I Love Verticals

Loathed by the Alpha

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Rejected by her own parents, Rose—an Omega—finds herself forced into a marriage meant for her sister, Cara. Her groom, Alpha Aiden, is known for his deep hatred toward Omegas, and Rose is certain he’ll reject her at the altar. But to her shock, Aiden goes through with the wedding, binding them in a union neither of them wanted. Now trapped in a marriage built on resentment and secrets, Rose must navigate a world where love and survival don’t always go hand in hand.

Credit

director Matt Macedo
year 2025

Cast

My Review

final score
4.4
originality
chemistry
dramas
romance
development

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Reveal the review

A new werewolf project directed by Matt Macedo, starring Alexa as the lead and Christine as the villain? How could I miss that! It had been a while since I last watched a werewolf vertical, so this was the perfect chance to dive into a new pack—and what a ride it was!

Meet the Alpha and His Unexpected Luna

Aiden – Son of the reigning Alpha, Aiden was set to marry Cara, Rose’s sister, in an arranged union. Cold and distant, he carries deep wounds—abandoned by his mother at age five and mistreated by an Omega in his childhood, fueling his prejudice against them. So imagine his shock when he discovers his fated mate is Rose—an Omega.

Rose – Rejected by her own parents, Rose agrees to marry Aiden only to protect her sister, who fled to be with her true mate. She fully expects to be rejected at the altar. But Aiden doesn’t reject her—instead, their bond starts to take root.

At first, Aiden keeps his distance, claiming he can’t stand her scent. The truth? He can’t control his instincts around her. So he pushes her away—classic emotionally repressed Alpha behavior—but the fated bond keeps pulling them back together.

Enter the Villainess: Ria

Ria, a Beta and Aiden’s longtime friend, has always hoped to become Luna. When she learns he’s married an Omega, her jealousy explodes. Determined to sabotage their bond, she manipulates Aiden and nearly succeeds in turning him against Rose.

But karma strikes fast—Ria discovers her own fated mate among Aiden’s friends and leaves the pack… temporarily.

No Peace Just Yet…

You might think things would settle down after Ria’s exit—but nope. What I really appreciated in this drama is how the story doesn’t cram all the action into one chaotic moment. Instead, it unfolds in layers.

With Ria gone, Aiden begins to regret pushing Rose away and tries to win her back—without ever admitting his feelings outright. Meanwhile, Rose focuses on her own growth, training hard and stepping into her role as Luna.

Family secrets begin to surface for both of them, adding new depth to their story. And of course, love finally triumphs. Though Aiden wasn’t exactly lovable in the beginning (seriously, he was harsh for no good reason), he redeems himself by showing genuine devotion to Rose in the end. Take care of your Luna, Alpha!

Final Thoughts

This is a solid werewolf romance. If you enjoyed The Unwanted Mate, you’ll probably love this one too. While the core premise is similar—an Alpha reluctantly marrying an Omega—the execution feels fresh and distinct.

Also, I absolutely loved Alexa in a sweet lead role—she usually nails the villain characters, but she was great as the heroine. That said, Christine was the perfect villain here. Her drama queen aura was everything! I always love to hate her, and she made the tension so much more delicious.

One lingering question though… what happened to Cara? She ran off with her fated mate, but we never really hear from her again. Considering Rose only agreed to marry Aiden to help her sister, I’d love a sequel focusing on Cara’s story. Please, someone make that happen!

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