Rejection

Alari’s pov

I could hear the distant chatter, laughter, happiness; and I could feel the pack’s excitement through the pack bond, our Alpha was finally home.

Forced to keep out of sight, Pearl and I stayed in the kitchen, doing whatever we were told to do to make sure the Alpha’s return was a great one.

Of course we wanted to be there but being the runts of the pack, our presence would sour the mood and as much as I hated this pack, some part of me wanted to please my Alpha.

I don’t know if it was all the excitement in the air but my wolf was present as well, I could feel her, stronger than ever and it gave me a sense of normalcy; like I finally belonged in his pack.

“Why aren’t we allowed to have lunch with the pack? It’s a special occasion, everyone should be welcome!” Pearl said through gritted teeth with a hint of sadness mixed with anger, and she was right, we should be at that table as well, we’re also part of the pack for Goddess sake.

“We’ll see the Alpha tomorrow at the ascension ceremony; and then he will see you and scoop you into his arms and make you his forever” I said, trying to cheer her up and her giggle told me it had worked.

“And then we’ll make everything right” she said, blushing tomato red.

“And then you’ll make everything right!” I repeated, making her giggle some more.

I dried the last of the pots and pans used to make lunch and put it away, sighing because now we got to eat.

The Luna is in a good mood today so our lunch was an actual lunch. For the first time since we started working here, we actually got to eat real food, not scraps or a tiny sandwich that barely did anything.

There was garlic bread, creamy mash potatoes, steak and gravy left for us by the cooks and I was really looking forward to sitting down and enjoying a nice meal after being on my feet since I got here this morning.

We sat down at the island and uncovered our food, the aroma making my mouth water. “If we ate like this every day, I wouldn’t mind working the pack house” Pearl said, moaning at the taste of the potatoes.

“Dido” I said, filling my mouth with good food. Don’t get me wrong, my mother was a good cook but the pack house chefs were on a different level of sophistication, this food was heaven on a plate.

We enjoyed the rest of our meal in silence, each lost in their own plate and cleaned up after we were done, now waiting for the second round of dirty dishes to wash.

We were busy cleaning up after lunch when I felt my wolf push forward, almost taking over and it startled me, making me step away from the sink.

“You okay?” Pearl asked with a frown and I just stared at her, not sure how I would even begin to explain what was happening.

“Oh my… Alari your eyes” Pearl’s expression had me wanting to find a mirror to see just what was happening with my eyes, but my wolf retreated before I could do anything other than watch the shock on Pearl’s face.

“I’ve never seen anything like that before; it was… how do I even explain it!” she exclaimed, her expression going from shock to wonder and I couldn’t help be jealous of the fact that I couldn’t see it as well.

“My wolf pushed forward” I whispered, the words so foreign, they left a somewhat bitter taste in my mouth.

“That’s why your eyes were glowing” she gasped, a smile stretching her small lips. “Do you know what this means?! Alari your wolf is getting stronger! You could shift one day” she said. Jumping up and down in excitement and against my better judgement, hope sparked within me and I actually believed it.

“Uhm, hi” a new voice had Pearl and I looking at the kitchen entrance to find Macy, an omega and most possibly the only one that didn’t treat us like shit.

“The Luna said to tell you to make sure the rooms for the King and his escort are clean before heading home” she said in a small voice, avoiding eye contact.

“Okay, thanks Macy” Pearl said with a small smile and the omega turned and sped away, leaving me to sigh and roll my eyes, I really hate this place.

It was much later in the day, after forcing Pearl to go home and rest; and I was just finishing up with the last room so I could go home and put my feet up as well when my wolf pushed forward again.

I froze for a moment, feeling her restlessness, but most of all, I felt how powerful she was and wondered why the hell I hadn’t shifted when she was this strong. But I was too tired to keep thinking about it so I decided to just go home and maybe try to figure this out because I knew for sure my parents weren’t going to say anything.

I pulled the door open and got hit in the face by the most delicious scent of chocolate and cigar just as I stepped out.

I don’t think I could have ever prepared myself for this moment, standing there, losing myself in the eyes of the man that had once been the root of my pain, wanting nothing more than to throw myself at him.

What the hell was happening to me? Why was I feeling like this? Why did I want him? I’d never been attracted to him, and I knew it was impossible to feel this strong for someone I’ve hated for so long… unless

“Mate!” Came the powerful voice of my wolf, clear as day.

This can’t be, how is this even possible, how do I have a mate? How is he my mate? Him of all people?

“You’re my ma…” I couldn’t even finish the whisper before I was roughly pushed back inside the room I had just vacated, the door slamming so hard I flinched, fear pooling at the pit of my stomach.

Facing the door, I watched as his back rose and fell, a small growl reaching my ears. I didn’t know what to do, or what to think but something in me was pushing me to touch him and I foolishly didn’t hesitate.

Taking a step forward, I put my hand on his back, feeling him tense up at the feel of my touch before he whipped around, roughly grabbing my hand; causing me pain.

“Aaah!” the pained moan slipped out, making him realising his hold was hurtful and he let go. I cradled my hand to my chest, making sure not to look into his eyes as I tried to understand what had just happened in the past minute.

The silence grew thick as the seconds ticked by without a word being said, only the sound of his heavy breathing filling the room.

I made the first move, raising my head to look into his chocolate brown eyes and for a fleeting second, I loved how his breathe caught when we locked eyes. I could hear his heart speed up as his breathing grew more laboured.

I forced myself to let go of my delusions and see the truth in his eyes, the truth his face failed to conceal, I knew what was coming.

“Xavier…” my voice wouldn’t even let me speak his name, the resentment on his face growing darker, that look of hate all too familiar. This wasn’t my mate, this was my bully.

The man that had made sure to make my days a living hell. The boy that pulled my hair, pushed me down, let his girlfriend beat me up because he couldn’t do it himself without consequence.

My wolf whimpered, retreating slowly, leaving me to face him all by myself.

“I don’t know what the Goddess was thinking pairing me with a freak like you but she was dead wrong to think I would ever want you!” He growled, the venom in his words burning me from the inside out.

I felt my body tremble as my heart broke into a million pieces, tears pricking at my eyes as pain tore through my body.

“P.. please” I heard myself plead with him, his words cutting at my fragile soul.

“You’re weak and without a beast! And I deserve better than some pale freak with pointy ears, I deserve an Alpha’s daughter to rule this pack by my side, heck, I deserve a normal she-wolf” he scoffed, like his words weren’t cutting through me like razor on paper.

“I can be strong, I can earn my place by your side, let me prove myself. The least you could do is let me prove myself!” I cried, sobs wrecking my body.

“YOU WILL NEVER BE GOOD ENOUGH!” He yelled, making me step back and cry harder.

“Please, don’t do this” I whined, feeling myself break beyond anything I could fix, I wouldn’t survive this, I wouldn’t survive the only person that was made to love me leaving me, he was leaving me.

He can’t do this to me, he’s my mate! He has to love me, if he doesn’t then who will? I won’t let him do this to me, to us!

I was angry, no, livid. I knew I was weak and probably wouldn’t make a good Luna but he was giving up on our bond before giving me a chance and I wouldn’t let him. The goddess wouldn’t have paired us if we weren’t good for each other. Goddess Selene makes no mistakes!

I hardened my teary eyes and looked at him, stepping closer to him, “I will not let you do this to us!” I said, feeling my heart break all over again at his glare.

“Us? There is no us and there never will bean us! I’m done having this conservation. I, Xavier King, Alpha of Silverlake pack reject you, Alari as my mate and Luna” he growled the words, no sign of remorse on his face as he broke my soul.

My body shook, every ounce of strength I had in me evaporated as I felt like I was being eaten from the inside out.

“No, no no please, I am begging you, please! Don’t do this me!” I begged shamelessly, tears rolling down my eyes. My knees gave out and I fell, grabbing onto his shirt in my way down.

“Get your filthy hands off of me!” He growled, pushing my hands off. “I deserve better than some wolf-less freak! My pack deserves better!” he spat, the venom in his voice doing nothing but shatter my already breaking heart.

I’d been beaten before, cursed at, belittled and cast aside but nothing ever hurt like this, what did I do that was so wrong to deserve such pain? I felt like I was burning from the inside out.

“Accept the rejection and get it over with” I heard him say with no emotion, making me

wonder how he can be so heartless to his mate. I’ve heard and seen what the mate bond does to people, why was it different with me?

“No, I refuse. I won’t accept it, I won’t lose you” my voice was barely above a whisper as I held my hands to my burning chest.

The atmosphere changed, his anger suffocating me but I pushed it down, refusing to yield to his Alpha aura.

“Fine, have it your way but you will regret that decision” he spat before turning to leave. I jumped as the door banged shut and my world came crashing down on me.

I don’t know when I curled myself into a ball or how long I’d been crying but I knew I couldn’t take it anymore, I shouldn’t! I had let these people toy with me all my life, and now even the man that was made for me deemed me unfit to be by his side. Well no more!

I would show him I was worthy of being his mate and I would never accept his rejection, I would never set him free to be with another.

Xavier King is mine!