Chapter 2

"I, Naomi Thunderstorm, accept your rejection." The words felt like shards of glass leaving my mouth, but I forced them out, acknowledging the brutal reality.

As the words left my mouth, it felt like the air had been sucked out of me, leaving me gasping for breath. The pain in my heart was 

excruciating, far beyond what I had expected. I crumbled to the floor, unable to bear the weight of the emotional torment. The stabbing ache in my chest was relentless, tearing at me from the inside out. I had not been prepared for such agony.

"Like seriously, and you call yourself a Beta? Supposedly worried. 

“How is that even possible? You can't even handle rejection properly," he berated, shaking his head in apparent disapproval. He showed no remorse, no hint of pity, just cold indifference as he watched me, as though this was a mere spectacle.

Finally, a soft voice broke through his callousness, prompting him to turn away from me.

 "Babe, what are you doing?" the gentle voice questioned. Elsa, her name was Elsa, a beautiful woman whose elegance was complemented by high heels and carefully chosen attire.

"Elsa, it's good you are here. The moon goddess played a prank on me, giving me the late bloomer she-wolf as a mate," Gabriel said, his scowl evident. Elsa's eyes welled with tears, but her beauty remained untarnished, like a porcelain doll. It was a reminder of how ill-suited I was for the role fate had cruelly thrust upon me.

"You mean you are leaving me? for her?" Elsa asked, her voice tinged with sadness, her heart sinking at the revelation. Gabriel gently moved his hands to rest on her shoulders, trying to assure her before pulling her into a comforting embrace. 

 "No, I just rejected her," he explained, attempting to provide some clarity.

"Let's go," Elsa said, taking Gabriel's hand and leading him away from me, still a tearful mess on the floor. 

“And hey, don’t you dare clean my room, you filthy thing!” Gabriel shot back.

Summoning the courage, I pressed on and completed my duties in the packhouse. But as soon as I stepped out, Elsa was waiting, her voice dripping with disdain.

“Why is she here again?” Nolly my wolf asked but I couldn’t answer since I didn’t know either.

"Beta's mate! How romantic," she sneered, her expression a mask of mockery.

 My muscles tensed, and I dug my fingers into my palm, struggling to maintain composure.

By the time I raised my head to meet her gaze, Elsa's entourage was present, ten of them, each holding a basket of white eggs. My eyes welled with tears, knowing all too well what was about to transpire.

This form of punishment was reserved for those with grievous offenses, such as adultery or theft. Once they were done with you, anyone who saw you would know the crime you had committed. The shame was unimaginable.

 The girls chorused together, taunting, "Shameless Naomi."

Elsa had more to say, cruelly questioning my intentions. 

"Did you think Beta Gabriel would break up with me and date you? Hahahaha, oh, stupid Naomi, you should never have been born," she jeered. The weight of her words felt like a thousand daggers.

Knowing my place, I remained silent and refrained from attempting to fight back. With my head hung low, I tried to walk away, but Elsa grabbed my arm, sneering,

 "Where do you think you're going? We're not done with you."

The girls eagerly followed her lead, throwing uncooked eggs at me. I desperately tried to shield myself with my arms, but the unexpected pain cut through me, making me feel even more helpless. The humiliation and agony seemed endless.

Over a hundred eggs were relentlessly smashed on my head, the unyielding onslaught leaving me covered in a disgusting slime of egg whites and yolks. The stench was overpowering, some of the eggs even rotten. Tears streamed down my face, blending with the slime, as the girls continued their assault.

"What's going on here?" a commanding voice emerged from behind, causing the other girls, including Elsa, to scatter in fear. I looked up to see who it was. It was none other than Alpha Alex.

"I... I'm sorry. I was..." I stammered, unable to complete my sentence. Beta Gabriel suddenly appeared behind me, making it all seem staged. In just one day, I faced an overwhelming series of challenges.

I took that opportunity to flee, stumbling and rising from the slimy ground, the eggshells crunching underfoot. I didn't dare look back. 

Meanwhile, I didn’t leave. I had hidden myself nearby, waiting and listening, hoping to hear a hint of remorse from Gabriel for what Elsa had done. Yet, my hope was shattered.

“Dad, let's go inside. I'll get someone to clean up,” Gabriel said, showing no remorse for his girlfriend's appalling actions. 

"Make sure that you punish those girls for what they did to Naomi, especially Elsa."

 "I'm sorry father, but Naomi is a late bloomer and she is nothing. Besides, I love Elsa, and I want to marry her. Beta Gabriel replied.

I witnessed Alpha Alex's frustration boil over as he kicked a nearby statue, shattering it. Taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself.

 Alpha Alex asked Gabriel a crucial question, his tone serious, "Is she your mate?"

He mind-linked other betas to come and clean up the mess in the hall and the frontage of the pack house before answering, his anger evident.

"Those things do not matter to me anymore. The moon goddess does not get to decide for me. My destiny is in my own hands." His words hit me like a punch to the gut.

Realization settled in that I was truly alone in this world, discarded and forsaken, even by the ones who were supposed to protect and care for me, even Malia my best friend could not do much.

"Naomi is your mate. And you will marry her!" Alpha Alex commanded, his voice firm and authoritative.

"I already rejected her," Gabriel declared ruthlessly.

"You what?" Alpha Alex exclaimed, his disbelief evident.

"Why do you seem surprised? How will you or I introduce her to our Alpha friends and even the pack? Elsa is much more suitable. She is beautiful and everyone loves her. She is the only one who should be the rightful Luna," Gabriel asserted confidently. His words stabbed at my heart, further solidifying the reality of my isolation and rejection.

 I could feel Alpha Alex's internal turmoil as he finally spoke up, his voice serious and resolute. 

"If that is the woman you choose over your destined mate," he said, "then I will not hand over my title to you."

"Like you have a choice," Gabriel snapped, irritation evident in his tone. "When you die, that title will be mine and there is nothing you or anyone else can do about it."

 "Do I have to remind you that your so-called first and rebellious son neglected his pack?" he spat, disgust contorting his face. "For what? A woman? No! That is not me."

Gabriel's words hung in the air as he stormed away, leaving Alpha Alex behind. I could see the pain and conflict in Alpha Alex's eyes, torn between his duty as the Alpha and his love for his son.

I left my hiding place and was about to run off when I collided with a tall figure. Raising my head to see who it was, I almost lost my breath. It was Beta Hunter, the fourth child of my master, who rarely made public appearances.

"What?" he exclaimed.

"I... I... I deserve to die, Your Highness," I stammered, bowing my head as tears welled up and rolled down my face. I had accidentally stained his impeccably tailored suit in the collision.

"What’s all this?!" he asked.

"I... I... I was... I'm sorry," I stammered, pointing nervously behind me, although no one was approaching. I scrambled to my feet and ran off, knowing that if I waited, I would be punished.

“Hey, wait! Guards!” I heard Hunter’s voice faintly as I never looked back.

Suddenly a hand dragged me to a corner. It was Malia.

“What did you do? I heard you were rejected,” she asked, concern etched on her face as tears welled up in my eyes.

“I’ve got no time to explain, Malia. I can’t afford to be caught. I have to go!” I whispered urgently into her ears.

“Where would you go?! You’ve got no one, remember?” Malia added, her worry mirroring my desperate situation.

"I’m tired of living, Malia. Elsa was right. I should not have been born. It was a mistake. They are coming to get me. I have to go!" I replied, the weight of despair heavy in my words, as I yanked her hand off me and made my way out of the palace.

"I love you!" Malia shot back, but her voice sounded faint as I pushed forward.

Lost in my thoughts on the way, a car almost ran me over, jolting me back to the present moment.

"Goddess! Are you blind?!" I shot back angrily.

When I lifted my eyes, the handsome figure that had stepped out of the limousine car had me awestruck.