Alpha’s Rejected Human Mate

CHAPTER 2

ANNABEL’S POV

The darkness was cold and tight. Was this the way drowning felt? As if I was floating in an in-between.

Was I in the deep waters? But still, I could breathe.

That shouldn't be possible. I could hear mumbling and my eyes were trying to open, but they felt so heavy. I heard someone protesting against me being there and I wanted to object, but I had no idea how I got there or why I was still alive. I was supposed to be dead, or was this the afterlife? No, it didn't seem like it, no one is afraid of spies in the afterlife.

I moved my limbs and they hurt, so I let out a low groan, and with much difficulty, I finally opened my eyes and saw the most beautiful set of eyes, they were so green, almost like the grass and I was mesmerized by their beauty.

"Where am I?" I mumbled, but I wanted to say I wasn't a spy first. Guess my brain didn't cooperate with me.

"You're safe, just rest okay?" The man's deep voice was like a calming pill, and I listened to him. I also saw another man who was nothing short of beautiful, but his expression was more challenging than the first and he didn't look too happy to see me.

"Thomas, I need to talk to you." He dragged him away from me and I felt a pang of guilt. I just got here and there was already an argument because of me. I tried not to focus on it and I closed my eyes shut.

I wanted to listen to Thomas and rest. Whoever he was. My whole world was enveloped by darkness and I was transported to the day I was rejected by Smith in front of everyone, it still hurt just as bad and I wanted to wake up from the dream.

I slowly opened my eyes and I could move my body better, I pulled myself to a sitting position and glanced around the lavishly decorated room, "Thomas…" I called his name, maybe I thought he would come running to me but there was something about the name that made me feel fuzzy.

"Thomas..." I repeated, the name lingering in the air, it was the only name I knew of. Still no response. The opulent room felt both welcoming and alien, emphasizing my own sense of displacement.

"Why am I this pathetic?" I mumbled to myself, a question that echoed in the silence.

I was going to find him. I pushed myself off the bed and my feet were so unsteady, but I balanced and began to move, opening the door and letting my eyes feast on the walls of the mansion.

The mansion's walls towered around me, adorned with opulent tapestries that whispered tales of prosperity. Rich mahogany panels lined the grand hall, each telling a story of wealth and history. Gilded frames showcased portraits of stern-faced ancestors, their eyes seemingly following my every move.

Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting a soft, golden glow. The intricate patterns of the Persian rugs underfoot added a touch of elegance to the journey.

I needed to meet the interior designer because this was nothing but top-class. I had no idea where I was going, but I was looking for Thomas.

I saw what seemed to be a guard patrolling the mansion and I approached him slowly, he was way taller than I was and his aura made me feel so small, “um excuse me, I'm looking for Thomas?” I was so unsure if I pronounced his name right and I noticed the guard smiled and then he started to move. My feet quickly followed him and it led me to a large expanse of space and then he left me there, “where did he bring me to?” I asked myself before I saw a figure moving ever so gracefully.

I was so impressed by his form and I marveled at how he used the Stick, I traced every bit of sweat running down his inked skin and how well he glowed underneath the sun. For the first time, I saw a man and he was beautiful. I wanted to learn how to do that, to do whatever dance he was doing.

I had no idea when my feet began to move closer to the figure, he hadn't noticed me and I was itching to touch him. Was that Thomas? My absentmindedness led me to trip on a rock and I yelped when I fell on my face. But it seems that my clumsiness had attracted the man.

"Are you okay?" He rushed to help me up, and I winced in pain. I was still healing, and the last thing I wanted to do was to fall on my face. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be resting in bed." He scolded me as he helped me to my feet.

"Thomas..." That was all I could say since I got here, and his eyebrows shot up to the heavens.

"What happened to him?" He asked, his gaze fixed on the scar that ran across his left eye.

"I'm looking for him..." I murmured, my eyes locked on his green eyes. They were so beautiful and mesmerizing. I had always wanted to see green eyes, and I never thought they would be so captivating.

"I'm Thomas, what do you need?" His worried expression quickly changed to a smile, and I realized I was talking to the man I was looking for. He held me tightly as I almost fell, and I could smell his sweat, but he smelled nice. He looked sweet but dangerous.

"How did I get here?" I couldn't remember anything, and he was the first one I saw with that other man, and they were talking about me. "I'm not a spy, I promise... I just, I just wanted to be unalive." The air was tense, and he looked at me with a furrowed brow.

"I don't know what was so bad that you would want to take your own life. I found you on the coast of my pack, floating helplessly, so I know that there is no way you would be a spy since you were almost dead." The air was still so thick, and he got me to sit down close by. "I'm Thomas Cross, Alpha of the pack. I want you to return to your room, I will come to meet you soon."

"Wait!" He was already leaving, and he didn't give me a chance to speak. He stopped and waited for me to say something, while I scrambled for words. "I want to know how to do that." He was puzzled.

"Do what?" He raised his eyebrows at me again, his hands on his hips. I pursed my lips,

"The thing with the stick." I blinked.

"It's called a staff." He corrected me.

"Yes, the stick." I blinked again, and my puckered face made him burst into laughter.

"It's too much for you, you won't be able to handle it." He shrugged it off, but I really wanted to learn.

"Please! I want to be strong." After what Smith had done to me, I wanted to be a martial artist or a beta, so he would consider me despite my being human. "I want to be a Beta." I blurted out, and it made his eyes widen.

"Do you know what you're asking for?" He scoffed before grabbing his staff and twirling it. "It takes years to master this ordinary stick, and now you want to be a Beta." I knew he was making fun of me, but I was determined.

"Then I will train for years to master the stick and then I will become a Beta, but give me a chance. I'm a very fast learner and I'm obedient." I stood up, trying to make him change his perception of me.

"I would appreciate it if you went to your room to rest. We will talk about this later when your human brain is up to par." He dismissed it authoritatively, and I felt my heart sink.

“Why did you save me?” I couldn't help but ask.

“Because I did not want someone that looked so innocent to die”

I didn't say anything more, and I turned away to find my room. I asked the same guard I met to take me back, and he did. I just laid there before drifting to sleep.

My world was covered by darkness, and the same rejection story replayed in my mind. Smith rejected me over and over again, and I was sick of crying. I finally woke up, and I thought about it. I wanted to be a beta, and I would be one at all costs!

Days passed, and I still begged Thomas to train me, but he never listened. I had just finished lunch, and I was going to look for him to bug him again to teach me the ways of a warrior. Anything to become stronger, I would do. So I could punch Smith in the face one day.

I went to the training grounds, and he wasn't there. "Where is he?" I scanned the area, but I still didn't see his large body. But I did see the stick.

I mean staff.

I went to it and picked it up, admiring its fine texture and imagining myself as the strongest beta in the land. Being the only child of my parents and human life didn't stop my dad from teaching me how to be more wolf-like. He taught me how to haunt and decode howls, but I never practiced with a weapon. My fighting skills were nothing compared to Thomas's.

As I began to spin the staff, it dropped from my hand when I heard someone call my name, "Annabel, what are you doing here?" I turned around to see the alpha of the pack and my eyes widened as he approached me. He was intimidating, but I stood my ground.

"I want to be a Beta," I repeated the same statement I had been saying for three days. He rolled his eyes at me before collecting the staff. "You can't do this to me, Thomas," I whined.

"And who are you to tell me what I can and can't do?" He raised his eyebrows at me and I shrank back expecting him to raise his hands but he didn't. “I am sorry, I shouldn't have raised my voice at you”

"Please, this is my only chance to be stronger, to have something to brag about. I left my family and friends, I have nowhere else to go. I don't want to stay here and be useless." My voice cracked with each word and Thomas was moved. He heaved a heavy sigh and when he looked at me, I was showing my famous puppy eyes and whimpering, my hands folded.

Then his shoulders slumped.

"Fine! You want to be a beta, right?" He grabbed my arm firmly, and I yelped. "Then I'll train you to be a beta, but I won't go easy on you," he warned me.

"I never expected you to," I replied. As I tried to steady myself, the polished floor beneath my feet proved treacherous. I slipped, teetering on the edge, and just as the world tilted, he swiftly caught me. Our faces were suddenly too close for comfort, creating a moment that hung in the air, filled with unspoken tension.

Thomas chuckled, “You want to be a beta but you lack the balance”

I knew he said that to taunt me but I couldn't help but laugh. I felt light-hearted, more than I have ever felt in years.

I tried to get off him, but then I felt something poke at me. And I couldn't help but blush as I quickly got up.

As a lady who had read a lot of romance books I know what that poking means…but…does Thomas feel that way about me?

I mean be wouldn't be right, we had only just met.

As Thomas locked eyes with me, a mysterious figure emerged from the shadows, casting an enigmatic smile.

“Alpha…a word, please? It's urgent”