[05]

AUTUMN:

What? Beta Maddox did not expect that I would rob it into his face? Shame on him! 

“Watch your mouth, Autumn,” he whispered, his voice flat. "I am still your beta. I am your superior. You follow whatever I say."

I am your ex-mate, I wanted to say, but stopped myself from saying it. 

“Why would I? Will you punish me? Do it. All of you are good at bullying me so it does not make any difference at all.”

“All I am saying is that…”

“What?”

“We are no longer eight and nine years old, Autumn. We are already adults. That's why I am asking you to talk in private.”

I scoffed. “No. You talk to me in private because you do not want the pack to know that you're paired to a curse one? Enough of being a fake knight-in-shining armor, Beta Maddox. You already rejected me. So please stop giving me your fake care."

He heaved a long sigh. 

"Everyone who is bullied, I will do the same to save them, Autumn."

"Whatever you say, Beta Maddox. If you will excuse me."

Gathering my cleaning utensils, I was about to walk past him, when he said, "Alpha Hugh will be coming."

I froze.

Don't buy it. Don't. So what if the alpha will be coming?  They already forgot about me.

"What does it have to do with me?" I asked, gritting my teeth. "Do you want me to throw a party for him?" I added, full of sarcasm.

They had left me alone and if they were waiting for me to be happy at the alpha's arrival, I wouldn't be. 

"Watch your tongue, Autumn. That's the alpha we are talking about."

"I don't understand why you have to tell me about him."

According to the rumors, he had already finished his master's degree in business. While Hugh was away, Beta Maddox temporarily took over the pack.

"I am telling you now because there will be a masquerade party a week from now. The omega's are in charge of the decoration and everything."

"Is that the only thing that you will say, Beta Maddox?"  I asked. "If you have nothing to say, then please excuse me. I need to wash myself to get the white yoke in my head."

"I also came here to...to say my condolences," he said, not meeting my eyes. "It was long overdue, Autumn, but I came to tell you that. I am sorry for what happened to your family."

Tears stung my eyes, and I had to lift my head to stop them from falling. Fifteen years had passed, but the pain was there. 

"You should never say your condolences to a murderer. Did you not hear? I killed my own family. I set them on fire. So save your condolences. I don't need it."

Damn it. 

He was the first one who offered his condolences. Genuinely. It was already long overdue but ...it meant a lot to me. 

"Autumn," he called, leaning in to me. 

I held my breath, not wanting to get intoxicated from his scent. Just because he rejected me, did not mean that I was now immune to the effects of the mate bond. 

"I do not believe you killed them. So is Alpha Hugh."

I scoffed, wiping the tears from my eyes. "You don't believe me? Really? Don't give me that kind of bullshit, Beta Maddox. The fact that you didn't visit the wake and just left me was enough to know that you don't believe I was innocent. All of you treated me as a murderer."

The pain resurfaced even if fifteen years had passed. 

My breathing labored while my body shook. 

Dang it. 

Why was I showing my vulnerability to this bastard? This asshole who rejected me? 

I waited for him to say something, but he no longer said anything. Long silence passed between us. 

"This is what I am talking about, Beta Maddox. You just keep your silence."

"What can a nine year old do during that time, Autumn?"

I shook my head. "Don't give me that bullshit, Beta Maddox. The question is, what did your present self do?"

He averted his gaze. "Let's forget about that. You are aware that I am already betrothed to Sabrina."

"Which you wanted, by the way. I can offer nothing. I cannot help you with anything since I am a murderer and omega of the pack."

"Autumn, that's not it."

"That's the reason why you rejected me, Beta Maddox. Anyways, my wolf and I could survive without you. After this, you don't have to have a private conversation or the others might think that something is going on between us. Especially Sabrina. That woman has been picking a fight with me since we were children and—" 

Realizing I had spoken too much, I stopped talking. There was no use over sharing. 

"Never mind. You won't even listen to me, anyway."

"Autumn, why don't we forget the past and—"

"Forget the past? Move on?" I asked, cutting off his words. "Easy for you to say," I muttered under my breath. They were not the one who was always hurting and was stuck in the past hoping that someone...would be able to sympathize with me. 

His hands fell to the side. "All I am saying is—"

"You want me to forget the past and pretend that those beautiful memories from when I was eight years old were a dream. How could you be that selfish, Beta Maddox? That's the only thing I have right now. And now..." I had to force myself to stop talking so that my voice would not shake in the end. “You're so selfish. Why would you take them away from me?”