Chapter 4

Apphia

"Y- you're my mate," my voice is unrecognizable to my ears. I feel a lump growing in my throat. 

"Shut up! I'm not your mate," he commands. My eyes widen in shock, and a whimper escapes my mouth at his harshness.

Gavin grabs my elbow; sparks erupt over my arm again. My heart sprints as he discreetly drags me away from the packhouse into the forest where no one can see or hear us. 

"No," I whimper, knowing what he is about to do. Fear settles in my stomach at the thought of not being wanted by my soulmate. Even though mates are given by the moon goddess, they can still reject each other and break the bond. There is no doubt Gavin brought me here to reject me. I feel a burning pain in my chest, and tears fill my eyes. 

"You've dragged me here to reject me, " I say, my voice quiet.  

"Of course. What choice do I have?!" he growls, running a hand through dark brown hair, " You are the reason Luna, your mother, is dead. Because of your selfishness,"  

Those words from his lips cut me more profoundly than a dagger would ever. 

"I didn't kill her," those are the only words that manage to leave my trembling lips. 

"You're the reason she's dead, right?" 

I can't hold his gaze anymore and look down at my shoes in shame. I'm the reason my mother is dead. She was trying to protect me from the darkness.

"I can't be with you. I'm the future beta of this pack, and if I accepted you, which I couldn't even in the next life, I'd lose my status. And besides, you're not my type," Gavin is ranting now, trying to convince himself to reject me, yet he doesn't say the words. Ziora's heart and mine shatter into pieces. I don't want to cry anymore; I don't want him to see me cry, but my eyes betray me. I let out a sob. Everyone who was supposed to love me hate me. They don't want me. Who will ever love me now?  

" I can't take you as my mate -" 

"I reject you," I cut off his sentence, looking him deep in the eye. Gavin freezes and stares at me, perplexed. I bravely put a hand on my chest, 

"I, Apphia Aeson, reject you, beta Gavin Jr Marino, as my mate," I say, my voice firm. I'm proud of myself for not breaking down in his presence while saying the words. Gavin is caught off guard by my abrupt rejection. He grips his chest as pain burns across his body. Gavin begins to pant as if he's failing to breathe. 

"I have dinner to serve. Accept my rejection now," I command coldly, looking away from him because of my pain. 

Gavin is unable to produce any worse. His lips are quivering now, and his dark eyes are soft. 

"I, beta Gavin Jr Marino, accept your rejection, Apphia Aeson," he says, his words strangled as though they burnt him. The pain that crosses his face makes me want to beg him to give me a chance, but I don't do that. I needed to be strong and move on from this.

My chest hurts, and pain ripples through me. It feels like it's on untamable fire over my skin. I try to stay brave through the pain, but tears fall from my eyes. It hurts like hell. It takes a good five minutes for the pain to dissipate but even so, there is a constant painful sensation in my chest. Gavin stays with me through it all, his hand almost reaching out to touch me, but he restrains it. I exhale and turn toward the packhouse before breaking into sobs.  

'Zio, are you alright?' I ask my wolf. She whimpers and whines in pain. Ziora didn't expect the rejection. I can feel her immense pain through our bond. 

'You were finally supposed to be happy, Apphia. But I was wrong,' she wails. 

'What do you mean?' 

'He wasn't supposed to reject us. I saw a glimpse of our future,' she murmurs. Before I can ask how she is gone. I can't feel her anymore.

Ziora, Ziora, come back! Please! I shout. It's dark like it was before her. I didn't like a life before her. I'm desperate, shouting for her to return, but she doesn't answer me. I fall to the ground on my knees, begging my wolf to return.

"What the fuck happened to you?" I hear a deadly growl.

I stand to my feet and take wobbly steps towards Duncan, still crying. Duncan's anger fades away, and his eyes soften as he looks better at me in the light. 

"Apphia, what the fuck happened to you?"

 Without warning, I throw my arms around his waist and bury my face in his torso. A sob escapes my mouth. Duncan doesn't hug me back but doesn't push me away, either. 

I'm hyperventilating, unable to talk as he relentlessly asks me what happened. I want to tell him that Gavi rejected me, but no words leave my mouth, only sobs. I hold him, grateful he doesn't revolt against me. However, he pushes me away when we hear footsteps approaching. I lose my balance and stumble backward, falling on my side. 

"Apphia!" he means to approach but stops himself, "I didn't mean to push you...." 

"There she is!" 

 Holding my painful wrist, I look at the two wolves closing me with malice. 

"What is it?" Duncan asks icily. The guards are shocked at the future alpha's stern tone and bow to him. 

"The alphas want her. She attempted to kill Miss Aya Amir," one of the guards answers. 

Attempted murder is a lot much. No doubt that cunt, Aya, will milk this situation to her advantage. Duncan's eyes glare at me slightly before staring at the guard who explains the problem according to Aya's story. It is highly exaggerated!

"You're such a menace, Apphia," Duncan sneers. 

"She came at me first. I was only defending myself," I murmur. Duncan scoffs. 

"What about our mother?" I stay silent, tears rolling down my face again. "I wish you died that night, not her," 

 I feel tears in my eyes again, but I'm tired of crying. The two guards drag little old me to the alpha's office and throw me inside like a sack of potatoes. I scramble to my feet and face the two alphas. 

My father walks over and smacks me hard across the face. I stagger to find my balance, and Alpha Amir catches me. 

"You attempted to kill Aya Amir!" he booms. 

Alpha Amir is still holding me, aware that his hand is roaming against my skin. I whimper, trying to free myself from his hold, but I fail. 

"Don't touch me, please," I cry. Amir doesn't listen, and my alpha doesn't speak against it. 

"Please tell him to stop," I beg my father, but he turns a deaf ear to me. I shut my eyes, tears rolling down my face, hoping this is all a dream I will wake up from soon. 

The door slams open, and my brother walks in. "Don't fucking touch her!" he growls, his bright eyes flashing.  

"Relax, young alpha. Apphia was about to fall, and I caught her," Amir chuckles, moving away from me.  Duncan doesn't believe him. He gives him an annoyed look and snaps his gaze toward our father,

"She's a child! How can you let him behave that way towards her!" 

"The girl overreacts, and seventeen years old is no child," my father groans, draining the amber liquid in his glass. He refills his glass and offers some to the two men, but Duncan stares at it dejectedly and refuses to take it.

"She is going with Amir tomorrow morning," my father announces. I shake my head no. I don't want to go with Amir.

"What do you mean by that, Alpha?" Duncan asks through his teeth, his hands balling into a fist.

"Amir wants a personal maid, and I gave her to him. It's the least she could do after she tried to kill Aya, your future Luna," my father says nonchalantly. 

"No, brother, don't let him do this, please. I don't want to go with Amir,"  

Duncan has yet to be inducted as alpha; he will be in a few days. He is the only one who can save me. Amir will even be more inappropriate with me in his pack. I can't go with him. 

"Get out," Duncan orders me.

 His annoyed glare settles on our father again. I glance at Amir one last time; he is smirking. I leave the study and can't hear a word once the door closes. 

I rush to the attic and pace around the small space in front of my mattress. I'd rather die than go with that predator, Amir. I grab a blade from my table and head out.