Four

TESSA

“I, Adrian Hearst, Alpha of the Silvermoon Pack, reject you, Tessa Hearst, as my mate and Luna…”

The words come with a terrifying echo and it makes me go numb. I feel the end of our bond tied to my part growing heavy and yanking at my heartstrings.

I bend slightly from the pain, rubbing my chest soothingly as it feels frail and about to burst open.

“You need to accept my rejection to ease the pain you’re in right now.” Adrian says. He didn’t sound as cold as earlier. But still, his words hurt badly.

I can’t believe this is the end of a love story we once thought was epic and made in heaven. I can’t believe we would break from each other over an insane issue and our love won’t be enough to keep us together. I can’t believe the same lips that only showered me with sweet talks and kisses had just pronounced our rejection.

All the promises of forever we made to each other are ending here. It’s heartbreaking and sad. I never would have imagined that we would end like this. I never imagined we would end at all.

“Accept the rejection, Tessa. I command you!” Adrian yells in his Alpha tone, forcing my wolf to submit to him.

“I – I, I – Tessa —”

“You need to say it properly or it won’t work,” One of the elders reprimands me in a loathful tone.

“Cheating on our Alpha was easy but accepting his rejection is hard? What a sick you are,” Another one of the elders snorts, creating an uproar of murmur in the hall.

“Silence!” Adrian roars, and everyone goes quiet. “Say the damn words, Tessa. Accept the fucking rejection. That’s the only way I can be free from you, and you can be free to go be with your lover. The one you betrayed me with.”

I’m not sure what hurts the most right now — the fact that I’m being rejected or the fact that Adrian Is convinced that I betrayed him?

If only there was a way to make him realize that I never, even for once, toyed with his emotions. If only there was a way to prove that. But sadly, there isn’t. And I have to accept my miserable fate.

“I, Tessa Hearst, your Luna and mate accept your rejection.” The last part was barely audible but it had its impact.

My wolf whimpers in pain, growing numb by the words I just said. I’m in a lot of pain, a little less than before, but yeah, in pain.

“I’m not gonna send you away from the Pack, Tessa. Even though the laws demand that I should–“

“But Alpha…”

“Be quiet!” Adrian barks at the elder who tries to interrupt him. “Tessa isn’t gonna be banished from the Pack. She’s just never gonna step foot into this Packhouse ever again. I’m the Alpha and my word is law. Take her away!”

I don’t even try to struggle when the Packhouse sentinels drag me by my arms out of the hall. Glancing at Adrian one last time, I find his gaze on me. Void of emotions. Cold. Aloof.

Nothing like the Adrian I fell in love with.

Outside the packhouse, a crowd was gathered and they hurled abusive words at me. Some even dared to stone stuff my way. I didn’t react. I just let them vent their anger on me. After all, they all think I betrayed their Alpha.

At dawn, I’m getting closer to the borders of the Pack. It’s been hours of trekking and I would have morphed into my wolf form but my wolf is very weak from the rejection.

My legs are beginning to hurt from walking too much, but I’m determined to leave the Pack before sunrise.

Just then, I hear the reverberating sounds of claws pinning in the earth, as if on a hot race. Terrified, I glance back, seeing the shadow of werewolves running towards me.

“There she is!” A voice yells.

Me?!

It takes a second to process what was going on and I run into the forest, determined to escape from them. But I’m not the least familiar with these woods, and I barely ran a mile when sharp paws scratch my back, making me fall with force.

A loud cry tears through my lips as I slowly pick myself up. Firm hands grab my arms, forcing me to go on my knees. Four gigantic werewolves are hovering around me and three men, –two holding my arms, and the other standing in front of me– and I recognize all to be from the Packhouse.

Why did they chase after me? What more does Adrian want from me?

“What do you guys want from me?!” I inquire, refusing to let them intimidate me. “What does Adrian want?!”

“Your life.” Another voice replies. It’s coming from the darkest side of the woods. The snapping of the twigs indicates that the person is coming out and I wait patiently to see who it is. Even though the voice is oddly familiar.

The person steps out and at first, I can’t make out his face clearly until he comes to stand in front of me.

“W–Will?”

He grins, “Hello Tessa,”

Tessa? Did he just call me by my first name? And why does he look different, like some unhinged menace?

“What’s going on?” I quiz, as dread spirals through my spine, kicking in my strong will to get away from them. “What the hell is this?!"

“I’m sorry but this was Adrian’s order. Have a nice trip to hell, Tessa.” He smirks and signals the men.

“Let me go. Don’t touch me!!! Let me go!!!” I yell as they pin me on the ground and force my mouth open.

Will takes a bottle and empties the liquid content in my mind. It runs down my throat and into my body, and in a few seconds, my vision grew blurry.

“Let’s get out of here!” He says to the men and I hear them racing out of the woods.

I feel my hands and legs growing numb and my heartbeat reducing drastically. They say at the end of one’s life, their whole life flashes before their eyes like a movie. So true, ‘cause right now, I’m reliving all the moments I spent with Adrian.

Then I recall his last words – rejecting me wasn’t enough punishment, disgracing me wasn’t either. Was death enough punishment? Is this the only way I can pay for whatever hurt I caused him?

If that’s the case, then I wholly accept my fate. But if I’m innocent and this is just a bloody conspiracy, then give me a second chance to take my revenge, dear Goddess.

Let me have the last laugh. Let me be the Karma of everyone who set me up. Give me a second chance…

With a deep scoff, I let out more blood from my mouth and my eyes closed, welcoming the darkness.