Chapter Ten

Aegis's Point Of View.

It happened again.

This was the tenth time this month that I passed out from pain and wake up with welts and sores on my body.  And we’re still on the fifth day of the month. It’s becoming ridiculous how much they did it. At first it was only a couple times a month but now they were going at it like rabbits.Miss Evangeline explained that the consequences was this severe because my mate was one in high power. The only way to make them stop was to complete the rejection and that wasn’t happening anytime soon.

She was very sympathetic of my situation. With sorrowful wise eyes she lamented on how selfish my mate was to not have waited for his mate and how much he was going to regret not waiting for his mate.

If only she knew.

For now, I needed to get out of here. I can't risk the pack finding out.Trying not to irritate the welts on my back, I tried to stand up gently.  I mistakenly rested on one of the sores on my lower waist. The sores rubbed against the black linen bed cover and pain early turned me blind .Tears immediately filled my eyes as I tried my best to hold in a sob. Fuck.

Even after all that I had gone through, I was still suffering. Would I continue suffering like this for something that wasn’t my fault.

"How long?".

Startled I look up to see Brandi and a drowsy Cece in his arms. Right behind stood someone I had been trying to avoid for awhile. 

"Alpha Elija-ah" I stuttered out in desperate panic.

"How long has this been happening?".he repeated.

I sat there tounge tied. How was I supposed to answer that. Tell him the truth.. of course not.

"I can't do anything about it". I whispered , my voice shaky.

"Brandi, could you give me and Aegis a moment? Please take Cece with you".

Brandi nodded at him, slowly making his way out of the room with a half_asleep Cece in his arms. Her little eyes fluttered open at the sudden movement. Immediately she thrashed in his hold, whining to be put down so she could come to me. Her little chubby arms reached out to me more desperate than before, her whining turning full blown wailing.

The inner turmoil in me nearly drove me mad. My heart aches for the child. Her expression cut deep into my soul as my wolf restrained the urge to comfort her in front of the Alpha. I watched as little Cece disappeared with her wails echoing in the hallway. 

 Even when she wasn't in sight I kept staring at the door longingly.

"My little girl is completely head over heels for you ".

I snapped my head to Alpha Elijah who has a slight smile playing on his lips. I smiled at the thought of that. Was it wrong that I felt a bit prideful prideful about that? To the fact that little Cece has gotten so attached to me?

"Brandi told me about your....situation"

He said softly, carefully watching me with alert for any reaction. 

"Oh...." was the only response I could give to him. Alpha Elijah sighed loudly as he settled on a seat near the hospital bed. His large body looked very awkward and strange on the small yellow  plastic chair.

If we weren't talking about this I probably would have found it funny. He shifted uncomfortably on the small chair most likely in search a comfortable position. He soon gave up.

Alpha Elijah is no doubt a great Alpha. A great caring and kind Father to little Cece. He was a bit young but nonetheless disciplined. He had a strict set of morals and principles he stood by. In the little amount of time I had spent in the pack, I had grown to respect him tremendously.

"Aegis, why didn't you say anything?" He asked exasperatedly.

He sounded  disappointed. I swallowed the lump in my throat nervously.

"I couldn't" I replied truthfully "I was afraid to".

Alpha Elijah shook his head, clearly unhappy with my reply. His eyebrows furrowed against each other and his lips pressed into a thin, straight line.

"What are you so afraid of Aegis? Are you afraid of the new Alpha? That Alpha Elias might find out you said something?"

"The new Alpha? You said Alpha Elias? He's now Alpha?".

Alpha Elijah leaned back into his seat and crossed his hands over his chest. He looked confused at my expectant face. He nodded and  a loud ringing went off in my ears.

"When?". I asked with a strange calmness.

" Last week?". He replied.

A tear rolled down my eyes. Alpha Elias Senior was dead and I didn’t even know it. 

I wasn't really close to the former Alpha but I could still remember somethings. Like how he got me my very first doll. How he offered to take up the payments for my college education when my parents refused too. Apparently Medicine and Surgery was not in their budgets but extravagant vacations for my sister was.

Alpha Elijah sat silently watching me. I knew he was still waiting for me to answer his previous question. A small part of me hoped he had forgotten but sensing his steady gaze on me, I guess not. Reluctantly I gave in.

I laughed bitterly.

" I'm afraid people will look at me differently. I'm afraid of repeating the same sob story to everyone that ask because it'll make it real".

The truth was finally out. I fisted the black hospital bedcover I laid on tightly into my hand.

I'm so afraid of being rejected again . If my own mate, family and pack can reject me . What's to say the people I just met won't?".

Alpha Elijah released a troubled breath. After some time has passed in silence, I mustered up the courage to sneak a look at his expression. He was already staring at me, with a soft face. The feeling that someone was actually listening instead of sympathizing soothed my heart more than anything. I had nothing more to hide, might as well get it all out.

"When he finally marks her, he'll transfer me back. He said so himself. The mate bond would still be there and the proximity of my mate and yet not belonging to me would most probably kill my wolf. So yea I'm afraid of that too".

" Then why don't you just permanently stay here".

My head shot up to him. My jaw dropping at the bluntness of the suggestion. The possibility of remaining here excited me, but my brain couldn’t wrap around how that would be. To officially leave a pack, the Alpha had to agree. I knew Elias would never agree to this. He may not want or have me but that didn't mean he'll allow someone else to have me.

"What?".

Alpha Elijah smiled sheepishly looking at the closed door before looking back at me. He looked so sure about all he had just said.

"If I'm being honest, I was kind of thinking of a way to convince you to stay. It was a selfish thought on my thought on my part but Cece needs you. We might not be your true family but to you are family to us".

"Staying at that pack would do you no good. And as you pointed out, it could end up killing you. If Alpha Elias refuses to or tries to you from making your stay here permanent, I'll personally take care of it. Just say the word and I'll make it happen. Even if we have to bring this up with the Alpha King, we will. No one deserves to go through this”.

A brown pigeon landed on the wooden window pane catching my attention. I let myself think of what staying here would mean.

“So?”

“I’ll think about it.”

That was enough for him. He left the room door ajar and Cece soon ran in. Maybe staying here wouldn’t be so bad.