The Alpha's Heartbound

REIKA'S POV

The day I'd waited for, yearned for, was finally here. It was supposed to be the day everything changed-I would find my mate, the one person destined to be mine, who would look at me and see more than just the powerless orphan everyone else saw. I'd clung to that hope, even as life in the pack had tried to crush it out of me.

Alpha Martin, our pack leader, told me I was thrown into the forest for an unknown reason when I was a baby. My parents threw me like garbage, like I was nothing to them. Who would do that to their own child?

Sometimes, I wish to take revenge, find my parents, and tell them what kind of hell I went through before I kill them with my bare hands. But they probably wouldn't care what they put me through anyway. They are heartless to begin with.

As an orphan, my life had been nothing but a series of humiliations, each day worse than the last. The other pack members treated me like dirt beneath their feet, and I could not fight back. But tonight, that would all change. Tonight, I'd finally have someone who cared and would stand by my side. At least, that's what I'd always told myself.

How amazing would it be to have a mate? I wondered about it with a butterfly in my stomach. Seeing Omega, like me, having a mate inspires me to wait until I meet mine.

The old clock on my wall ticked relentlessly, the sound growing louder with each passing second. I couldn't sit still any longer. I got up from my worn-out bed and paced the small room to calm the nervous energy that buzzed through me. The wooden floorboards creaked beneath my bare feet, a reminder of how old and decrepit this place was. But it didn't matter. Soon, I'd be free of it all.

The clock struck 12 midnight with a hollow clang reverberating through my body. I stood still, holding my breath, waiting for everything to change. The air in the room seemed to shift, charged with an energy that made my skin tingle. And then I felt a deep pull as if an invisible thread had suddenly snapped taut, connecting me to something-or someone.

Someone was coming.

My Heart raced as the sensation grew stronger, filling me with an almost unbearable anticipation. I knew, without a doubt, that my mate was near. The door to my room creaked open, and I turned, holding my breath as the figure stepped into the dim light.

Nyx.

For a moment, I couldn't move, couldn't breathe. My mind struggled to comprehend what my heart already knew. Nyx, the Alpha heir of our pack Shadow Claw, the one person who had always been out of reach, was my mate. My knees nearly gave way as the realization hit me with the force of a freight train.

How could it be?

He stood in the doorway, filling the room with a dark, brooding intensity. His cold amber eyes met mine, and for a second, something flickered in them-recognition, maybe even surprise. But it was gone as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by a complex, emotionless mask that sent a chill down my spine.

"Happy birthday, Reika," he said, his voice low and devoid of warmth. The words felt like a formality, something he had to say rather than wanted to.

The man before me was nothing like the Nyx I remembered from our childhood-the boy who used to laugh with me, who had once been my closest friend. Now, there was nothing but a cold, distant stranger in his place.

"Nyx," I whispered, stepping closer, my heart pounding. I had long waited for this moment, having dreamed of it more than I could count. But now that it was here, it felt like a nightmare. "You're... you're my mate."

I searched his eyes for signs that he felt the same pull and was as overwhelmed by it as I was. But his gaze remained hard and unyielding.

"No, this isn't happening," he said flatly, his tone as cold as his expression. "I only came here to wish you a happy birthday but against my will. Father forced me like he knew this would happen." His eyes were blazing with fury.

The words were like a slap to the face. I stumbled back, the breath knocked out of me by the sheer force of his indifference. How could he say that? How could he act like this was nothing?

"I... I don't understand," I stammered, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. "We're supposed to be-"

"Supposed to be what?" Nyx interrupted, his voice sharp and cutting. "Together? Don't be naive, Reika. This doesn't change anything."

He took a step closer, and I cringed, the pain in my chest growing with each passing second. This was different from how it was supposed to be. He was supposed to be happy and relieved, just like I was. Instead, he looked at me with something that bordered on contempt.

"Nyx, please," I whispered, my voice trembling. "We were friends once... We can be again. We're mates-"

"We were children," he snapped, his eyes narrowing. "And now, we're not."

The harshness of his words tore through me, each one a fresh wound. I had always known Nyx was different, that the years had changed him, hardened him into the ruthless Alpha heir he was now. He was trained to inherit his father's position as Alpha and the leader of our pack and choose someone strong as his mate. But I had never expected this kind of cruelty.

Desperate to make him understand, I reached out, my hand trembling as it sought his. "Nyx, please-"

Before I could touch him, a sharp pain shot through my wrist as someone grabbed my hand and yanked it away. I gasped, looking up to see Anya standing beside Nyx, her eyes blazing with fury.

Anya is the daughter of the pack's Beta and Nyx's girlfriend. The one who had made my life a living hell since Nyx announced her as his girlfriend. She was beautiful in a cruel, calculating way, with her long, jet-black hair and piercing blue eyes that always seemed to find fault in everything I did. But more than that, she was powerful and dominant and always ensured I knew my place.

"Don't you dare touch him," Anya hissed, her grip tightening painfully on my wrist. Her voice was dripping with venom, and I could feel the barely restrained violence behind it. "You're nothing, Reika. You're an Omega-a nobody. How dare you think you're worthy of him?"

I winced, trying to pull my hand away, but she held on tighter, the pressure making my bones ache. "I... I didn't mean-"

"You didn't mean?" Anya mocked, a cruel smile spreading across her lips. "Did you think he'd want someone like you? Pathetic."

Her words were like blades, each cutting more profound than the last. I trembled, the tears I had been holding back finally spilling over. I had always known I was nothing compared to her, and in the pack's eyes, I was barely worth acknowledging. But hearing it like this, from her, in front of Nyx, was more than I could bear.

"Anya, let go," Nyx said, his voice cold and commanding.

For a brief moment, hope flared in my chest. Maybe he would defend me, he would perhaps-

Anya released my wrist, shoving me back with enough force to send me stumbling. I caught myself against the wall, my breath coming in ragged gasps. Nyx turned his gaze on me, and the look in his eyes extinguished whatever hope I had left.

"Reika," he began, his voice devoid of any emotion. "I'm not going to sugarcoat this. I, Nyx, reject you, Reika as my mate."

Just then, the door to my room swung open. Alpha Martin, Nyx's father, stood in the doorway, his sharp gaze taking in the scene before him. We all vowed to show respect before our pack leader.

"Nyx, take back your word. You two, apologize to Reika now," Alpha Martin commanded, his voice low but filled with authority.

Shock rippled through the room. Nyx and Anya exchanged a glance, clearly confused by Alpha Martin's words. After all, Alpha Martin had always approved of Anya as Nyx's girlfriend. Why was he defending me?

Even I was too stunned to speak.

"Father, why?" Nyx asked, his voice laced with disbelief. "Why should I apologize to her? She's nothing to me. You know that."

Martin's eyes darkened, his gaze never leaving Nyx. "It's Reika's birthday, and I raised you to treat pack members with respect. You will apologize."

Anya scoffed, folding her arms across her chest. "Alpha, with all due respect, that's ridiculous. Just because it's her birthday doesn't mean we must be nice to her. She tried to steal Nyx. She deserves whatever she gets."

Alpha Martin's jaw tightened, a flicker of anger crossing his face. "That's enough, Anya."

Nyx looked torn between his pride and his father's command. He shook his head, refusing to back down. "No. I won't apologize."

Anya, emboldened by Nyx's defiance, stood her ground. "Neither will I. She's not worth it."

Martin's patience snapped. His voice dropped to a dangerous growl. "Leave. Now."

Nyx and Anya hesitated, but the fire in Alpha Martin's eyes left no room for argument. They turned and walked out, their footsteps echoing. As they disappeared, the tension in the room eased slightly, but I still felt the weight of what had just happened.

Alpha Martin sighed and looked at me, his expression softening. "I'll talk to him, Reika. Please don't accept Nyx's rejection."

I nodded hesitantly, eyes on the floor, refusing to meet Alpha Martin's gaze. Why would he want someone like me, an Omega, to be his son's mate?

"Happy birthday," he added quietly before walking out, leaving me standing alone in the silence of my room.

As the door clicked shut, the reality of what had just happened crashed over me. The pain of Nyx's rejection, the humiliation of being cast aside in front of Anya, and the confusion over why Alpha Martin had intervened all swirled in my mind, leaving me feeling lost and broken.

And then, the whispers began as I went outside. Voices from the hallway. Servants. Pack members. They all knew. They all saw.

"She ruined everything," one of them said.

"Nyx is right to reject her. She's worthless, unlike Anya, worthy of being Nyx's mate."

"She should be grateful we even let her stay in the pack. But what she did in return was ruin the Alpha and his relationship with his son, Nyx."

"Right. If only Alpha Martin was a heartless man, he would have thrown this filthy girl away from our pack. He should be grateful Alpha Martin picked her from the forest and let her live with us."

Their words hurt me to the core. But cruel as it sounds, they were right. After saving me from the forest, because of Alpha Martin's mercy, he asked Maia to be my tutor to teach me basic writing and reading when I was old enough. He went far in helping me.

I stumbled back to my room, sinking onto the edge of my bed, my body trembling. Tears blurred my vision as I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to hold on, trying to breathe through the pain. But it was too much.

The total weight of what had just happened crashed down on me, leaving me gasping for breath. My chest ached with a pain so intense I thought it might tear me apart. Nyx had rejected me. My mate, supposed to love and protect me, had cast me aside like I was nothing.

This was supposed to start a new life where I was no longer alone and unloved. But instead, I was left with nothing but a shattered heart and a future as bleak as the darkness surrounding me.

As the minutes dragged on, the pain began to give way to something else-something darker. Anger. It started as a tiny flicker, but it grew, fed by the memories of every cruel word, every degrading look, every time I had been reminded of my place at the bottom of the pack. I have pride, too. I need to stand up for myself and can't wait any longer.

Everything was too much. Only Alpha Martin had been friendly to me besides Maia, but now I couldn't bear ruining his family because of me.

And at that moment, I knew what to do. I packed my things.

Everything was about to change.