The Alpha’s Regret, The Lycan King’s Obsession

Chapter 11

Silas POV

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

Mate. She is our mate. Go back to her. Claim her. Protect her.

“Shut up, Ray,” I grunted aloud, slamming my locker door shut so hard it echoed down the athletic wing corridor. The few wolves lingering near the showers flinched, casting nervous sideways glances at me before quickly scattering out the double doors.

None of them dared say a word. They could feel the unstable pressure rolling off me.

You broke the bond, Ray snarled, his voice deep and laced with rage. In our shared consciousness, my wolf was pacing with his ears pinned back, his massive jaws dripping with saliva, his sharp, obsidian eyes glowing with fury. You severed what the Moon Goddess forged with your own hands. You left her broken on the floor!

She is NOT my mate! I yelled back, my hands clenching into tight fists. Do you hear me? She’s nothing! She’s a low-ranking, wolfless scholarship freak! I am Silas River—the heir to the Half Moon Pack! I am supposed to rule this territory, Ray! How the hell am I supposed to stand before the high council with a Luna who can’t even shift?!

She is our mate! Ray roared, the force of his howl sending a pain right behind my temples. My knees buckled slightly, and I had to grab the top of the bench to keep from falling. She was chosen for us! You threw her away for that trash!

"Stop this, Ray!" I hissed through my teeth, my jaw working furiously as cold sweat broke out across the back of my neck. "Hailey is what this pack needs! Hailey has pure Alpha blood, a high-ranking family, status, and power! She knows how to walk into a room and command respect!"

Hailey is not our mate! Ray bit back, his growl vibrating so hard in my chest that my breathing turned shallow and ragged. She smells of cheap perfume! Every time you touch her, I gag! I want to sink my teeth into your own neck for being a blind, pathetic fool!

"Enough!" I roared in my head, using my alpha voice to crush Ray into submission.

Usually, my alpha voice was strong enough to bend my wolf to my will. But today? Ever since the day I rejected her—Ray was fighting me with every strength he possessed. He refused to submit.

I dragged my palm down my face, my chest heaving as I tried to regain control of my breathing.

“You feel it too,” Ray whispered, his tone suddenly dropping from furious into a dark, tormenting purr that cut deeper than any physical blow. Don't lie to me, Silas. You feel the void.

"I feel fine," I lied to the quiet locker room.

Liar, Ray growled softly. Your chest burns every time you take a breath. Your blood feels cold. Your instincts are screaming because half of your soul is missing. You severed the bond, but you couldn't erase the stain of her memory. Every time you close your eyes, what do you see?

My eyes squeezed shut involuntarily, and instantly, the memory flooded my vision.

Hazel.

Trembling in her faded sweater. Her almond eyes filled with tears that spilled over her pale, delicate cheeks. The terrible gasp that had escaped her soft pink lips when I barked those words at her.

I had expected relief after saying it. I had expected to walk out of that room feeling like a man who had successfully dodged a massive, reputation-destroying bullet.

Instead, the moment I realized she had accepted my rejection, an unbelievable pain went straight into my heart.

Over the last few days, I hadn't slept for more than an hour at a time. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her tearful eyes. Every time I walked down the hallways and saw her cowering near her locker, looking smaller and more fragile than ever, a sickening knot tightened in my stomach.

I hated it. I hated her for doing this to me.

Look at what you let them do to her, Ray snarled, dragging me back to reality as his claws scraped against my walls. You let that blonde bit*h and her flying monkeys bully her, in front of the entire school!

"I had to!" I defended, pacing up and down the row of benches, my voice echoing off the walls. "If I showed even a second of sympathy, people would start asking questions! Hailey is already suspicious! I had to make it clear to everyone—including Hazel—that she means nothing to me!"

My jaw clenched so hard that my teeth ached.

"She is useless! She's eighteen and wolfless! A scholarship girl with a drunk mother! She has no power! No family backing her up! She would drag my name into the dirt!"

She is our mate, Ray repeated, his tone dropping. She is our mate. She is our mate. She is our mate.

"Stop saying that!" I roared, gripping my head in both hands as a blinding pain flashed through my head.

"Silas?"

Hailey stepped into the hallway, her heels clicking loudly against the tile floor. She was wearing a designer crimson dress, her blonde hair styled to perfection, her manicured hands holding a fresh cup of iced coffee. She paused, her eyes taking me in.

A flicker of annoyance passed over her face, quickly replaced by a bright smile.

"Babe, what are you doing in here?" Hailey asked, stepping closer, her heavy perfume instantly filling my nose. She reached out, her hand resting on my chest, trying to smooth down the wrinkled collar of my shirt.

Usually, her touch felt like an absolute victory—a reminder that I had secured the premier female of the central territory.

Today, the moment her fingers touched me, my skin crawled. A violent wave of revulsion rushed through my veins.

Get her off us, Ray growled, a dangerous snarl rising in his throat. She smells wrong. She isn't her.

I flinched, instinctively taking a step backward, pulling myself out of Hailey's reach.

Hailey’s hand froze in mid-air. Her bright smile faltered, her eyes staring at me.

"What is wrong with you?” Hailey demanded, her sweet facade dropping as her voice turned sharp. "You’ve been acting strange these past few days!" She took a step closer, her eyes filled with jealous rage. "Is this about that scholarship trash? Is this about Hazel?!"

"No," I growled, my voice raspy and harsh. "It has nothing to do with her. I'm just stressed."

Hailey searched my face for a long moment. Finally, she let out an irritated sigh, smoothing down her dress.

"Well, fix your attitude," she snapped, turning on her heel toward the door. "The Lycan King will be here tomorrow. I will not have my future Alpha looking like an unhinged mess in front of royalty."

She walked out, the heavy door slamming shut behind her.

I stood alone in the quiet locker room, leaning my forehead against the cold metal locker, surrounded by the deafening, endless chant echoing inside my soul.

Mate. She is your mate. And you threw her away.