My Rival Alpha Mates

Chapter One Lyra POV "Have you heard? Lyra still hasn't found her mate." One of the pack females murmurs to her friend. "No wonder she has so many nicknames," another woman adds with a quiet laugh. "The wolfless Alpha's useless daughter. And I heard Alpha Caden already rejected her." "Did you hear the Alpha and her own brother didn't even show up to her graduation?" a third woman says. My steps stagger, but I manage to steady myself. For one second, I consider turning around and confronting them. Asking if humiliating me makes their lives any better. But what would be the point? I turn and walk away instead. "Look. She's running away like always." They chuckle behind me. I quicken my pace, pretending their words don't hurt. I've spent years learning how to hold everything inside, especially because my father is one reason they think they can treat me this way. If my own Alpha father sees me as an embarrassment, why should the rest of the pack respect me? Sometimes I hate everything about Silver Moon. Living here feels like walking through the same nightmare every day, surrounded by people waiting for another reason to ridicule me. All I ever asked the Moon Goddess for was a simple wish to give me a blessing meeting my she-wolf that will make the pack accept me. I wanted to experience the things every other werewolf takes for granted. Shifting beneath a full moon. Running through the forest. Finding my mate, being loved by my mate, and having a family of my own someday, but I crossed the age when my wolf should have appeared years ago. And without a wolf, there is no mate bond, so my dream won’t come true. When I enter the house, Dad looks up from across the room. His expression immediately folds into a frown. Nathan turns from the counter and smiles. "Sis, how was your day? Something shifts across his tired face as he studies me, almost as if he's trying to remember something. Then his eyes widen. "Wait. Today was your graduation." I say nothing. "God, Lyra. I forgot." He rubs a hand over his face. "I'm sorry. I'll bring you a gift." "Don't worry about it, Nathan. I don't need anything." I manage a weak smile. I mean it. The fact that my brother looks genuinely sorry is enough. There was a time when Nathan barely noticed me, when he treated my presence like an inconvenience. Things changed between us thanks to his mate, Emma and also my bestie. "You're Doctor Lyra now." His smile returns, tired around the edges but genuine. "Congratulations, Sis." Nathan pulls me into a bear hug. Something warm loosens inside my chest. At least someone cares enough to say it. But the empty seats reserved for my family at graduation this morning are still burned into the back of my mind. "Jeez." Dad's voice cuts through the room. "When is she going to find a man and leave this pack?" The warmth inside me disappears. "Dad," Nathan's tone sharpens. "She worked hard. She earned that degree." Dad scoffs. "Wolfless is useless. Degree or not, Nathan, that doesn't change." My fingers curl into my palms. I don't look at him. There's no point. It doesn't matter what I accomplish. I'll never earn his respect. The pack looks at me and sees exactly what my father sees: I am just a liability. A wolfless daughter who should never have been born to an Alpha. I walk away before either of them can see how deeply his words cut. Mom's photograph catches my eye as I pass it. I stop in my tracks. She's beautiful in the picture. Black hair falls around her shoulders, and her green eyes are bright against her fair skin. She looks happy. My fingers brush lightly over the frame. For a second, I wonder whether things would have been different if she were still here. Would she have come to my graduation? Would she have been proud of me? I swallow the ache in my throat and keep walking. The moment I'm inside my bedroom, I drop my backpack onto the floor and pull my report card from the envelope. A folded piece of paper slips from the envelope and lands near my feet. I bend down and pick it up. You should withdraw from the wolf medicine track, Lyra. —Teacher Bethelem My jaw tightens. I crush the note in my fist and throw it into the bin. Like hell I will. Medicine is the only dream I have left. They've already taken everything else from me. They're not taking this too. I look at myself in the mirror with teary eyes. My ash-gray hair has fallen loose from its bun, strands clinging to my face. My skin looks paler than usual, and exhaustion hangs beneath my eyes. I reach up and remove my contacts. Green disappears. Black slowly bleeds across my irises. Showing a sign of my aching heart. My real eyes have never behaved like anyone else's. Their color shifts with my emotions, betraying feelings I'd rather keep hidden. That's why I wear green contacts. Always hide what you feel, Lyra. That's how you survive. Grandma's voice echoes through my memories. I blink rapidly and wipe away the tears threatening to fall. Slowly, the black recedes. Green begins bleeding back into my irises. Control my emotions That's all it takes. A knock sounds against my door. I quickly put my contacts back in. Nathan stands in the doorway. "What brings you here?" "Emma wants you looking your best." He steps aside. Two maids enter carrying armfuls of dresses. Every single one is baby pink, although the necklines, fabrics, and trims are different. I stare at pink dresses. Nathan almost smiles. "Pick one. You're her bridesmaid." I glance at him. "Are you upset about what Dad said earlier?" His expression changes. "No." He just gives me one long, sympathetic look before turning and walking away. My phone buzzes. I pick it up. Girl, be there at 7 p.m. sharp. You're helping me pick the wedding dress. Emma. Despite everything, a small smile pulls at my lips. "I'll be there," I type back. I set my phone down and move toward the window. Cars are pulling into the driveway below, one after another. Most of them I recognize. Council members. Allied families. Familiar faces who move within the same political circles as Silver Moon. Nothing unusual, considering the wedding. Then another car rolls through the gates. My smile disappears. The vehicle is sleek, black, and expensive. The kind of car that announces power before the person inside ever steps out. The rear door opens, and a man steps out in a perfectly tailored black suit. My stomach drops the moment I see his face. Alpha Caden Voss. The Alpha of Shadowfang, one of the strongest packs in our territory, stands beside the car as if he owns the ground beneath his feet. Even from up here, there is no mistaking that commanding presence. Nothing about him has changed. The same controlled expression, rigid confidence. The same piercing amber eyes that seem to look through people rather than at them. Caden has never needed to raise his voice to intimidate anyone. One look from him is usually enough. He's the last person I want anywhere near Silver Moon. The man who created a rumor about me and allowed it to spread through the packs like poison. The man who looks at me as though I'm something dangerous that needs to be contained. He still visits my nightmares. And now he's standing twenty feet from my bedroom window. Another car pulls in behind Caden's. The door opens, and my stomach sinks even further. "You have got to be kidding me." Alpha Landon White and the Alpha of White Fang, the second-strongest pack. My ex-boyfriend. And the charming playboy, an asshole responsible for one of the worst heartbreaks of my life. He steps out wearing a polo shirt, tailored trousers, and loafers, looking less like an Alpha entering the territory of a rival pack and more like a man arriving late to an expensive dinner. Relaxed. Confident. Completely at ease. Typical Landon. He has always carried himself like the whole world is one big party and everyone in it is already halfway to falling for him. I hate that he still looks unfairly handsome. That calm smile, perfectly styled hair, and face that once made my heart race whenever I saw him coming. The same face that convinced me I could trust him. A third car approaches the estate.I already know this can't be good. The man who steps out looks almost casual compared to the other two. A shirt, blue jeans, and sneakers. Alpha Dante Beckett, alpha of Moon Fang, the third strongest pack. Another asshole from my past. Dante made my college years a living hell. He mocked me, provoked me, and never missed a chance to humiliate me. I couldn't even walk into the college cafeteria without him finding some way to ruin my day. More than once, I ended up with food dumped on me because of him. He made sure I never forgot I was the wolfless girl who didn't belong there. But what bothered me most was that I never understood why. Out of everyone in college, why was I always the one he picked on? Why are they here? Three of our pack's strongest enemies showing up at the same time can't be a coincidence. Is Silver Moon in danger? I need to find out. I rush downstairs and burst into Nathan's office. "Nathan, we have a problem." He looks up from his desk, confused. "Three elite Alphas are outside. Three of the strongest Alphas in our territory. What the hell is going on?" His raised eyebrows slowly settle, and that's when I realize something. He's not surprised. "Why aren't you worried?" "They're here for the wedding." "They're guests, Lyra." "No. There's more to it than that, isn't there?" Nathan sighs. "Yes. Our packs are signing a peace treaty. They've agreed to stop interfering with our trade routes, the tariffs on our goods will be reduced, and we'll work together against feral attacks." Before I can ask anything else, Hugo enters the office. "Alpha, should I show the Alphas to their guest rooms?" "No." Nathan looks directly at me. "My sister will take care of them." My head snaps toward him. "Me?" Nathan gives me a look that says, You can do it. My palms are already sweating as I step out of his office. I stopped to find three pairs of eyes ‌staring directly at me. My heart pounds with fear, but something strange happens when I force myself to walk toward them. The closer I got, the hotter my body felt and the more my skin burned. My breathing turns shallow, and an unfamiliar heat coils low in my stomach. What the hell is happening to me? Their gazes never leave me, making me feel trapped beneath them, like prey surrounded by three predators. I stop several feet away. I can't make myself go any closer. My body is reacting in ways it shouldn't, and the heat only gets worse. I press my thighs together as another wave rolls through me. Alpha Caden's amber eyes change. They turn molten as his wolf pushes forward, staring at me through him with an intensity that makes the pressure in the room almost unbearable. Landon's cocky smirk disappears. For once, there's nothing playful about him. His entire face turns serious as his eyes begin to glow, his wolf fighting its way closer to the surface. I take a quick look at Dante. A low, irritated sound leaves him. His dark eyes glow as his wolf surfaces too, but unlike the others, Dante looks pissed. His mouth pulls into a deep frown as he stares at me, like whatever his wolf has just discovered is the last thing he wanted.A low growl rolls through the hall. Every servant nearby stops moving. Silence crashes over the room. Three powerful Alphas and their wolves are pushing dangerously close to the surface. Three pairs of gazes focused on me. Three voices speak at once. "Mate." My heart stops. No, it can’t be possible. I have three mates.