Rejected By the Disabled Alpha

Chapter 4

Cyrus's POV

I exhaled sharply as the door closed behind her, the soft click of the lock fading into silence.

Finally.

With a groan, I grabbed my walking stick and pushed myself to my feet.

My leg trembled slightly, but the strength was there, it reminded me of the grueling hours spent building it back after the accident.

“Goodness,” I muttered, stretching my arms above my head. The muscles in my back ached from sitting in that damn chair all day. Faking it was exhausting, both physically and mentally.

She’s our mate.

The growl echoed in my head, my Lycan’s voice a low rumble of anger and frustration.

“Don’t start,” I snapped aloud, shaking my head as I moved toward the window.

She’s ours, the voice pressed. And you rejected her. Again. Why did you do this, Cyrus?

“She’s not ours,” I said firmly, gripping the edge of the windowsill as I stared out at the dark woods. “She’s nothing but a pawn sent by Ashbourne to spy on us. You know that as well as I do.”

She’s our fated mate, my Lycan growled. The Moon Goddess herself paired her with us, and you rejected her because of your pride. Because of your fear.

“My fear?” I laughed bitterly, the sound hollow even to my own ears. “Do you have any idea what will happen if they find out I’m not crippled anymore? The second Ashbourne suspects I’m even remotely capable of challenging him, he’ll send his lackeys to finish what they started. This is bigger than her. Bigger than us. We need to plan this carefully.”

And yet, you’re willing to let her suffer because of your paranoia.

I clenched my jaw, the muscles ticking as I fought to suppress the gnawing guilt that had been creeping in ever since I laid eyes on her. She didn’t ask for this. None of this is her fault.

“She’s in my pack now,” I said coldly, pushing away from the window and walking back toward my chair. “That makes her my responsibility, and I’ll deal with her as I see fit. End of discussion.”

You’re a fool, my Lycan spat, retreating into the corners of my mind. One day, you’ll regret this.

I ignored him, sinking back into the wheelchair with practiced ease.

My hands moved automatically, positioning my legs and adjusting the chair to look as though I hadn’t moved from it in hours. The ache in my muscles faded as I settled into the role once more, the facade sliding into place as easily as a mask.

“William,” I said aloud, opening the mind link.

“Yes, Alpha?”

“Come to my quarters,” I commanded. “Now.”

Within minutes, there was a knock at the door. William entered, his expression unreadable as he bowed slightly.

“Alpha.”

“I have an assignment for you,” I said, my voice steady and clipped. “The girl—Vane—Mara. I want her kept busy. Very busy.”

He tilted his head slightly. “Busy, Alpha?”

“Make sure she works,” I clarified, leaning back in the chair. “Cleaning, cooking, gardening,whatever tasks you can think of, assign them to her. And make it clear to the staff, no leniency. She’s not to be coddled.”

William’s brow furrowed briefly, but he nodded. “Understood. May I ask why?”

“Because she’ll leave on her own if she’s miserable enough,” I said simply. “I want her gone. And William?”

“Yes, Alpha?”

“Make sure the pack knows the Crescent Moon omega is not to be trusted. If I hear even a whisper of someone showing her kindness, they’ll answer to me. Do you understand?”

“Perfectly.”

“Good. Dismissed.”

William hesitated for a moment before bowing again and exiting the room. I waited until the sound of his footsteps faded before releasing a weary sigh.

You’ll regret this, my Lycan muttered again, but I ignored him.

“Remove your mind from her, Lycan,” I said quietly, my voice cold. “We have Kiara. That’s enough.”

****

Vanessa's POV

The kitchen smelled faintly of burnt bread and bitter herbs. My hands trembled as I carried the tray of tea toward the drawing room, the ceramic rattling softly against the silver.

The day had already been endless, scrubbing floors, trimming hedges in the freezing garden, and now this.

When I entered, my heart sank further. Kiara sat on one of the plush chairs by the fireplace, her long legs crossed elegantly, her golden hair cascading down her back like a waterfall of sunlight.

She was everything I wasn’t: tall, sexy, confident. She didn’t need anyone to tell her she belonged, she owned the room.

And she knew it.

I see why Cyrus was in love with her.

Compare to her, I was nothing.

“You’re late,” Kiara said, her voice cold as she glanced at me without fully looking.

“I’m sorry,” I murmured, lowering my head as I approached.

“Sorry doesn’t bring back my time, omega,” she said sharply. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting for this tea? Cyrus will hear about this.”

I froze at the mention of his name. Cyrus. The thought of him made my stomach twist in a knot I couldn’t untangle.

“I—it won’t happen again,” I stammered, placing the tray on the low table.

“It better not,” she said, snatching the cup with a delicate yet firm hand.

I turned to leave, desperate to escape her suffocating presence, but my hand brushed against the edge of the teapot. It tipped, the hot liquid spilling over and splashing onto her white gown.

The gasp she let out was sharp enough to cut through the air, and I froze in horror.

“You i***t!” Kiara screamed, jumping to her feet. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? This dress is imported from the best tailor in the realms! Do you think someone like you could ever afford even a thread of it?”

“I’m sorry!” I blurted, my voice trembling. “I didn’t mean to—”

Her slap came faster than I could react, the sharp sting spreading across my cheek like fire.

My head snapped to the side, my vision swimming as I stumbled backward.

“Sorry doesn’t fix this!” she snarled, grabbing my arm and yanking me forward. Her nails dug into my skin, sharp and unrelenting. “You’re useless! A waste of space! Ahh!!!”

I tried to pull away, but her grip was strong. The next blow came to my side, her hand balled into a fist.

Pain shot through my ribs, and I gasped, the air knocked from my lungs.

“Please stop…”

She didn't. She slapped me again. Blood gushing from my nose.

“Enough!”

The voice thundered through the room, freezing both of us in place.

My head spun toward the doorway, and my breath caught in my throat.

Cyrus stood there, his green eyes blazing with fury. But it wasn’t just that.

He was standing.

No wheelchair. No cane.

He stood with the strength and presence of an alpha, his posture commanding and unyielding.

My mind reeled, unable to process what I was seeing.

Kiara stepped back immediately, releasing my arm as though it burned her. “Cyrus… I—I didn’t mean—”

“Enough,” he said again, his voice low but laced with danger.

His gaze bore into her, his jaw tight. Slowly, he crossed the room, his movements deliberate and fluid.

I have only been here for two weeks, had he…been miraculously healed?

Each step he took felt like a revelation, my heart pounding louder with every second.

“You,” he said, pointing at Kiara. His voice was calm now, but there was a razor-sharp edge beneath it. “Out.”

“But—”

“Now,” he snapped, cutting her off.

Kiara hesitated, her lips trembling as she glanced between us, but she didn’t dare argue. She stormed past me, her heels clicking sharply against the floor, and disappeared through the doorway.

I stayed frozen, my body trembling from the pain and shock.

“You’re bleeding,” Cyrus said after a moment, his tone unreadable.

I glanced down at my arm, noticing the faint line of blood where Kiara’s nails had dug in. My legs felt weak beneath me as I tried to steady myself.

“I’m fine,” I said softly, my voice barely audible.

“No, you’re not,” he said, stepping closer.

I flinched instinctively, expecting another round of cruelty, but his hand reached out, not to hurt, but to inspect the wound.

His touch was gentle, his fingers brushing against my skin as he examined the cut.

I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think.

This man, this cruel, broken alpha who had rejected me so completely, was standing here, not crippled, not cold. For the first time, he looked almost… human.

But then his hand fell away, and the mask returned.

“Get yourself cleaned up,” he said briskly, stepping back. “And don’t spill anything again. Also you are expected in my quarters in the next thirty minutes.”