It is funny to see them tongue tied because the alpha is here. I know he helps with their training occasionally, but maybe he isn’t as interactive as I thought. I sigh, stand and turn to head in, I’m getting cold, even with Alpha’s body heat right next to me. I don’t even know why he’s here, but clearly the wolf part of him likes me more than the human part of him. I wonder if Alpha took over and brought him here.
I can feel him, Bennet and the other four warriors following me. It feels like having stalkers that are really bad at the covert part. No one talks or makes a motion to walk next to me. They all just trail behind, it’s so weird. Once we make it back to the packhouse I head towards the office I have been using, shrugging off my coat leaving it on a bench in the entryway. I have one more final to turn in. I’m basically done, but I haven’t had the motivation to really put effort into completing it. It’s a valid reason to walk away from all of them. That is, if they ask, but they? won’t.
Bennet and the guys stop in the foyer and do whatever they do while I wander around the house, Alpha keeps following me, silently. As I walk the last stretch of hallway, I make my decision, I should at least give it a try. I have been studying all of the books the former luna kept in here. There is a lot of history on wolves, the Moon Goddess, pack dynamics and mates. I found out how to reject a mate and nothing in any of these books says a human can’t reject their wolf mate. I might as well get it over with while he’s here.
I move towards the couch and table that is covered in my stuff and look out the window. I didn’t really have a plan in place, but if this is my last look I am going to make it count. I take a deep breath and let it out slowly as I turn around. Alpha is just sitting there, in the center of the office. I think he’s looking around, but without facial expressions, I can’t really tell what he’s thinking.
“I don’t even know if this is how it works, but here goes.” Alpha tilts his head. That expression I understand. I’m not making any sense. I can feel my heart breaking and my eyes well up. It’s just words, but they hurt. “I, Kennedy Matthews, reject you, Ryker Tryn as my….mmpf.”
“Don’t finish that sentence.” Ryker growls in my ear as a single tear drips from my eye and down his fingers. He somehow shifted and got his hand around my mouth before I could complete the rejection. “Why would you say that? How do you even know how to reject a mate?”
I scrunch my eyebrows, sorrow replaced by irritation, and look at him in my best ‘you’re a moron’ way while his massive hand is still secure around my face. He doesn’t move, just keeps staring at me, so I gesture to the wall to wall shelves of books and roll my eyes.
“Why? Did you find someone else?” Does he sound disappointed? I tap his hand on my face and raise my eyebrows again. “I’ll let go, just promise you won’t finish that… sentence.”
I let out an irritated breath and roll my eyes again, but nod. Fine. If he wants to talk we can talk…for about five minutes before I punch him in the hypocritic teeth. Oh yeah, there’s the fire I need.
He lets me go slowly and steps back. “Give me just a second to get some shorts. Don’t do anything or go anywhere.” He steps backwards towards the door like I am a tiger ready to pounce. Not an incorrect assumption.
“I got you covered boss.” Josh steps in the open office doorway, shorts in hand. Ryker’s head whips around.
“When did you get here?” I ask, not very nicely.
“I figured he would do something stupid, so I came over when I got done with the new school.”
“Hey!” Ryker tries to talk, but I cut him off with a wave of my hand.
“You built a new school? When? Where?” I don’t even know why I am curious. I shouldn’t care. “Ugh.”
“We will have plenty of time to tell you about all the projects we have going on Luna, as soon as you’re done here. And please remember that whatever you decide, we have all been feeling your separation, and we understand.” He points out into the hallway where Bennet, Danny and Greta are piled behind him, faces unreadable. They all heard me start my rejection and did nothing to stop it. I don’t know how to feel about that revelation either.
I rub my face and hear the door click. They understand. What do they understand? What do they mean they have been feeling my separation? None of this makes any sense.
“He means that they know you are unhappy.” I look up through my fingers at Ryker. Did I ask that outloud or can he read my mind? “Do you want to leave because you found someone else?”
I let my arms fall. “Is that really the only thing you can think of as to why I would not want to stay in your pack a second longer?” I am already exhausted with this conversation. “Ryker, you don’t want me. Why on earth would I want to be where I am not wanted and I have other options?”
“What other options? You aren’t seeing someone else?” I can’t take it anymore. I move before my brain has registered what my body is doing and slap him across the face.
“NO! You asshole! Even if I wanted to, no one but the packhouse omegas are allowed to talk to me. AND YOU WOULD KNOW, JUST LIKE I KNOW!” I rip my t-shirt up to show the mottled green and purple skin around my abdomen. “I f*cking know you’ve been with other women and it hurts.” I sob, letting all my emotions from the last month and a half flow out. “Do you have any idea how much it hurts when your mate cheats? Do you?!” I try to scream, but it comes out screechy and weak. “It is so painful at times that I have fallen down or thrown up. And there isn’t anyone around to help me, because no one is allowed to be friends with me thanks to you. Bennet can’t talk to me or touch me. If he knew, he had to just watch.” I rub my stomach trying to hold back the pain that comes with deep breaths.
“I didn’t…know. You don’t have a wolf, I didn’t think it would affect you. I thought I just couldn’t feel you with anyone else. I…I’m…” His chest is heaving like he just ran a race.
“Don’t tell me you’re f*cking sorry.” I tug my shirt back down and start to pace in front of the couch. “If you would have just talked to me, we could have figured this out together. But you decided that you were the only one that could get hurt because I am a human and don’t feel the same way you do.”
“How did you know where to find the information?” He gestures towards the shelves.
“Seriously? What else was I supposed to do here by myself? You really just thought so low of me didn’t you? Is that all women are to you, s*x toys? F*cking stupid ornaments?”
Kennedy
I’m so angry that he bypassed how I feel and just moved on to how I know about rejecting. Was he just hoping I wouldn’t figure it out so I can’t hurt his wolf? My body is shaking in rage and I don’t know how much longer I can stand here and have this fight. I already hit him once, I don’t think He’ll let me do it again. I need to work this out somehow or I might explode.
“No! Of course not.” He growls. “Based on my interactions with Robin you should know that.”
“You do realize I’ve never seen you interact with her right? Outside of your warriors and Amy, the only time I’ve seen you with people was at Rayna’s party. And that was mostly flirting and schmoozing.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.