Bittersweet Rejection

Three

ALYSSA

A REFLECTION OF THE PAST

‘Please, let go of me, Derek...”, I stammered, my voice broken.

The mere mention of his name from my lips had his grip tightened impossibly, turning my wrists impossibly paler. I whimpered in pain as I struggled even if it’s nil. His smirk vanished and his face void of any emotion with eyes turning darker. The anger was evident, and I had triggered it.

I was once again trapped in his cellar, and he was drunk. When he saw me talking to another servant werewolf man while serving in the common cafeteria within the West Wing, he whispered to his soldier his intent.

The next thing I knew, I was summoned to a room where I meet two of his guards. I fought my way out of their hands but they dragged me into his private cellar, a big room full of aged wine where only limited people come. The guards pushed me into the room, I fell on my knees while staring at the man before me, he smiled in a way a hunter sees his prey.

I can only imagine how this will turn.

We were alone and he can do anything he wants with me but I hate to submit to such a callous, bitter man. I ignored the nagging pain and stood upright before dashing back to the heavy wooden doors. I felt his steps, low and unhurried, approaching me. Without looking at his direction, I ran further into a wall but with his speed and strength, he cornered me.  I defiantly stared up to him, which earned me a good slap.

“Have you forgotten who you’re talking to, Omega?”, he hissed, his breath smelt liquor as he took his other hand at the junction between my neck and shoulder, his hard pinch left a mark on the skin. He painfully aimed at the spot where mates mark each other out of possession and love. His actions mocked the ritual of claiming and marking mates.

His eyes were wandering from my lips, neck and down to my chest as he kept his face impassive. It unnerved me uncomfortably. His hand once again took my left wrist, putting a tight grip on my small bones.

“I am your Alpha.”

“A-Alpha King Derek, please let me go.”, I begged.

“Your position will never change as you will always be the packs’ Omega. I do not want you as the Luna and my wife. A weakling such as yourself…”, he spat his words angrily as he glared. I just stared but my tears kept flowing with his hurtful words—every word felt like a stab. “…do not belong to my hierarchy. You belong to the lowest. So, Alyssa, no matter what you do, you will be stuck here, mateless and alone as I choose a deserving mate to take the Luna’s role.”

I had trouble breathing. I lowered my gaze, feeling my whole world crumbled in just a mere minute.

“Mateless…”, I whispered. “I have to suffer the pain of being mateless while you live your life happy.”

I took courage to gaze directly in his eyes, which reflected surprise.

“I am entitled to marry anyone as a pack member. Even if I am an Omega, I am entitled to have my own happiness.”, I continued.  “That’s power manipulation, Alpha. You’ve rejected and hurt me; I think that’s more than enough.”

His lips pressed tightly as a grim expression was on his face. But I felt the nothing, emptiness settled all too quickly in my heart, “You are far more bold, Omega. But I guess it is fair of me to give you your happiness.”

I gave him a small pained smile. “Thank you.”

He harshly shoved me back as he stood up and walked. But as he turned the door handle, I let out words I longed to say. He froze shortly as he heard my soft voice.

“Time will come and you will regret your words.”

Four days had passed and I am back to being the omega of the pack. Being the overall maid and punching bag is something I learned to live with.  The pain wasn’t as painful as before. Days and hardships made them feel dull.

My arms were filled with bruises varying from the darkest to the palest. Despite this, I am in a hurry to finish my chores or I’ll receive more beatings from the pack warriors.

I sighed deeply, which caused me to gag and cough. The hand I used as my mouth cover had some bloodstains on it. No one knew of my condition other than the pack doctor Emily who was kind to me since the very beginning. I rather knew this will happened.

When a mate rejects his bond with his destined mate, the female counterpart will suffer signs like this. On the male part, he will not be able to conceive a child of his own. It is a curse casted on those going against the bond prophecy given by the Moon Goddess. Along with the rejection, on extreme cases, the wolf of the mate slowly dies. The curse solidifies when the female counterpart dies from the dangerous signs she feels.

Emily stressed my wolf and I were getting weaker but she had sworn secrecy. There were no further studies with wolf rejections for centuries, most of it either in smallest section of the book or heresy. Most accept their mates because the bond was irreversible and undeniably strong emotions.

The toll of rejection will kill me eventually and I welcomed it with open arms. My mate hates me and I see no reason to stay, maybe if I see someone I like I can possibly fall but it can never measure up to the emotions I have for him. He will only watch in the sidelines as I slowly crumble in his eyes.

The Olive Forest Pack hold the strongest members with consists of wolves, vampires and hybrids living and fighting side by side. The government is ruled by monarch and is addressed not by King or Sire but Alpha King and Luna Queen. Both kinds agreed it this way since it is due to the wolves’ efforts that truce and harmony is achieved.

The current Alpha, my mate was a hybrid: his mother a werewolf and a father of vampire. He can shift to a werewolf and let out fangs like a vampire.  Granted with both abilities at such young age of 16, he took the position of Alpha King.

Since then, females of each kind came throwing themselves on his way for the Luna Queen position only to be spoiled by someone as low class as myself. Everyone knew I am his rejected mate. I can felt it from the way they look at me with all hatred, anger and some…have pity.

The bullies didn’t stop; instead, it doubled with each passing day.

I wiped the window glass of the second floor, west wing when I suddenly had the urge to cough. With my dirty hands, I coughed hard, my shoulders shaking as I rested my back in the wall. Luckily, no one is around to see me in this situation. When it stopped, I looked into my hands to see it stained.

“Dear Alyssa, are you okay?”

That voice had me gaping in shock as I turned to its source. The current Alpha King’s father, the previous Alpha William stood proud and regal with such worry gracing his face. The years and loss of his Luna had aged his once handsome, boyish look, turning it to mature and wise but lonely old man.

I was stunned in silence.

“Dear?”, he asked, his voice was a bit more worried.

“Ah, yes, I’m very sorry, Alpha William.”, I said with respect. “I am fine. Thank you for asking. I will go now and resume my duties.  Good day, Alpha William.”

With that, I hurriedly went out as I took the pail of water and the rug in my hands. I will resume cleaning the windows later. The hallways were unusually quiet and I thank the Mood Goddess to give me a spare time to calm my nerves even for a bit.

Sitting at the side wooden bench, I stretched my muscles and focused my eyes outside where I can spot the huge century old Acacia tree with its leaves dancing along the soft morning breeze.

I took my long sleeves off my upper body, only my nude colored sleeveless shirt left in place—the only thing I had close to an undergarment aside from my panties. I need to dry the sweat off my body from my early work before I took another job or else my condition will get worse than it already is. I only can conceal my bruises with long sleeves and my long raven hair, which I always put in bun style.

My clothes were very odd and old. It was one of the pack’s old stuff and it made me looked older than my age number.  I remembered some of the kitchen’s errands to be completed for today’s dinner. I took the empty pail and scrubber when I heard heavy foots steps behind.

 “Why are you here, Omega?”, an authoritative voice had me turning, only to find another Alpha.

Alpha Lord Jason Ash stood in his great towering 6’1 height and full muscle frame. There were wolf guards behind him, dressed in casual black uniform, waiting in silence at their master.  His hands were on his hips; his face had this questioning and annoyed look. Overall, he is very attractive, oozing with such strong physical and s****l charisma.

Well, he certainly was confused with my presence when the Alpha King himself declared a ban all omegas to be in this particular section of the castle. Not even the cleaning ones. 

Rendered speechless, my gaze was casted on the floor as I am afraid to get any sort of punishment.

“I didn’t know an Omega like you could hold such breathtaking sight.”, the slow steps towards me, triggered me to move backwards. He seized my arm up and there, I turned to look up to him with tears brimmed my eyes while he had his obvious triumph look.

“Please…”, I stammered as I looked up to his face. I felt disgusted when I could register the same look of pure lust Derek had on the night of my escape. “U-unhand me Sir.”

His grip on my arm tightened, I swallowed hard as I started to shake. “Should I take the honor between your legs , little Alyssa?”

“Let her go, Jason.”, a firm voice had me cowering back but Jason’s grip was stopping me. I knew the owner of that voice. It was embedded in my being to know him despite everything that had happened between us. Though he remained impassive as his eyes stared at mine, I can help but feel relieved he was there to stop his friend at the right time.

Jason remained his eyes on my being while a new set of people was standing a few feet behind us. He hissed and let go of my wrists before mouthing series of colorful curses in the air while looking at me.

The look of his eyes was very dark like it was his wolf doing and not him.

“Why do you let an unmarked tease walk around in the halls, Derek?”, he said, more calmly than he looked. I turned to look at Derek walking towards him, a look of impassiveness turned to displeasure at the mere sight of me. “If no one’s marking her, I will take pleasure in doing so.”

“A more pressing issue is waiting for us, Jason.”, he said simply and with that, they walked past me. I turned to stare at them, their backs facing me. I was saddened, hurt and alone—nothing is new, I always feel that way.  I hurriedly walked towards the back room, were rugs and all sets of cleaning materials kept—somewhere everyone thinks I belong.

Tears threatened to fall but despite the control I have, I just let them fall anyway. The door creaked open and I wiped my tears. There stood my beautiful twin sister, Isabella. She contrasted everything I am. She was light as I was night.

Isabella was holding a basket—something that smelt well.

“I brought you tasty foods and good clothes.”, she said simply as she sat down next to me.