FALLING FOR THE ALPHA’S BETA

1

Nia's Pov

It had been months since I last stepped foot in this mansion, but the air still smelled the same like polished wood, faint lavender, and the kind of expensive comfort that reminded you you didn’t quite belong.

The driver barely had time to open the door before I stepped out, clutching my small purse and forcing a smile that felt heavier than it should’ve. The sound of laughter and hurried footsteps carried through the open doors. It was all too alive too perfect for how I felt inside.

I told myself I wouldn’t come back.

And yet, here I was back under the same roof that once made me feel things I shouldn’t have.

“Ashera’s getting married,” I muttered under my breath, as if saying it aloud would make it real. My best friend, the same woman who once couldn’t decide what to have for dinner, was now about to become Luna.

The marble floors gleamed beneath my heels as I stepped into the grand hallway. The faint hum of distant conversation echoed from upstairs. I was halfway to the staircase when a maid approached, her posture neat and polite.

“Good afternoon, miss,” she greeted softly, offering a courteous smile. “Can I help you with your purse or take you to the Luna’s room?”

I shook my head quickly, returning her smile with one of my own. “No, it’s alright. I think I still remember my way around.”

Her eyes flickered with recognition for a brief second before she nodded. “Of course. Welcome back.”

That last part lingered a little too long in my chest.

I smiled faintly and continued down the hallway, my fingers tightening around the strap of my purse. Every corner brought back a memory the dining room, where I’d caught Darius watching Ashera like she hung the moon. The garden, where Rowan once cornered me with that half-smile that made my pulse trip over itself.

And just like that, I could almost feel it again.

The way his breath would brush against my skin right before his lips found mine, soft at first, almost hesitant, before deepening with that quiet hunger that always made my knees feel weak. His hands… God, his hands had a way of claiming me without force just warmth, pressure, and the kind of certainty that made me forget everything I swore I wouldn’t feel. He knew where to touch, how to pull me closer until the world blurred and all I could think of was him.

For a heartbeat, I almost let myself drift there again into that space where his scent, his voice, his touch lived.

Then I blinked, snapping out of it as if waking from a dream I shouldn’t have had.

No.

I wasn’t here for that. I wasn’t here for him.

I was here for her. For my friend.

When I finally reached Ashera’s room, I paused at the door and took a breath before knocking lightly.

“Come in!”

Her voice was bright, full of that nervous excitement only brides seem to have.

I pushed the door open and there she was.

Ashera stood in front of a tall mirror, radiant and surreal, as if the universe had poured all its light into her. Her gown glistened under the soft glow of the sconces, layers of white fabric hugging her curves like a second skin, flowing down into a soft cascade at her feet. Her hair was an elegant updo, every strand perfectly in place, with tiny crystals woven through like a constellation of stars caught in midnight silk. For a heartbeat, I forgot to breathe. She wasn’t just my best friend in a wedding dress. She looked like a vision untouchable, sacred.

“Oh my god…” The words slipped out before I could stop them, a hushed prayer rather than a statement. “You look…wow, Ash, you look like something out of a dream.”

Ashera turned at once, and when her eyes met mine, they lit up with that familiar warmth I’d missed so much. “Nia!” she gasped, her face breaking into a smile. She gathered her dress in both hands and rushed toward me, her steps unsteady from the weight of the fabric but graceful all the same. “You came!”

I let out a small laugh as she threw her arms around me, the faint scent of roses and something expensive filling my nose. “Of course I did,” I murmured into her shoulder. “You didn’t think I’d miss your big day, did you?”

“Well, I wasn’t sure,” she teased gently, pulling back just enough to study me, her fingers lingering on my arms like she needed to feel that I was really there. “You disappeared for months without a word.”

Her words landed heavier than she probably intended. I looked away, my eyes catching on the delicate edge of her veil as I pretended to adjust it. “Yeah… I needed some air. Things got a little messy back then.”

Her expression softened, her voice lowering as though she were treading on sacred ground. “You mean with Rowan?”

The sound of his name jolted through me like static. I forced a smile, but my throat tightened. “Among other things,” I said lightly, though my fingers stilled against the veil.

She smiled knowingly but didn’t press, and my heart ached with gratitude. That was one thing about Ashera, she could read me like a book, but she never forced the pages open.

I reached for the delicate bracelet on the vanity, the silver glinting like liquid moonlight, and began fastening it on her wrist. The brush of her warm skin grounded me. She glanced at me through the mirror, her eyes sharp but kind. “You know… he’s still here.”

My fingers froze mid-clasp. “Who?”

She gave me that pointed look I’d seen a hundred times before. “Who do you think?”

My chest tightened before I could stop it, a tiny tremor rippling through me. “Well, he would be, wouldn’t he?” I said softly. “He’s the Beta. Can’t exactly skip the Alpha’s wedding.”

“You could talk to him,” she said, voice gentle but firm. “Clear the air.”

I shook my head too quickly, my fingers fumbling with the clasp. “There’s nothing to clear. We had an agreement. No strings, no expectations, no regrets.”

“And yet you left him without an explanation in the middle of the night,” she reminded me quietly.

That one hit. A dull ache rose in my chest, memories of his hands, his mouth, his warmth pressing against the cool emptiness I’d woken up to when I left. “Because I didn’t want to make it harder than it already was,” I whispered.

Ashera reached for my hand, her touch soft, grounding. “Nia… not everything that feels good has to be scary. You can’t keep shutting things down when they become serious.”

I tried to smile but it wavered.

The door opened then, and one of the attendants peeked in, her voice soft but firm. “It’s almost time, Luna.”

Ashera turned back toward the mirror, her reflection radiating a calm and joy that made my chest ache. Not the ache of heartbreak, but something sharper part pride for my best friend, part a quiet, familiar sting that made my lungs tighten. She looked so serene, so certain, and I couldn’t help but feel the contrast with myself, standing here, unsure if I belonged at all.

“I’ll be right out,” she said, her tone steady but gentle, like she was holding herself together for everyone else.

The attendant gave a small nod and left, the click of the door marking the silence that settled in the room.