CHAPTER THREE: REJECTED

I woke up in a sterile hospital room, my head throbbing with pain. The harsh fluorescent lights burned my eyes as I tried to adjust to my surroundings. I felt a weight on my chest and looked down to see a drip connected to my arm. The medicine flowed into my body, numbing the pain and making me feel drowsy.

As I looked around the room, I saw my parents sitting in plastic chairs by the window. Their faces were stern and unforgiving, and I knew that I was in trouble. They started scolding me the moment they saw me wake up.

"How could you do this to us, honey?" my mother exclaimed, her voice filled with disappointment. "Getting pregnant out of wedlock? What will people say?"

I felt my heart sink. I had always been the perfect daughter, following all the rules and making my parents proud. But now, I had messed everything up by getting pregnant by the Alpha's son, and I wanted to marry him.

"How could you blow a golden opportunity to get married to Alpha Apollo!? I heard he just came back to town last night!" My father roared. His words caught me by surprise. I was—I was supposed to get married to Alpha Apollo? How was that possible?

“But you guys said, I was supposed to get married to Alpha Nicholas…what do you mean by Alpha Apollo, I don’t understand.” I muttered. They both sighed and exchanged glances.

“We also thought Alpha Nicholas was going to marry you but it turned out he wants you to get married to his son, he was messing with us when he said you were going to get married to him, because he hasn’t told his son about the marriage yet…” My father’s voice trailed off as the door opened and a royal servant walked in, followed by Apollo.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw him walking towards me. He was tall and imposing, with a menacing aura that made me feel both scared and excited. It was him - the man I had a one night stand with, the stranger I fell in love with.

"Mate!!" Lexa stirred inside me, screaming those words in my head. I felt like I was in a dream, one that I didn't want to wake up from.

Apollo stood by my bed, his eyes cold and distant. "I wanted to marry you because a Seer told me you were my mate," he said, his voice devoid of emotion.

I felt a mix of fear and disappointment wash over me. I had always dreamed of finding my mate, or having someone who would love me unconditionally. But now, it seemed like my mate was cold and distant, someone who didn't care about my feelings.

As my parents were kicked out of the room by the royal servant, I was left alone with Apollo.

"..." I tried to speak, to ask him what was going on, but the words got stuck in my throat. I felt like I was trapped in a nightmare, one that I couldn't escape from.

As I looked into his blue eyes, I could see the anger, the hatred burning in them. I couldn't believe that the man I loved was calling me names.

"You're a whore, Zelda! How could you get pregnant with someone else's child?" He spat out, his voice filled with betrayal.

"It's your child, Apollo. Please believe me," I pleaded, tears streaming down my face.

"I don't believe you. You're just trying to trap me into taking care of someone else's kid," he sneered.

My heart shattered into a million pieces. How could he think that of me? How could he be so cruel? "Please, Apollo. I love you. I would never do anything to hurt you or our child."

But his words were like a sharp knife, piercing through my heart. "Love? You don't know the meaning of the word. You're nothing but a lying, cheating whore."

“I, Alpha Apollo Philips Giavonni reject you, Zelda Annabel MacDonald as my mate,”

My wolf howled in pain as I felt the rejection. The pain was too much to bear, and I passed out on the bed, unable to withstand the agony.

***

As the heart-wrenching scene played in my head again and again, I lay lifeless on the hospital bed, my heart and soul shattered into a million pieces. Swiftly, I heard footsteps approaching my room. Panicking, I quickly wiped away my tears and took a deep breath, trying to compose myself. The door creaked open and my parents walked in, their faces etched with concern.

"Honey, are you okay?" My mother asked, gently placing a hand on my shoulder.

I nodded, unable to speak. My father spoke up, his voice stern. "We won't let anything happen to you, we will find a way around this mess, Zelda. You're family, and we take care of our own."

I looked up, grateful for their support. "Thank you," I whispered, my voice barely audible.

"Apollo is just upset right now," my mother said, trying to explain his behavior. "He doesn't mean what he said. We'll talk to him and make him forgive you, or ask him if he wants you to abort the baby."

I nodded, feeling a small glimmer of hope in my heart. Maybe things would work out after all.

***

I rubbed my bleary eyes, feeling the remnants of yesterday's sadness still clinging to me like a heavy coat. Slowly, I turned my head to the side, taking in the warm, comforting presence of my teddy bear lying beside me. As I shifted to sit up, a sharp pain shot through my body, causing me to gasp and clutch at my belly in agony.

I heard voices from the living room. I struggled to stand, using the wall for support as I made my way to the door. Peering through the small gap I had made, I could see Apollo talking to my parents. My heart clenched as I heard him say that he wanted me out of the house. I couldn't believe that the man I loved had turned on me so quickly without any remorse.

Tears filled my eyes as I stepped away from the door, my legs shaking as I collapsed onto the bed. I buried my face in my hands and cried, feeling the weight of the world crashing down on me. I tried to be strong, assuring myself that my parents would never abandon me.

My parents barged into my room after my evil mate had left.

I shook my head, unable to believe what I was hearing. My father spoke up, his voice cold and unfeeling.

"We can't have you here anymore, Zelda. You're no longer welcome in this house." I stared at him, unable to comprehend what had changed. This had been my home for my entire life, and now I was being thrown out like a piece of garbage.

"Alpha Apollo is right," my mother said, her voice barely above a whisper. "You've caused too much trouble for this family. It's time for you to leave." Feeling a crushing weight in my chest, I knew there was nothing I could say to change their minds. With tears streaming down my face, I sat on the bed, heartbroken and alone.