15

Steadying my legs, I lunged forward, grabbing Jayson’s sleeve and tugging him around, making him look at me.

“Jayson? Please, we can fix this. Don’t do this. It wasn’t my fault. Please.” The last word came out like a pitiful whine. I was ashamed of the way I was begging, but I couldn’t stop myself.

Jayson’s lip curled up in disgust. “Don’t touch me, you filthy whore.”

He yanked his hand from my grip and vanished into the forest. His words slammed into me. All I’d ever tried to do was bring pride to my family and pack. Being rejected like this, in public, was almost more than I could take. Some of my packmates were still shouting at the Ninth Pack, but everyone was moving away into the surrounding woods. I was left in the clearing, disgraced and on my knees. Humiliation cascaded over me, followed by shame, horror, and a sick feeling swelling within me.

A pair of eyes caught my attention. Striking green and incredibly intense. Wyatt. Pity and hurt radiated from his gaze. Pity for me.

It was too much. I couldn’t bear it. Not from him.

I ran. My dress tore under my feet as I sprinted into the woods, the screams of anger and shouted arguments fading behind me. As I rushed headlong into the forest, my heart shattered more with every step. I’d ruined everything, even though I hadn’t done anything wrong. The physical pain of the rejection became a throbbing ache inside me. My mind flashed back and forth between shame, anger, and despair. I had to fix this. Somehow. For the first time in twelve years, the searing burn of tears stung my eyes.

Chapter 6

Wyatt

Kolton paced back and forth across my living room. His rage hadn’t abated an ounce since the disaster the day before. He’d become intimately familiar with one of the pillows on my couch. Every hour or so, he’d grab it and either slam it to the ground or kick it across the room. It bore no resemblance to Jayson Fell, but my friend must have mentally imprinted that jackass’s face onto it.

I let him vent. Better he did it here instead of at his house. That place was like a mausoleum. I’d gone over there four times since the ceremony had burst into metaphorical flames to check on Kira, but there’d been no sign of her. She’d still not returned home after escaping into the forest.

My own anger was running as hot as Kolton’s, but it was simmering under the surface. If Kolton was a tornado, shouting and cursing into the void, then I was a volcano—hot, boiling molten rock, ready to erupt at any time. I still couldn’t believe what I’d witnessed the day before. Not only the rejection but the way it had affected Kira. She’d cried. Actual tears. It hadn’t been the same as the tears of pain she’d cried after being stabbed and drugged. No, she’d cried true tears of anguish. I’d only been witness to that once in all the time I’d known her. That day had been hell, and it looked like Jayson’s rejection had hit her almost as badly.

It agitated both Kolton and me that she’d shed a single tear for that spoiled piece of shit. Sure, he was the heir to the Ninth Pack, but other than that, what did he have to offer? A substandard IQ, a pissy attitude, and an unwarranted sense of self-importance. I clenched my jaw, my teeth creaking as I remembered the look of relief on his face when he’d rejected Kira. The relief and the smug glint in his eyes.

I tried to remember if I’d ever heard or read about a rejection as public, embarrassing, or brutal, but I couldn’t come up with anything. No legends mentioned anything close to what Kira had gone through, and if there was one thing people in the past had loved, it was drama and heartbreak. He’d had ample time to reject her in private instead of doing it in front of the gods and everyone. Nothing would change my mind that he’d done it purposefully to rip away her every shred of dignity. To eviscerate her ego and ensure she could never recover. I wasn’t sure what I’d do if I ever came face to face with him again, but it would be a moment Jayson Fell would regret for the rest of his days. Of that, I was one hundred percent sure.

Kolton, spotting my poor throw pillow again, picked it up and threw it across the room. It struck the wall with a muffled whomp.

“I don’t think that’s going to help,” I said.

Kolton turned, fists clenched. “It makes me feel better.”

I shrugged. It probably did, but he needed to get himself under control. This wasn’t about our anger or hatred. His sister had just been shamed in front of two packs, members of the Tranquility Council, and her family and friends. One good thing was that the film crew had been stopped and their cameras destroyed. At least the video of the entire fiasco wouldn’t be sent out to the entire world. The only saving grace was that it hadn’t been broadcast live.

Even so, word was spreading like wildfire. Fated-mate rejections were incredibly rare, especially when an heir of a pack was to be paired with the eldest alpha daughter of another pack. Even though Kira was a latent alpha, she was still an alpha. The whole fiasco was being talked about everywhere.

Kolton flopped down on the couch beside me and hung his head. He stared off into space, then shook his head.

“I’m usually on the same wavelength as Kira. We’ve sort of always been able to help each other through things, but I have no clue what to do now. I feel so damned guilty about it all. That’s why I’m mad. This is partly my fault.”

I frowned at him. “Where’d you get that idea from? That’s some pretty crazy mental gymnastics.”