Her Rejection's Revenge

CHAPTER ONE: CAUGHT RED-HANDED

My heart fluttered with butterflies as I parked my mom’s car a few blocks away from his condo. We lived in the human world, so there was no notion of the pack living together like in movies or novels. Or other werewolves communities if they even existed. We were hidden in plain sight in the prestigious New York City, our wolves making rare appearances only during the nights for our secret rituals.

We lived West Bronx, in the very middle of civilization, and no one had suspected anything. Yet. From Brax’s apartment, I could even catch a glimpse of the Thain Family Forest which we sometimes used for our private nocturnal activities. No one suspected that werewolves lived among humans, no creatures had come looking for us, and we did our best to steer clear away from being in the limelight.

My ‘pack’ consisted of less than fifty persons, which was seen as a community gathering since we all lived in the vicinity of the forest. We were the only one aware of our hidden mystical powers, and our laws. To the outside world, the fact that I was dating Braxton Cooper didn’t raise any alarm. After all, we were a young couple like any other.

His extreme behaviors were sometimes pinned down to being the domineering males that some typical human males sometimes exhibit. But my mother made it perfectly clear that Alphas were predominant beings and that we’re not supposed to displease. I found that they were not only superior, but also very very hard to please.

And it wasn’t out of lack of trying on my side. I was struggling to keep Braxton happy and not complaining about anything or even wanting for anything which would not suit his needs. My only act of rebellion is the nursing course which was the only thing keeping me sane these days.

As I slid the glass door to his luxurious condo, the cramp at the back of my neck came back and I cringed in pain. Would that spoil things for us tonight? It’s been more than weeks since we last made love, and I was hoping for giving him something to keep him happy for at least one whole week.

Sex with Braxton was just something which I tolerated because I knew he was someone who couldn’t live without physical pleasure. Most men were like that anyway, so I gave him my body whenever he asked for it. The fact was that he hurt me so much that I always tried hard not to flinch or move when he invaded my body. It was not a very pleasant experience for me. My mother said it was normal because our weak omega bodies weren’t built for the Alpha’s extra size.

Somehow, I doubted that the high-ranked girls of my class would be more accommodating with the rough s*x that I endured. But I was scared to speak of such things with anyone else. My best friend Bee was still a virgin, by choice, so she had little experience in the matter.

Well little experience, but lots of advice for me. Advice which I ignored most of the times. I smiled at the thought of my eccentric best friend and caught a glimpse of my own reflection in the shining door nearby. My cute dimples were visible, and I shoved my short dress down once again before tiptoeing inside Brax’s bedroom.

The first thing I heard as I opened the door made me freeze in the act.

“Yes! Oh yes, baby. F*ck me. Please f*ck me!”

I wasn’t sure how to react. Was he watching porn? It didn’t seem to come from the TV, and my heart grew heavy as I glanced inside, my hand still holding on the doorknob. Naked tangled limbs caught my eyes and then my mind blanked.

I didn’t know for how long I stood there numb with shock watching my boyfriend f*cking another woman on his bed. On our bed.

I must have made a sound when my body slumped to the ground because I heard an exclamation which was mixed outrage and mixed pleasure. He’d just orgasmed. Nausea caught up in my stomach and I gagged as I lay sprawled on the floor, my hand still clutching the doorknob like it was a lifeline.

“Zel? Zel?! What the f*ck are you doing here?” he thundered in an angry voice, and I blinked through the haze of shock. I was zoning out, something which I tended to do when there was too much pressure on me.

I glanced at his shamelessly naked form, his ‘superior’ d*ck dangling right in front of my face, and I had the sudden urge to chop it off with a knife. A butcher’s knife to be more precise. That random thought crossed my mind and I glanced up at the female he’d just banged.

It was Anna Calhoun, Beta Tim’s daughter. The one who’d pretended to be my friend all along. Whenever I felt insecure about my inferior rank, I would run to her for advice. I was going to be sick. The bitter taste of vomit invaded my mouth, and I retched the content of my stomach right on his expensive Italian doormat.

All the efforts I made was futile. He’d never been faithful to me all along.

“Zel? Zel, are you alright? Oh damn!” he exclaimed as he gagged in front of my vomit. Humiliation roared through me, and I took the opportunity of him stepping back in disgust to flee from the scene. I still had my purse clutched in my hand, and I threw my ridiculously high heels away before running as fast as my legs could carry me.

I didn’t know how long I ran. Or even where I was going. All I knew was that tears were streaming down my face which I was wiping off impatiently as I kept on sprinting like the devil himself was after me. Not that I could hear Braxton behind me. I was only running away from myself.

When I stopped, it was only because I was out of breath. I could not run anymore.

I bent my body over to catch my breath, and the stupid tears came again as I furiously blinked them back as I hyperventilated. The image of them together would not go away from my mind. The silent crying turned into a desolate whine which would come from a truly anguished person.

The pain was unbearable, and I wished for it to go away. It was suffocating me so much that I could not hold the fresh sobs which racked through my body out of nowhere. I wept until there were no more tears left but a hollow emptiness engulfed me as my face hurt.

When I was finally calm, I registered something vibrating inside my bag, but I pointedly ignored it. I was in my favorite spot in the forest where nobody ventured. So, nobody was going to find me until I wanted to be discovered.

My phone pinged several times, but I stayed put, contemplating how much I had sacrificed for Braxton during the past three years. My education. My preferences. Hell, I even stopped taking dancing lessons because it didn’t suit him.

A rebellious part of me wanted to howl against the unfairness of the situation. While another part of me was conflicted and wanted to wipe the last few minutes from my memory. I so desperately wanted things to get back like it was before that I was willing to wipe that scene from my brain.

How pathetic was I? I sighed wearily as I sagged my shoulders back in defeat. Was I completely stripped of my dignity that I was ready to forgive him only to fix things? Why – oh why had he betrayed me? A new dart of pain darted inside my heart as I remembered the ugly scene again.

Braxton naked in bed, his d*ck deep inside another woman’s c*nt and seeming to enjoy it way more than he’d ever done with me. Three years and I could not satisfy him like that. He’d been my first and only lover. Was that the reason why he’d attempted to stray?

I pushed back my ridiculous long hair into a tight bun, pulling down my dress feeling ridiculous in my seduction outfit. I was attractive, but Anna was a stunner. Plus, she was much higher in rank than I was. She was a beta’s daughter, so I was not a match for her. Why did she have to use the information I gave her against me? I was so stupid to trust her.

Would Braxton leave me for her? I was terrified of that outcome – of envisaging the mere fact that I would have to go on with my life without him in it. We’d been together for three years – more than three years actually. How could I throw away so many years of efforts of trying to be the next Luna, one who would be worthy of the throne.

What would I do with my life now? How could I return to the pack and watch those two perfect beings get married? Would I be there to serve them?

Another uncomfortable queasy feeling churned in my stomach and my hand flew to my mouth to stop the flow of vomit. I swallowed bile and gagged but finally managed to keep it together as the uneasiness passed.

With great reluctance, I hauled my body from the edge of the cliff I’d been sitting on and dragged my steps back home. My feet were blistered, and I winced from the pain. My irises were smarting from too much crying, and I was certain that my face would look swollen as well.

One look at my face and my mother would already guess that I had a Braxton crisis. And I was not in a mood for anyone’s pity or advice yet. I sneaked inside my house like a damned thief and went directly inside my room. With relief, I stared at my reflection for a long time, tears spilling again at the piteous image I was espousing.

“Zel? Zelda?” my mother’s voice sounded outside the door making me jump guiltily as I wiped off my tears swiftly. How in the name of the Moon Goddess was I supposed to hide what happened from my mom?

“Yes, mom. I’m in here,” I cried out in a normal voice, and swept the tear off my face with my thumb. Why was I so pathetic that I could not stop those damned waterworks from flowing?

“I thought I heard you come in, but I can’t see my car. Where did you park it? Can I have my keys back? I have some errands to run.”

Damn! I left the place in such a hurry that I forgot my mother’s car at Braxton’s place. What was I supposed to tell her now? How could I explain why I left two cars there? I had planned on both of us returning a car each after dinner.

“Errrm, I just came because I forgot something,” I improvised promptly coming up with a lie. “I am going right back in only a few seconds. I thought you said I could have your car until later.”

“I did! But we ran out of coffee. And you know how grumpy your dad gets if he…,” I froze as the door opened, not even having the time to brush off the fresh tears spilling down my face. “Zel, honey?” My mother rushed to me in worry. “What’s wrong sweetheart? What happened?”

I could no longer hold back my tears. They flew down my cheeks freely running through my neck as my mother hugged me. I basked in the comfort for a moment, leaving my worries behind for a short time.

“What’s wrong honey? I thought you were supposed to spend the night at Brax’s place?” Her expression cleared. “Oh no! Please don’t tell me you fought with Braxton again?” She sighed. “Honey, I thought you understood the pressure he’s currently going through…”

“No, mom!” I stopped her. “You got it all wrong. It’s not a fight like the other times. I wanted to surprise him but instead I was surprised. I caught him s…,” my voice caught as I swallowed hard against the pain catching up with me again. “…cheating on me. He was sleeping with someone else.”

“What do you mean?” my mother asked calmly. Her reaction wasn’t what I expected. I thought she would be more horrified at the revelation than she actually was. She seemed to be taking it pretty well.

“Well, I caught him in bed with another girl a few moments ago,” I replied, and each word felt like I was stabbing myself with a knife.

“Oh sweetie. I’m sorry that you had to find out this way,” my mother hugged me again, and I was shocked.

“What you mean? Find out this way? You mean you already knew? You knew he was screwing Anna Calhoun?”

“Anna?! No! I mean I didn’t know anything about Anna.” She paused for a while, licking her lips and then went on. “Listen, he’s a man. It was bound to happen anyway, sweetie. Braxton's too good for you. You should have seen it coming.”