The alpha became a monk after having affair

Chapter 3

Back at my den, I started packing anything tied to Alpha Theodore.

The handwritten playlist he’d burned for me, scrawled with inside jokes only we got.

The pressed daisy he’d plucked from the field on our first hike, tucked into the pages of my favorite book.

The silly ceramic frog he’d bought at the farmers’ market, claiming it “looked like me when I pout.”

I was nearly done when I heard the front door.

Alpha Theodore was back.

He saw the box, overflowing with memories, and his face tightened.

He crossed the room in a few quick strides, his voice sharp with panic. "Evelyn, what are you doing?"

I kept my head down, avoiding Alpha Theodore's gaze.

"Isabelle's moving in, right? I'm just packing up so she doesn't get upset seeing my stuff."

Alpha Theodore grabbed my wrist, pulling me into his chest with a gentle tug. "Are you still mad at me?"

"No," I said flatly.

"Evelyn, you're a terrible liar."

He tipped my chin up, forcing me to meet his eyes.

"I’ve said it a hundred times—she’s just a show. If I wanted her, I’d have bound her five years back."

I stared into his eyes and let out a soft, bitter laugh.

"Alpha Theodore,"

"you know exactly who you want to be bound to."

Before he could respond, his phone blared, cutting me off.

He glanced at the screen, answered with a few clipped words, and then muttered, "Something came up at the pack." Without another word, he strode out.

Watching his back disappear, I realized it didn't matter if I confronted him.

Some bonds are like expired candy—shiny on the outside, but rotten within.

Not long after he left, my phone pinged with a message from Isabelle.

The attached photo made my stomach lurch: Alpha Rowan knelt, his calloused thumb brushing the faint scar on her wrist as he looped a chain around it, his gaze burning like embers.

A memory flickered—me dragging Alpha Theodore to a street fair, crouching by a stall to pick out a chain for luck. He'd stood three steps away, checking his watch, his voice dripping with impatience. "You actually believe in this superstitious nonsense?"

Another message from Isabelle popped up.

I just mentioned feeling off, and Alpha Theodore rushed to the temple to get me the most blessed red cord.

Has he ever done that for you?

Wake up, Evelyn.

Alpha Theodore's never loved you.

I gripped my phone so hard my knuckles whitened, the screen's cold glow freezing the last bit of warmth in my eyes.

She was right.

Alpha Theodore had never loved me. And I was done chasing his affection.

For the next three days, Alpha Theodore didn't come home.

I didn't see him until the third day, at Isabelle's farewell ceremony.

He stood out in a tailored suit, pushing her wheelchair through the crowd.

Isabelle sat bundled in a blanket, fragile as a wilting flower.

When she tilted her head, he instantly bent down, checking on her with a tenderness that made my stomach twist.

His words echoed in my head—just playing a part—but the way he looked at her was the same lovesick gaze from Five years ago.

The ceremony began, and my father took the stage, his voice thick with emotion.

"My girl's life? Cursed yet cherished. Days are few, but love's thick—family, mate, all clinging hard..."

The big screen lit up, flashing through Isabelle's life.

Her first birthday, surrounded by doting parents.

Age 8, learning painting at my father's knee.

Eighteen, beaming at her graduation, wrapped in a family hug.

In every frame, I was a blurry shadow.

Then the images shifted to Alpha Theodore.

Him holding flowers at her competition wins.

Sitting patiently as she painted him. Embracing her at their binding ceremony.

From awkward school uniforms to sharp suits, the years changed, but the love in his eyes never wavered.

As the crowd sniffled, lost in the sentimental montage, the screen flickered.

The photos vanished, replaced by blood-red words on a golden background:

Isabelle, you deserve to rot in hell!

You stole my mate, just like your mother, you filthy thief!

I curse you to be scattered to ashes, damned for eternity!

The room froze, the air thick with shock. Then, chaos erupted.