The Alpha King's Rejected Mate

She was right. I severed the link between us and responded, "I... I was truly exhausted from yesterday's chores, and I... I accidentally overslept. I apologize, Alpha. It won't happen again." I rushed to add the last part, desperate to avoid punishment. If he chose to punish me, I knew I would either wake up in a hospital bed or not wake up at all.

"Ha! You were tired, you lazy fatass. The chores were assigned to you precisely to curb your laziness. But no, you remain lazy as always," he spat rudely. Then, he continued, "And yes, it won't happen again because I will ensure it doesn't. Now, Eliana dear, what do you think about that punishment?" A shiver ran down my spine as he addressed her, emphasizing the word "that." I wondered what he had in store for me.

"Which one?" she asked, her fake innocence dripping like venom from her sickly sweet voice. "Oh, yeah, that one," she later chimed with joy, realizing what he was referring to. However, I remained confused, trembling with fear and horror. No matter what I do or how many times I apologize, they always make it their mission to torment my life.

"Yup," he confirmed with a husky voice.

"That's a good one for her, no, the best. It will show this lazy, fat, ugly duckling her place," she said with distaste, and I could envision the disgust etched on her face as she looked down at me.

"Oh no! If she's so excited, then it's not the best; it will be the worst, no, the worst of the worst," exclaimed Nova, the name I use for her.

"Is 'worstest' even a word, girl?" I asked her, mentally searching my mind to recall if I had ever heard that term before.

"Of course not, but it is useful in this situation," my wolf replied. To say that Nova is a little dramatic is an understatement—she is far more than that. No one can truly comprehend.

"Hey, I'm not indulging in drama; this is serious," she said, sounding offended. And this is why I continue to live my life—because she never leaves my side and never misses an opportunity to amuse me. No matter what condition we find ourselves in, she is always there for me.

Sometimes, I ponder how she can remain so normal and cheerful when we have been subjected to a lifetime of abuse by our own pack, who are supposed to treat us equally and provide greater care after that tragic incident. But they refuse to do so, blaming me for the incident and turning a blind eye to my supposed mistake.

Whenever I lose my will to carry on or become emotionally troubled, she supports me. She is my only friend and family. I don't understand why she stays with me. She is so good; she could be with someone better. But every time I express this sentiment, she yells at me and says something I will quote: "After every dark night, the sun rises with proud rays of hope. Similarly, after every bad situation, good is bound to happen." She urges me to be patient. She is truly one of a kind.

Getting back on track, I overheard them discussing plans to make me suffer, and finally, the alpha declared my punishment. "You will receive the same punishment given to rogues, as you are lazy as always and for disobeying the orders of your superiors," he pronounced his verdict without a second thought, completely disregarding the fact that my actions were not a terrible mistake.

Upon hearing this, I gasped, lifting my head to find him smirking and Eliana snarling. I had forgotten the rule imposed on me, as I was consumed by terror and helplessness. However, when I looked at them and accidentally noticed their position, the bile rose in my throat, but I suppressed it, not wanting any further trouble.

Eliana was sitting on his lap, and his hands were placed on her thighs, positioned much higher than any modest man would dare. As always, she was heavily made up and wearing what could hardly be called a dress—more like a piece of cloth haphazardly wrapped around her body, with no undergarments in sight. Her hands were wrapped around his neck, and she sat in a compromising manner, with her legs swinging on either side of his chair, looking at me over her shoulder.

Recalling the reason why I had raised my head, I quickly began pleading while shaking my head to banish those horrific images from my mind. "No, no, Alpha, please, I'm sorry, it won't happen again, please, no, Alpha..." I kept apologizing and begging him to reconsider his merciless punishment.

"Silence!" he ordered loudly, and I immediately stopped, as silence once again filled the room.

He glanced at me with a stern look for a moment before shifting his gaze back to Eliana's, then he addressed me while still holding her gaze, not with love but with lust. "Enough of your pleading. I will give you a different punishment, but don't think it won't be severe either." With those words, he kissed Eliana on the lips and whispered as he stood up, still holding her, "I'll meet you later; I have to deal with this lazy wretch." His voice carried a tinge of sadness, but a wide smirk formed on his lips as he glanced in my direction. I shuddered and stumbled back a few steps.

Eliana pouted—she looked so repulsive doing that. "Okay, we can continue this later too," she said with a wink, seductively trailing her fingers up and down his chest.

"Please don't waste your time on her; she doesn't deserve it," I thought to myself. She, the pack slut who has slept with almost everyone in this pack. Now I understand why she has been so mean and intimidating lately—it's because she believes that if she sleeps with the Alpha, she'll become the next Luna. How foolish! Why can't she see that he is using her, that she is just a toy to him and not a Luna? If he does make her Luna, only the Moon Goddess can save this pack from the disastrous downfall it will face. No, shaking my head slightly, he won't make her Luna, because Alphas tend to wait for their true mate, as they gain more power. I'm sure he will discard her the moment he finds his true mate.

"Yeah, we don't," Nova said in a different tone. Her words must have affected her, I suppose.

The Alpha grabbed my arm, digging his nails into my skin, attempting to make me scream. But I bit my lips, holding back the pain as blood started to flow from where he held me. He roughly pulled me out of the room and through the hallways, taking me somewhere I knew would be truly terrible.