The Alpha's Substitute Finds Her Fated King

I had been in a relationship with Jack, an Alpha, for five long years. He always insisted on waiting until our Mate Ceremony to officially mark me.

But the day before the ceremony, I accidentally found his credit card statements. Every single month, there was a charge for a flight ticket. Same airline, same destination.

It had been going on, uninterrupted, for five years. I also checked his online shopping history. Every gift he had ever bought for me was purchased in duplicate.

Same style, same color. But the more expensive one was always shipped to a recipient named Violet—Jack’s first love.

Without saying a word, I packed my bags and left on the day of our Mate Ceremony. Just like my inner wolf whispered to me: thank god he had always refused to mark me.

Because of that, destiny was able to guide me straight to my true fated mate. I stared blankly at the credit card statement on the laptop screen.

My heart hammered against my ribs, threatening to burst out of my chest. My inner wolf whined, whispering the ugly truth: "He’s cheating on you." "Are you really going to mark Emma?

Aren't you waiting for Violet to come back?

I thought you'd wait for her forever." The words Jack’s friend had let slip when he first heard about our upcoming Mate Ceremony echoed in my ears.

That was the first time I had ever heard Violet’s name. But it was only now that I finally understood what his friend really meant. The transactions were monthly.

For five years, there were sixtythree flights in total. Each ticket cost exactly $287. Same airline, same destination.

In our five years together, we didn't even have half as many photos as the number of times that ticket price appeared on his statement.

Every time I wanted to travel with him, he always had a million excuses to reject me.

He’d say there was too much pack business, that he couldn't leave, or that we’d have plenty of time in the future. Only now did I realize it wasn't about a lack of time.

I simply wasn't worth the trip to him. Staring at the dates on the bills, I pulled out my phone and searched through our old chat history on Snapchat.

I found that on those exact dates, Jack had told me he was either attending urgent pack meetings or visiting other territories.

And whenever he disappeared, his camera went with him. Seeing the effortless lies he had spun back then made my chest tighten with a suffocating pain.

I slammed his laptop shut, stood up, and rushed into the bedroom to pack my things.

But the moment I swung the closet doors open, a sickeningly familiar sight made it hard to breathe. Every piece of clothing in there had a duplicate in his shopping history.

Same style, same color. But the ones sent to Violet’s address were always ordered earlier and cost more.

And these clothes were the very "thoughtful" gifts Jack had given me over the years. I slammed the closet door shut and slid down to the floor, feeling completely helpless.

Tears blurred my vision. With trembling hands, I dialed Anderson, a trusted Beta and an old friend of my father's. I told him I wanted to leave this city and move to a new one.

He went silent for a long moment before asking, "Does your father know?" "Not yet." Another long silence. "Are you absolutely sure about this, Emma?" "I am." He sighed softly. "Alright.

I have some connections over there. I'll arrange everything for you once you land.

As for your father, I’ll talk to him." His tone held relief and a touch of pity, but absolutely no surprise.

It was as if everyone had already expected that Jack and I would never make it to the end. I hung up and opened a travel app to book a flight out of the country for tomorrow.

Just then, I heard the front door click open. Pushing myself up from the floor, I walked out to the living room.

The love that used to fill my eyes when I looked at him was completely gone. As usual, he walked over and planted a soft kiss on my forehead.

Only today, he was holding a small cake box. "I got off work early today and bought this for you. Try it.

I have a friend's party tonight, so I have to head out in a bit." I glanced at the chocolate mousse label on the box. A cold, sarcastic smile touched my lips. "No thanks.

I don't have an appetite. Besides, I'm severely allergic to chocolate." He froze. It took him a few seconds to recall that I told him this every single year.

And every single year, he forgot. Seeing my cold expression and realizing I wasn't going to throw a tantrum, he reached out and gently ruffled my hair. "I'm sorry, Emma.

The pack has been so chaotic lately.

I'll buy you a different one tomorrow after our Mate Ceremony." In the past, when I was blind to the truth, I believed every single excuse he made.

But after seeing those bills and receipts, I finally knew why he was so obsessed with chocolate. It was because Violet loved it.

And "pack business" was just his goto excuse for everything.

The last transaction on his credit card statement was from just three days ago. I looked into his emotionless eyes and nodded slowly, choosing not to call him out on his lies.

I wanted to leave him with some dignity. Seeing that I wasn't starting a fight like I usually did, a small smile played on his lips.

He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a necklace, dangling it in front of me. The amethyst violetshaped pendant glinted in the light, making my eyes sting.

I took it blankly, turned around, and walked into the bedroom. I threw the necklace into the nightstand drawer.

Then, I took off my silver ring—the one engraved with a violet pattern—and tossed it in there too.

Inside the drawer was an entire collection of violetthemed jewelry: necklaces, bracelets, bangles, and earrings. I never understood why he was so obsessed with violets.

Now that I knew about Violet, it wasn't hard to connect the dots. I slid the drawer shut.

His cheerful, expectant voice drifted in from the living room. "You should wear the jewelry I gave you for the Mate Ceremony tomorrow.

The matching violet set will look absolutely beautiful on you." "Be a good girl and stay home, okay? I'm heading out for the party.

It's my last night of freedom before we officially become mates, so I might be back late. Don't wait up." I didn't say a word.

I stayed in the bedroom, hiding like a turtle shrinking into its shell.

I whispered silently to myself: We will never have a Mate Ceremony. As the front door clicked shut, I walked out and tossed the chocolate cake straight into the trash.

My eyes caught the cabinet beside the trash can. For five years, I had carefully saved every single ribbon and tag from the cake boxes he brought home. They sat there quietly.

They looked like a silent mockery of my pathetic, unrequited love. The things I had treasured so deeply were nothing but trash he had casually thrown my way.

I opened the cabinet and swept everything into a garbage bag. Only then did I start packing my suitcase for my flight tomorrow.

Aside from my clothes and some basic jewelry, the only things I could really take with me were my daily essentials. As I rummaged through the drawers, I found even more things.

Over the past five years, every gift I had ever bought for Jack had been carelessly stuffed into random corners of the house.

Many of them were expired, their wrapping paper still intact. No wonder he always gave me vague answers and claimed he "couldn't bear to use them" whenever I asked.

Now that I thought about it, he probably just threw them aside and forgot where they were. Even his daily grooming products were imported from the exact country Violet lived in.

I threw them all into the trash bag, discarding my love for him and my past, pathetic self along with them. Just as I zipped my suitcase, my phone rang.

It was Jack's friend. "Emma, Jack is completely wasted. Why don't you come pick him up?

I'll text you the address." In the background, I could hear Jack's raspy voice slurring, "Violet..." His voice was filled with begging, devotion, and the joy of finding something he had lost.

But there was absolutely no hint of actual drunkenness in his tone. My breath caught, and my heart skipped a beat.

The friend on the other end quickly covered the mic and hung up the phone. I set my suitcase by the wall.

I hesitated for a couple of seconds, but I still ordered an Uber to the address. This was the last time. Since I had already decided to leave, I didn't want to leave any loose ends.

When I arrived at the VIP lounge of the bar, the teasing and laughter inside drifted through the crack of the door. "Why is Violet back today?

Don't tell me she heard about our Jack's big day?

We definitely won't let you leave emptyhanded tonight!" Through the glass, I saw a wild, carefree expression on Jack's face—one I had never seen in our five years together.

His eyes were locked onto another woman’s face with intense anticipation. And that woman's name was Violet. The very name I had seen on those shipping receipts over and over again.

The amethyst necklace resting on her collarbone was identical to the one Jack had just given me. Only hers was shinier and far more eyecatching.

I took a deep breath and pushed the door open. The noisy room instantly fell dead silent. Jack clearly hadn't expected me to show up.

Confusion and irritation flickered in his eyes, his brow furrowing deeply. It was his friend who quickly stood up to break the awkward silence. "Emma, this is Violet.

She and Jack grew up together. Her family moved away five years ago, and she just got back today.

What a coincidence that she ran into our party, right?" He kept darting sly glances between Jack and Violet. It was obvious he had called me here on purpose to mock me.

If this had been the old me, I probably would have lost control and screamed at them.

I would have demanded to know why they brought her here right before our Mate Ceremony when they knew Jack loved her, and why nobody tried to stop them.

But now, I just offered a polite, empty smile. When his friend started introducing me and muttered the words "intended mate," Jack suddenly burst into a coughing fit.

Violet smoothly handed him a tissue. She naturally reached out and wiped the corner of his mouth.

After a moment, Jack's face flushed red as he mumbled, "She's... just a close family friend." My eyelashes fluttered slightly under the mocking stares of the crowd.

I just nodded, playing along with his words. My nails dug so hard into my palms that it hurt, but I forced my tears back. He didn't want to make our relationship public.

I was already used to it. After all, even our Mate Ceremony invitations were just a mass Snapchat message. There was no photo of us, and my name wasn't even on it.

I had always made excuses for him, foolishly trying to use our five years of history to bet on one last chance. But time and time again, I ended up being the loser.

I forced a smile and greeted Violet. "You're even prettier in person. And your necklace is beautiful." The moment those words left my mouth, the room fell completely silent.

Perhaps fearing I would make a scene, Jack quickly grabbed a glass of alcohol from the table and pushed it toward me. Seeing the dark chocolate cocktail, the smile on my face froze.

I said, word for word: "I can't drink anything with chocolate." I had literally just told him this before he left the house, yet he forgot it in the blink of an eye.

An awkward look flashed across Jack's face. Just as he was about to swap the drink for me, Violet reached out and took the glass. "I'll take it.

I'm not picky." Anxiety flashed in Jack's eyes. "But it has lemon juice in it.

Don't you hate that taste?" At that moment, it felt as though something shattered violently inside my chest.

The shards pierced deep into my lungs, making every breath agonizingly painful. He didn't have a bad memory. He just didn't want to waste his brain cells on me.

Violet giggled, reaching out to playfully pinch his nose. "I drink it all the time when I'm out. I'm used to it.

It's fine." She set the glass down and stood up to go to the restroom. Only then did Jack slide closer to me, whispering in a low voice, "I'm sorry, Emma. I really forgot just now.

I promise I'll pay attention next time. But everyone's watching, would it really hurt to just take a sip?

If anything happens, I'll go buy you some allergy meds later." "And don't overthink this. She's just an old friend I haven't seen in forever.

She doesn't know about our Mate Ceremony tomorrow, and it’s just too complicated to explain, so—" Before he could finish, I simply nodded.

He never knew that in order to look my best for our Mate Ceremony, I had cut sugar out of my diet for months. And I stayed far away from anything that would break me out in hives.

A tear escaped my eye and slipped down my cheek as I moved. He thought I didn't know about his first love. He thought he had hidden it perfectly. Fine. I would play along.

Playing dumb was what I did best, anyway. "Yeah, I get it. You don't have to explain." He let out a visible sigh of relief.

Sensing the awkward tension, his friend quickly spoke up to change the subject, suggesting they play a drinking game.

When Violet walked back into the room, the empty beer bottle spun on the table and pointed directly at Jack.

His friends instantly started cheering, demanding he open his phone’s camera roll. Their eyes darted back and forth between the three of us, waiting for drama. Jack looked hesitant.

The guy next to him sighed in disappointment. "His camera roll is obviously going to be full of photos of his mate. What's the fun in that? We should check his Snapchat history!

That's where the real tea is!" Another friend teased, "Why didn't you say that earlier? Next round, next round!" Jack's face flushed from the teasing.

He shot a quick, nervous glance at Violet. Then he pulled out his phone to unlock it. Maybe the lighting in the VIP room was too dim, because Face ID failed several times.

Seeing that the phone was about to lock him out, he had no choice but to manually type in his passcode under everyone's watchful eyes.

When he entered the six digits, Violet's eyes flickered. Amused chuckles erupted from the side. "Wait, that passcode looks familiar. Whose birthday is that again?

Violet's?" Jack cleared his throat. "I don't know. I got used to using it, so I forgot to change it." Impatient, his friend snatched the phone right out of his hand.

The next second, Jack's camera roll was displayed for everyone to see. Disappointment washed over his friends' faces. There were no pictures of me. No pack documents.

None of the gossip they were hoping for. There were only countless photos of violet flowers. Spanning five years, there were nearly two thousand photos. Jack and Violet locked eyes.

The air between them was thick with a silent, intimate understanding. It felt as if his friends and I were completely shut out, existing in a completely different dimension.

My heart sank straight to the bottom of my chest, the heavy thuds echoing in my ears. Soon, his friend groaned, "What is wrong with you? Why do you have so many photos of violets?

Trying to become a botanist?" "I think it's a beautiful hobby. Much better than playing video games all day," Violet said with a sweet, tender smile.

It seemed like out of everyone in this crowded room, she was the only one who truly understood Jack. And just like that, the first round ended.

But in the second round, Jack lost again. This time, the dare was to kiss a girl in the room.

The dare was proposed by the very friend who had been trying to set Jack and Violet up all night. There were only two women in the room: me and Violet.

The cheering and chanting grew louder and louder. Jack glared at his friend for a long moment, jaw clenched. Then, he mumbled, "I'm wasted.

I'm going home." He downed a shot, stood up, and walked out of the room. Seeing that the show was over, his friends started leaving too.

The three of us walked out of the bar together to call an Uber. Suddenly, a car sped past the curb.

Without a second thought, Jack reached out and pulled Violet into his arms to shield her.

I was clipped by the side mirror of the speeding car, losing my balance and crashing hard onto the asphalt.

My palms scraped against the rough road, the sharp gravel digging deep into my skin. But that physical pain was nothing compared to the agony ripping through my chest.

I gritted my teeth and pushed myself up, brushing the dirt off my palms. It was my last night here. I refused to show him any vulnerability.

Jack looked at me, his eyes filled with guilt. He stepped forward to help me up, starting to apologize, but I shook my head and forced a calm smile. "It's fine.

I just lost my footing. Don't worry about me." "She just got back today and probably isn't familiar with this area. You should take her home. I can manage on my own."

As I said those words, I could feel my heart tearing into pieces. Maybe my quiet compliance actually triggered a rare pang of guilt in him.

For once, Jack actually hailed an Uber for me. He even made a show of noting down the license plate number.

After watching my car pull away, he and Violet got into another ride together. The moment I stepped inside our apartment and closed the door, all my fake strength crumbled.

I slid down against the door, sobbing until my entire body shook and my throat went raw.

My palms still stung from the scraped gravel, but that minor flesh wound was nothing compared to the death of our fiveyear relationship.

My werewolf healing abilities would make these scrapes disappear in a few hours. But the cracks in my heart would never heal.

In the early hours of the morning, I had just finished washing up and was lying in bed when Jack finally pushed the bedroom door open.

I quickly closed my eyes, pretending to be fast asleep. I heard him hesitate at the edge of the bed before speaking softly, "Don't overthink tonight.

It was just an old friend coming back. There's nothing going on." He walked closer to the bed and realized I was already asleep.

Letting out a sigh of relief, he tossed his phone onto the mattress. Then he turned and walked into the bathroom to shower. The light from the bathroom illuminated the room.

I slowly opened my eyes. His phone screen was still unlocked. As if possessed, I reached out and picked it up. The screen was open to his Snapchat chat with Violet.

His last message read: [Emma is just someone my pack arranged for me. My family has been pressuring me to settle down. I didn't expect you to fly back just because of this...

What's the matter? It's been five years, and you still haven't let me go?

Want to meet up and talk in person?] It felt as if an invisible hand had gripped my heart, squeezing all the air out of my lungs.

To the outside world, Jack had always been the perfect boyfriend. He bought me gifts for every anniversary. He brought home cakes on random days.

He filled my closet with the latest fashion lines the moment they dropped. But only I knew the truth. He was using me to love someone else.

Everything he did during our relationship was just him fulfilling what he thought were the "duties" of a boyfriend. It had nothing to do with me. His heart only beat for Violet.

Even the Mate Ceremony I had anticipated for five years was just a trap to lure Violet back. With the cold, hard truth staring me in the face, I could no longer lie to myself.

I pressed a hand over my mouth to stifle my sobs. As I went to put the phone down, my finger accidentally swiped back to the main chat list.

There was an unread message from the friend who had set them up: [Bro, I did what I could tonight.

Once you and Violet get back together, you owe me a steak dinner!] I instantly locked the screen.

Taking a few deep breaths, I unlocked my own phone and opened the email I had just received. It was a confirmation from the apartment agency I had contacted.

The keys had already been mailed to the new address. Without hesitation, I booked a flight for tomorrow morning. Just as the payment went through, Jack's phone rang.

He rushed out of the bathroom. I rubbed my eyes, pretending I had just been woken up by the noise. He declined the call and quickly read a text.

Meeting my sleepy gaze, he said, "My friend's power went out at his place. I'm going over to help him check it.

Go back to sleep, I'll be back soon." He leaned down, planted a quick kiss on my forehead, and practically sprinted out of the room.

As the front door slammed shut, the final tear rolled down my cheek. I used the back of my hand to scrub my forehead frantically. Jack, oh Jack.

You didn't even bother to come up with a believable lie. I stared at the ceiling until the sun rose.

I got up, washed my face, dragged my suitcase, and headed straight to the airport. On my way, Jack finally sent me a text. [Sorry, babe.

By the time I fixed his power, it was almost dawn. I didn't want to wake you, so I stayed over at his place. Violet is coming to the ceremony today.

Save a seat for her, she wants to watch.] I turned off my phone. Right before boarding, I sent him my very last reply. [I saved a seat.

But it's the bride's seat.] [Jack, we're done.]

No matter how hard I struggled, I couldn't escape the inevitable end. The words I had suppressed in my heart for five years were finally sent the moment Violet returned.

I turned off my screen and stepped onto the plane. As the plane hit turbulence, I stared down at the thick layers of clouds, feeling as though I was trapped in a dream.

I used to think that as long as I was with Jack, I would never have the chance to board a plane.

In the past, every time I mentioned wanting to go on a trip abroad, he would shut me down instantly. He’d say he had no time, that the pack was too busy.

Back then, I was too blind to see the truth. I even made excuses for him, believing he was working tirelessly for our future. I even defended him in front of my father.

It was only when I saw those sixtythree flight transactions on his bank statement that I realized how stupid I had been.

A man who loves you will fly across the country just to have dinner with you, even if he only has a weekend.

A man who doesn't love you will sleep in the same bed as you every night and still claim he’s "too busy." After being rejected by Jack so many times, I had grown too scared to travel far on my own.

I truly believed I would spend my entire life trapped in that city. I never expected that I would be the one to end things.

And I certainly didn't expect that after the breakup, I wouldn't collapse. Instead, I found the strength to fly to a completely new country all by myself.

My eyes burned with unshed tears. When I reached up to rub them, my fingers came away wet. When did things start to change between us?

Or had I simply never known the real him from the very beginning? I remembered when we first met. It was at the Silvercrest Pack's New Year Gala.

He was the young, charming Alpha of the Red Ridge Pack, attending as an honored guest. In a hall packed with werewolves, he stood out effortlessly.

I was drawn to him, completely captivated. Using the gala as an excuse, I struck up a conversation and slowly got to know him.

On the surface, he seemed warm and polite, but deep down, he was incredibly cold and distant. I tried to steer our conversations from pack politics to more personal matters.

He rejected me three times. But just when I was ready to give up, he unexpectedly asked me out to a romance movie. To this day, I couldn't even remember what the movie was about.

I couldn't even recall the title. I only remembered the pitchblack theater, my heart hammering so loudly against my ribs that I was sure he could hear it.

His breath was so close to my ear. From that day on, we grew closer and closer.

But whenever the topic of our relationship came up, it felt as though there was an invisible, thick wall between us. I couldn't see through him. I couldn't understand him.

Yet back then, my courage was endless, and my hope seemed exhausting. The colder he acted, the more passionate I became.

Three weeks after the gala, he sent an official invitation, asking me to visit the Red Ridge Pack territory. That was the day we officially started dating.

I bought a bouquet of Black Baccara roses and brought them to the Red Ridge Pack's reception hall. I handed them to him myself.