Chapter 0002

EMBER

“What?” I stammered, stunned by the shift in his demeanor. My breathing hitched, and my eyes glanced between his, trying to understand what I had done wrong to cause him to look at me with such disgust.

“This is a sick joke.” He muttered, the muscles in his jaw ticking as he clenched his molars together.

My head snapped back when he turned his glare to me. The black eyes of his beast were gone, and his brown eyes stayed on me as he stood. How could he not know who I am?

I had worked in the pack house for years, and our parents had worked together for decades before that.

The two of us may not have spent time together, but I knew he had at least seen me around the pack house. I had bright red hair for fuck’s sake and used to be the Beta’s daughter. How could he not have noticed me?

“I…I don’t understand.” I muttered, not expecting the sudden shift in his mood. What happened? Did he not enjoy last night?

I hated seeing him so bothered, and I lifted my hand and placed it on his back to comfort him, but he shot to his feet. I followed.

“Don't touch me!” He snapped, glaring down at me with so much disdain that I had to step back. “Your. Name.”

The command had my wolf submitting, and I found myself cowering back. “Ember Rose.”

“My wolf got the best of me last night, Ember Rose.” Tristan curled his lip in disgust as he glanced down at my naked body. “That won’t be happening again.”

I was at a loss for words as Tristan quickly pulled his clothes back on, glancing over his shoulder every few seconds into the treeline as if to make sure no one had seen him here…with me. “What are you talking about? You’re my mate!”

I could still feel the wetness between my thighs from us. His scent covered my skin like a protective blanket but as he put his shoes on, and began to walk away like the hounds of Hell were on his heels, I felt dirty.

Used.

“Tristan,” I called from behind him, grabbing my torn dress and stumbling as I rushed to put it on while chasing after him, but he didn’t stop. “Please, wait. I don’t understand.”

I could see the pack house between the trees, and felt panic build in my chest when I realized that everyone was already awake and moving about to start their day.

Omegas were to be seen and not heard, and yet, I had broken that rule dozens of times over the past twenty-four hours. If anyone were to see me talking to Tristan so casually, I would be punished.

“Tristan,” I shouted again, begging him to stop and talk to me as I raced after him as quickly as my legs would carry me.

“Don’t!” He shouted, spinning to face me. I gasped as I almost collided with him. He stopped me just in time, lifting his hand to the center of my chest and pushing me back to keep me from barrelling into him.

I stumbled from the shove, landing hard on my butt in the dirt before him as he glared down at me.

“Don’t say my name! You are never allowed to address me so informally again!” His hands were in fists at his side, and I had to blink back tears as a stabbing pain tore through my chest. “I can’t believe the Goddess would stick me with you!”

He gestured to me on the last word like it put a bad taste in his mouth, his upper lip curling in disgust. “I refuse. I won’t do it. I will never accept you as my mate.”

I could hear someone walking toward us but the sound was quickly washed out by the blood rushing in my ears as I felt another shot of pain in my chest. It took me a minute to understand that I was feeling our mate bond cracking.

“What are you doing?” I whispered in shock as my hand gripped at my chest when a wave of nausea rushed through me. Taking several short breaths, I tried to stand but fell to my knees, holding myself up with my other hand on the ground.

He was my soulmate. I had been waiting for him my whole life. Why was he saying such awful things? He was the one who was supposed to support me and love me no matter what. What could have possibly changed between last night and this morning?

Something had to be wrong.

“What I should have done last night,” He snarled, as Nia broke through the tree line, stopping short when she saw me with Tristan.

“Baby, what’s going on? Where did you disappear to last night? Why are you with this pathetic mutt?” Nia asked, stepping toward him. I knew she could smell me on him as she got closer, and the fire burning in her eyes promised pain and misery.

“Don’t worry, baby. I’ve got this under control.” He snapped, yet his eyes were flashing between brown and black, a sure sign that his wolf was fighting for control of him.

It gave me hope that maybe…just maybe, his wolf didn’t agree with him. Perhaps his beast wanted me as his mate, regardless of my ranking.

Nia stepped forward, her nails extending to sharp black points, and she let out a growl of annoyance that was cut off by Tristan’s words.

“I, Tristan Cain, reject you, Ember Rose, as my mate.” He lifted his chin and spoke quietly so only the three of us would hear it, but I could see the black eyes of his beast flickering in and out as he fought to keep control.

I gasped, my hand pressing harder into my chest as my eyes closed and a cry of pain escaped me as the stabbing pain turned into a burning sensation, filling my chest as if it were going to burn me from the inside out.

“Please,” I gasped. “No!”

“Mate?” Nia laughed coldly. “Do you really think any one in the pack would ever accept you as their Luna, an Omega who dresses in torn rags and cleans our toilets? You would make us a laughing stock!”

My body bent in half as my wolf howled in pain inside my head, receding back into my mind to hide from the torture as my soul was ripped in half.

“The Goddess was wrong. You were a mistake.” Tristan snarled down at me, but I couldn’t lift my head as my body curled in on itself from the fire racing through my veins. Each word hurt more than the last, and white lights danced behind my eyelids as I squeezed them tightly shut.

“Stop,” I moaned, but he didn’t listen.

“You are nothing more than a worthless Omega. You will never be my Luna.” He spoke low, his voice deep and threatening as he stepped forward.

“Stop,” I whimpered again.

“Accept it,” He demanded, and had my wolf not abandoned me to grieve, I would have submitted to his demand and given him the freedom from our bond that he was looking for.

Instead, I ignored him, too consumed by the pain to form words.

“Accept it,” He repeated again, his voice coming out louder, almost desperate. “I refuse to be tied to you for the rest of my life! Accept the rejection, Omega!”

My nails dug into the soft soil beneath me as my elbow gave out. I had just barely caught myself when a foot slammed into my shoulder, sending me onto my side.

“Your future Alpha gave you an order!” Nia snarled down at me, dropping her foot onto my fingers and pressing her weight down until the bones threatened to snap and another scream ripped free from my lungs.

“Stop,” I sobbed, keeping my knees to my chest to protect myself as I pulled my newly injured hand against my burning chest. “Please!”

I wasn’t begging Tristan. I was begging the Goddess, praying for this to end before I lost my wolf and my mind. My beast was already so far gone, that I could barely feel her. Her soul had just been severed, and there weren’t many wolves that survived that.

“You’re so weak,” Nia sighed with disgust. The toe of her shoe dug into the dirt before she kicked it up at me.

I flinched as it flew into my face, but kept my eyes tightly shut as I felt her get closer. Her shadow covered my head, and her fingers laced into my hair as she gripped a handful and lifted my head from the ground.

“I am going to destroy you. You shouldn’t have touched my man,” She hissed before smashing my head into the Earth. “Say the words, Ember.” Nia demanded, lifting my head once more.

I kicked out with my leg, in an attempt to free myself from her, fighting back for the first time in my miserable life. Saying she was going to end me after I accepted the rejection wasn’t exactly the incentive she seemed to think it was for me to do as she ordered.

I had always thought she just pretended to be stupid, but she had proved me wrong.

My foot collided with her knee, and Nia released a feral growl as she stumbled back.

I pushed myself up to my feet, biting back the bile threatening to rise as each wave of agony that washed through me grew stronger.

“Enough!” Tristan ordered, and Nia dipped her head in submission.

I turned to him, my shoulders curled in, my hands gripping at my torso as I fought to remain upright.

“Accept the rejection!” Tristan snarled, sending another stabbing pain through me.

His eyes turned black momentarily as I released a cry of pain. His face softened, and he stepped forward.

His wolf had taken control.

My breathing hitched as he lifted his hand toward me, and I wanted to lean into it, but my body was coiled tightly from the pain.

He was so close to touching me again, and I hated that I craved it.

“Please don’t do this,” I pleaded in a broken whisper.

As soon as the words crossed my lips, he stilled. The black eyes of his wolf melted away as Tristan took control again. My heart dropped to my stomach as he lunged forward and wrapped his hand around my throat.

My hands shot up to it in panic. My nails scratched at the back of his hand and wrist as he lifted me from the ground, and my eyes bulged from my head.

“I gave you an order.” Tristan growled, and I dug my nails in harder, feeling them puncture his skin as I tried to free myself from him.

My chest burned as I struggled to take in a breath. My toes pointed down as I instinctively tried to reach the ground.

Just then, a loud commotion came from the back door of the pack house. Tristan’s grip tightened further around my throat to keep me in place, and he glanced over his shoulder toward the pack house briefly.

A group of warriors were heading out, ready to start their day.

“I can’t be seen here, not with someone like you.” Tristan snarled lowly. “This isn’t over Ember. You will accept my rejection or I’ll make sure that you are locked in the dungeon for the rest of your miserable life.”

He seemed reluctant, but after a second longer he released his grip on me.

I fell to the floor, gripping my throat and made a wheezing sound as I sucked in air.

“You will not say a word about this to anyone.” Tristan ordered, but I continued to pant as I tried to get enough oxygen back into my blood to be able to function, or at least think straight. “That goes for both of you. I don’t want either of you to breathe a word about this to anyone, or I’ll have your heads.”

My forehead pressed into the dirt as my breathing began to slow, but the ache in my chest grew stronger with each step he took from me.