Chapter 5

“Can you tell me where you have been all this while? We have been looking everywhere for you, but you decided to take off, and come back so late in the night, even after all you have done and all the disgrace you have brought to this family!” Her father’s voice was the first thing Kayla heard as she walked into the house.

She had literally escaped from her saviors, after she had woken up from yet another round of unconsciousness that had been filled with weird dreams. According to Tamara, who had been the one to treat her wounds, she had fainted because of something in the herbs she had given her.

“Dad, I am back. And you don’t have to worry now. Im sorry for all the trouble I have caused.” Kayla said, trying her best not to get so emotional in the presence of her father, who she knew wouldn’t appreciate any form of weakness in front of him.

Alpha Dawson looked at her with his piercing eyes, before shaking his head. “I will see you at dinner. And then we can decide your fate.” He said, and then he was gone. She hadn’t even had the time to process what he had just said, and he had disappeared like he hadn’t been there in the first place.

Fate.

What fate?

As if being disgraced was not enough for her. Now she was going to be judged at dinner?

Kayla turned around and slowly headed up, towards her room as a weird kind of heaviness started to weigh down on her. Just what were the Alpha’s plans for her now?

She was already rejected, and even if she felt almost as weak as an omega, or even worse, she couldn’t help but feel that whatever it was her father had planned for her, was probably going to make her feel worse.

“Kayla…” a familiar voice called, the moment she pushed open the door of her bedroom with really weak hands. Gosh, even the little task of opening the door, now seemed like a heavy task to pull off. Tamara had told her that it was like that after rejection. How much time it was going to take for her body to heal properly, wasnt a knowledge anyone was willing to share.

Kayla stilled at her sisters voice. She hadn’t been expecting to see her. At least not in her bedroom. “What are you doing here?” She asked in a low voice. Then shook her head. “In fact, I don’t even want to know. You should just leave.” She said weakly and walked over to the closet to pull out something to wear. The healer had been so kind to lend her some clothes, which she was currently wearing.

“Kayla, I know you probably hate me now, but I swear I had nothing to do with it. I literally looked for you that night, and couldn’t find you. I’m really sorry!” The look of desperation on her sister’s face looked almost real. But Kayla, for the life of her, couldn’t help the anger that filled her.

There was no need to lash at her sister or blame her for anything since there was no going back. It had already happened. And that was that. “I don’t really care about your explanation, Bella. I have to get ready for dinner. Dad said he wants to see me.” She said, gathering the clothes she had selected and going to keep it on the bed.

Bella didn’t bulge, and just continued to look at her pitifully. “Kayla please…” she was crying now. But instead of listening to her, Kayla held up her hands.

“It’s fine. I don’t want to hear it. I just need to be alone.” And with that, she walked into the bathroom and shut the door, hoping that by the time she was done with her shower, her entitled sister had left.

Ten minutes or so later, she was done with her bath, and was currently sitting on the dressing chair when she let her thoughts out.

Alpha Oliver.

She had spent exactly five seconds with him, before her very weak body had given up, and she had been unconscious. When she had woken up hours later, she had met Tamara who had introduced herself as the pack healer.

Alpha Oliver was nowhere to be found. Neither were his brothers who Kayla had actually felt comfortable around.

But in those few seconds, she had literally felt the force emanating from him.

Kayla looked at her reflection in the mirror and sighed. There were dark circles and heavy bags underneath her eyes, and one could tell from just one look, that she wasn’t okay. And that wasn’t how she wanted to present herself to her family.

Just how had her life become like this?

Kayla picked up her makeup and got to work. Whatever her dad wanted to say, she was going to listen and obey, because at this rate, she had no other choice.

~

Kayla made her way down the hallway, heading for the long awaited dinner that was going to determine her fate in the pack. She exhaled and inhaled continuously, trying her best to remain calm.

She had decided to go as early as possible, to avoid being the last person to arrive and having all eyes on her. What she didn’t expect, was to see both Dean and Bella already seated, and having a conversation that seemed really amusing to both of them as they both laughed, leaning into each other.

Kayla frowned, halting in her steps as she stared at the both of them in awe. Having a conversation was perfectly okay. But in the circumstances, she wasn’t sure they were supposed to be this happy talking to each other. Her ex-mate, and her half-sister who had been the one to lead her to her downfall.

They didn’t even seem to notice her presence, which said a lot for them, since as werewolves, the should have heard her come in.

Unable to hold it in anymore, she cleared her throat and made her presence known, walking into the dinning room and taking her seat across from Dean. Bella instantly jumped, separating herself from Dean and instantly had a look of guilt on her face.

“Hello, Sister.” She said quietly as she pretended to adjust the table. Kayla ignored her and turned to look at Dean who had suddenly gotten busy with his phone.

“Dean_” whatever she wanted to say was cut short by the entrance of her parents.

Kayla watched as her parents walked into the room, avoiding her eyes as they all sat on the other side of the table. Her mum next to her sister, and her father at the head of the table.

She, was alone.

The food was served without anyone saying anything, and just when she thought she couldn’t bare it again, she placed her fork and knife down, her food untouched.

“I know you all have something to say to me. Say it now and stop with this charade.” Kayla bit out. It’s not like things could get worse than it already had.

A low chuckle escaped her father, which didn’t sound amusing at all. “You’ve got some nerve opening that big mout of yours to disrupt my dinner.” Alpha Dawson said, cleaning the sides of his mouth with a crisp white napkin. After he was done, he stared at her, his eyes completely red.

Kayla felt a low burn in her chest as she faced the silent wrath of her father. “Since you want to know what I have to say, then here goes.” He said icily. The room was so tensed up and silent, that the air felt thick. But Kayla didn’t dare break her fathered gaze as she waited for him to finish speaking. “You know very well that despite you being Dean’s mate, the family relied heavily on the alliance that your marriage was supposed to bring. It was a contract written in blood and oath, and you managed to severe that. But we have decided, that since you want to whore around, Bella can take your place instead, and get married to Dean, to save the family from ruin.”

Kayla stilled at her fathers words. Her mouth fell open in shock as she digested all that her father had just said to her. Was he being serious? Was this a joke?

“B_” Alpha Dawson didn’t let her speak before he was banging the table so hard it rattled with the plates on it.

“No, you don’t get to say a word. All I want you to do now, is go up there, and pack all your belongings, because you would be sent to the house of the sentinels. Yes, that is your rank now. You may be an alpha by blood, but you are nothing but a symbol of shame and disgrace to this family. You will work there as a servant, catering to the needs of those that have been hospitalized and even cook and clean if need be. And you shall not step your feet into this house again.” His eyes were blazing, but his tone was as calm as still waters. “Either that, or you leave, and never come back.”

Shock, anger, hurt, fear, betrayal, and every emotion close to it, was what Kayla felt as her father uttered those words. Her eyes grew blurry and she slowly turned to see Dean and her sister look away from her. Her mother on the other hand, said nothing too.

She had been wrong. Things did get worse.

This was worse than a rejection. She had just been ostracized by her own family.

Nodding her head slowly, and on weak knees, Kayla got up from her chair and looked straight at her father who had sat back down on his own chair and had his eyes trained on the window by his side. She couldn’t even begin to think of the humiliation she was going to face in the pack after being ostracized. Staying wasn’t ab option. And knowing her father, she knew she had to make a decision fast.

“I’ll leave. I’ll leave and never come back.” She said slowly, forcing her voice to sound as calm as possible. “And once again, I apologize for everything I have done.”

And she did.

She gave bother Dean and Bella one last look, before walking away from the family that hadn’t really shown her love, but were the only people she knew.

Where she was going to, she didn’t know.

But it had to be somewhere far away.

As for Bella, she had gotten the only thing Kayla had ever really had. Dean.

Now she understood why they had looked happy.

Wasn’t the rejection supposed to affect both of them? Or was the severed bond only shattered on her own part?

Gosh she hadn’t even rejected him back yet.

Where was she going to go?