Chapter Six

Aegis's P.O.V

A loud, powerful growl ripped across the room, successfully cutting her off. A mug sitting on the table shattered. The dining table in the next room caved in, and all of our attention turned to Elias.

His lips were still tugged up and slightly apart, exposing his large, drooping canines. His wolf didn’t like the idea of me finding someone else. My wolf growled in disapproval at his hypocrisy. He didn’t want me, but he also didn’t want me to find someone else.

“It doesn’t work like that, Sheila, and you know that. The mate bond will always exist between us, no matter how little.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Elias replied, finally regaining control over his wolf.

“We’ve come up with a solution.”

My eyebrows shot up. “Solution?”

Elias looked over to Sheila. She gave him a brief nod.

“My wolf… he wants you as a mate. He won’t settle for anyone else.” He looked over at my parents grimly. “But if we were to separate, the bond would weaken.”

I felt my jaw go slack. He couldn’t be suggesting what I thought he was suggesting.

“You’re kicking me out!” I yelled in utter disbelief.

“The transfer won’t be permanent,” my father jumped in, standing up from his seated position. I paid him no mind.

“It’s just until Sheila is marked and officially crowned Luna. Then you’ll be permitted to come back.”

I scoffed bitterly at his words.

“You’re kicking me out,” I whispered again quietly.

Mother stepped forward, taking my arms into her hands, tearing my attention to her. She looked at me with forced empathy, her lips pressed into a thin, straight line.

“Aegis, now is not the time to be emotional. This is bigger than you. You have to understand that you’re not fit to be Luna. Your sister is a more capable fit. We need this—we need our bloodline to be merged with the Alpha’s. Our true bloodline.”

“But I’m your child too. Did you ever think of that? Did you ever give me a choice?”

“Look, Aegis, it’ll only make it harder for you if you stay here,” Father answered tightly.

“So what, you’re just going to abandon me in some pack and call me back after they’ve marked and mated themselves? You’re sending me away so I don’t interfere?”

I knew my voice was rising, but I couldn’t stop myself. My wolf was so angry.

“I know you’ve been waiting for a mate all your life, but… he’s mine, Aegis. One day you’ll see that he was meant to be mine,” Sheila replied to me.

Bile rose up in my throat. The underlying threat in her message did not go unnoticed. The worst part was that I couldn’t say anything. She was right. He was hers.

Elias slammed a folder in front of me, the words PACK TRANSFER inscribed boldly on the front.

“Sign the papers, Aegis. This isn’t up for debate.”

“No.” It came out bitter. The last string of my restraint was slowly chipping away. They didn’t get to do this to me.

Hesitation and fear flashed across his face. I now fully understood him. Elias probably never thought he’d find me. He was also much too impatient to be Alpha, so he resolved to take the easy way out. Challenging his father would be a much easier task once I was out of the way.

“I’m not signing it, Elias.”

His eyes narrowed at me.

“Aegis Davids, I’m not playing this game with you. You are signing these documents NOW.”

I stiffened at the Alpha command. My body acted immediately to the order given by Alpha blood. My mind reeled from the fact that he used the Alpha command on me.

My hands obediently reached for the paper against my will. I could only mutter out weak “No’s” and “please” for him to stop as I signed the documents.

“We have one more thing to do,” he said after making sure I was done signing.

“I, Elias Pierce, future Alpha of the Blackthorn Pack, reject you, Aegis Davids. I hereby completely sever my bond with you.”

I couldn’t breathe. My chest closed up, and I tried desperately to get some oxygen or anything that could relieve me. A glass of water was pushed in front of me, and I drank greedily.

I regained composure sometime later. My mind was empty, completely blank. I felt empty. My wolf herself was silent and defeated. It was done. I had lost him.

“You know, for someone who hates having his life controlled, you certainly don’t mind destroying mine.”

That stopped him in his tracks. Without turning back, he answered,

“I’m sorry, Aegis. That’s just the way it needs to be.”

“Pack your things. You leave in four hours.”

It took all of two hours to pack all I owned, and I was soon set on my way. My eyes were dry and clear at this point; they had finally run out of tears.

The carriage was set, and the men were waiting. My parents were nowhere to be found. My sister was nowhere to be seen. I shook my head in disappointment—they didn’t even have the decency to see me off.

The carriage bustled and shook as it did a crazy dance with the uneven road below. I looked out the window with a heavy feeling in my chest. A little tear dripped down my face as the pack house slowly disappeared from sight.

We were in the middle of the forest when I felt it. A sharp pain hit me, clouding over the deepest parts of my soul. If I thought the rejection hurt, this was so much worse. Everything hurt—my mind, my heart, my body, and flesh. My wolf let out a loud and sorrowful howl.

What was happening to me?

I flailed my hands desperately, trying to signal to one of the carriage men.

Aegis…

Her voice was faint but frantic, shaking with a fear I had never felt from her before.

Something’s wrong. Something’s very, very wrong.

“What’s happening? Why does it hurt so much?” I asked her through gritted teeth, clutching at my chest.

It’s not just the rejection. Aegis… it’s the baby. Something’s wrong with the baby!

My heart stopped cold. “What baby?!” I gasped, panic clawing at my throat.

Our baby… she whispered, her voice breaking. It’s too soon for you to feel it, but I can. An Alpha’s pup announces itself early. Day one, and the scent is already strong. He must have smelt it on you. He knew, Aegis… Elias knew.

A sob ripped out of me before I could stop it. “No… no, that’s not possible…” But the sharp ache twisting in my belly said otherwise.

He sent us away anyway… my wolf whimpered, her voice fading. He—

A sharp blow hit me at the back of my head, and everything went black.