Once a Rogue, Now an Alpha

The abuse He doesn't know about

JUNE

I hated my parents. I hated them for doing this to me. My mate needed me, this they knew, and yet they just had to stop me from getting to him.

“Do we have a deal?” My father’s words rang in my ear from the question he asked me back at the pack house before the party.

I had been excited about going to see my mate. Lennox and I agreed to head to the party together as it would be the first time we would be attending as mates. I was excited about it. But leave it to my parents to once again do what they did best, which was to ruin the little joy I had for myself.

This is a deal with the devil. I told myself. And the devil is my father.

I didn’t know what it was about Lennox and his mother that my father and mother resented. Especially my mother, given that Lennox’s mother was her best friend back in the day.

They had the sort of friendship people envied and were sure would never break apart. And yet here we were, I was staring at this woman who hated the idea of me being mates with the son of her ex-best friend.

“Yes, father, we have a deal. I will stay by your side when you ask me to.” I finally found the courage to answer, but that was my biggest mistake.

Lennox was now being dragged out of the party and away like the black sheep everyone labeled him as and there was nothing that I could do.

My heart ached to see him so broken and unable to do anything. It was heart-wrenching.

I tried not to cry beside my father, but the tears and I weren’t in agreement. They fell like today might be their last day that they would ever have to fall again. I didn’t know why it felt as though I was losing him in this instance.

“Wipe your tears, little girl. He’s not worth it.” My father said to me with brows raised, and a look that dared me to do otherwise. I can’t do this. I desperately wanted to tell him.

There was my mate looking back at me like I had betrayed him and all that I could do was mouth a pathetic sorry.

I’m sorry Lennox.

This was what they did. And while they hadn’t said it out loud, maybe they hated me too. “Don’t be like that, June. You know how my brother is…” Came Weston, the last person I wanted to have standing next to me like he and his mother hadn’t been the reason my night was ruined.

My head whipped in his direction and I gave him one hard look. Weston was the biggest asshole I knew. I could not bring myself to see what my parents thought was good about him.

How his brother is? Lennox is everything he cannot be.

Weston had his arm slung over my shoulder and all the hair on my body stood alert. I felt disgust for this man. I knew what his game was, what his parents wanted and what mine craved. I can’t let that happen. I won’t.

I shrugged him off and walked away without caring that my name was being called. I just needed to get out of there.

Tonight should have been a good night. Lennox would have finally gotten the approval I knew he wanted.

I found myself moving up the stairs around the Alpha King’s home. I had a deal with my parents to stay around them when they asked for it, but nothing about being in his room. There was a comfort I would have gotten even if he wasn’t here right now. His scent was enough to keep my worries at bay.

I snuck into his room, a small smile finding its way across my lips when his scent hit me. It was home just like he was.

I thought he would have snuck his way back here like he always does.

Lennox didn’t have an easy life growing up. And it didn’t matter to me, nor did it change how I felt about him before we even found out that we were mates.

I sat on his bed, and I shut my eyes, imagining that he was here with me and that I was in his arms. I got so into it that I didn’t realize how many minutes had passed already or the fact that someone was in the room with me until I felt them touch me.

My eyes snapped open, and I quickly pushed myself to stand, only to come face to face with Weston. “I thought I’d find you here…” he let out a little laugh as though this situation or why he was here was funny.

Something about the way he looked at me was not right, but I played it cool. Or I tried to. “What do you want, Weston?” I tried to keep my tone polite, but his presence here was disrupting the little peace of mind I could get.

I had taken a step back when I asked him that at that point. And I was right to have done so. Weston smiled in a sinister way that made my stomach drop.

“You, June…” he spoke, then c****d his head to the side. “I want what you always give my brother…” his eyes drew down to my body, and although I wasn’t wearing anything so revealing, this man ran his tongue over his lips in a way my mind screamed at me to run.

I spun on my heels that second and decided to make a run for it. But with these shoes, there was no way I could ever outrun him.

Weston yanked me by the arm so hard my body collided with his. He then let out a breath that smelled like he had been bathed with alcohol. “I wasn’t asking, June.” He said, pushing my body hard against the door.

Goddess, please.

He was strong and I tried to be.

With the strength I had, I tried to push him off, regretting that I never took my training seriously.

Get off! I was whimpering, almost in tears, when I felt my body move and my legs rose up to kick Weston in the groin.

Relief washed over me once he groaned in pain, released me, and I was free to run.

I ran down the stairs with my heart in my throat, but before I could even go anywhere far, my mother appeared. I thought that I was safe. “Mum!” I exclaimed, glad that she was here. Even though she was nothing close to being safe for me. “Help me, he tried to…”

Weston was behind me, and seeing my mother, he composed himself a little, but he didn’t look a tad bit scared. I stood confused. It took a whole minute for me to realize what they were trying to do.

Anger boiled inside me, but I knew well not to do anything other than walk away. I gave my mother one last look before moving towards her.

But what I would not have expected was my mother following a step after me. I felt myself getting yanked by the hair and thrown on the floor so hard I landed on my wrist. Of course, it hurt. Of course, I felt a crack from the force in which I landed on it.

I yelped in pain, at first shocked as to who would do that, but seeing my parents, it wasn’t a surprise anymore.

“I don’t think he’s done with you yet, June.” My father’s voice was low, almost as if he didn’t want people to hear him.

Are they really in on this with him? Why?

Beside him, my mother stood not saying a word. Once again, reminding me of the years of abuse because I was not the son they thought they would have. That somehow it was my fault that my mother never got pregnant again after she lost my baby brother.

“Why? I have a mate. You know that…” was all that I could ask them. Tears burned the back of my eyes, and they began to form in my eyes faster than I would have wanted them to.

“I don’t care that that boy is to become the Alpha King. Your mother and I have agreed to Luna’s request to have you mate with Weston instead…”

These words were a blow and they hit me so hard I felt my lungs collapse for a second. No, I have a mate. You can’t do this to me.

Weston smirked before he winked at me. “I’ll give you guys some time to talk. See you soon, love.”

And then he walked away while I remained on the floor. My father walked closer, crouched to the ground beside me before reaching for my face. He held my chin painfully, his eyes red with rage before he spoke.