Mated to My Ex's Alpha

Chapter 2

Aurora's POV

I almost cried with joy.

Gabriel moved towards me, but I shoved his hand away hard. Ignoring his shock, I rushed to the mirror.

The reflection that met my eyes was astonishing. Damp hair framed a face that was vibrant and alive. The cheeks were not hollowed by drugs and sickness but were flushed with a healthy, rosy glow. My body appeared full and strong, a stark contrast to the skeletal figure it would become in four years.

I touched my face, feeling the warmth beneath my fingers, tears welling up.

This wasn't a dream. I'd really come back in time, before everything went wrong.

"...You're crazy," Gabriel spat out after a pause, seeing what I'd done. "If you ever do that again, I won't let you off easy, Aurora. Stop being so selfish."

I turned to face him, the man I had once loved deeply, who now made my skin crawl.

His love had always been a facade.

He had never truly loved me. Back then, when he took my hand at that party, it had been nothing more than a ploy to make me his breeding machine.

"Yeah, I am crazy," I murmured, a hollow laugh escaping my lips. I had given everything to a man with a heart of ice, only to have my life snatched away by his lover, all while he stood by watching.

Even now, just seeing Gabriel made me feel the echoes of the pain I had endured at death's door.

Ignoring his stunned expression, I strode back into the room and yanked open his drawer, pulling out the divorce papers he had used to threaten me into submission.

My hands trembled as I signed my name on the divorce agreement.

"Aurora! What the hell are you doing?" Gabriel roared, his voice echoing off the walls.

I tossed the divorce agreement onto the table in front of him. "Isn't this what you've always wanted? I'm not clinging to you anymore. Let's divorce and end this mate bond."

The tension was palpable. At that moment, I saw his eyes flash silver, a clear sign of his wolf fighting for control. He was struggling to keep his animal instincts in check.

"Cut the theatrics, Aurora. I'm busy, and I don't have time for your games."

He didn't believe I would be the one to propose a divorce.

"I'll take it to the Elders," I said, forcing down the storm of emotions threatening to spill over.

Gabriel scoffed, saying, "Do you have any idea how painful it is to break a mate bond? Without a wolf, you might not survive the pain."

I knew exactly how painful it was. It felt like having my heart set ablaze, like my soul was being ripped apart.

"But it's still better than staying with you," I said decisively.

My attitude seemed to infuriate Gabriel. He snapped in a harsh voice, "You better calm down and not push my buttons!"

With a loud slam, Gabriel shut the door. "I'm staying at the office tonight. You need to think about what you've done!"

I used to read so much into Gabriel's anger. Every outburst, every flash of temper - I convinced myself his rage meant he cared, that his possessiveness was proof of devotion.

But the truth I've been running from stands clear now: he never loved me. His grip on our relationship, his refusal to let me leave - it had nothing to do with love. He simply wouldn't release me because I hadn't given him a child.

Too bad I only realized this just before I died—I never really saw who my husband truly was.

Just then, the ringing of the phone cut through my rising fury, pulling me back from the brink.

I forced myself to stay calm and picked up the phone. My precious chance for a fresh start shouldn't be wasted on a scum.

The call was from my friend Amy Lane.

"Aurora, I know you haven't come to these parties since you got married, but I still want to ask. Will you come to my party tonight?"

I couldn't help but smile. Classic Amy - she'd throw a party for anything and everything. The changing seasons, a bad date, a good date - any excuse would do. But I hadn't gone to her parties in a while because I was focused on trying to have a baby with Gabriel.

But now? Forget it.

"Sure, I'll be there," I replied.

"Oh, I knew you wouldn't... wait, what? Did I hear that right? You're coming, Aurora?" Amy exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, just send me the address."

A party seemed like just what I needed to take my mind off everything.

But more importantly, in my previous life, tonight was the night Amy had her accident. The night the rogues attacked her. That memory still haunts me, but this time would be different. This time, I would be there. This time, I could protect her.

I hung up while Amy was still laughing with excitement. I went to my wardrobe, tossed out all those prim and proper dresses, and slipped into a short skirt instead. I blow-dried my hair, letting it fall naturally over my shoulders, and put on some light makeup. Looking at myself in the mirror, I touched my cheek, still in disbelief that I'd really come back four years in time.

This opportunity was a gift from my wolf, Lilith.

I’m not a wolfless girl. My wolf was just dormant, and she possessed immense power.

Now Lilith was still asleep, and I had no idea when she'd wake up—would it be when I was on the brink of death or when she had regained enough strength? I couldn't find the answers, but one thing was clear—she was there with me, and I was never truly alone.

The urge to grab random strangers by the shoulders and blurt out that I wasn't just some nobody, that I had a wolf living inside me, was almost overwhelming. But I bit my tongue. For both our sakes, this had to stay under wraps.

My phone kept buzzing—it was Amy calling again. She wasn't going to let this go. She probably thought I'd just said yes without thinking it through and would back out.

I picked up the phone and told her I was on my way.

I followed the server's directions to the private room and pushed the door open, feeling immediately that something was wrong.

Then I heard a familiar voice.

"She really went too far."

It was Anna. My body froze, my hands trembled, and every nerve screamed at me to rush in and tear her apart. I struggled to control my emotions, even as my limbs felt as cold as the lake that nearly drowned me once.

Anna didn't seem to notice. She reached out to smooth Gabriel's furrowed brow and softly said, "Relax, don't worry about Aurora right now. Can you teach me how to play pool? You looked really cool just now."

Gabriel, who was supposed to be in the office, was here at the club, playing pool closely with Anna.

How ridiculous.

I didn’t want to see them, but it was too late to leave—they had already seen me.

Gabriel's initial surprise turned into disgust when he saw me. "Why did you follow me?"

"The server sent me the wrong way. I wasn't here for you," I said, my voice cold.

Gabriel didn't buy it and scoffed.

Anna stepped in, trying to smooth things over. "Aurora, I know you're insecure. You’re wolfless and you caouln’t sense your mate. But you're pushing Gabriel too hard. It's suffocating. You need to trust him more."

Anna's friend added, "Helpless Aurora only knows how to cling. She's nothing like you, Anna."

Anna softly pretended to scold, "Don't say that."

Despite their jabs, Gabriel just stayed silent, looking grim.

Anna then said softly, "Go home, Aurora. Don't hold on so tight. It will only make Gabriel want to run away more..."

As she spoke, she reached for my hand. I shook her off, and she pretended to stumble into Gabriel's arms.

Anna's trick was obvious, but it worked on Gabriel. He held her waist and asked in a gentle voice I had never heard before, "Are you okay?"

Watching them so close, I laughed coldly. "Anna, you’re trying too hard. You really don't have to do this."

Still wrapped in Gabriel's arms, Anna blushed, surprised by my words. "What did you say?"

"I don't want Gabriel anymore. I'm giving him to you," I said coldly, sarcasm dripping from my gaze. "You always seem to like everything I cast away, including my husband."

As soon as I finished, Gabriel's face went pale, and panic flashed across Anna's expression.

The room fell in awkward silence.

Until a chuckle broke it.

Only then did I notice the man watching the scene. He was someone no one dared to ignore, yet my focus had been entirely on the despicable pair. I hadn't even noticed the handsome man—Alpha Brian.

Brian leaned casually against the pool table, defiant, with a slight smirk on his lips. "Go on, don't mind me. I just think... today's Aurora is very different."

I paused, clearly feeling Alpha Brian's burning gaze on me. And it was filled with amusement.