Chapter2
1033 Words
~ Andrea
I never thought it possible, but I could feel my heart breaking. My wolf whimpered and whined, attempting to break free, but I forced it to stay within.
The bond between my mate and me broke, and the power of severing our connection shifted within me.
All I needed to do was accept, and it would be broken forever, but I couldn't.
"I won't," I declared, firm in my decision. "I will never accept your rejection."
"You have to," Alpha Bradley insisted, his words echoing.
I turned to face his piercing blue eyes, a glare of daggers aimed at me.
"If you don't accept it, you will be charged with treason and sentenced to the Dungeons for the rest of your days," he warned.
Beside him, his wife smirked. I always knew the Davis didn't approve of me as their son's choice, but I never expected them to stoop so low.
"Would prison be that bad compared to the life of servitude that awaits me upon my return?
I was about to respond, "I'd prefer prison over severing the bond with my mate", but Liam interrupted me.
"Father, maybe we could give her a day to think about it," Liam suggested to his dad.
Alpha Bradley shot a menacing look at his son, but after a moment, his gaze softened. "Fine," Alpha Bradley said, turning to me and pointing a finger in my direction. "You have until sundown the following day to make a choice, and it better align with my expectations," he growled.
"Dismissed."
I stood in stunned silence as Alpha Bradley, accompanied by his wife and Beta, left the room, leaving me with my mate, the lady, and a stranger whose floral scent lingered. The lady gracefully walked to my mate's side, and I couldn't look away as their hands clasped.
"Andrea, meet my chosen mate, Hannah Cooper ," Liam introduced, admiration evident in his gaze. "She's the Alpha of the Greyborne pack. After The Claiming, we're meant to wed, but that can't happen until you accept my rejection. Do you understand?"
My wolf, silent since Liam's rejection, left me speechless. I rose, turning slowly toward the door. What would I tell Lilly? She sat among the pack members with our parents, awaiting my mate's claim and clinging to hope.
How was I supposed to face my parents, who believed that marrying the future Alpha would improve their lives?
How could I even look at myself in the mirror? Nothing made sense anymore.
I descended the stairs, left the pack house, and found myself a few feet away from the ceremony without anyone noticing.
All I felt was my body shaking violently. Blinking, I saw my sister's concerned face, and then my parents' faces came into view.
"What happened?" my sister inquired.
"Why aren't you attending the ceremony?"
I felt so down, and felt like the world was closing in on me, I couldn't pinpoint the cause—whether it was seeing my aging parents or Lilly, whose heart seemed on the verge of breaking. But my legs trembled, and as I fell, all I could see was darkness.
I woke up with a throbbing headache, the kind that makes your eyes sting in the light. I squeezed my eyes shut, then slowly blinked them open, bringing the living room of my home into focus, along with memories of my mate rejecting me.
In an instant, Lilly was by my side, exclaiming, "She's awake!" I heard feets shuffling, and my parents' faces came into view. Judging by their expressions, I wondered if they knew.
"You know?," I said, and my family nodded.
Lilly, trying to hold back tears, managed a smile for me. "Yes, we do," she nodded.
"Shortly after you collapsed, Liam claimed another woman as his mate, and we figured you got rejected by him."
"Andrea, did something go wrong? Was there a fight between you two? Please tell me," my father inquired. "Maybe I can plead with the Davis to reconsider you."
"Dad, I didn't do anything wrong. He rejected me because he found someone else his family deems worthy of being a Luna," I explained, sitting up with a wince as my headache intensified.
Lilly, by my side, comforted me with gentle back rubs, while my Mom observed from a chair nearby. I wished she'd look past the disappointment and see her daughter. Why wouldn't she even glance at me?
After some pacing, my father asked, "So, what happens now?"
"I don't know," I replied with a shrug. I detailed the limited time I had to accept Liam's rejection and the consequences if I didn't. My parents were visibly stunned.
"Andrea, you have to accept," my father insisted.
"You've already brought shame to my doorstep. I can't have you sentenced to the Dungeons and bringing shame further to this family. The whole pack will laugh at us!"
"Seriously, Dad! Back off!" Lilly shouted.
"How could you say this when you know your daughter is at her lowest? It's not her fault he rejected her!"
"Did you do what I asked you to do when he started acting distant?" my mom finally uttered, her gaze fixed on me. Her expression mirrored Luna Kendra at the office, making my stomach churn.
"Yes, Mom. I did it, and it still wasn't enough." The thought that I may have lost everything elicited a sob from me.
Lilly turned her gaze from me to our mother and back. "What did you do, Andrea?"
The revelation of my actions intensified my guilt, and tears streamed down my face as I realized my sister was unaware of what I had done. She shook me, urgently demanding answers.
"Andrea, answer me," she implored. "What did you do?"
Sniffling, I responded, "You have to believe that I tried my best to save our relationship. When he started acting distant, Mom suggested I do something to make him stay."
Understanding washed over Lilly as alarm flashed in her eyes. "Oh, my goddess, Andrea! Tell me it isn’t what I'm thinking."
"It is! I admitted with a cry, I wish it weren't true, but I've already slept with Liam , and he has taken my virginity."
- Writer
