouse pulsed with bass so loud it rattled through the floorboards. Laughter and shouting tangled with the music, and when I stepped into the living room, the air reeked of spilled beer, cheap perfume, and Ping-pong balls tainted with the smell of weed.

For a second, I froze. A wild party. Not exactly what I'd imagined. Still, my chest tightened with anticipation.

From across the room, a circle of pack members stood cheering, chanting the same word over and over.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

I squeezed past elbows, the cake heavy in my hands. My smile faltered when I finally reached the center.

Bianca!

My half-sister sat on Jasper's lap, head tipped back, her lips locked to his as they shared a mouthful of liquor, his shirt half unbuttoned, her fingers curled possessively at his chest.

The cake slipped from my hands, tumbling to the floor like my stomach twisting into knots.

"Jasper?" My voice cracked. "How... how could you kiss my sister? I'm your mate!"

The music cut off sharply, like a blade slicing through the air. Silence fell, heavy, broken only by the pounding of blood in my ears. Every pair of eyes turned toward me.

Bianca rose slowly, lips still glistening, a perfectly practiced innocence softening her features. "Sorry, Tessa. It's my birthday today... and all I wanted was a kiss from Jasper."

My stomach sank. Birthday? Oh... right. How could I forget? When my father had brought his mistress and this half-sister to my mother's funeral, he'd reminded me that Bianca and I shared the same birthday.

Jasper stood, tugging at his collar, his face cool, "Who told you to come here?"

I blinked. "What? You... you texted me, "

Bianca rushed to me, all wide-eyed panic, grabbing my hand as if she were the perfect sister. "Tessa! Don't be upset. I know Jasper's your mate. I'd never try to take him."

Her gaze flicked to the cake. Before I could react, she snatched it on the floor.

"You made me a cake? For my birthday?"

My spine stiffened. "It's not for you." I wanted to take back the cake. I spent three hours making it.

But when I lifted my hand, Bianca gasped, loud enough for the entire room. "Ah! Don't hit me!"

She flung the cake, straight at me.

The impact splattered cold frosting into my hair, down my dress. Gasps and laughter erupted. Phones flashed. My humiliation captured forever.

Bianca ducked behind Jasper, pretending to tremble. "I didn't mean to ruin your cake, Tessa," she murmured, voice dripping with false regret.

"You did this on purpose!" I shouted, trembling with fury.

Jasper stepped in front of her, his eyes hard as stone. "Tessa! It's Bianca's birthday. You can't even celebrate with her? All you ever do is attack her?"

Something inside me broke. My vision blurred, my heart splitting in two.

"It's my birthday too!" I screamed, voice tearing raw from my throat.

Jasper's POV

For a second, I froze. Tessa's voice cut through the laughter, sharp and broken, and every eye turned to her. Frosting dripped from her pure dark hair, streaking down that dress that clung to every curve, her blue eyes wide with hurt.

She was always beautiful, hair that shimmered like silk under the light, rosy lips trembling, her body shaking as if she'd splinter apart. For a breath, I almost reached for her. Almost.

But then Bianca's hand tightened on my arm, her perfume washing over me, sweet and familiar. And I remembered.

It had been Bianca who sat by my bed three years ago when I woke from the fire, lungs scorched, life hanging by a thread. The pack doctor swore I would've died if she hadn't shared her wolf's strength with me. Her soft hand had held mine, her hazel eyes brimming with tears.

Back then, I thought she must be my fated mate arranged by the Moon Goddess. However, the next day, when I shifted for the first time and met my wolf, Mark, the truth was laid bare. The Moon Goddess wasn't laughing with me, she was mocking me. Bianca's half-sister, Tessa, was my fated mate.

Bianca's half- sister Tessa became my mate.

The bond pulled me toward Tessa instantly. Her smile, her warmth, her faith in me, it was everything. And she felt it too. But every time I looked at Bianca, saw those lonely hazel eyes, I couldn't shake the memory of her hand in mine. I told myself she needed me. That I owed her. That I loved her.

However my father's voice had cracked through my head by mind link: You will accept Tessa as your Luna, or you will never inherit this pack.

And Mark, damn him, had begged me not to betray my mate. She's our fated mate, Jasper. Don't throw her away. I love her. But when I told him my heart belonged to Bianca, he went silent. He hadn't spoken to me since. The bond between us snapped quiet, like a door slammed shut.

Tessa was strong and capable even though her wolf had vanished for reasons unknown. My father admired her grit. His father Beta Marcus had been proud of her.

Bianca was my life savior and I heard she was neglected by her parents, unloved at own home. She needed me.

So when Tessa's voice cracked, when she shouted it was her birthday too, I clenched my jaw. If I softened, I would never escape.

I scoffed, pouring cruelty into my tone. "Enough, Tessa. You think just because you're my mate I owe you a birthday?"

She blinked at me, pale as parchment, like she didn't even recognize me.

I swallowed the flicker of guilt and twisted the knife deeper. "If my father didn't demand I accept you to become Alpha, I'd have rejected you three years ago."

Her lips parted, a whisper of pain escaping. "What...?"

I slung my arm around Bianca's shoulders, pulling her closer. Her warmth pressed against me, grounding me, reminding me of the fact that she saved me and of the vow I'd made to her.

"Bianca's the one I love," I said softly, brushing my thumb over her shoulder. Then I turned back to Tessa, letting the cold harden in my voice. "You're nothing but my ticket to the Alpha."

I finally got it out. But for some reason, my stomach twisted in pain.

"You f*cking idiot!" Mark, who hadn't spoken to me in three years, suddenly yelled at me in my head.

Tessa's eyes filled, tears spilling down her cheeks. The words sliced something in her. She turned, clutching what was left of her ruined dress, and bolted from the room.

The crowd whispered. Some smirked. Others looked uneasy. I didn't care.

Bianca tilted her face up to me, her expression a mask of worry. "Jasper... she's really hurt."

I tightened my arm around her, forcing the anger from my face until only tenderness remained for her. "I don't care," I said flatly. Then softer, only for her, "You saved me from that fire three years ago. I swore to the Moon Goddess I'd love you forever."

Her lips curved, brushing against my chest as she hugged me.

Tessa's POV

The full moon was obscured by thick clouds.

The night swallowed me whole as I fled, my heels slipping on the damp earth. Branches clawed at my arms. I didn't stop until the laughter and music were gone, until the only sound left was my ragged breathing.

I collapsed beneath a tree, the cake still sticky in my hair, my dress a ruined mess. Tears blurred everything, burning hot trails down my cheeks.

I had given everything. Three years of my life and love. My wolf. My strength. All of it to build this pack, to support him, to dream of standing by his side as his Luna.

And to him... I was nothing. Nothing but a steppingstone to his crown.

My sobs tore free, ugly and raw. I pressed my forehead against my knees, shaking.

"Moon Goddess," I whispered, voice breaking. "Please... wake my wolf. I don't want this mate anymore. Please... take him from me."

The clouds above shifted. Silver light spilled through the darkness, painting the forest in shimmering hues. My breath caught.

The full moon blazed brighter than I'd ever seen, and from its glow a white wolf emerged, tall, graceful, her fur gleaming like snow. She stepped forward, her eyes the same blue as mine, and pressed into my chest.

My Julia, welcome back. I said to her through our mind link.

Heat flooded me. Strength surged through my veins, fierce and wild, my wolf's voice ringing in my mind for the first time in years.

Tessa. It's time to leave him.

My sobs stilled. I lifted my face, tears drying on my cheeks, a strange calm settling over me. Resolve hardened like steel inside my chest.

Julia's right.

If mate didn't love me, then I'd leave him!

I went to the pack office to meet Alpha Jason the next day.

The leather sofa was cold beneath me, but I sat tall, my back straight, my hands folded in my lap.

Across the desk, Alpha Jason, Jasper's father, looked up from his papers, startled by my presence. His illness had worn him down, but his eyes were sharp, always too kind when they rested on me.

"You want to reject Jasper?" His brows furrowed, disbelief and shock flickering across his face. "And leave the pack?"

I met his gaze, steady, unwavering. "Yes."

Tessa's POV

"I have decided to leave him and this pack." I said, my voice steady. "I need your permission, Alpha Jason."

His brow furrowed, the lines on his face deepening. "Did Jasper... do something to hurt you?"

The question cut deeper than it should have. My throat tightened, but I forced myself to hold his gaze. "He's my mate. But I can't force him to love me."

Jason sighed, leaning back in his chair, clearly torn. He had always treated me with more kindness than my own father ever had. "Would you consider giving my foolish son one more chance?"

I almost laughed. A bitter, broken laugh. One more chance? How many more did he need? He had already taken three years' worth of them and shattered me again last night in front of the entire pack.

"But he, " I began, but Jason raised a hand, interrupting me.

"Actually I just received a royal decree."

He slid a document across the desk. The parchment looked too heavy, the golden seal of the Alpha King glinting under the light. My stomach turned as I unfolded it, scanning the words.

"Alpha King Alaric intends to marry Beta Marcus's daughter." Jason's voice was even, but I caught the slight hesitation, the concern lacing his tone. "Bianca is the only unmated female in your family. I've already notified your father."

For a moment, the words didn't make sense. My brain lagged behind my eyes, refusing to process what I was reading. Then the meaning slammed into me like a punch.

"King Alaric?" My voice cracked in disbelief. "The one cursed by witches? The one who's not expected to live past thirty?"

Jason nodded slowly. "That's him. They say he's brutal with she-wolves."

Alpha King's images flared in my mind, rumors of torn throats, his brides who never showed again after stepping into his palace, the way his name was whispered like a warning.

But when I lifted my eyes to Jason's, my fear burned into something else. Maybe it was a chance for me.

"Alpha Jason," I said firmly. "I want one thing from you."

He blinked, startled, clearly not expecting resolve instead of pleading.

***

The Ashford estate was colder than I remembered. The air always smelled faintly of polished wood and expensive wine, but no amount of luxury could soften the cruelty housed within its walls.

My father Marcus sat stiffly in his chair, a glass of scotch sweating in his hand. My stepmother Gloria lounged beside him in silk, her lips already curled in disdain the moment I walked in.

"What?" Marcus's voice thundered, breaking the silence. "You'll marry King Alaric in Bianca's place?"

"Yes." My answer cut through the air, sharp as steel.

He sat up straighter, staring at me like I'd gone mad. "You'd give up your fated mate Jasper... just to marry a dying tyrant?"

Gloria's brows pinched, genuine surprise flickering across her face. "I thought being Jasper's Luna was all you ever wanted."

Her words stabbed like a blade. Once, they would've been true. Once, I would have clung to the dream of being Jasper's Luna until my hands bled. But not anymore.

Last night's memory rose unbidden, dragging me under.

Through my bedroom window, I'd seen them. Jasper at the gate, his arms wrapped around Bianca as though she were air itself, something he couldn't survive without.

"Bianca," he whispered, his voice thick with devotion, "you saved me. I swear to the Moon Goddess, I'll only love you."

Her head tilted against his chest, coy but quiet. "What about your mate, Tessa?"

He hesitated only a breath. "Once I'm Alpha, I'll reject her."

Then he kissed her, long and deep, as though sealing his vow with her lips.

The sight had hollowed me out completely. It wasn't the first time he betrayed me, but it was the final one.

I blinked back to the present, my eyes cold, my voice steadier than ever. "I don't want Jasper anymore. I'll reject him."

Marcus and Gloria exchanged a stunned glance, their disbelief slowly softening into something else. Approval. Greed.

Gloria's lips curved, her eyes gleaming like a snake's. Marcus leaned forward, scotch forgotten.

"But," I said, letting my tone sharpen, "I have one condition."

Marcus narrowed his eyes, suspicion flickering. "What condition?"

I held his gaze, unflinching. "I want my mother's entire inheritance. Every cent. Cash. All of it."

The words hit him like a blow. His face froze, then shifted between shock and anger. "Tessa! How dare you..."

But I cut him off with a smirk, my lips curling in mockery. "Ten million dollars. To buy your precious little daughter's future. Fair trade, isn't it?"

Gloria's gasp echoed through the room, and Marcus's scotch glass cracked in his grip.

But I didn't flinch.

Tessa's POV

"Darling, if Bianca marries Jasper, that money's nothing," Gloria cooed.

She clutched Marcus's arm, voice syrupy and sharp as lacquer. She always had that way of sounding like someone else's kindness borrowed and put on display.

Marcus gritted his teeth, then nodded as if a decision had been made for him. "Fine. I'll need two weeks to raise it."

Two weeks. Perfect. I turned away from them both, the practiced smile slipping as soon as my back was turned.

My wolf Julia needs two weeks to regain full strength, I thought. Two weeks, Jasper... and we're done.

Walking out into the sunlight felt like stepping between worlds. The air was sharp, the day too ordinary for the storm I'd set spinning. I kept my breath steady. If they wanted to play chess with fates and fortunes, I'd bring my own pieces.

That night I met Zoe at our usual spot, the bar that smelled of lemon oil and varnish, where the music kept people occupied and the smoke made them confess things they'd never admit sober.

Zoe's face lit the moment she saw me. She was the kind of friend who made me feel less like a hear-broken she-wolf and more like the one trying to survive.

"You're really marrying King Alaric?" she asked, stunned. "Everyone says he's dangerous. You could end up ruined."

I gave her a calm smile. "I've got my mother's inheritance now. If he's a monster... I can walk away." The words felt foreign and fierce in my mouth. Freedom tastes like metal and cold coin, brutal but real.

She slammed a hand on the table. "Jasper's such an asshole."

I let a bitter smile crease my lips. "He doesn't love me. I'll reject him in two weeks at his Alpha ceremony." I straightened, pretending I'd moved on. "Enough about him. I'm buying us something good."

I rose, heading to the bar. `

"Two martinis," I told the bartender.

Behind me Bianca's sugary voice chimed in like a bell you only hear when you don't want to. "Jasper, I want a martini too."

I turned. Bianca lounged on Jasper's arm, her smile polished, her fingers worrying the edge of a diamond I knew had just been gifted. Jasper's profile was all cold angles and contained charm; he looked perfectly at ease in the orbit she'd made for him.

Bianca stepped forward, honeyed. "What a coincidence, Tessa. Here for drinks too?"

The bartender set two martinis on the counter and then paused, looking at the two of us. "Sorry, last two," he said, voice small in the thick air.

Bianca's eyes went wide, all fake innocence. "Tessa, can I have yours? I just turned legal. Never had a drink before."

Liar. At fifteen you were already sneaking Dad's whiskey, and when he caught you, you didn't just lie, you threw me under the bus, swore I was the one corrupting you. Daddy's perfect little angel, my ass.

My hands curled into fists before my head could stop them. "Save the act," I said, voice flat as ice. "I'm not playing along with your good-girl routine." I dropped two crisp hundreds on the counter.

Jasper slid ten hundred-dollar bills across the bar with the casual contempt of someone paying for a favor they always expect. "Two martinis," he said coldly.

The bartender hesitated, then shrugged and took the money. "Sorry, Tessa. You know Jasper's the future Alpha."

Bianca clung to Jasper's arm, all adoration and soft laughter. "You always spoil me, Jasper." She touched the diamond at her throat as if proving the truth of every soft sentence.

"Yesterday you even gifted me this ten-thousand-dollar diamond necklace. I'm so lucky."

"Anything to make you happy." He gave Bianca a gentle smile and didn't even spare me a glance.

Right. You'll spend every cent on her, I thought, and the world narrowed to the small hot ache that lived beneath my sternum.

For three years I'd worked on this pack like a woman laying brick after brick, for him it was a platform to stand on, to lean on, to claim. He hadn't even remembered my birthday.

I breathed in and out until the rage settled into something colder and more useful. I reached for my checkbook. The bartender looked up, interested in the sudden twist.

"One hundred thousand dollars," I told him, "For every bottle in this bar." I met Jasper's eyes directly, feeling the heat of his stare like a challenge.

Silence fell like snow. Conversations thinned. Zoe's jaw dropped. Even the bartender's hand trembled over the bottles.

Then, because this was the part where I wanted the world to know I wasn't a trembling girl to be scolded or bargained with, I turned and lay down ten-thousand-dollar check on the counter. "Now... I'll take my martini."

Jasper's face changed. The casual arrogance folded into furious, flatly controlled anger. "Are you going to go against me, Tessa?"

"I just don't want anyone to take my stuff." I replied.

"Three hundred grand," he announced, loud enough for the whole bar to hear. "I own this place now." Jasper slid a sleek black card across the counter, his expression cold and certain.

The bartender shifted uneasily, like handling Jasper's money might curse him.

Before I could breathe, Bianca stepped in, her voice syrupy sweet, her eyes glittering with cruelty.

"Tessa, stop. You don't even have a hundred grand. You really think you can outbid our future Alpha?"

Her words hit me like a slap, but I didn't let her see me break. I fixed my gaze on hers, icy and unflinching.

Yesterday, I only had my mother's trust fund. In two weeks, I'd have ten million dollars.

The thought steadied me, burning inside like a hidden weapon. My hand didn't shake as I slapped down the check. The crack of paper against wood cut through the music.

"Five hundred thousand."

Bianca's smile wavered. Her lips twitched, faltered.

"Where'd you get so much of money?" she demanded, her tone sharper now. "From Alpha Jason? Using the pack's wealth?"

"It's my money. None of your business." I didn't blink.

Jasper's frown deepened, his voice rough with disbelief. "Your money?" He let out a bitter laugh. "Don't be so funny! You're nothing without me, Tessa."

His gaze dragged over me like claws. "Everything you own, your clothes, your shoes, your jewelry, I gave you. And now you're using my money to compete with me? Over two f*cking drinks?"

The words cut deeper than he knew. Heat rose in my face, anger, shame, heartbreak tangled in one unbearable knot.

Is that all I am to you, Jasper? Nothing but your charity case?

"Is that what you think?" My voice cracked under the weight of it.

For a moment, he hesitated. His mouth opened, but nothing came out. And then Bianca's smirk bloomed again, smug and poisonous.

Something inside me snapped.

I ripped the earrings from my ears, the sharp tug stinging my skin. I hurled them at his chest, my hands shaking with fury.

"These? Eighteenth birthday. You gave them to me after my first shift."

Jasper caught them, eyes flashing. "Tessa, what're you doing?"

But I wasn't finished.

I kicked off my heels, the floor cool and biting beneath my bare feet. I gripped the shoes tight, my rage trembling through every muscle.

"These?" I spat. "Your 'sorry I stood you up' gift."

I hurled them at him. He caught one, stunned into silence.

My breath shuddered as I reached for the zipper of my dress. The sound tore through the room, cruelly loud. I stepped out of it, left standing in nothing but my bra and underwear. Gasps rippled around us. Heat burned my skin, but I refused to cover myself.

"This?" I said, holding the dress like it was poison. "You gave it to me after forgetting my birthday last year."

I threw it at him, the fabric smacking against his chest. Jasper clutched it with the earrings and shoe, his jaw clenched so tight I thought it might break.

He stormed toward me, his presence like a thundercloud about to strike.

"Tessa Ashford!" His voice shook the air. "Enough! You pissed me off for two martinis?"

Tears blurred my vision, but I stood my ground. My chest heaved, my voice broke, but I didn't stop.

"Jasper Bloodmoon..." I choked out, fury and heartbreak twisting every word. "You disgust me."

Before he could move, I grabbed both martinis from the counter. My hand didn't tremble.

I threw them.

The liquor splashed across his face in a glittering spray. It soaked his hair, ran down his jaw, darkened his shirt. The sharp scent of alcohol cut through the air, strong enough to sting my eyes.

The bar gasped in unison. Even Bianca froze, her perfect lips parted in shock.

The empty glasses hit the floor with a piercing clang, shattering the silence.

And then I turned and walked away, barefoot, shoulders bare, my pulse pounding like war drums.

The night air outside was brutal, cold enough to steal my breath. My feet ached against the pavement, but I didn't slow.

"Tessa!" Zoe's voice rang out as she pushed through the door behind me. She rushed to me, eyes wide, worry softening her face. She wrapped a coat around my trembling shoulders, her hands warm against my skin.

"You alright?" she asked, her voice gentle.

I didn't answer. Not yet. Tears tracked silently down my face, cooling too fast in the night air.

I turned, glancing back at the bar, at the golden light glowing through the windows. It looked warm, inviting. A lie. A cage I'd finally broken out of.

A bitter smile curved on my lips. My words were little more than a whisper, lost in the fog of my breath.

"Ten more days, Jasper."