The Alpha's Broken Witch

A Rose By Any Other Name...

Kylen made his way into the school quietly. Dread pooling in his stomach as he thought about just what lay before him. It had been less than twelve hours since the council made their ruling, and since then he had spent the night running the forest to try and get a hold of his anger. Now, he had a ticking clock, once he rejected his little human, he knew he would have a short amount of time to fix the situation.

What would this do to her? Could she.... would she survive it? All night, Ky had felt a slow, incessant weight creeping over him, crushing his heart in his chest. He did not even know his little human's name, and yet when he learned it the first thing he would do, would be devastating. The first time he would utter her name, would be while he was rejecting her and pushing her from his side.

He had sat up with his mother all night, debating the arguments that could be made to reverse the elder's decision. Yet, nothing they came up with could circumvent the mystery surrounding the girl. It was bad enough that his mate was human, which would in itself be a cause for alarm. When you factored in the strange circumstances around her, including her lack of scent, or the inability to track her, there was no argument that could be made until the elders had the answers they wanted from the Council of Supernaturals.

While Ky was unsure of how this would affect his human mate, there was also the question of how it would affect him. For the whole of his life, he had known that when he found his true mate he would become stronger, more assured, and better able to lead his pack. Now, the elders of that very pack, were asking him to turn his back on the woman that had been chosen for him. Even if it was only for a short time, it would be damaging. Who was to say that his rejection now would not play a part in her refusing him once they elders had done their investigating?

He knew this would be damaging, but how much was still unclear.

Peering up the stairs leading to the school entrance, he saw the members of the pack hovering outside. All eyes were on him, the majority knowing something was amiss since he arrived without Erik in tow. Truth was, his anger was still white hot and Coda was barely restrained. Ever since Erik's meddling the night before, his wolf had been more than ready to rip the now former beta apart, piece by piece.

A part of Kylen, considered not even entering the school. To turn around and head back to the packhouse in order to put this off another day. Maybe buy him time in avoiding the rejection of his mate. However, he was also aware, the council would be watching and aware of any move he made, so avoiding school to try and put off their ruling would only make the situation worse. Growling under his breath, he moved to ascend the stairs, hauling his bookbag up on his shoulder.

Slowly, his eyes scanned the students milling around the stairs, the people that were quietly making their way into the school. No where could he find the petite, raven haired beauty he was searching for. Grimacing, he turned slowly, looking out at the path coming from the woods. Normally, he thought little of the wooded lot that ran the length of the road through town. Now, knowing his mate walked that path alone and on her own, he saw them as a very real threat. While the territory was mostly secure, there was always the odds of rogues crossing through the woodlands as they passed through.

What would happen if they came across an unprotected human while they did so? Ky shuddered at the thought. Which was exactly why he leaned against the wall, his eyes intently watching the exit to the path.

Again, he was bombarded with questions. Why did his mate not ride the bus or in a car? Did she always walk home? Why did she always seem to be alone? Did she know how to fight off animals if they came across her in the woods?

Not that he would be getting answers to any of the questions in the near future.

The alpha was so lost in thought, he did not hear the footsteps approaching him. Nor did he recognize the aura of the one creeping closer to him. It was only when they spoke that Ky learned just who it was that sought him out.

"Have you seen her yet?" Erik's voice still sounded raspy. It did not stop Kylen from tensing, and delivering a loud snarl as the former beta dared to venture close to him.

"Get...away...from me." Ky snarled low, the other wolves nearby scattering when they felt the shift in the air. Erik however, only moved forward trying to press closer.

"Ky, I'm just trying to help. You can't stay mad..."

"I can't? You really want to bet on that. Tell me Erik, if you had met your mate and I ordered you to stay away from her and then gave you an alpha command to reject her, how would you feel?" Ky's eyes narrowed as he pushed off the wall, looking away from Erik and back towards the wooded path where he had seen his little mate disappear the day before. A gnawing feeling in his gut as he had yet to see her make an appearance.

"Ky, that's not what I did." Erik began weakly, only to have Kyle extend his arm in a sharp motion to cut him off.

"It's exactly what you did. More than that we don't even know what complications will arise from all of this now that you have set these events in motion. Tell me, Erik, what happens if I lose my mate for good? What happens if because of all this, I cannot have her at my side. What then, Erik?" Ky turned to look at the person he had once thought of as a brother. The person who was supposed to have his back and help him when the rest of the world failed. But now, he was just like the rest. A burden, a weight that kept Ky pinned down and controlled everything.

He had known, being alpha meant that for the most part, he would live to serve his pack. That was something he had accepted. For the most part, he had been fine with it. These circumstances had forced him to see, just how much he could possibly have to give up. What if he lost his fated mate because of the others who could dictate and control his actions? The events of the last twenty-four hours left him reeling, more than that, they underlined just how much he stood to lose with others controlling every aspect of his life.

Dark black eyes looked back at Erik as Ky grimaced, "While you may think what you did was not so bad, I can tell you it was. I knew what I was asking of you when I asked you to give me more time. I knew that if we got the elder's involved this would get complicated. Because of your interference, I have to find my mate and reject her today. Something I am doing against my will. She's human, we may get lucky and it won't affect her. The same cannot be said for me. I will be willingly ripping my heart out and turning it to ash."

"Ky, if she doesn't accept the rejection then..."

"Then what? Once everyone else is happy, I can come to her and take her back?" Ky snarled, "What if when she learns everything, she decides to walk away. There can be no lies between mates, so I would eventually tell her why I did what did. So what then? There is every chance she can decide since I did not stop the rejection now, she does not mean enough to me to be important. She can leave, or more than that, think I'm weak because I am being forced to comply with the elder's ruling."

"I...i-it's not... I didn't think..." Erik began and Ky snorted a little turning away from the former beta.

"You're right. You didn't think. You acted on what YOU thought was best. My situation, is far different from yours or even the Gamma's. Had either of you encountered the same issues with a new mate, the elder's would not have ordered a rejection, just a heady amount of caution. I was not given such a luxury." Ky's eyes darkened menacingly, "And it is something I will not soon forget in this lifetime."

"I...understand." Erik spoke softly, his voice strangled as he shook his head, "If and when the time comes, I know I will pay greatly for what is taking place now. I never thought about the fact they would not give you the choice."

"Is what it is...but you will bear the burden of this existence for me. Anything that comes of this separation, will be on your head. Including anything that happens to me." Kylen finished, his head turning once more towards the path cutting through the forest.

His breath stilled, as the mop of raven hair he had been looking for finally emerged from the treeline. Just like yesterday, his mate walked quietly with her head down, moving around the other students and on the outskirts so as not to garner attention.

Releasing a growl, he turned to look at Erik who cowered back before he spoke again softly, "Since you got us into this, you can do the legwork. Find her name. I don't care what it takes, or how long, but I want her name. Even if it is only to whisper it for myself in the long years ahead. I also want you to have the name of the female you betrayed long before you ever met her. So it stays with you."

Passing his judgment, Ky turned on his heel and headed into the school, moving into the shadows to wait for his mate to join the rest of the students.