Becoming The Beastly Alpha's Mate

1.

KIMBERLY.

There are a few times in life when I question the choices I've made so far. And one of those choices, is the fact that I had ever considered having a future with the excuse of an Alpha before me.

'I say we cut off the junk between his legs and feed the hunters' dogs, Kim,' Zyah, my wolf seethed.

I shook my head, fighting off the grin threatening to break free. I am not supposed to laugh. Not in the situation I was currently in. Facing off with the council. Denying the false accusation of infidelity being thrown at me.

"Do you swear, that you saw her," one of the elders asked my half sister as he pointed at me, tied to a stake, as if I was a criminal, and not the Alpha's mate, "with another man?"

"Yes," Dayana answered, without an ounce of shame as the lie rolled off her tongue. "I swear that I saw her. I saw them back at the Alpha's room last night when the Alpha was away on patrol," she added, sniffing as she leaned against her mother.

'May you be cursed, you good for nothing hypocrite. No wonder she never found love and was desperate enough to covet what was yours,' Zyah fumed, pushing to be set free. But nothing good would come out of setting her free. Not when we were surrounded by wolves above our rank.

And not when we were being questioned for infidelity.

We were standing outside the council grounds, where large meetings were mostly held every month as all the packs around brought in reports of the comings and goings in their pack. The elders sat under the shade provided by the large almond tree, while the members of the pack sat in a semi circle on the small rocks provided for such meetings.

Normally, amongst the eight pack tribes, the meetings would have been held at the Dukari pack, which was the largest pack in the kingdom of Hagildo, and the one with the most powerful Alpha. But due to a curse, according to the stories Mami had told me before her death, it had been over fifty years since anyone had stepped into the Dukari pack. Neither did the pack, nor its members ever participate in anything that involved the kingdom. Now, we have the meetings either at our pack, or the Elders Island, which is a two day journey from us.

I was tied to a stake, like they do to every woman ever accused of infidelity. Want to know a secret? The male wolves are never guilty. It is always the woman who is guilty of seducing a poor mated man. In this case, I was that woman, although my charge is that I cheated on my mate with another.

"You w***e!" Jonah roared, eyes so red that I thought his wolf might take over at any moment. "How dare you betray me?"

"Maybe because I didn't?" I replied heatedly, not caring one bit what the consequences may be. I was already doomed, and nothing I said or did would fix that. "How can you, as my mate, not know when I am cheating on you until you are told? How does any of that make sense?" I screamed, throwing my hands around.

Damn, I was losing it.

"That was because you used the potion from the witch. I saw you," Dayana chirped in, providing a small bottle with a swirling pitch black watery substance inside. "It stops your mate from feeling the pain when you are cheating."

"Ķuten mbèlé ďià (I hate you!)" Jonah roared again as he stood up, throwing the small wooden chair he had been sitting on in the air. "You dirty, lying w***e!"

My heart squeezed at the words. At the sheer hatred in his eyes as he stared at me, and I wondered just for how long has he hated me? Always? Or since we found out we were mates after both of us turned twenty five in the last two moons? How could I have been this blind to any of this? How?

The fact that I caught the two of them cheating on me, and now, I was the one being accused didn't escape my senses. I need to get away from here. I couldn't stay where I was not wanted. After all, my father did not seem to care whatever happened to me as long as the golden daughter was happy. So long as she wasn't the one sad.

So instead of denying it anymore, I lifted my head, stared at the council and spoke.

"I am guilty of what I am being accused of, Elders. However, I do have my reasons. All I wanted to do was to help the Alpha, not hurt him."

I saw the confused look that crossed both Jonah's and Dayana's faces, and I smiled inwardly. Two can play your games, bitches.

'I know it should sting, but girl am I glad we are getting rid of him. I never felt connected to him as mates.'

'Neither did I, girl. Neither did I.' I answered.

When I felt the connection to the Alpha two moon cycles ago, for a moment, it felt so unreal. Like it had flashed at the wrong place and the wrong time. But Jonah was so excited, especially since we had been friends right from our childhood days since my Baba was part of the warrior's council, which meant that, despite our rank of being Omegas, we got more privileges than the others.

I watched as Jonah took long strides towards me. When he stopped before me, he leaned it and whispered into my ears.

"What in the name of Yagana are you trying to do?" he hissed.

I blinked twice, looking at him as though it was the first time I had ever seen him. How did I end up with someone like him? We were never compatible for Yagana's sake! We were never in sync!

"Giving you what you want, Alpha." I smiled, and that seemed to piss him off, because he raised his hand and smacked me hard on the face.

"Dirty, lying w***e," he thundered, smacking me again. But instead of showing him what he wanted, instead of cowering in fear, I laughed in his face. "You have some nerve laughing after what you did," he continued, as he removed the coral beads on his neck, and raised them, ready to beat me with them.

"Stop!" Elder Dakas yelled, moments before the coral necklace landed on my body. The fact that he did consider beating me in the presence of everyone didn't escape my attention. He looked fierce, eyes so full of hatred as he breathed heavily. He had on a white vest, like most of the male wolves around, crossed a wrapper of black and green stripes over his shoulder. It was tied into a knot at the top of the shoulder. His dark skin glistened with sweat as the hot sun beat on us without mercy.

"We don't result to violence here until we are sure of everything. You either abide by the council's rule, or leave."

When Jonah said nothing, the elder turned to me and asked that I continue.

"You were helping him? How does cheating on your mate help him?"

"He can't perform his duties as a man, Elder," I said, making sure my voice was loud enough for all the members of the pack that had chosen to be present to hear me, and the loud gasps that erupted around said as much. "Not once since we found out we were mates has he been able to perform, and I didn't want him to be mocked, so I was trying to get us help elsewhere..." I trailed off, sniffing back fake tears.

'Oh, you did not!" Zyah howled happily. 'You are so wicked!'

Yes, I am. But they made me into who I turned out to be. After all, this morning wasn't the first time I had known they were together. Cheating on me. I had only been waiting for the right time to strike, but they made the first move. And it wasn't just so we could stop being mates, but they wanted my life.

And I wasn't about to let that happen!

"You b***h!!!" he roared so loud the sound was startling. But I didn't let that deter me, as I continued.

"I simply wanted to help, not that that had excused the crime I have committed. I will accept whatever punishment the council sees fit."

"That is a lie! I ...I..she's the one who refused me!" Jonah growled angrily.

"Was that why you cheated on me with my sister?" I threw back, equally angry.

He jerked back, as though I had slapped him, while the grounds filled with another round of gasps and murmurs. "Was that why you are accusing me of something I didn't do when you are the one guilty? Is that it, Jonah?" I screamed, willing for the silver chains to set me free.

"I did no such thing!"

"Then why deny what I had just said? You and I both know you can't even get it to stand!" more gasps and murmurs.

"Kimberly!" he thundered, squeezing my neck in a blink.

I choked and tried to move my head in a desperate attempt to free myself of his hold, but every movement seemed to make it worse.

"I am going to kill you, do you hear me? I swear by Yagana, I am going to kill you!"

"Alpha Jonah!" All three elders snapped at the same time, before Jonah was forcefully pulled away from me. "You are going to force the council into taking severe actions against you!"

"How can you all listen to her lies?" the vein on his neck had popped out, and it was clear as the sun above, that he was on the verge of shifting.

"It can not be proved that I am guilty of what I have been accused of. I may have answered it, but only because I had no option. That being said, I implore the council to take proper measures over what he did to me."

"You lied on me!"

"The same way you lied that I cheated on you when you were the one I caught in the act with my damn sister!"

"Can you prove that?" he snapped.

"Can you prove mine?" I snapped back, and when he didn't reply, I continued. "I also do not wish to be your mate."

"You wouldn't dare! I refuse to allow you to do that. You and I are mates, and will remain that forever!"

More like you wanting to destroy me now that I have played you at your own damn game. He wants me now, in front of everyone, so he can destroy me behind their backs. How much of a fool would I be to trust his s**t. He wants Dayana? Then he can bloody have her for all I care. I am rejecting him and leaving this pack!

'Zyah?' I called, giving her a chance to decide.

'Do it, Kim. there's no point staying here anymore.' her voice was low. Painful. While we may not have felt a deeper connection to Jonah, at some point the mate bond was there, even if not as strong as I had always thought it would be. Which meant that it was going to hurt letting it go. Regardless of the circumstances.

So I turned and faced the elders, all of whom had left their chairs and were now standing before us.

"I have the right to reject him, as granted by Yagana and the mages of the council. That being said, I, Tanimu Kimberly Asase, in the name of Yagana, reject you, Nduk Jonah Kodume as my mate and partner. Ni kome ďæna kandyme! (May our paths never cross again!"

"Nooooo!" Jonah roared, the sound so painful and broken.

That is what you get for messing with me.