“I, Maximo Drill, reject you, Rosaline Adelaide, as my mate and future wife. And never will I change my mind! Go on, Accept the rejection, and let's be done with it” His face is expressionless, usually, just by the look on his face, I know what he is thinking but now I can’t read a thing.. My brow furrowed even more.
Today was different, he looked like he had been planning this for so long. He looked like he never cared about me. We have been friends for a while, but only a while because I saw that he could be my way of staying in the pack and still in a way, out of my uncle’s lair. I process the words and shudder at the strange sense of foreshadowing.
“Why are you changing your mind, Max? You promised me. No, please, Max, you have to think this through. I beg of you!! Please!” uncontrollable tears streamed from my eyes at the thought of my misfortune.
My uncle has made sure none of the boys would be interested in me since my parents’ death. Threatened them as they came. But Max had stayed despite everything. He has been the light of my life in my darkest hour. So what could have changed?
“I don’t love you anymore.” He said coldly, “I just found out who I truly love. So would you just accept the rejection and make things easier for us?
“Make things easier? But you swore you would love me forever!” I couldn’t believe the man I loved with all my whole heart could be so cruel when he wanted to dump me.
He laughed dryly “You know Rosa, I don't like barking on a dry tree. You are joking with yourself if you think one will love a woman like you. I asked, no, I begged you to sleep with me, and what I got? Rejection and rejection. I am tired of waiting and now you can keep your purity as you wish. I am going to be a father anyway. Yeah, you heard me right. I have fuc!ked someone else because you never gave your body to me. You leave me no choice, Rosa. Guess this is the arrangement of fate, so accept it”
A patch of hurt greased my heart. His eyes drooped in reaction. That happened to be the first emotion I could see since he called me out of my room this morning. At least he had called me away from everyone’s hearing.
Or so I thought before I heard a subtle laugh behind me. “Oh, Rosa. I think it's high time you woke up from your daydreaming” I looked at my cousin’s makeup-baked face and the condescending look on her face as she walked up to us, followed by her busybody friends.
“How do you have makeup on your face when it's barely eight in the morning, Linda Adelaide? You look like a clown. Has any of the boys who follow you around never got the chance to tell you that yet?” It was evident on her face that she was not expecting me to say anything of such.
They have treated me like they wanted to all these years, I am never keeping quiet anymore. I am going to fight back. You would think my uncle would treat me well as the only remaining family of his brother, but No. They only gave me just enough to survive. Nothing more, nothing less.
“Well, that's none of your concern. You don't know about these things, that's why you are so plain and no boy wants you” That stung but I know that's not true.
“You have been fed lies over and over again that you have started to think that's the truth. A lot of guys want me. Ask your too-knowing mother. Ask her what she did that made even Max decide to reject and break up with me”
“Oh you don't need to ask her anything, Max is mine now, right Max?” My mind drifted back to Max, other people were waking up now and going about their duties, but instead of doing just that. They want to know what's going on.
I looked into Max’s eyes but he was not answering me, he kept mute, why was he being mute? Is Linda who Max fuc!ked behind my back?
“You slept with my cousin?! ? Are you out of your mind? Don’t you know she will be married soon? !”
“Not when you are getting married on behalf of me, Big Sister!” Linda chirped in.
“Now, I know you guys are nuts in the head! No way that will happen. Carry your cross, Asshole!”
“That’s true, Rosaline. I am marrying Linda and you will marry someone else.”
“Bullshit. You’re only bluffing.” It was getting really hard to level my emotions and not pour them out before my obvious enemies.
“You don't have to make up a story to make me accept your rejection, Max. You have rejected me and now I will accept your rejection. I, Rosaline Adelaide, Reject you, Maximo Drill, as my mate and future husband. But mark my words, even if you ever change your mind. I will never, ever have you back” Without waiting to cry about the Impact of the bond break. I started to move. It was better to cry in the safety of my room than have those sick bastards have the last laugh.
“Well, that settles it then. I have Max to myself. Go inside and meet your fate” Linda shouted after me, I didn't understand what she meant until I stepped inside the house.
Without waiting to see if anyone was awake, I dashed straight to my room. But my uncle’s voice sounded behind me “Rosa, come here”
“What again now, uncle? I really need to be in my room. I have done every chore I need to do today” I replied angrily. I will keep the fact that Max has rejected me as far as Linda has not come back to this house to wail about it.
“Can you see the way the stupid girl complains every time as if we have not done our own side of keeping her with us and taking care of her for six years? Such an ingrate”
“You have not taken care of me, Keep me with you, yes, but that’s hardly it. This is my parent's house in the first place. . .” Before I could finish my sentence, a hot slap made its way to my cheek.
“I told you to watch your filthy mouth, Rosa! I put food on your table” She replied noisily, her nose flaring up
“Now come on, both of you! My Luna, you know today is a special day, we are not supposed to let anything spoil what we have been planning for so long”
“What have you been planning for so long?” I asked, straining my voice not to show my weakness. But I doubt I can take any more of this. I just want to be in the security of my room right now so I can brawl as much as I want.
“Sit down, Rosa, this concerns you” I sat down and after a moment of silence, he finally spoke again. “We are expecting the Rogue King of the Western, Southern, Northern, and Eastern pack this morning and you are to be present.
“Why? Why does this concern me? He is coming here for Linda” I dreaded everything that could come after my question. They have made it known to me plenty of times that if I didn't get a stable man by my 18th birthday, I would take any man they gave me. And after what just happened with Max and Linda. It's hard to hope.
“You will be helping this family by marrying him and breeding for his line. He needs Alpha blood and he has just chosen you from our family”
“Don't be ridiculous! This man is hardly a man! He is a beast! He does not have any etiquette whatsoever. He is a barbarian, And you will allow him to take me? He could kill me!”
“You are doing this for the family, Rosa. The building contract will become ours if we end up being his in-laws”
“I see, so you want a marriage that benefits you, but you are not willing to use your daughter for that. She is more beautiful. She knows how to please men, she knows how to make them want her, you knew what you were doing when you wanted to give Linda to him. Damn! She is the best for this role. She will get you everything you want from the Rogue King. But not me, I am not leaving this house” To make my stand, I practically wrapped my arms around the sofa.
Of course, they had heard about Max dumping me before it even happened. Hell!, they must have planned it all.
“See, I told you she was going to be adamant and ungrateful”
Ignoring his wife, my uncle responded rather tiringly, “Just look at it like you are giving back to us for taking care of you and giving you a family to live with. Thank us for not abandoning you when we could have. He wants the first child of our family”
“Technically, I am not your child! I am not going anywhere! That's not who I choose!”
“In the eyes of the moon goddess and the people of our pack. You are my child. I have adopted you so you have no choice. He will be here in a minute! And if you decide to make a scene like telling him that you are not who we originally planned for him then you will never get what your father and mother left for you. You will never get this house!
Before I could show my fear As if on cue, the man strolled in as if he owned the place. Not that I have seen him before, his reputation just kind of surpassed him.
“Oh, there is no way I’m going with that man!” I pointed at him as he came in and I immediately tried to run through the kitchen door but he was faster than any alpha rogue I have ever seen or heard of.
“Where do you think you are going?” He mumbled above me, his hands never leaving my waist, just putting me in place.
The mood around the room started to slowly shift. It was no more a joke like I originally thought. Things were getting real.
There were up to six giant men in the room with us now and they all answered to the beast of a man holding me to his chest. Giving commands as if I don’t have a say in my life!
"MATE" his voice roared and everywhere went even completely silent.
“What? That’s not possible. I just rejected my mate! How come!” I looked at him then, The shock on my face didn’t do anything to him. I have seen men, but none like this man.