Rejected By The Alpha, Claimed By The Beast

The Ball 2

Chapter Eight

Marigold

The last person I expected to see here was Emeric Frostclaw, I’d almost forgotten he was also an alpha, because he was nothing but a scoundrel to me now or so I thought. My bastard husband, the man I should hate more than anyone in this world. But when our eyes locked, it was like time folded in on itself, and every memory—every stupid, agonizing memory of what we’d shared—came rushing back with a force I wasn’t prepared for.

I thought I was over him. I thought seeing him again would feel like nothing. I’d worked so hard to steel myself, to convince myself that he meant nothing to me, that his gaze wouldn’t send heat crawling across my skin, that I’d feel nothing when he threw one of his smug, condescending looks my way. But my heart betrayed me, a foolish traitor hammering against my chest as though it had forgotten every scar he left on it.

He raised a brow, his mouth twisting into that signature smirk of his that used to make me weak. Now, it only made me want to slap him so hard. “Still breathing, Marigold? I must’ve missed a step,” he sneered.

I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to scream at him right there. How could he not be sorry about all he did to me? How could he still have that composure and confidence as always? He was seeing a woman he tried to kill, shouldn’t he be scared of what I could do to him? Of what I could say to the media? “Maybe the better question is how I managed to survive after you and your w***e tried to kill me.” My voice trembled with fury, with every ounce of pain I’d buried so deep radiating off it.

“Survived?” He let out a low laugh, a cruel laugh that sent rage pulsing through my veins. “You deserved every second of it, Marigold. For never being the wife I really needed.”

The ground beneath me swayed as his words sank in, cutting deeper than any blade ever could. My heart thumped with a mixture of pain and rage as I stepped forward, my hands trembling, the heat of anger and something else—something I wished would disappear—burning through me. “What else was I supposed to have done, Emeric? I bent to your every whim. I stayed home, I didn’t breathe without your permission. I gave you everything, even when you demanded the most absurd things because you think I was boring! s*x in the kitchen, pool, bathroom, office, garage—God, you made a puppet out of me, and yet I was never enough for you. But that’s just it, isn’t it? You’re a just pathetic bastard who can’t keep his filthy hands out of everyone else’s beds, you’re a dirty psychopath who can’t keep your balls in your pant. I wish you hell, Emeric Frostclaw!” I yelled, bitting down on my lips to stop the tears that was threatening to break free from my eyes.

His face hardened, and he snarled, leaning in close enough that I could feel his breath against my skin, sickeningly familiar. My body trembled, was he going to hit me again? Like he did back then? “Have you forgotten? You were terrible at everything, especially in bed. Too loud, too much of a damn inconvenience. I f****d you in all those places just to adjust to your boring s*x life, but nothing worked. I’d have done you a favor by ending your miserable life if you’d died that night.”

His words stabbed deep into my heart, the pain slicing through every of my defense. I wanted to speak, to throw something back at him, but I couldn’t bring myself to say a word, and just when I thought I had lost to him once again, another voice cut through the tension, steady and calm. “Funny,” the familiar voice said. “Marigold happens to be one of the most impeccable women I’ve ever known. If there’s any fault here, it’s yours—for not being man enough to appreciate her.”

Alpha K. I turned, my breath heavy as he came to my side, his hand slipping around my waist, warm and solid. He was standing up for me, and though it shouldn’t have made me feel anything, I couldn’t stop the rush of warmth that flooded through me. When he leaned close, his words were a gentle whisper, meant only for me. “Gold is special. Far too good for a man like you.” He looked back up at Emeric.

Gold. No one had ever called me that. It was always “Mari” or “Marigold.” But “Gold” sounded right from his lips, so right that it made something inside me shatter all over again.

Emeric’s face twisted with disgust, his gaze flickering between us as though the sight alone would make him sick. “Tell me, Marigold,” he sneered, “what did you give this man in exchange for this little performance? And you should know, this isn’t your place. You don’t belong here. You never did.”

Alpha K’s arm tightened around me as Emeric took a step closer, but he didn’t flinch. “Come any closer, and I’ll show you just how much she belongs here—far more than you do.”

Emeric laughed, his gaze bouncing between us. “So, this is what you bring to make me jealous, huh? A second-rate alpha?” His tone dripped with disdain. “Listen, Marigold, you can play whatever games you want, but it changes nothing. I’m in love with someone else, and in a few weeks, I’ll be married. You,” he sneered, “don’t belong here. You’re just a stain on my past.”

Before I could react, he turned, marching back into the hall, his arm possessively around Josie’s waist, and strutted toward the center of the room. His fingers laced tightly with hers, he relished in the applause, basking in the attention as he announced, “hello everyone, it’s me again, your favorite alpha. In just a few weeks, I’ll be marrying my beloved fiancée, Josie.” His eyes flicked to mine, gleaming with triumph and I felt the sting of tears wetting the back of my eyes, threatening so to fall. “Finally, with a woman who’s actually worth my time, a woman who’s worthy of a man like me.” I saw the slight lift of his shoulder, nodding his head as he took in the claps and shouts of the crowd.

I struggled to hold back my tears. My vision blurred, but before I could even think of stepping back, a warm hand slipped into mine. I looked up, finding Alpha K beside me, his gaze steady and strong, pulling me back from the edge.

He leaned close, whispering. “Let me handle this, Marigold.”

What was he going to do?

Before I could reply, he stepped forward, drawing me with him to the stage. In a swift, confident motion, he took the microphone from Emeric’s grip. Emeric’s expression shifted from smug satisfaction to stunned disbelief and disdain.

Alpha K’s voice echoed across the hall, cutting through the whispers and chatters as he began. “Actually, I have my own announcement too,” he began, his voice unwavering, and more than the attention Emeric got, every single person was focused on him, waiting to hear what he had to say. “In just a week, I’ll be marrying Marigold.” He announced and I froze.

Gasps rippled through the crowd, and I felt my heart race as I looked up at him. “Alpha K—” I whispered, caught between disbelief and hope, my heart hammering against my chest.

He turned to me, his gaze softening as he held my hand tighter. “Trust me,” he murmured.

Emeric let out a bark of laughte. “Oh, please! Does anyone actually believe that?” He looked at the crowd, gesturing toward us with a mocking sneer. “She’s nothing but my pathetic ex-wife, she’s just desperate to make me jealous. She’s only here because she has no dignity left.”

Alpha K’s jaw tightened, and he drew me close, wrapping an arm around my waist. “Funny,” he said, his voice cold. “Considering you had to trap her in a marriage you never even valued.” He paused, his gaze hardening as he stared Emeric down. “Unlike you, I know her worth.”

Without another word, he turned to me, and before I could react, his lips found mine. It was a kiss that erased every hurt, every cruel word Emeric had thrown at me. His touch was firm, warm, and everything I’d ever needed. The crowd’s gasps turned to murmurs, then cheers, each sound only urging him to deepen the kiss.

When we finally parted, I was breathless, my heart pounding in a way that felt…right. Alpha K’s eyes held a silent promise.

Emeric’s laughter, though strained, broke the moment. “Really, Marigold? This is who you’re stooping to now?”

Alpha K’s arm tightened around me as he turned to face him. “At least I’m not the one who had to sabotage her life to keep her around,” he replied smoothly. “You couldn’t break her then, and you won’t now.”

But was that really the truth? What if this new man breaks me again? What if this isn’t the right decision? He announced a marriage with me in the presence of anyone, I couldn’t help but think if he actually did this to humiliate me later. I was totally confused.