Mated To My Cheating Ex's Alpha Uncle

The Birthday Betrayal

Chapter 2: The Birthday Betrayal

Elena’s POV:

Present Day

The month before Leo turned twenty felt like a countdown..

On the surface nothing changed. At school Leo would walk past me with cold indifference. But the moment the sun disappeared below the horizon, his texts would ping on my phone; a single dot, or a simple smiley face emoji.

We would meet in our usual secluded spot behind the sports field.

"Hang in there just a little longer, little shadow," he said one night. "Everything is falling into place. After my birthday gala, things won't have to be a secret anymore."

I pressed my face against his chest, letting his deep voice quiet the unending doubts of my heart . Every instinct screamed that something was shifting, that the distance he kept during the day was growing wider, but I was too addicted to the illusion of his love to pull away.

I ignored the warning signs and trusted his promises blindly, completely unaware that the trap was already sprung and the final countdown had begun.

Then came the mall.

On the night before his birthday. I decided to step out and get him his present. The mall was surprisingly scanty, considering it was mid August, summer vacation.

I stood in front of the gift window, holding a small box containing the silver watch I had saved up to buy. I looked down at the watch again, his favourite brand.. I’d skipped lunch for three weeks to afford it. I actually smiled, stupidly thinking tomorrow night would change everything.

As I turned to leave, familiar voices drifted past the fountain outside the glass doors.

"Everyone sees it Lyra” a girl laughed. "Leo likes you, everyone sees how he looks at you."

I froze behind a stone pillar. My sister Lyra tossed her hair, smiling like a queen.

"Leo is just careful" Lyra replied. "He has to protect his high place in the pack."

"Well his party is tomorrow night “ another girl said. "You should take his gift and make it official."

My breath caught. My hands shook so badly I almost dropped the bag.

"You think he’ll make a move?" Lyra asked.

"For sure” her friend laughed.

The words hit me hard. The two years I had loved, the quiet moments I thought were special, they all sounded like a cruel joke. My chest ached.

Standing in the cold air, I refused to believe it. I told myself they were delusional. That Leo loved me.

I pushed the bad words away, wanting to trust him. I tucked the gift into my coat and walked back to the school, waiting for tomorrow night, when he would prove them wrong. Little did I know I was walking into a trap.

His 20th birthday came and i texted him. He didn't reply. I shoved the doubt aside, considering he might've been busy planning his party, I decided to just attend the party.

Later that night, the front doors of the pack house slammed open, and they began playing music so loud you could barely hear yourself. Inside the living room was packed with students, smelling of perfume and cheap beer.

I stood quietly in a dark shadow near the kitchen, wearing a simple black dress and keeping my hands deep in my pockets.

Across the room, Leo sat with his friends, looking like the king of the world.

A game of truth or dare was going on. Marcus, Leo’s best friend, and other friends sneered at me, physically shoving and pressuring me into the center of the circle so I couldn't escape the game. They forced me to join just to make me a target. After a few rounds, a bottle spun and stopped at Leo.

"Truth or dare?" the host grinned.

"Dare" Leo answered with a smile.

"We dare you to choose someone here to play Seven Minutes in Heaven!" someone shouted. "Lock yourselves in the old trophy room and bring back a personal item!"

The room cheered. Without a second thought Leo stood up, completely bypassing everyone else and looked straight at my sister.

"I choose Lyra” Leo said clearly.

The crowd went wild. Lyra smiled and took his hand letting him lead her down the dark hallway to the trophy room. Knowing how much I had been forced into the center of the room just moments before, his deliberate choice of my sister hit me like a slap in the face.

My chest felt empty. The warning words from the supermarket echoed in my mind.

On the table in front of me, Leo had left his phone unlocked. A message lit up the screen:

From The Big 6: "Have you informed Elena that this is a prank yet, or should we?"

My fingers moved. I picked up the phone then opened his messages and read their previous messages :

"How much longer will you pretend to date Elena ?"

"Until her sister notices me”

“ I can’t believe you could string her along for two years."

"That's harsh."

"It's expected . No pureblood would ever choose an unshifted nobody."

The phone slipped from my hands onto the table, those girls were right. I was just a toy.

A few minutes later the hallway door opened. Leo and Lyra walked back to loud applause, Leo holding up Lyra’s bra like a trophy.

Leo looked relaxed. But when his eyes swept the room he saw me in the shadows. He walked over with a fake smile.

"Is something wrong Elena?" he asked so pretentiously .

Irritated, I raised my hand and slapped him across the face and the room went dead silent.

Leo stumbled back holding his red cheek. "Have you lost your mind?"

"Yes”. “I lost my mind believing in trash like you."

Leo's face twisted into an ugly sneer. He turned to the crowd.

“Took you long enough to realize Elena “

"Did you actually think an alpha heir would choose an unshifted loser like you ?"

“Everyone knew it was a joke from day one! I only kept you around to get close to your sister. No one would ever want you!"

Cruel laughter filled the room. My sister stood beside him, smiling with no shame.

I turned my back on them, walked out into the cold night air, and never looked back.