Rejected and Regretted

Seven

☆ AVRIL ☆

During the rest of the morning and the afternoon, I tried and failed to concentrate on something other than my conversation with Koen and the unexpected turn it had taken just before we were interrupted. What did he have to say about us being mates, five years after he rejected and exiled me with barely any explanation? The sane part of me insisted it would be best if I never found out, but it wasn’t loud enough to silence the itching need to hear what he had to say.

Whatever it was, I would find out soon enough, for better or worse.

“Avril,” Koen greeted me, trotting toward where I was standing right outside the packhouse as the sun set in the background. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

I didn’t reply, too busy analyzing him in yet another attempt to see through him. Damn, he was hard to read - as any alpha should be, I guess.

After my long silence, he stretched his hand toward the outskirts. “Shall we?”

With a nod, I waited for him to take the lead; I wouldn’t have my back to him, just in case he tried something. Even if I was certain I could beat him, I’d rather avoid being caught off guard. Besides, it was already hard enough to focus on keeping my heart rate under control without having to worry about sneak attacks.

Our journey to the borders was mostly silent, which I was thankful for. At the end of the working day, pack members crowded the town square, and I’d rather not have anyone listen to us. By the time we reached the forest and there was no one else around us, Koen finally stopped. He turned to face me, and I instinctively took a step back.

Uncertainty hinted at his features as he hesitantly began, “Honestly, Avril, I don’t know where to start-”

“You know, Alpha Koen, you don’t need to tell me anything,” I told him as I got cold feet. Did I really want to open this drawer after it’d been closed for so long? Probably not.

“No, I…” He shook his head, looking straight into my eyes. “You deserve an explanation, Avril.”

Oh, how thoughtful of him! I scoffed internally. Apparently, I did not deserve to know why my fated mate cruelly rejected me the second I felt our bond back on the night or my eighteenth birthday, nor the next day, when he pretty much sentenced to death - but now, after the wound had healed, I finally had the right to know. Suddenly, I remembered the resentment I felt, reminding me of how big of a mistake this was.

I clenched my fists, but before I lost my temper, he sighed. “I guess I’ll just go straight to the point.” His distress showed as he inhaled a short breath before continuing, “Obviously, I’d known about us being mates since I connected with my wolf.”

Yes, I knew that. Fated mates are divinely paired before they’re born, and they are able to sense each other the second their wolves awaken upon coming of age. Since Koen was two years older than me, he could sense the bond between us, even if I was unable to sense it myself because my wolf had still been dormant at the time. The one thing I had never been able to comprehend was why he decided to keep quiet about it if he was going to reject me anyway.

As if he could read my mind, he promptly answered my question, “I never told you, or anyone else, because I knew how my father would feel about it. I was afraid he would exile you then, or worse.”

“But it was fine when he exiled me two years later?” I countered, unable to hold back my tongue as anger bubbled up in my throat. Glaring at him, I took a step forward, challengingly. “When you stood by him?”

As if ashamed, he looked down. “At least you had your wolf to keep you safe then. It wasn’t the perfect plan, but… It was the best way I could think of to protect you.”

Protect me?! He couldn’t be f*****g serious. I would have died if I hadn’t been found by my real family, the pack I had always been meant to lead. Yet, he dared say putting off his rejection was an act of mercy? At this point, Kea was growling ferociously at him, and her fury only intensified mine.

But just as I was about to call out his lie, the rustling of leaves stole our attention. I only had a split second to realize we had company before a rogue jumped from his hiding spot.

Kea pushed closer to the surface, but I couldn’t let her out - if Koen saw her, he would realize she was too strong for an ordinary untrained omega. Instead, I tried my best to dodge the creature’s attack by rolling to the side. As I landed on the ground, the alpha - who had already shifted - promptly jumped in, meeting the rogue mid-air.

With my lineage, I should have been able to pick up on the characteristic foul smell long before Koen did, but my rage must have clouded my senses. In fact, I couldn’t decide what made me more furious - his blunt lies, or their profound effect on me. His effect on me. How could I allow him to break my concentration so easily?

A loud crack pulled me out of the rush of emotions, encouraging me to focus on the scene before me. Koen’s wolf, Columbus, had the rogue’s limp body hanging off his jaws by the neck, his pristine white fur now stained crimson. The poor creature could barely put up a fight; a single, quick bite from the alpha was enough to end its life.

As soon as Columbus dropped the enemy, its lifeless corpse hitting the ground with a cold thud, his intense, lively green eyes immediately met mine. They widened with concern almost instantly, which struck me as odd until I followed his gaze.

While the rogue hadn't harmed me directly, its claws had torn through the sleeve of my sweatshirt, revealing my forearm - or more importantly, the bandages concealing my secret mark.

The next second, Koen was kneeling in front of me, already back to his human form. “Avril, are you okay? Did you get hurt?” he asked, his voice heavy with worry.

“I’m fine!” I snapped, pulling my arm closer to my body in a futile attempt to hide the bandages, but it was too late.

Judging by the half-curious, half-angry look on Koen’s face, he had already seen them.

“What’s that? Are you injured?”

Without responding, I rose to my feet and swiftly turned away from him. I was ready to make a run for it, desperate to vanish from his sight before he noticed anything else he shouldn't. However, I didn’t expect him to follow me, let alone grab my arm to pull me back, causing our gazes locked once again.

“Who did this to you?” he demanded, his eyes dark, his tone sharp and low.

Ignoring him yet again, I tried to free myself, only to fail as he tightened his grip on me. If I really wanted to, I could escape him, but it would be suspicious for me to overpower him so easily. That didn’t stop me from struggling though.

“Avril, listen to me!” he ordered, albeit it sounded more like a plea. I stopped moving, feeling his fist loosen up around my wrist. Once I gave him the attention he sought, his voice grew calmer. “Are there bruises beneath these bandages? Did Angelica mess with you again?”

“No, she’s staying in line, thanks to you.” I forced a smile.

“Answer me,” he pushed, his eyes flickering from black to green, from rage to worry. “Who did this to you? Are they beating you at Azure Smoke?” Goddess, why was he suddenly so concerned about my well-being?

Then, I recalled his recent revelation. How he had waited two years to reject me, then banished me, supposedly for my own protection. Was this what he thought he was doing now? Protecting me? I didn’t need him, not after he threw me to the wolves and I returned leading them.

That was the final straw.

“Please, Koen! Don’t act like you care!” I yelled. When he let his guard down, I yanked my warm away, freeing myself at last, before he could unwrap my bandages and uncover my secret. By now, Kea and I were so mad, I had no more control over my emotions. “You rejected me. You exiled me. You abandoned me to die alone!” I growled, expecting him to shout back at me, yet he never did.

In his expression, there was only guilt.

“You made it very clear that you don’t give a s**t about me, and guess what? That’s fine, because I don’t need you to care!” I went on. “I don’t need your pity, and certainly I don’t need your concern.”

“Avril…” As I prepared myself to flee, he reached for me again, but I hastily dodged him.

“Just do me a favor and leave me alone! You and I have no business anymore.”

With that, I stormed out of the forest, leaving a defeated Koen behind.