Alpha's Rejected mate

The rejection had left me hollow, but the way Marcel looked at me as if I were a stain on the floor he couldn’t wait to scrub away was what truly killed me.

I was twenty-one years old. I had spent fifteen of those years as an orphan in this pack, ever since my parents were killed in a rogue raid. I had grown up in the kitchens, sleeping on a cot, with only the memory of Marcel’s childhood kindness to keep me warm. I had waited my whole life for my wolf to wake up, for the moon to give me a place to belong.

And the moon had given me Marcel. Only for him to spit on the gift.

I sat in the small, cramped laundry room, my hands resting on my stomach. The wolfsbane was finally wearing off, and for the first time, I could feel them—three tiny pulses of life. Triplets. A miracle I didn't think my omega body could handle.

"You're still here?"

The voice was like a bucket of ice. I looked up to see Marcel standing in the doorway. He looked impeccable, his Alpha aura radiating off him in suffocating waves.

"I have nowhere else to go, Marcel," I whispered. "I’m an orphan. I’ve lived here since I was six."

"That’s not my problem." He stepped into the room, his presence making the walls feel like they were closing in. "You’re a distraction. Every time I see you, I smell the rot of that broken bond. It’s making the pack restless."

"The rot of the bond you broke!" I stood up, my voice trembling with a sudden flash of anger. "You threw me away like trash!"

Marcel moved so fast I didn't see him. Suddenly, he was inches from my face, his hand gripping the shelf behind my head. "I did what was necessary for the Obsidian Pack. You are a weak omega. You couldn't survive a Luna’s challenge, let alone lead an army."

"You don't know what I can do," I hissed.

"I know what you are," he sneered, his gaze dropping to my lips for a split second before his eyes turned back to stone. "And right now, you’re a liability. My cousin Dylan is already sniffing around you. Do you have any idea how that looks? The Alpha’s rejected mate throwing herself at a mercenary?"

"I am not throwing myself at anyone!"

"Then why was he in the hallway outside your room this morning?" Marcel growled, his hand moving to grip my chin.

"I don't know! Ask him!"

The door to the laundry room creaked open. Mia stood there, looking like a cat that had found the cream. She held a crumpled piece of paper in her hand.

"Oh, Marcel, darling... I hate to interrupt," Mia said, her voice dripping with fake sympathy. "But I think I found why she’s so eager to stay."

Marcel released my chin and turned. "What is it?"

Mia handed him the paper. "One of the omegas found this in the trash near Vanessa’s cot. It’s a note. From Dylan."

Marcel snatched the paper. His face went from cold to murderous as he read it.

"What does it say?" I asked, a pit of dread forming in my stomach.

Marcel’s eyes flashed a terrifying, glowing gold. He turned back to me, his voice a low, guttural snarl. "'Meet me at the southern gate at midnight. We’ll take the pups and leave this pathetic Alpha behind.'"

My heart stopped. "What? I’ve never seen that! I don't even know what that means!"

"Don't lie to me!" Marcel roared, throwing the paper at my face. "Pups? You’re pregnant, aren't you?"

I gasped, my hand flying to my stomach. I couldn't hide the reflex.

Marcel saw it. His face contorted in a mask of pure rage and betrayal. "You’re carrying. And since I haven't touched you in weeks, and you’ve been sneaking around with Dylan..."

"Marcel, no! It's yours!" I screamed. "The night in the study! It’s been three weeks, I just found out—"

"Don't you dare use that night to cover your infidelity!" Marcel grabbed my shoulders, shaking me. "The doctor said you were on scent-blockers that night! You couldn't have conceived! You’ve been using Dylan to get back at me, haven't you? You wanted to breed a rival heir?"

"Marcel, listen to me"

"I’ve heard enough," he spat, shoving me away. He looked at Mia. "Get Ray. Tell him to bring Dylan to the Great Hall. Now."

"Marcel, please, she’s lying!" I cried, pointing at Mia. "She framed me!"

Mia just smiled, a slow, beautiful, evil curve of her lips. "The evidence doesn't lie, Vanessa. You’re a traitor to the pack."

Ten minutes later, I was forced into the center of the Great Hall. Dylan was already there, looking bored as Ray held a silver blade to his throat. Nathan was standing in the corner, his face pale and eyes wide with shock.

"Is it true, Dylan?" Marcel asked, pacing like a caged tiger on the dais. "Is she carrying your bastards?"

Dylan looked at me, then at Marcel. He let out a dark, dry chuckle. "The lady says they're yours, Alpha. But I’ve always had a thing for your leftovers. Maybe we did have a little fun while you were busy with your new Luna."

"You liar!" I shrieked, trying to lung at him, but Ray held me back. "I’ve never even spoken to you alone!"

Dylan winked at me. "Don't get cold feet now, babe. You said you hated him. You said he was a monster."

Marcel let out a roar that shook the very foundation of the building. He shifted—not fully, but his claws burst through his skin and his fangs elongated. He descended the stairs, the air thick with the scent of blood and ozone.

"You betrayed the pack," Marcel whispered, his voice sounding like two stones grinding together. "You betrayed me."

"Marcel, I’m telling the truth!" I sobbed, falling to my knees. "I swear on the Moon Goddess, these children are yours!"

"Silence!" Marcel’s Alpha command hit me, pinning me to the floor.

He looked at Ray. "She is no longer a member of this pack. She is a rogue. A traitor. Strip her of her rank and throw her into the forest. If she is seen on Obsidian land after sunrise, kill her on sight."

"Marcel, no!" Nathan stepped forward. "You can't do this! She's pregnant!"

"She's carrying a mercenary's mutts!" Marcel turned on his brother, his eyes glowing. "Do you want to join her, Nathan?"

Nathan stepped back, his jaw tight.

Marcel walked over to me, kneeling so his face was level with mine. He leaned in, his breath hot against my ear. "I should kill you for this, Vanessa. But I want you to live. I want you to live as a nameless, packless dog, knowing that you lost everything for a man who won't even remember your name by morning."

He stood up and looked at the crowd. "Get her out of my sight."

Ray grabbed my hair, dragging me toward the door. I didn't fight. I couldn't. The pain in my heart was so loud it drowned out the world. I looked back one last time.

Marcel was standing with his back to me, his arm wrapped around Mia’s waist.

But as I was thrown through the heavy oak doors into the pouring rain, I didn't see the single, solitary tear that escaped Marcel’s eye.

I just felt the cold.

I ran. I ran until my lungs burned and my feet bled. I ran until the lights of the Obsidian Pack were nothing but a memory.

I stopped by a stream, clutching my stomach. "I'll protect you," I whispered to the three heartbeats inside me. "I'll never let him hurt you."

Suddenly, the bushes behind me rustled.

I froze, my heart leaping into my throat. A pair of glowing amber eyes emerged from the darkness.

"Going somewhere, little bird?"

It was Dylan. And he wasn't alone.