FATED TO MY FATHER'S BETA

REJECTION'S EDGE

POV: Kael

The Alpha command dragged me back like chains around my bones.

Every step toward the pack hall felt like walking into a fire that was about to consume me. My wolf raged inside me, slamming against my ribs, howling for the mate I had abandoned.

By the time I reached the doors, my shirt was gone, torn apart during my shift. My skin burned, sweat soaked my body, and my hands shook so badly I had to clench them into fists, so I wouldn't lose control of myself.

The doors opened, and an unexplained silence hit me first. Then the weight of Alpha Magnus.

He stood at the center of the hall, power rolling off him in thick waves. His eyes locked on me, sharp and really deadly.

“You,” he said, his voice low and dangerous.

I dropped to one knee, not by choice. The command forced me down, pinning me like a tornado.

“My daughter,” he continued, stepping closer, “is your mate.”

The word echoed like a curse. Gasps filled the hall again. I kept my head bowed, jaw tight.

“You betrayed me,” Magnus snarled. “You betrayed this pack. You have watched her grow. You know better.”

“I did not choose this,” I said, my voice rough.

“Neither did she,” he shot back. “Yet you walked away.”

I felt her before I saw her. Aria stood near the platform, wrapped in a cloak, her face dull, eyes too bright. Silver light still clung to her skin like she was carved from the moon itself.

My chest ached with pain seeing my mate in a clumsy condition.

“She is a child,” Magnus said. “And you are my Beta.”

“I know,” I replied. “That is why this is wrong.”

A sharp crack split the air. Magnus’s hand hit the stone pillar beside my head, nearly moving my head side bridge.

“The Moon Goddess does not make mistakes,” he roared.

The words burned my throat, but I forced them out anyway. “She does, maybe…”

The hall exploded with the noise of different calibers. I lifted my head, meeting his stare. “The Moon Goddess makes mistakes. This is one of them.”

Aria sucked in a breath as I had struck her. Magnus stared at me in disbelief. “You dare say that.”

“I dare say I need time,” I said. “Three days. Let me clear my head.”

“You do not get time when my daughter’s life is at risk,” he snapped.

Before he could say more, Aria moved with a calculated precision. She rushed toward me, her bare feet slapping against the stone. Before anyone could stop her, her hands grabbed my arms.

Lightning shot through me, something inexplicable. My wolf surged forward, claws scraping my mind, desperate to pull her closer. Her scent wrapped around me. My hands twitched, aching to hold her.

“Kael,” she whispered. “Please.”

For one terrifying second, I almost gave in. Then I ripped myself free.

“Do not touch me again,” I said coldly.

The words tasted like urine. Her face crumpled, pain flashing across her eyes. I turned away before it destroyed what little control I had left.

“I need three days,” I said to Magnus. “If I stay, I will hurt her. Or myself. Or both.”

Magnus’s jaw tightened. “If this bond remains incomplete, it will poison her. It could kill her.”

I felt it then. The truth of it. The bond is already pulling, already burning.

“Three days,” I repeated. “That is all I ask.”

Magnus stared at me for a long moment. Then he nodded once. “Three days. If you fail her, I will not.”

I left without looking back. The night stretched endlessly. Even miles away, I felt her. Her pain wrapped around my chest, tightening with every hour. By morning, it was unbearable.

At dawn, I went to the river to clear my head. It was the only place my wolf would not destroy everything around me.

The water was cold, rushing fast over stone. I stood at the edge, breathing hard, fists clenched.

“She is suffering,” my wolf growled.

“I know,” I whispered. I sensed her before she spoke.

“Kael.”

I turned after hearing my name. Aria stood on the bank, swaying on her feet. Her skin was flushed, her lips pale. She looked exhausted, fragile, nothing like the powerful silver wolf from last night.

“Why did you come,” I asked, my voice tight.

“Because I can barely stand,” she said. “And because you are the reason.”

I stepped back. “You should not be here.”

“I am burning,” she snapped. “I can’t sleep. I can’t eat. Every part of me hurts, every part of my soul wants you.”

The bond pulsed between us, so sharp and demanding. My wolf pushed forward, eyes flashing gold. I felt my control slip, just enough for the truth to spill out.

“I can’t reject you,” I said.

Hope flared in her eyes.

“And I can’t have you either,” I finished.

The hope was shattered. Her shoulders straightened, pain hardening into something else.

“Then I will survive,” she said. “With or without you."