Chapter 4
836 Words
Jane
Being rejected wasn’t enough for my so-called mate; he went as far as humiliating my mother and me. What kind of mate does that? Why did it have to be him out of everyone at the party?
I never wished for a dominating Alpha as my mate. A Beta, a Gamma, even an Omega would have been enough for me. All I ever wanted was someone who would love me. Instead, I got hell, and it’s consuming me from the inside out.
If only I had a wolf, if only I were stronger than him, maybe I wouldn’t feel so weak. Maybe I wouldn’t be locked in my room, too ashamed to step outside. My emotions are drained, my will to live shattered. After tonight, I can’t face anyone. All I want to do is cry myself to sleep.
A knock at my door pulls me from my despair.
“Jane, please open the door,” my mother calls. She’s been knocking since we got back, but I can’t bring myself to let her in. “Jane, please, we need to talk.”
“Mother, I’m tired. Just leave me alone,” I manage between sobs. But she persists, her voice full of desperation. With a weary sigh, I force myself up and unlock the door.
“What is it, Mother?” I ask, wiping my tears.
She bursts into sobs and pulls me into a tight embrace. “I’m so sorry, love. For everything. I should have protected you. I feel so worthless.”
“Don’t say that, Mother. You stood up for me, and that means everything. You’re the best mother I could ever wish for.”
She pulls away, wiping my tears with her thumb. “Everything will be okay, I promise.”
“Mother, no one here likes me. No one wants to be my friend. Even Father despises me. What did I do wrong? Is it just because I have no wolf?”
“Don’t say that, sweetie. Your father loves you.”
“No, he doesn’t. You heard him at the party. He would reject me if he could. I can’t stay here anymore, Mother. I need to leave this place. I need to leave this hell.”
“What? You want to leave me, Jane? What did I do wrong?”
“Nothing, Mother. You’ve always been kind to me, but I can’t stay. I feel like a burden to you,” I whisper. “People blame you for giving birth to someone like me.”
“Even if they do, I don’t care. I love you, Jane. Please, don’t leave me.”
“I have to, Mother. I’m falling apart. If I stay, I’ll drown in this misery. I can’t take it anymore.”
Silence. My mother opens her mouth, but no words come.
“I just want you to be happy,” she finally says, her voice trembling. “If leaving will make you happy, I’ll help you. My sister, your aunt, is the Luna of a neighboring pack. I’ll send you to her. You can start fresh there.”
“Thank you, Mother. I love you.”
“I love you too, my darling.”
For the first time in a long while, hope flickers in my heart. A new life, a new beginning. As we embrace, the door swings open.
“There you are, Clara. I’ve been looking for you,” my father mutters. Then his eyes land on me. “What are you doing with this girl?”
“Why do you hate me so much, Father?” I ask, my voice no longer trembling. I need to hear it from him. I need to know why he despises me.
“Father?” He scoffs. “You think I see you as my daughter? Even your mate, who was supposed to love you, rejected you without hesitation. You are nothing but a disgrace to me, Jane. You always have been.”
“Joshua, how can you say such cruel things?” my mother yells, tugging at his arm. “She’s our daughter!”
“Your daughter, not mine,” he spits. “Stop calling her mine, Clara. She’s an embarrassment. Other fathers take pride in their daughters. What about me? I have nothing but disgrace.”
“Father.”
“Shut up. I’d rather die than acknowledge you as my child.”
“You bastard!” My mother screams, striking him. He glares at her but doesn’t fight back.
“Let me go, Clara. We both know the truth. Admit it. She is a disgrace.”
I stand there, frozen, as the words sink in. My father—the man who should love and protect me—wishes I never existed.
“My love,” my mother sobs, holding me tight. “I will always be here for you.”
“Urghh!” my father roars before storming out, leaving only the sound of my mother’s quiet weeping and my shattered heart behind.
- Writer
