Torn Between Two Alphas

Amelia The night air was cool and the sky above me twinkled with stars as the Moon Festival unfolded in full swing. Lanterns lit the clearing, their soft glow casting golden halos over the crowd of faces gathered for the biggest night of the year. The beat of drums echoed through the crowd, and the smell of roasted meats and sweet pastries filled the air. It was a perfect evening, or at least, it should have been. Eva, a girl I barely knew, stood nearby. I had noticed her a few times in the pack, but we never really talked. Tonight, she was beaming, caught up in the excitement of the festival like everyone else. Her blonde hair glistened in the soft light, and she had that look of eager anticipation. It was clear she belonged to this moment—the festival lights reflecting in her bright blue eyes as she soaked in the atmosphere. “You look like you’re not enjoying yourself,” Eva’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. Her tone was casual, but there was a hint of curiosity in her eyes. “This is supposed to be a fun night. Everything okay?” I forced a smile, trying to brush it off. “I’m fine.” Eva tilted her head, unconvinced. “Are you sure? You’ve been standing here looking like your world’s falling apart. What’s going on?” I wanted to brush her off, pretend everything was fine, but the words slipped out before I could stop them. “I saw Felix.” She stopped mid-bounce, eyebrows furrowing. “The guy you’ve been with? What happened? What do you mean ‘saw’? I thought you two were—” “I saw him,” I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper. “In bed. . .with someone else.” Eva’s eyes widened, and she leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. “No way. I’d heard rumours, but I didn’t think he’d actually be—what a jerk.” I swallowed hard, my voice trembling. “I don’t know what I did wrong. He’s been avoiding me ever since. Won’t talk, won’t even look at me.” Eva sighed, crossing her arms. “You didn’t do anything wrong. If he’s treating you like that, it’s all on him. Honestly, I’ve seen guys like him around the pack—always chasing the next thing. You deserve better than that.” I bit my lip, unsure how to respond. “I tried talking to him,” I muttered. “But he just acts like I don’t exist.” “Maybe you need to confront him again,” Eva suggested, her expression softening. “I know it’s hard, but you need to get answers. You deserve some kind of closure.” I glanced toward the growing crowd, hesitant, but Eva nudged me forward. “Go. I’ll be right here.” Taking a deep breath, I wove through the groups of people, searching for Felix. The crowd had thickened as more people gathered for the night’s ceremony, but it wasn’t hard to spot Felix. I spotted him near the bonfire, laughing with his friends like nothing had changed. My heart clenched as I walked up to him, feeling the weight of his cold indifference even before I spoke. “Felix, can we talk?” My voice was steady, but inside I was shaking. He looked at me as if I were a stranger, his expression unreadable. “I’m busy.” “Busy?” I swallowed hard, trying to keep my voice from trembling as I felt the burn of humiliation rise in my chest. “We need to talk about what happened—” “There’s nothing to talk about,” he cut me off, his tone cold. “Move on, Amelia.” And just like that, he turned away, leaving me standing there, humiliated, cold and alone. My face burned, but I forced myself to walk back to where Rosetta waited. Each step felt heavier than the last. “Well?” Eva was waiting, her expression softening when she saw the look on my face. “I’m sorry,” she murmured, placing a gentle hand on my arm. “That’s rough.” I blinked back tears, shaking my head. “He. . .he doesn’t care. I don’t exist to him anymore.” Eva squeezed my arm, her voice calm but firm. “Then he’s not worth your time. You’ll move on from him, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now.” I nodded, though her words barely made a dent in the ache in my chest. I wanted to forget him, but it wasn’t that simple. It never was. Just as I was about to speak, a shift in the atmosphere made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It was like the air had thickened, and when I looked up, I saw why. Connor. He was standing at the edge of the crowd, his eyes locked on mine, dark and intense. For a split second, everything else faded away. The noise, the crowd, the festival—it all disappeared, leaving just the two of us in a suffocating silence. My breath hitched in my throat, and a cold shiver ran down my spine. Even in the flickering light of the festival, his presence was overpowering and dangerous. I hated the way he could still make me feel like this—terrified, vulnerable. Memories of his hands gripping my arms too tightly and his sneer when I pleaded for him to stop flooded back to me. I shivered, despite the warm air. It had been long weeks since the day he forcefully had his way with me despite my pleas. I looked away quickly, hoping he hadn’t noticed my fear. But I knew it didn’t matter. He could always sense it. “Amelia?” Eva’s voice brought me back, her concerned gaze scanning my face. “Are you okay?” “I need a minute,” I muttered, stepping away. I didn’t want her to see me like this—shaken, weak. Not tonight. Not with Connor here. The festival drums started up, signalling the beginning of the ceremony, but I barely heard them. My mind was spinning, stuck in the past, reliving moments I’d tried so hard to forget. The way my aunt and her husband treated me like a worthless human and always found a way to load me with chores. How Felix used to love and care for me till he no longer did. The way Connor had his way with me. He had taken everything from me—my confidence, my sense of safety, my dignity. I forced myself to look away, to focus on something—anything else. That’s when I saw Felix again, standing in the front of the crowd, his arm wrapped around the girl I had seen him with before. My stomach twisted as I watched them, their fingers intertwined, their bodies closed. It was as if I had never been a part of his life, as if all our shared moments had evaporated into nothing. Eva noticed them too and came to me. “Don’t look, Amelia. He’s not worth it,” She said, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away. “Amelia…” she whispered, her voice laced with pity. The Festival Elder stepped forward, raising his arms to silence the crowd. “Let the Moon Festival begin!” His voice boomed through the clearing, and the crowd erupted in cheers, but all I could hear was the sound of my heart thumping wildly. I wondered if Rosetta heard it too. I watched in numb silence as Felix and the girl moved forward to stand before the Elder. My throat tightened, and I felt sick to my stomach. The Elder raised a hand over them, the ancient words of the mating bond echoing through the night. It should have been me. But instead, I stood there, watching as Felix sealed his fate with someone else—someone who wasn’t me. And just like that, the last piece of my heart shattered. I blinked against the tears welling in my eyes, desperate to hold them back. Not here. Not in front of everyone. I couldn’t let them see me like that. But the ache in my chest was overwhelming, and I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Felix and the girl as they stood together, waiting for the final words that would make them mates. Suddenly, I felt a burning sensation in the pit of my stomach, like someone was watching me. I turned, wiping away the moisture in my eyes, and locked my gaze on Catherine, my cousin. She was standing just a few feet away, her arms crossed over her chest, lips twisted into a smug smirk. The look in her eyes made my skin crawl—mocking, gleeful at my pain. Of course, she was there. Of course, she’d come to watch me fall apart. Catherine had always been like that, always waiting for a moment of weakness to strike. And now, she had front-row seats to my humiliation. She didn’t say a word, but the look was enough. I could hear her voice in my head, taunting me, as if she didn’t even have to speak aloud to cut me down. I tried to turn away, to block her out, but it was too much. The pain, the shame, the anger—it all hit me at once, and the dam I had been holding back broke. A sob slipped past my lips, then another until I couldn’t stop them. The tears came hot and fast, streaming down my face as I backed away from the crowd, from Felix, from Catherine’s cruel stare. “I have to go,” I choked out, turning to Eva. My voice was shaky, barely holding it together. “I can’t. . .I can’t stay here.” “Amelia, wait,” Eva reached for me, her eyes wide with concern. “Don’t leave like that. You don’t have to go.” “I do,” I cried, my voice breaking. “I can’t watch this. I can’t—” The words tangled in my throat, and I shook my head, desperate to escape. “I just need to be alone.” Eva’s face softened, and she gave me a sad, understanding nod. “Alright, but I’ll come find you later, okay?” I couldn’t even respond. I just nodded, my vision blurred with tears as I stumbled away from the festival grounds, my heart shattering with every step.