Rejecting Royalty

20 years earlier "When the war is over, bring her back to the palace to take her throne. Noelle, I trust you with the future of our Kingdom. Please save my daughter." I run and run and run, I run until I could no longer feel my feet, I run until I could no longer hear the foot falls of the rebels after me. I run until the only thing I could hear is my heart beating against my chest. I ignore the eerie feel of the night and the tall shadows of the trees as it looms over us unforgivingly. The new born in my arms whine; as if telling me to push on, that I am still fighting for something— for someone. "Just a little more further, Your Highness." I whisper as my knees give away rendering me immobilized under a fallen trunk. I could feel them get closer with every second that passes their thundering steps taking on an increasing speed as they look for us in desperation; The only thing I could do is hide and mask our scent with the musk and mold around us and the rain— a heaven sent advantage. There was nothing else I could do. There was nothing else that could help me. Goddess hear my pleas. "I smell them!" A gruff voice yelled over the soft pattering of the rain. I tried to control my heartbeat as I pushed myself deeper into the crevice made by the trunk at the same time pulling the little princess closer to me. "They should be around here somewhere."  A deeper voice spoke right above where I hid. He took three steps forward, his weight making the trunk sink further down. A little more and both me and the princess would be crushed under him. I close my eyes and keep my eyes on the princess who is now sleeping peacefully. Like her life wasn't in danger. "Don! Retreat! I think we crossed over territories! I hear people coming!" And just like that the man jumped off the log and ran with his comrades to Goddess knows where, the echoes of their feet fading slowly. I finally release the breath I was holding as relief floods my system— I thought too soon though. "Who are you and why are you in my territory?" I look up to find the most fascinating brown eyes I've ever come across. The light brown haired man before me stood over six feet tall and had a muscular build, he was in nothing but ripped jean shorts that hung over his waist making it impossible to look away from his body but the thing was, he was staring right at me with the same fascination— mate. I found my mate but as if fate would have it, the tiny princess started wailing in my arms. His gaze traveled from my face to the tiny bundle in my arms and anger soon overtook his features. "I asked you a question rogue!" I flinch at the anger and hatred coated his words. Whatever fascination he held for me instantly disappeared and only a hard look paints his features. I want to explain to him that no, it isn’t what it seems but I could only hold the princess closer to me and answer timidly. "My name is Noelle. I didn't mean to trespass but we were escaping from the rebel camps and we ended up here." I explain looking down, attempting to stand but failed miserably as the pain from my run came back all at once. Everywhere hurt; my feet, my back, my arms were numb and my head was pounding. "Is she your daughter?" The man behind my mate spoke, his blue eyes eyeing the princess with curiosity and a bit of anger. "No she belonged to one of the women who were kidnapped. We were all attempting to escape together but she didn't make it." I pursed my lips and take a deep breath, trying not to cry. I have failed my queen. I have failed her so miserably.  I didn't hear him coming as I was staring at the princess; my mate lifted my chin and I gasped as we were merely inches apart. His eyes held the softest look anyone has given me and it seemed like the world has finally given him what he needed— what I needed. "Are you hurt anywhere else? Which bastards did this to you!?" He asks softly obviously trying to reign his anger, placing his hands under my knees and back as he carried me close to his chest. I automatically leaned into him, before making sure the princess was covered from the drizzle of the rain. "No, I'm fine Alpha." I say a bit awkwardly and purse my lips. I ignore the warmth that spreads through me and I smile secretly. Whatever running I just did a while ago seems so worth it. I would run again and again even on broken glass if I knew I would meet my mate in the end. "Warrick." He adjusts me in his grip and continues walking while glancing at me occasionally. "Huh?" I rebuked smartly. "Call me Warrick." Oh. I felt redness heat up my face as I stared at his chest instead. ~.~ "You're not a werewolf." I stare at my mate in confusion. I thought he would have picked up on that sooner. I have no wolf. I was more human the Lycan anyway. "No, I'm a hybrid." I explain, pulling the blankets closer to me. It's been a few days since the incident and I have been stuck in bed rest ever since. My mate and I have been slowly trying to get to know each other but he seems to not have warmed up to the princess at all. The only reason he allowed her to stay with me was because I insisted the princess to be kept in the same room as me. "As in human- werewolf?" He clarifies, getting to his feet and pacing the carpeted floor of his room back and forth. I suddenly felt a weird foreboding at the back of my subconscious. "Is that a problem?" I ask slowly taking the princess from her crib. "You're a hybrid! Hybrids are known to get insane! A hybrid killed my mother!" He yelled, heaving his chest up and down. "Not all hybrids..." I trail off suddenly scared of his reaction. "No. Noelle the only sane hybrids are those who came from the palace. Unless..." He looks at me in stunned silence as my heartbeat increases. "Are you from the palace?" I shook my head vehemently. No one can know. No one not even my mate. "No. I've been brought up in the rebel camps as an omega." I lie looking away from him. Lying to my mate feels so awful. "Noelle, we have to go to the palace. We have to get you checked for any sign of-" Before he could finish his sentence I stand and face him, bringing Sapphire with me. "Sign of what, Warrick? Insanity? Are you seriously going to believe those myths over me? I'm your mate!" I explain my voice reaching an octave higher. These days, hybrids are living among packs with normalcy because the Queen has worked hard for hybrids to be accepted. "They are not myths! Hybrids are pests that go insane with no control and the mere fact that you were brought up in the rebel camp-" he stops mid-sentence as he realized what he has said. My chest feels like it's been crushed under pounds and pounds of hollow blocks. Tears fall freely from my eyes as I stare at him in shock. I know it’s hard to believe but everyone knows that the prejudice is false. Hybrid rogues are the one that goes insane—like any other rogue. This shouldn’t even be an argument in the first place. "So you're not going to accept me?" My voice comes out stronger than intended. I hold Sapphire closer to me as my only source of comfort. It's amazing how this kid sleeps in the most stressful situations. "I'm not saying that but we have to go get you checked. Please Noelle." I give out a humorless laugh and shake my head. He actually believed that all Hybrids are barbarians. "What if I don't want to?" I ask defiantly. He slowly stalked towards me, his brown eyes boring lasers that I felt seer into my entire being. "Then I will have to reject you." He rebuked just as defiantly. "Then I will accept your rejection." I answer with tears clouding my vision. My hands shook so bad and my knees felt like they could give away at any second. Duty. I have a duty to protect the princess. If my mate feels I am unsafe to be around the pack then that means he didn’t really plan to accept me from the start anyway. "I'm not rejecting you! Please, Noelle!" He begs, desperation clouding his voice but he stays still just watching me from the same position. He wanted to stop me but he could not reach out for me. His human probably didn’t want to stop me but his wolf made him do it. How cruel. "I really can't do that Warrick." My voice quivers in pain as I place Sapphire in her crib and walk towards the closet. "What are you doing?" He asks cautiously. "All I ask from you is a pair of shoes. I will leave the pack before dawn and will be out of your hair." Even as I say this my tears would not stop falling "My feet are still not healed and if I go barefoot, I'd likely be caught by the rebels again." I explain and bend down to get his black rubber shoes, they were probably too big for me but at this point I don’t care. My heart was breaking but my loyalty to the throne and the Queen will remain the same. I will not step foot anywhere near the palace as long as the rebels are still active. "I'm not letting you leave my territory." He demands in his Alpha tone. I sigh and lean against the closet door. "Then what do you want?" I ask, exhausted. He looked shocked, angry and hurt, it would be so easy to just let go of the promises I made the King and the Queen but they have been so kind to me. They've saved me more time that I can count and I just cannot for the life of me ruin their plan. They've made their sacrifice to not be with their daughter, the queen sacrificed her life and they both trusted me with their most precious gift. I can't betray them. Ever. Not even at the own cost of my mate. "I Warrick Dean, Alpha of the Deimos pack reject you Noelle Greene. From today on, we are strangers, stars from different galaxies. We deny the blessings of the Goddess and will face the consequences in its proper time." He stares at me with nothing but anger. Anger so intense that I could feel physical repulsion coming off from him. It hurt but if he can’t accept me now, he will always have a prejudice against me later. "I Noelle Greene accept your rejection and will face the consequences in its proper time." No one ever said how much this hurt— no one can probably describe it either. My chest feels so heavy and hollow at the same time; everything hurts— breathing and even blinking took much effort but he chooses his pack and I choose my loyalty and pride. However, as much as I'm crying on the outside Warrick is nothing but a blank canvas. No tears, no ragged breathing, there isn't even anger or repulsion anymore. He was just blank. "You are to be the omega of this pack. You and the kid. You will stay at the farthest cabin in the territory and you will be prisoner of this pack until I say so. Are we clear?" I glance at Sapphire. A princess will be an omega? I don't have a choice either way. It's either agree to this or be found outside the territory. For now I have to choose safety and warmth for the tiny bundle that is the princess. "Crystal." I gather Sapphire in my arms and walk away from the man that I was starting to love.