REJECTED AND LOVED BY A RED WOLF

THE RED WOLF

CHAPTER 4

Brandon’s waves of laughter and his entire person continued to invade Ava’s mind as if they had found a lease-free space there, and his words…she knew they would haunt her for days.

“Miss Stark…Please do not associate my demand for marriage with my personal preference. The reason has nothing to do with you and me. A chunk of your company is more appealing than anything else. CatStark had been in the forefront for a long time. An association with that company is an accomplishment itself. That's all I want to achieve by marrying you!"

She gasped at his boldness, surprised that he would declare to her face his intention to acquire a piece of their company with ruthless aggression.

And by marrying, he would get what he wanted the most. Brandon would get hold of her shares of stock at CatStark as her legal husband, it was a conjugal right. One of the laws of humans-- synonymous with or equivalent to a werewolf's matrimonial law.

'What is his, is hers, and what is hers is his.'

Brandon gets a piece of everything Ava owned and in turn, Ava would gain rights and ownership over everything he owned. It includes rights to Nickwell-- his company.

But--

CatStark was way larger than Nickwell, in net worth, market reach, business status, and business network. CatStark belonged to the top 100 companies worldwide for years-- while Nickwell had just entered the list of businesses to watch--for the last five years. There was no comparison, as Brandon had said, an association with CatStark is an accomplishment itself.

However–

CatStark needed Nickwell's support to continue to survive in business. That rare plant Nickwell owned made a lot of difference.

Even if Ava asked for time to think about his proposal thoroughly, the result would be the same, Brandon had succeeded.

Ava needed to agree to marry him, to save her company.

Hours after she escaped the scrutiny of Brandon’s turquoise eyes, Ava still felt them lingering in her skin.

“Oh, that mate bond. Why was it still there?” she whispered to herself. Easing out the small hairs that rose on the back of her neck.

‘It was obvious he did not affirm your rejection. You would have felt the pain of the broken bond if he affirmed it and I should not be able to smell and picture his wolf's image in my mind, but—I saw him clearly earlier, a big brown wolf,’ Hera, Ava’s wolf mind-linked. 'How come you don’t know about this Ava?'

‘Oh, dear, as if we were raised discussing our lineage. So— meaning to say the rejection was incomplete? Brandon could still feel the bond like I do? But–How come he was so distant and cold?’

‘Brandon might have above normal self-control, he is an Alpha after all.’ Hera remarked.

‘And I am not? I have alpha blood!'

'Unfortunately, honey. I am just a pretty red wolf! We are no match with him and his wolf.' Hera pronounced.

“Gosh, Hera—“

‘Okay okay, I will no longer flatter myself, even if it's true. Listen— I only heard of women scorned. You heard about the saying, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, right? I didn’t know if men could be hurt by the rejection, but if they could—that would be a lot hellish. He would let you suffer, and men enjoyed revenge more than women.’

Ava immediately turned off the link to Hera as more bumps crawled on her skin. She was more disturbed after listening to her wolf.

Surely, rejection was painful but she was also hoping that after so many years, the damages if any had been forgotten and wished that Brandon had accepted that they weren’t meant for each other.

However, Brandon’s not affirming her rejection was an entirely different matter. It was foolish to hold on to the mate bond when the other party refused to acknowledge it.

What could be Brandon’s reason?

And–

Could there be other reason why he wanted to marry her, aside from the shares of the CatStark? Did he really want revenge?

He made it clear that his interest had nothing to do with her. He was sincere when he said it. She saw his eyes and the coldness in there that was enough to create spheres made of ice. It shook her deep in her core to witness so much coldness in a person. As if he had lived in remorse and agony for years.

Ava’s deep thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a car that pulled into the driveway. She sensed the triplets had come to their home and she knew the reason why.

She was sitting on a garden couch, sipping tea when she saw their silhouettes. She didn’t bother to approach them, she knew they would look for her… and not long after, that was exactly what happened.

“Little sis!” They chorused as soon they emerged from the garden glass door.

Ava stood up and gave them tight hugs and long kisses as she used to.

“How are you?” Avie asked.

“I’m fine, thank you!”

She was far from fine, though. Her mind was so muddled and her heart confused.

“How was your first meeting with Brandon after a long time?” Avon asked. The Alpha of the big pack they have, in numbers they have reached more than 5,000 male and female werewolves.

“Good. I already told you about his counter-proposal. He wanted marriage.”

Ava had never brought her negative thoughts and emotions to her parents and siblings, and she was not about to start doing it at that moment.

“And your decision?” Avie asked.

“Do I have a choice?” She shrugged her shoulders and squeezed out a smile.

“He is your real mate,” Avis remarked.

Which was true—Brandon was her real mate…the one person given by the moon Goddess for her to love and cherish for the rest of her life. But she didn’t follow the dictates of her heart…or her mind?

“It is obvious, he is my mate!” Ava chuckled with false glee.

“He did not accept your rejection, then?” Avie frowned and pondered for a moment.

“I could still feel the mate bond, so— apparently no rejection happened on his side. Does anyone know how this rejection thing works?” She voiced what was in her head. A bit of sound advice might give her something to ponder on and help her in the future.

“Unbelievable—. Now you are asking us? No one should ever reject a mate.” Avie gloated and smiled smugly.

“Brandon must have been so bonded to you,” he loved her so much, Avis implied. “As far as I know, as soon as you find a mate, you will feel ONE with that person. How could anyone reject oneself?”

“How about you?” Avon asked, looking intently at me.

“As I said, I could feel the bond and everything else that goes with it.”

Ava thought about that sudden urge to come to him and stripped him of his clothes by ripping them. That was a raw carnal desire felt by werewolves through the incitement of mate bond. And she felt it in front of Brandon but was glad that she contained herself.

She never felt that urge before...even with the man she thought she loved.

“Then we do not have a problem. When do you intend to get married?” Avis queried

Ava forged another fake smile on my lips and said, “We will talk about it…but, it won't be the kind of wedding little girls fantasize about. The wedding will be simple and without guests, except for families of course.” She revealed her plan.

In Ava's thoughts, there was no need for celebration as there was nothing to celebrate with her business union with him.

“Avalline Stark—you cannot do that to our parents, and to yourself too. We all look forward to your marriage and the Presentation of your spouse to the pack and your Lu—“

“Hush brother! A simple wedding is what I want. I am no longer a young girl with great fantasies. All I want is to be married to my mate and start a new life together. Besides—it will guarantee that we will have a permanent supplier of woodii plants for as long as you need them.”

The look Avie, Avon, and Avis gave to Ava simultaneously was hard to define. One thing common in their minds was the question. "Did they push their sister into a bottomless pit of sadness and sacrifice?" For some reason, the idea was lodging in their brain.

The siblings were shields, they got the gift from Ada, their mom. It was hard for them to read each one's minds.

But--the brothers have alpha blood and naturally, they have a powerful gut feel, and at that moment, they sensed something was wrong, and Ava was trying to hide it from them.

“Are you sure about this?” Avon asked, his eyebrows had formed a straight line.

Ava arched her lips on one side and uttered, “Very sure!”

There was no way she would let any of her family members know about the malicious reason for her marriage to Brandon.

Later that evening…

Ava lay on her oversized bed but couldn’t sleep, she tossed and turned, counted sheep, and hummed a lullaby but still…sleep was so hard to catch that night. She finally gave up and sprung out of bed and went to the veranda and looked at the sky above her.

Brandon’s cold and overbearing image appeared in her vision. She knew that if she agreed to marry him—her life would change and it wouldn’t be for the better. She was about to experience the worst days of her life.

How severe would Brandon make her suffer? Was he a violent man? Would he hurt her physically, intentionally?

Ava saw the cruelty from his turquoise beast-like sharp eyes as they swept over her form. What happened to him over the span of five years? What happened to his pack in Yemen and why was he an alpha of a new pack in Southern Africa?

The gate to a new world was about to open for her, but she wasn't sure if she was welcome inside.

Suddenly, her phone rang.

Ava went back to the room and took the phone from her bedside table, but before she looked at the screen, Ava glanced at the time on the wall and her eyes narrowed. 11:45 in the evening. An indecent time to make a call but the person on the other end of the line didn't care.

"So disrespectful and ill-mannered. How dare you assume that everyone is on your beck and call?" she mumbled, annoyedly.

The tapped the phone screen to end the call and placed her phone on silent mode.

"Very well--if it is my destiny to live with a ruthless and cruel man for the rest of my life. I better toughen up myself, I'm not a red-haired wolf for nothing!" she said stubbornly.

Ava released heavy air from her lungs and went back to bed to catch the elusive sleep.