CHAPTER 3

My jaw dropped as shudders ran through my spine; goose bumps filled my entire body with terror, hitting me so hard that my legs dragged back unintentionally.

Rejection is the last thing I will be able to bear.

All I prayed for was for it to be a prank. I waited for him to call it a joke, but he never did. I pulled myself together and moved closer to his front, cupped his jaw, and drew closer to him.

"It's a prank, right?" I muttered the question, gasping as I swallowed the bile in my throat. Tears were flowing freely down my cheeks.

"Don't touch me!" He huffed and slapped my hand away, pushing me off.

I almost fell, but was able to stagger and get hold of myself again. The push wasn't with full force but had more of an element of disgust and loathing in it. I looked up at his expression and wished I hadn't because it was covered with hate, which I don't know why.

"I don't understand the lies you are talking about.

You saw what we did in the room. Do you have any problems with it?" He asked, wrapping his arms around her slender waist too, drawing her closer to his body. Her head rested on his shoulder.

Hudson's words hit me so hard that my legs stumbled back again, with more tears falling off.

"Hudson, you can't smell my scent?" I inquired, breathing heavily as if I'd lost my cool anytime soon.

"Yes, I can smell the pre-scent, and that's why I hate you. Don't you think it is a mistake for us to be mates? From the time we were children, our parents forced us to be together. I don't love you."

He paused and scoffed.

"And in case you don't know, I am very loyal to her, the Beta's daughter, and not even the fact that you are my mate will make me leave her, so you are free to go out there and find love and protection in another man's arms, because you will never find it in mine!" He stated this curtly, as his hands played around her hair. I felt weakened with pain and intense sadness, causing an agonizing sob to escape my lips.

His friends all around him laughed and watched, as if we were acting out some funny drama scene for

them.

I was feeling the pain while Hudson had those smug looks on his face.

Even when it all seemed true, I still looked forward to him saying it was all a prank. I can't remember ever hurting him in the past or going against his wishes. I had offered my body, my soul, my spirit, everything about me to him.

Where on earth have I gone wrong?

The music, which should have made his voice a bit inaudible, had been paused, thereby making his hurtful words clear and strong enough to break my heart into tiny shreds.

"She's really obsessed," I heard the Beta's daughter say, followed by a mocking laugh as she clung even tighter to him. I felt just like real trash.

My mouth opened to talk. I needed to lash back at My mouth opened to talk. I needed to lash back at her or act all tough verbally, but nothing was coming forth from my lips. No single sound came out, just a gasp instead. I'm so saddened to realize all my dreams of being with the next Alpha, Hudson, were all sheer wishes that will never happen.

"Hudson, you should have said this in a better way than this. "She'd be so hurt at how blunt and despised you sound." Damian chipped in again, sighing and ruffling his hair as he glanced at me pitifully.

"I don't care!" He scoffed, leaving me more heartbroken as my wolf burst into a painful cry, curdling herself into a ball.

I spun to the door and shuffled my way out, regretting the very day I met him. Tears wouldn't stop rolling, especially when I recalled that he had just termed our childhood friendship as a forced one on his side.

"Before leaving, can you move upstairs to my room and pick those flowers you left there?" Hudson added with contempt. But I would never do that.

Never again will I go in there. I'm shattered and broken. It would have been better if we haven't met at the beginning. This denial and scorn in front of his buddies was excruciatingly painful than words could describe. School is going to resume tomorrow. I've foolishly made many of my friends believe I was a mate to Hudson, who was the hottest Alpha Prince in the werewolf school.

They all believed that since we were vividly close and seen together all the time.

Will I ever get over this?

The front door of Hudson's room was slammed shut behind me, and it seemed like that was when I realized it was all happening for real.

I Lost him.

He has rejected me and taken another mate. I don't know what to feel or believe.

How was I going to face the students in school?

When I got home after a long walk mixed with crying and gnashing of teeth, I found my parents were relaxing comfortably on the couch in the sitting room, cracking jokes, teasing and kissing like mates, which they are. Mom wouldn't stop laughing as Dad fed her with his sense of humor.

The scene they were playing made my feet stick to the ground. I stood right there on the doorstep watching them with sadness clouding my heart. I wish I had never thought of this joyous ending, happy ever after with my mate, Hudson. Maybe I wouldn't have felt so hurt today.

Hudson has everything every woman would want in a man, and I had dreamt of what the future would be with him. Not until now.

"Hey, Judian!" My mother called, and I cringed, walking in like I hadn't been standing there.

"Hello.... morning.... afternoon..."I couldn't even tell what time it was, as I further tried wiping the tears that kept springing out and washing their way down my cheeks.

My mom quickly rushed to me in a tight hug, looking very disturbed and confused.

"What happened!!!" she shrieked, her eyes shimmering with great care and attention. Dad also left the couch and scurried over to me.

"Tell your daddy what happened. Anyone dared to touch you?" He asked like the hunter he was, fully muscular and well-trained in tactics and use of the wolf form. At that moment, I wished someone had hit me so they could solve the problem and make me happy, but it was never like that.

They can't do anything about the cause of my tears.

It was all useless.

"Tell me, baby..." My mom coaxed, stroking my hair and using her other hand to dry my eyes.

I was already 18, yet my parents would never stop treating me like a baby. All they wanted was my happiness and a smile, but this time, they couldn't offer me that. Would they be able to bring Hudson back to me?

"The Alpha's son has chosen the Beta's daughter has chosen his mate and dumped me, his fated mate." I stated, and they both cringed away with their eyes dilated as a deep frown crossed their faces.

While Dad fumed in anger, Mom gritted her teeth.

They both had their fists clenched like they would kill someone anytime soon.

"Not only that, he warned me never to get too close to him, as he wouldn't want her to feel baa..d." My voice hitched, and I gulped, trying so hard to push back the urge to cry out loud.

"There is nothing we can do about that." Dad breathed and moved over to the liquor bar. He picked up two bottles and shuffled to the couch, plopped down, and gulped it straight from the bottle without transferring it to a cup.

"It's fine, we can't force him, we can't question his choice either, and..."

"Mummy! Please speak with him or have his father question him about what I did wrong."

"Keep your distance from him and never get close to him. We won't want to become enemies with the Alpha by pestering his son" Dad snorted, and gulped more of the liquor.

"So, mum, for real, my mate is gone? He didn't officially reject me. Does that mean we can still be together later?" I asked, sniffing continuously in tears.

"He might be waiting to do that in school, so it will spread faster" Dad replied, sadness filled in his tone, as he drank more in frustration.

"I'm truly sorry for the pain, but the most important thing now is to brace for his rejection, accept it, and go on with your life. You will find someone better" mom mumbled, hugging me and patting my back.

"A Vampire?" My dad suddenly exclaimed, springing from the couch as the alcohol bottle he held fell off his grasp, shattering on the floor.

Mum broke the hug as we both shrank aside in shock, staring and wondering what was wrong.

His countenance showed how extremely shocked and freaked out he was.

"What?..What is..." Mum paused and gasped abruptly, with an alarming countenance.

A message must have been sent through a mind link, which I haven't been given access to, since I am yet to be an official hunter. That's why I'm left in the darkness, not knowing what the hell is going on.

"A vampire is in the pack!" my mother let out while my father howled, both shifting immediately.

"Go to your room and lie low. We will be back. A vampire just crossed the boundary and got into our pack!!" Before they both sped out like the wind,

Mum found some time to tell me this.

They are among the pack's hunters. Nothing can hold them back from fighting any intruder.

The vampires are longtime enemies of the werewolf. Nobody dares cross their paths because it will result in one of them killing the other. I can't help but wonder what brought this single vampire into our pack.