I looked up at the Alpha with pleading eyes. Pain burned through my body as the effects of his rejection took place. How could he be so rash in his decision? Stabbing sensations... aching... my body felt like I was being tortured, while my heart and my chest felt like they were being crushed. All air seeming to be sucked from my lungs. Kael had rejected me...
Tears stabbed within my eyes, as I fluttered my lashes in a bid to clear them. My fated mate did not want me. This was pain like no other, yet the strangest of sensations. Was he not feeling it too? How could he do this?
This was fate after all. Something we as werewolves wait so long for. The Moon Goddess hand selects the mates we are connected to, yet here was my mate disregarding me so easily. My hand reached up to my cheek, lingering upon the scar there... was it because I was ugly? Or because he simply saw me as not good enough? Omegas were often seen as lowly and worthless. Was that how he saw me?
"Please..." I tried again, despite the fact Kael had already said all he needed to. My fated mate had rejected me. This was already over before it had begun. My dreams were crushed.
"What is there to say, Wren?" He said coldly. "This is not going to work."
"But we are fated." I defended, despite knowing my argument was weak. He was an Alpha, he did not lack intelligence. He knew we were fated mates. Chosen for one another by a higher power, yet he had decided that did not matter. He had decided he and I were not to be.
"Maybe sometimes, fate gets things wrong?" The Alpha suggested, a sad expression upon his face.
"You looked at me earlier like you thought there may be a chance." I tried again, desperate now to try anything.
"And then I realized that there was not."
My shoulders sagged. All hope feeling like it had evaporated from my body. "You said you wanted to talk?" I offered.
"I am not sure there is much to say. I have said all that is needed to be said. All you need to do is say your part now."
I looked at the man in bewilderment. I was confused as to what he meant. Kael smiled wryly. "I need you to complete the rejection, Wren." He added softly.
My wolf whimpered at the thought, while my mind seemed to suddenly understand what was being asked of us. The rejection was not official until I completed it? A flicker of hope sparked within my chest. I slowly shook my head.
"No." I said, trying hard to sound confident as I walked away. Only hoping the man I was leaving behind would soon see he had made a mistake.
His heavy footsteps sounded alongside me as he rushed to keep up with me. "Wren." His tone was urgent, and he didn't sound quite so patient this time. His tone not so soft.
"Yes?" I questioned, acting innocent. I knew why he had followed me, and knew what he was wanting, but did not intend to comply.
"I need you to do this for me."
"And I already gave you my answer."
"This will be irrelevant when I marry Grace, you know that right? It will cause you more pain in the long run." He snapped, clearly all patience having faded fast.
"Trust me, I am used to pain, so go for it." I snarled, storming away from the man who I had seemingly already surrendered to the one person I had grown to hate most over recent years.
As my legs moved as quickly as they were able to, I made my way along the hallway until I was able to find a linen closet to duck inside of to allow my tears to fall freely. This time Kael's footsteps did not follow, and I was grateful for that. I needed a moment to myself. This was my fated mate. The one who I had hoped would be the man to save me from the prison that my life had become. But instead, it had all been interwoven into a living hell. Nothing was going to get any better.
'Where the fuck are you?' Grace's angry voice shrieked through the mindlink before I had even closed the door of the linen closet. My skin crawled at the sound of her voice. 'Got your way, did you? My father saw you with the Alpha...'
Panic shot through me. That was not good. Alpha Alexander would not stand for disrespect. He would demand answers. Clearly he had pushed that responsibility onto his daughter. Grace could be a nightmare when she was angry, and this would give her more than enough reason to be angry...
'He came to see if I was okay, he thought I was upset.' I lied. I could not have Grace learning the connection between Kael and me. She would do all she could to force me to reject him. Not to mention relish in my suffering. She would love every moment.
'Oh, and you just happened to play the poor little victim I suppose? He is an Alpha, Wren. An Alpha does not bother with pathetic excuses for people like you. He is here to meet me. You do not need to make this any more difficult than it needs to be.'
I shook my head in disbelief. He may well be here to meet her, yet only a matter of hours earlier she had been all set on being with a senior warrior. Her fated mate. But I knew better than to throw that in her direction. Punishment would be worse. 'I know he is. And I only went to meet him because you asked me to.' I pointed out, unable to help myself.
'Well, from now on, you stay away, unless I say otherwise. And I think you forgot something...' Her words confused me, until I realised that in my hurry, I had not followed one of her usual orders.
'Sorry. It was because I was rushing.' I explained.
'Do not forget again.' She snarled. 'No where is he? My fucking father is on the war path, and I need to go and charm this Alpha...'
My heart felt like it had been wrung out with the agony I was feeling at that prospect. But I knew from here on in, Kael was no longer mine. I was merely an omega. A little speck of insignificance in a big circle of important people. My opinions and feelings did not matter to them, and would never be taken into consideration. I was there to follow orders. 'I left him on the hallway, just down from the lounge. I knew my part was done, so I went to continue with chores.' I explained, lying once again. Grace did not need to know I was currently falling apart because of the man she would soon marry...
As my feet met the lower stairs of the grand staircase a throat cleared behind me, causing me to turn, and my heart felt like it stopped in panic. Alpha Alexander. The look within his eyes was one that told me he was not best pleased, and his tone chilling as he spoke. "I think I need a word with you."