Alpha Rejected the Tomboy. Now, She’s Gone. Chapter 01
My birthday fell exactly one month before my SATs. The alpha heir of our pack showed up with his future Beta and Gamma to celebrate me.
Right before I blew out the birthday candles and made my wish, I gathered all my courage and confessed to him, “My birthday wish… is to become your mate, Adam.”
Silence fell over the entire room.
Adam froze for two seconds, his tone casual and unconcerned.
“Quit messing around, Jamie. I see you as my best buddy, and you’re telling me you want to be my mate?”
I stared straight at him, dead serious, “I’m not joking. My wolf and I have always known you’re our fated mate.”
The smile faded completely from his face. He dragged a disdainful glance over my entire body.
“You’re so ripped you could lift all three of us at once. Honestly? It’s kind of gross.”
Laughter erupted across the private party room.
The next second, the door swung open and someone walked in.
It was Courtney, the cheer captain who’d led the school bullying against me and branded me with the nickname “Tomboy”.
Right now, she smiled brightly and threw herself straight into Adam’s arms.
He wrapped a hand around her waist and announced publicly, “Everyone, meet my new mate, Courtney.”
He then turned back to me, his tone laced with condescending pity.
“Get over this silly crush, Jamie. Focus on your studies. If we end up at the same university, we’re still brothers, and you’ll always have a place in our pack.”
I stayed quiet for a long time, before I finally whispered, “Fine.”
Adam had no idea I’d intentionally controlled my exam scores for six whole years, just to stay in the same school as him.
But none of that mattered anymore.
*****
The moment I said that single word, Fine, Adam visibly relaxed.
Courtney looped her arm through his and lifted her chin haughtily.
“I’m starving. Let’s cut the cake.”
I was the birthday girl, yet she acted like she was the guest of honor.
Someone dimmed the lights and relit the birthday candles.
Adam urged me impatiently.
“Hurry up and make your wish, Jamie. Courtney’s waiting for cake.”
I tugged my lips into a bitter, hollow smile.
My wish had already shattered. What was there left to wish for?
I closed my eyes, ready to blow out the flames, when Courtney darted forward and snuffed out every candle in one breath.
The lights flickered back on.
Before I could process what happened, Courtney had already grabbed the biggest slice of cake.
She fed a bite to Adam and ate the other half herself.
“Is it sweet?” she asked softly.
Adam smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead, “So sweet.”
The whole room burst into cheers and whistles.
Courtney glanced at me, frozen stiff in place, and picked up another piece of cake.
“Here you go, Tomboy. This one’s for you.”
Her tone was that of someone tossing a scrap to a poor, helpless Omega.
I lifted my hand to take it.
At the last second, her hand slipped.
The cake slid down my chest and tumbled straight onto my dress, leaving sticky frosting smearing all over the fabric.
“Oops, so sorry. My hand slipped.”
Courtney covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes glinting with undisguised amusement.
She’d worn that exact same mocking grin every time she’d pinned me against the bathroom stalls and slapped me around.
The pack members around us burst into mocking laughter.
“A tomboy in a dress? Total waste!”
“Just go put your uniform back on, you look ridiculous!”
I’d pulled my hair up neatly and worn this white sundress for the very first time today, all for my birthday. All so Adam could see a different side of me.
Now I was nothing but a joke for everyone to laugh at.
I looked straight at him, and tears finally spilled over my cheeks.
Adam froze for a split second.
Then his face went completely blank. “Go clean up and change. Courtney didn’t mean it.”
When I didn’t move, he added coldly, “Dresses don’t suit you, Jamie. Don’t ever wear one again.”
The laughter grew louder, sharper.
“No amount of dressing up could make you half as pretty as Courtney!”
“Right! Courtney’s top of the class and gorgeous. Adam would be blind to pick a tomboy over her!”
I grabbed my backpack and fled to the restroom, sobbing uncontrollably as I changed back into my school uniform.
It felt like I was shedding every tear I’d held back for eighteen years.
I’d loved Adam silently for ten years, been his loyal best friend for ten whole years.
Friends came and went in his life, his partners changed one after another, but I’d always stayed by his side.
Countless times, I’d heard people ask him, “Adam, you’re so close to Jamie. Why aren’t you two together?”
He’d always laugh and punch their arms lightly, “Cut it out. I don’t see her that way. She’s just my buddy.”
Just my buddy.
He’d said it every single time.
But I’d refused to believe it.
I couldn’t believe that the boy who’d fought for me, taken blame for my mistakes, and stayed up all night taking care of me when I had a fever—my fated mate—felt nothing for me at all.
But now, I finally believed it.
I wiped my tears dry and pushed open the private party room door again.
Adam had his arm wrapped tightly around Courtney’s waist. He glanced at my plain school uniform.
“That looks way better. Stick to this. Ditch the long hair too, get a trim. Keep it simple.”
Courtney nestled into his chest and sneered, “She dressed up all fancy just now. Wonder who she was trying to seduce?”
“Hey, you should shave your head,” someone taunted. “Suits a tomboy way better.”
“Yeah! Bald Jamie sounds hilarious!” another boy cheered, clapping his hands.
Sharp, cruel laughter cut through me, threatening to shatter me.
Adam sat right across from me.
He didn’t say a single word to defend me.
My wolf, Emily, whimpered low inside my mind.
And something hollowed out deep within my heart.
I heard my own voice, calm and steady, “Fine. I’ll shave my head.”
The room’s laughter cut off instantly.
I locked my gaze on Courtney, enunciating every word clearly, “Courtney, I bet our SAT scores. Whoever gets the lower score shaves their head, then kneels down and apologizes. Do you dare?”
