Chapter 2
1145 Words
Josie POV
“We knew there were going to be attacks, Duncan. Josie’s story isn’t farfetched,” My mother, Estelle, said.
“I know it isn’t. My daughter doesn’t come up with wild stories!” He raved, pouring himself another glass of whiskey.
My parents, Estelle and Duncan Hart, were third in command. It was a prestigious title, and they held massive influence. Especially now, when the beta, who was second in command, lost his wife. He was vulnerable and was considering early retirement.
I kept replaying that moment in my mind. What if I hadn’t tackled the seventy-year-old Alpha General in front of dozens of important people? He could have dropped dead in the middle of the room.
General Braxton’s razor-sharp voice kept slicing my eardrums.
“What happens now?” I asked, my voice cracked.
My parents looked at me, unable to respond. We were sitting outside our home, in the backyard, trying to make sense of the night. This was not how I wanted tonight to go.
“What were you thinking, Josie?”
Shane burst out of the house with Ryan in tow. I ran a hand down my face. I didn’t have time for my older brother right now. In his eyes, I couldn’t do anything right. Sure, I made a mistake tonight by acting irrationally, but Braxton could be dead!
“I was doing my job,” I replied. I avoided his eyes.
“Is your job screwing everything up? You’re f*****g good at it!” He roared.
“I know what I saw! Someone spiked his wine. General Braxton is from one of the biggest and most advanced packs in the country, so it makes sense that someone would want him dead!”
“Have you found the person Josie saw?” Dad asked.
“No, but we’re looking just to make sure she actually saw something. We’re wasting resources because of you!”
While Shane ranted, Ryan just stood there watching me. Did he think I was a nut, too?
“Fine, when you find him, bring him to me,” Dad ordered.
“What about Easton?” Ryan asked. “Shouldn’t he be doing the integration?”
Easton was the second in command. Easton naturally had more responsibility than my Dad.
“Easton didn’t even show up tonight. He’s not doing well.”
When a wolf lost its mate, it suffered unimaginable pain. Only truly strong wolves came out of it with their mind still intact. I looked at Ryan. He couldn’t look at me. We’ve been chosen mates for years. He was my first for so many things. My body was so cold it needed his touch to ease the anxiety ravaging me.
“You’re right,” Ryan said. “Alpha Rufus is on his way to talk about the incident.”
My parents shared another look. They casually walked back into the house as they spoke in hushed tones. Shane shook his head and marched through the back patio doors.
I blew out an exhausted breath.
“You’ve done it now, Josie,” Ryan said, his voice low yet venomous.
“Do you really think I would have done that without a reason?” I looked into his eyes for a split second until he turned away.
“Nothing happened! There was no intruder. You didn’t just embarrass Alpha Rufus, you embarrassed me too.”
My jaw dropped. “What?”
He clenched his jaw and snatched my arm. He dragged me off the beach chair and dragged me into the dark backyard.
“I made sure everyone who set foot in that party was verified. Do you want to make me look like I can’t do my job?”
“What? No, babe—”
He shut his eyes, threw his head back and exhaled. “I don’t know what to do with you?”
I wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed my head on his chest. His heartbeat was steady, unlike my racing heart. “Just hold me,” I replied.
“No, Josie. I can’t. It’s too much now.”
“What’s too much? If I made a mistake, then fine, but I didn’t want to take a chance on another man’s life.”
“It’s not just that. We’ve been together for seven years, and you’ve only gone into heat once.”
“You know I can’t,” I hissed.
“You said you were working on it.”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t need to go into heat. I'm perfectly fine!” I frowned.
“You're not fine! You’ve never produced pheromones. Pheromones are a sign of a healthy she-wolf who’s capable of producing strong pups.”
“I’m a beta female. Of course, I’ll produce strong pups. You’ve never brought up having children before. What’s this about?” I argued.
I tried to touch him, but he stepped back.
I always knew I’d never be able to produce pheromones or go into heat. A she-wolf usually goes into heat when she’s most fertile. It’s just a way for her to know it’s the right time to have a baby. It’s an effective method. It was a defect no one could explain to me, yet I was lucky enough to be born a beta. It would be challenging to find my fated mate or lure a mate just by scent, which was why I loved Ryan so much. He loved me for me.
“I checked your medical records, Josie. There’s a fifty per cent chance you can’t have children. That’s not what I want in a mate.”
I scoffed. “It doesn’t mean I can’t—”
“Stop. Just stop.” He raked a hand through his hair. “What happened tonight confirms what I have to do.”
“Ryan, what are you—”
“I, Ryan Foster, reject you, Josie Hart, as my chosen mate.”
The sound of broken glass filled my head. My wolf threw her head back and howled. I clutched my abdomen and buckled forward. I can’t believe he did that.
“Accept the rejection and the pain ends,” he said coldly.
“I thought you loved me for who I was,” I rasped.
“It’s not enough. Accept the rejection.”
No, it wasn’t supposed to end like this. He was my happily ever after. We were supposed to get married in six months. The pain crept from my abdomen towards my heart. Rejection was deadly. Some even saw it as a sin. I looked into his eyes pleadingly, but there was nothing I could do.
“I, Josie Hart, accept your rejection, Ryan… Foster.”
The chain that created our bond disintegrated into dust.
“Good,” Ryan said.
I dropped to the grass and was consumed by an eerie darkness.
- Writer
