Rejected Alpha

Chapter Twenty-Three: Hector's POV

“Hector, stop.” Ares bellowed angrily at me. “She’s not fighting back and you’re going to kill her. Stop.”

“She defied me.” I hissed at him. Ria had already cast her eyes to the side, the growl told me she didn’t want to, and didn’t do it willingly. It made me wonder why she did it. Why wasn’t she fighting me anyway? Where was that fire I saw in her when she faced Justin or questioned me? She was just letting me choke the life out of her. It didn’t make any sense. She was strong, stronger than even she knew. So why?

“You bastard. She’s not fighting, so you don’t seem weak in front of our pack.” Ares roared. “She’s worried that if she struggles or fights and is able to get you to let her go it would make you seem weak. She knows you’d never live it down with the pack.”

“How do you know this?” I growled, as I watched Ria’s breathing become shallow and her eyes start to cloud over.

“Ruby, you i***t. Ruby told me. Now stop before you kill Ria.” Ares shouting the name knocked me from whatever stupor I had been under. I dropped her instantly. I watched as she somehow kept herself upright braced on the tree. Her knees trembled with the effort to keep her upright. Her breaths were harsh as she tried to quickly get oxygen back to her body. She just looked at me as she stood to her full height, the look in her eyes was enough to break me if I wasn’t already broken. Betrayal, hurt, anger. What have I done? Before I could apologize or say anything at all, she turned and walked away, standing tall. Seventeen and she lived through both her mates trying to kill her. Now me who almost succeeded. All because she questioned me and refused to fight back.

Everyone saw me as a monster anyway. Ruthless. I wasn’t going to put an end to that now. Ria, though, never saw me as a monster. She never saw me as dangerous, and I just proved her wrong. Turning back to the group of alphas, their eyes were wide with horror. They stared at me like I was a monster. Good. No reason for them to think I’ve gone soft. I am the monster everyone says I am, and I turned that monster on her. The one person I never intended to hurt. The one person who I finally wanted to see who I really was, even if I didn't know who it was. I just ruined whatever it was that we had before it had even begun.

“Continue training.” I bellowed at the alphas, still standing and staring at me. They all jumped at once, partnering up and going through the routine the trainer had shown them. I snarled as I turned and made my way back to the pack house.

“He almost killed her.”

“She didn’t fight back.”

“How could he kill a female alpha?”

“He’s gone mad.”

“Did you see the look in her eye when she left?”

The alphas whispers reached me. Each comment feeling like a physical blow. I had almost killed her. Another minute and she would have been gone. Not only was she female, a treasure among wolves. But she was an alpha female. A pure blood, and she could shift. That was more than rare. And I had seen the look in her eyes. The one that broke whatever was left of me. She has done more for me in the time she’s been here than I’ve done for her. All I did was admit her into the pack to train. She had run Emily off, helped me when I was having that awful nightmare about my mate. Then she instantly jumped into my defense this morning. How could I have done this to her? What was I thinking?

“You were thinking you wanted to exploit Justin’s weakness at the expense of Ria.” Ares scoffed. “You didn’t take her seriously. But she would have killed him if she didn’t question you. You don’t know the things Ruby has told me.”

“I really hate that you wolves can have your own private conversations with one another,” I groaned. “It really makes things difficult. What has Ruby told you?”

“No,” Ares growled. “I won’t tell you. It is not my story to tell or my emotions to explain. Ask Ria.”

“You know I can’t do that.” I snarled, completely over this conversation.

“That’s your own fault Hector.” Ares said softer this time, before blocking me out.

What was so bad the big bad Ares felt for this girl? What was it about her that had me entranced by her? She was an enigma. Strange, beautiful and strong. But there was more than that to her. That was obvious from how she acts, how she talks, and now by what Ares told me. I wonder what she was thinking as I held her life in my hands and almost snuffed it out. I wonder what she thinks of me now? I’m sure she hated me and I only had myself to blame. She questioned a decision I was making out of anger. I didn’t even think about how the decision would affect her. All I could think was that if Ria dealt with him I wouldn’t have to kill him. I knew Ria would have beaten him to a pulp. I just never thought he had gone as far as her wanting to kill him.

“Alpha!” Michael shouted as I walked in the front door.

“What is it, Michael?”

“It’s Sera. She came back with black bruises around her neck. She brushed past me when I tried to ask her about it. Sophie is with her helping her.” He said quickly. Speak of the devil. There was Sophie now making her way down the stairs, a sorrowful look in her eyes.

“How is she?” I asked hesitantly.

“Healed, no thanks to you.” Sophie spat at me. “You should be ashamed of yourself alpha.” The little old woman said angrily. “I have been around this pack to birth your great grandfather. I helped birth you. I never thought you could do such a thing to a female.” Sophie shook her head. “You don’t deserve her, Hector. But for some reason unbeknownst to me, she cares for you. I told her to leave.” Sophie admitted. “She’s not pack, she can come and go as she pleases. She could take her things, leave and never be seen again. But she refused.”

“She what?” I balked. “Why?”

“Her words Hector. ‘Because he needs someone to believe in him since he doesn’t believe in himself.’ You’ve been blessed with a young woman who sees more of this world and more in people than anyone I’ve ever met. She has been through more in the last few weeks than you did in your first eighteen years. I’m ashamed of you, Hector,” Sophie said as she walked away shaking her head.

“You did that to her?” Michael asked, shocked.

“I am not talking about this,” I stated harshly. “I am going to my room. No one is to disturb me.”

“Yes, alpha.” Michael lowered his head, but I saw the shock and disbelief in his eyes when he looked at me. Word would get around soon that I had attacked an alpha female. It will make me seem more of a monster than anything else has. Because females were cherished, adored. Female alphas, revered. Alpha females that could shift? They were all but worshiped. The rarest of rare of our kind. And I tried to kill one. Probably the only one in North America.

A lump formed in my throat as I reached the alpha floor and her heavenly scent of cinnamon and apples assaulted me. Bile rose as I pictured what Michael said. Deep black bruises wrapped around Ria’s delicate neck. Marring her flesh. I didn’t like the image that flooded my mind. In any other situation, I would have killed anyone who dared touch her. But it was me who did it, no one else. I hurt her, I left marks on her. I was such a fool.

As I went to move get passed her door, I heard it. Her soft cries as she sobbed. I heard as she kept calling herself stupid and a fool. I wasn’t sure if she was blaming herself, second guessing what she did, or what. But she was beating herself up about something. But it was the sound of her sobs that stilled my heart. I had finished breaking what was already broken inside of her. All she wanted was a place where she felt like she belonged, and I had proved to her that her place wasn’t here. I had given her a reason to go when I wanted to give her a reason to stay.

“I know you’re out there.” Her voice croaked as she called out to me. How could she possibly know I was standing here? “What do you want, alpha?” She asked, her voice going monotoned. Her words and her tone pierced me. Alpha, not Hector.

“Ria. Can I come in?’ I asked as gently as I could.

“It’s your house.” Was all she said in response. I hesitated, my hand resting on the door knob. I was terrified of how I’d find her. How could one female scare me so? Steeling myself, I took a breath and opened the door. There was Ria. She was standing out on the balcony bracing herself on her hands with her head hung. Her black hair flowed around her towards the ground as if it was trying to take root and steady her.

“Ria. I..” I stopped, not knowing what to say. Nothing I said could make what I did right. There was no excuse. “Ria, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean….I lost control….I never wanted to hurt you.”

“I know.” She whispered, her voice breaking. “Ruby told me you all but blacked out, that Ares was begging you to stop.”

“That’s not an excuse.” I shook my head.

“You’re right, it’s not. Nothing you could say or do would make what you did right. But you’re the alpha here, so it doesn’t really matter, does it? You can do whatever you want without consequences.” She chuckled darkly. "You are not the monster you believe yourself to be. You are trying to make yourself a monster, you’ve convinced yourself you are one simply because that’s what you’ve been told.”

“You’re wrong. I am a monster because of the things I’ve done, the people I’ve killed.” I grit through my teeth.

“If you’re a monster for killing, then so am I.” She turned and looked at me then. There was no fire in her eyes, no life. She looked empty. “I killed countless vampires and rouges during the attack. I killed others at the bank.”

“You are not a monster, Ria. You were defending your pack.”

“Maybe. It does not change the fact that I’ve killed. I almost killed Emily this morning, wanted to kill Justin.” She smiled hollowly as she turned and looked back over the pack lands.

“Why didn’t you stop me, Ria? Why didn’t you fight?” I had to hear it from her, not Ares.

“Because there were too many people around.” She sighed. “If I had fought and somehow fought you off of me, then you would have been looked down on. You would have been seen as weak. I wasn’t going to let that happen.”

“Even for the sake of your own life?’ I questioned.

“What is one life compared to the countless that would have possibly been lost when others tried to challenge you? Even my life isn’t worth what would have come from me fighting back.”

“You don’t know that’s what would have happened,” I argued.

“Don’t I?” She turned to me. “You run one of if not the strongest packs in North America. If word got out to anyone that you’ve allowed yourself to grow weak and be bested by a woman, countless would come and try to take the pack from you. And those countless people would die. You’re strong, Hector, I have no doubt you could take on any opponent. But having to do that to keep your pack would have destroyed you. With each life you take, it will take a piece of you along with it. “

“So you allowed me to almost kill you, so you could what? Save me?”

“In part, yes.” She admitted.

“But why?”

She chuckled at that. “Why indeed,” She murmured. “I’ll let you know when I figure that part out.”

“How is your throat?” I asked, trying to change the subject.

“Good as new.” She waved me off as if it meant nothing.

“That’s not possible.” I shook my head. “Bruises like that would at least take several hours to heal.”

“I’ve always healed fast.” She shrugged as she made her way back inside and shut the balcony doors. I hadn’t noticed before but her black hair was wet and she wore a white satin nightgown that barely covered her. She was lean but more muscular than I’ve seen on a woman. The woman was a powerhouse. When I glanced up at her neck, she was indeed healed. Not a trace of bruising was left.

Before I knew what I was doing, I approached her and lightly traced my fingertips along her throat. She shivered as I ran my finger across her skin. Soft as satin, not marred. I may have bruised her, but it was temporary. I knew it would have been regardless of her healing speed. But when I saw her again, I fully expected to see the bruises. Not beautiful smooth skin.

“I…” She swallowed thickly. “I think you ne…need to go now.” She stuttered out softly.

I looked up at her, her green eyes were fiery again as life and want warred within them. The sight and knowledge that I had put that back in her eyes made me smile. “Goodnight, Ria.” I murmured, pushing her hair behind her ear before turning to leave.

“Goodnight Hector.” Was the last thing I heard before I shut the door behind me.