The Rejected Mate

CHAPTER THREE

I wake up to the gentle touch of sunlight on my face, a stark contrast to the darkness I had been engulfed in. My eyes flutter open, still blurry, but I can already feel that this isn’t my cramped room in my father’s house. I don’t even have a bed this soft.

I blink rapidly, using my hand to clear my eyes, and now I can see clearly. The room is spacious, filled with elegant furnishings that scream wealth and comfort.

“Oh, thank the Moon Goddess! You’re finally awake,” a melodic voice exclaims.

I turn my head to see a young woman with kind eyes and a warm smile approaching the bed. She introduces herself as Maya, her voice was filled with genuine relief at seeing me awake.

The expression on her face is foreign to me; no one has ever looked at me like that, as if they actually care.

“Where am I?” I croak, my throat dry and scratchy.

I sit up from the bed, and Maya hands me a glass of water, which I gratefully accept, gulping it down like my life depends on it.

“You’re in the Shadowfang pack territory,” she explains and I remember that as one of the smallest pack with a small size territory.“Our Alpha found you after your accident. You’ve been unconscious for three days.”

As Maya tells me about my rescue, fragments of memory start to come back; the deer, the crash and the overwhelming pain of Damon's rejection. It all floods back, threatening to drown me in sorrow again.

My grip on the cup tightens as Damon's cruel words replay in my mind: “You’re too weak to be my Luna.” The pain is still fresh, a gaping wound in my chest that seems impossible to heal.

Maya must sense my distress because she quickly changes the subject, chatting about the pack and asking gentle questions to see if I’m okay.

She touches my head to feel my temperature and sighs in relief. I just look at her, still surprised that someone could care about me. I find myself warming to her friendly demeanor, so different from the cold shoulders I’ve gotten used to in my pack.

After a while, Maya excuses herself to inform the Alpha that I’m awake. As she leaves, my eyes follow her, wishing she would stay and talk to me more as this is the first time anyone has done that.

Left alone with my thoughts, I remember the howl I heard before losing consciousness. I wonder if that was the Alpha’s, as it sounded like the mournful howl of a wolf who had lost something precious.

I’m so lost in my thoughts that I barely notice the door opening again. I hear someone clear their throat, and I look up to see two tall, imposing figures entering the room with Maya. Their presence instantly demands attention.

The first guy has blue eyes and other features that make him stand out. The second one is a little shorter, but I can’t feel the same dominating aura from him as I do from the first guy, which means the one with the blue eyes must be the Alpha who saved me.

His piercing blue eyes sweep over me as I cuddle up in the sheet, his expression unreadable. “I see you’re finally awake,” he says, his voice deep and authoritative. “I’m Alpha Rowan of the Shadowfang Pack.”

I try to sit up straighter, wincing at the pain that shoots through my body. It’s been three days, and I still haven’t completely healed. Maybe I am as much of a wreck as Damon said.

“Thank you for saving me, Alpha Rowan,” I say softly. “I’m Anita.”

His eyes narrow slightly, and I can tell he’s not satisfied with my introduction. “And where are you from, Anita?” he asks, and I bite my lip, trying to think of what to say.

“Pardon my manners, I know you just woke up, but we don’t just accept outsiders here unless we hear your story. Did you run away from home, or…?”

“What?” My eyes widen in surprise. How does he know I ran away from home?

“Oh, about that,” he says. “I checked your car and things, and it clearly looked like you ran away from home.”

Panic seizes me as I hear that. I can’t afford to tell him the truth—that I ran away from my pack after being rejected by my mate. I really don’t want to go back there. I’ve spent years in misery there, and the few moments I’ve spent here have been filled with the love and happiness I’ve longed for my whole life.

I really don’t want him to send me back. I don’t want to live like that again. In a split-second decision, I choose to lie.

“I’m… I’m a rogue,” I stammer, my mind racing to construct a believable story. “I’ve been on my own for a while now. My family… they’re gone. We were hunted down by unknown people. That car was given to me by a woman who took pity on me and told me to use it as a home. I sleep, eat, and do everything there… it’s like the only place I have,” I narrate, breaking down heavily, trying to make them believe my story.

As I cry, I expect some reaction or consoling words from them, but I get none which actually surprise me. I slowly raise my head, only to see Maya’s disappointed look and she shakes her head which means that something is wrong.

I slowly turn toward Alpha Rowan, only to see his gaze burning with fury and fear grip me. His fangs are already coming out, and his claws are ready to attack to attack me.

I don’t even know what I’ve done wrong but I think I atleast deserve knowing what I have done wrong before being tear into pieces.