Crestwood Wolfless Omega

Chapter 2: Rejected In The Spotlight

Layla's POV

The Main Hall exploded with whispers and gasps.

"Holy shit..is that Kayson Ashvale bonding with the wolflesss omega?" a beta guy yelled from the middle rows.

"No f*****g way!" another voice shouted back. "An heir with her? The pack elders are gonna lose their minds!"

The whispers exploded into full-blown chaos, phones flashed. The elites leaned in, their eyes wide. An alpha heir fated to the academy's biggest reject? This was blood in the water.

"Layla, snap out of it." Natasha yanked my arm. "He's getting closer, say something before this gets worse!"

"Goddess, his eyes..." Lucy pressed close on my other side. "He feels it too. The pull is real. Layla, breathe with me."

I could barely hear their words. My skin burned where the bond tugged. Every girl had daydreamed about him, including me. Stupid late night fantasies about the academy's bad boy billionaire alpha noticing the girl at the bottom, Now the bond was screaming at me to close the distance, to let him ruin me right here on the sacred floor.

Kayson stopped inches away, his body towering and I had to look up to meet his gaze. His scent, dark spice and cedar storm wrapped around me, making my knees weak. For a second, his silver eyes flickered with something raw, his chest rose sharply and then it iced out.

"No," his voice loud and clear. "I won't accept this."

The words hit harder than any insult I'd gotten in the past. The crowd gasped again, their eyes wide and mouths opened.

"I, Kayson Ashvale," he continued. "Reject the bond with Layla, whatever your last name is."

I felt the thread between us tore through my chest, pain exploded, stealing my breath away. My knees buckled and I grabbed Natasha's shoulder to stay upright, a choked gasp escaped before I could stop it.

"I'm already engaged to Catherine," He said, his silver eyes locked on me. "Even if she wasn't waiting for me. You're nothing, wolflesss, weak. A pathetic mistake the Moon Goddess clearly f****d up on. This ends right now, don't ever look at me again."

Each word set a fresh s***h of pain through me. The rejection pain doubled, twisting that earlier filthy heat into something mocking between my legs. I'd watched him for years on the training grounds, having impossible fantasies about him and he just publicly executed me.

Tears blurred my vision but I blinked then back, tightening my jaw. I wouldn't let a single drop for him.

The hall soon began it's whispers again.

"Rejected? On Rite night? In front of the whole academy?" Someone yelled.

"Kayson!" Emilia pushed forward from her spot near the front. "Tell the whole academy again. Wolflesss reject thinks she can snag an alpha heir? How Pathetic!"

Kayson didn't even glance at her. His silver eyes stayed pinned on me, empty and blank.

"Enough!" Elder Melinda's voice came from the stage, trying to regain control. "Order! This is a sacred Rite, not a spectacle!"

But the crowd wasn't having it. Their laughter mixed with gasps. They all soon began chanting. "Reject! Reject! Reject!"

I pulled away from my friends, the ripped bond screaming in my chest with every heartbeat. The stares burned worse than the pain. I couldn't breathe, couldn't stand another second in here.

I turned and ran.

"Layla, wait, don't run!" Natasha shouted, shoving a student aside. "We'll handle these idiots together! Lucy, grab her arm!"

"Please, Layla!" Lucy called after me, reaching out."Come back here!"

I didn't answer. I just ran through the crowd, the side doors slammed opened when I pushed. The cool night air hit me like a slap. I could still hear their voices even from outside.

"Layla! Get back here right now!" Natasha's voice came from be.

"Layla, slow down, we love you!" Lucy's voice was soft.

I was already running off the path into the Western Woods, the trees swallowing the academy lights.

The branches whipped my face and arms, leaving cuts. My lungs burned, my legs pumped harder, exhaustion creeping in fast, but I pushed through.

"f**k him," I muttered between ragged breaths. "Wouldn't choose me? Fine. I wouldn't want your entitled ass anyway."

The rejection echoed with every step, mixing with the aftertaste of that initial pull. My crush on him now felt like a sick joke now, he had chose to publicly humiliate me without even considering me.

A root caught my boot and I stumbled, catching myself on a thick trunk, my chest rising and falling fast. Sweat dripped down my back. I straightened up, pushing deeper, the leaves crunched under my feet as I walked.

"I should have known," I said to my voice, my voice cracked. "What was I think? Every girl throws herself at him and he picks the golden girl. The goddess just had to have a public humiliation for the wolflesss freak."

I walked deeper into the woods. The moonlight sliced through the canopy in silver shards. My pace slowed down, my legs heavy. I leaned against another tree, gasping, wiping the sweat from my eyes.

A low whimper came out of me as another wave of ripped bond pain hit. I shook it off, forcing my feet forward, like as if I moved further it would go away.

My foot caught on something soft and heavy. I went down hard, catching myself as I hit the forest ground.

I felt cold flesh brushed my fingers and I froze.

A pale hand was lying curled tight over a still stomach, blood, thick, dark and glossy soaking the leaves and dirt.

I jerked back and stared. The face was turned slightly toward the sky, blue eyes fixed and empty, leaves clung to tangled blonde hair. A big s***h cut across her stomach.

I knew that face. Everyone at Crestwood knew that face. I crawled closer on instinct, my heart pounding against my ribs. My hand hovered near her neck. She had no pulse, stone cold.

"Oh my god...." I whispered. "Catherine..."