Chapter 8
1573 Words
Lila waited until the sun began to sink before leaving the pack settlement. She had spent the entire day trying to convince herself that she should let the matter go, but every time she remembered Selene's strange hesitation, the photograph on the bulletin board, and Kael's refusal to trust her, the same question returned.
Why had he rejected her?
She followed the old forest trail beyond the training grounds, keeping her pace steady despite the uneasiness twisting in her stomach. She knew Kael often came here after difficult council meetings, especially when he needed to be alone, and if he refused to answer her anywhere else, she would find him here.
The deeper she went, the quieter the pack became. The voices disappeared behind the trees, replaced by the crunch of leaves beneath her boots and the distant sound of running water. Lila kept moving until a familiar scent reached her.
Pine.
Smoke.
Blood.
She stopped.
Kael was somewhere ahead.
Her wolf immediately lifted its head, reacting to him before Lila could see him. The damaged Mate bond pulled sharply against her chest, and she pressed one hand against the ache.
“Stay calm.”
Her wolf didn't listen.
Lila pushed through a line of trees and found him standing beside the river.
Kael had his back to her, one hand resting against a tree while he stared at the water. His dark shirt was open at the collar, and his sleeves were pushed to his elbows. There was a fresh cut across his knuckles, still bleeding slightly.
He had heard her.
He didn't turn around.
“I told you not to come looking for me.”
Lila stopped several feet away.
“You didn't tell me that.”
“You should have understood.”
“I've never been good at understanding things you refuse to explain.”
Kael slowly turned.
His gaze landed on her face, and something unreadable crossed his expression before disappearing.
“What do you want?”
“The truth.”
“You already know the truth.”
“No.” Lila shook her head. “I know what you said. That's not the same thing.”
Kael's jaw tightened.
“You rejected me in front of everyone.”
“Yes.”
“You told me I was too weak.”
“Yes.”
“You let them laugh at me.”
His eyes hardened. “I didn't tell them to.”
“You didn't stop them either.”
Kael said nothing.
Lila took another step toward him.
“Why?”
He looked away.
That small movement made her chest ache more than she expected.
“Look at me.”
Kael's gaze returned to hers.
“Why did you reject me?”
“Because I had to.”
The answer came so quickly that Lila almost laughed.
“Had to?”
“Yes.”
“Who forced you?”
“No one.”
“Then you didn't have to.”
Kael's expression darkened.
“You don't understand what being my Mate means.”
“I understand enough.”
“No, you don't.”
“I know it means the Alpha chooses a partner who can stand beside him.”
“And you can't.”
Lila went still.
Kael's voice remained cold.
“You heard me.”
She swallowed.
“Because I'm weak?”
“Yes.”
The word landed cleanly.
No hesitation.
No apology.
Lila stared at him, waiting for the pain to come.
It did.
But it wasn't the same pain as before.
This time, anger burned through it.
“You really believe that?”
“I know it.”
“You've known me since I was a child.”
“I know.”
“You've watched me train.”
“I have.”
“You've seen me shift.”
“Yes.”
“Then how can you stand there and tell me I'm weak?”
Kael's eyes narrowed.
“Because being strong enough to survive a training session isn't the same as being strong enough to stand beside an Alpha.”
Lila's hands curled into fists.
“What exactly am I supposed to survive?”
“You don't know what comes with my position.”
“Then tell me.”
Kael remained silent.
Lila stepped closer.
“Tell me what makes me unworthy.”
His expression shifted at the word.
Unworthy.
She saw it.
A tiny hesitation.
But it was gone before she could understand it.
“You want an answer?”
“Yes.”
Kael stared at her for a long moment.
Then he said, “You're not worthy.”
The forest seemed to go quiet.
Lila felt her fingers turn cold.
“That's it?”
“Yes.”
“That's your explanation?”
“You wanted the truth.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I wanted a reason.”
“You don't need one.”
“I do.”
Her voice cracked, but she refused to look away.
“I need to know what I did that made you decide I wasn't worth choosing.”
“You didn't do anything.”
“Then why?”
Kael's jaw clenched.
“Because I made a decision.”
“About me.”
“Yes.”
“Without asking me.”
“You didn't get a choice.”
The words made Lila stare at him.
For a moment, she couldn't speak.
Then she gave a quiet laugh.
“That's what you think?”
Kael frowned.
“You think because you're the Alpha, you can decide whether I'm worthy?”
“I think I know what is best for my pack.”
“And I'm not part of your pack?”
“You are.”
“But I'm not worth standing beside you.”
Kael didn't answer.
Lila felt the anger inside her grow hotter.
“You know what hurts the most?”
He looked at her.
“It isn't that you rejected me.”
His expression changed slightly.
“It isn't even that you did it in front of everyone.”
She took another step forward.
“You looked at me like you had never known me.”
Kael's hands tightened at his sides.
Lila saw it.
For the first time, she knew her words had reached him.
“You knew me before you were Alpha,” she continued. “You knew me before everyone started calling you the strongest wolf in the pack. You knew exactly who I was.”
Kael's voice dropped.
“Lila.”
“No. Let me finish.”
She wiped at the corner of her eye before the tear could fall.
“You don't get to decide that I'm weak after spending half your life watching me fight to become stronger.”
Kael stared at her.
Something flickered in his eyes.
Regret?
Lila couldn't tell.
Then his face hardened again.
“You should go.”
She almost couldn't believe him.
“That's all you have to say?”
“Yes.”
“After everything?”
“Yes.”
Lila looked at him for a long moment.
Then she nodded slowly.
“Fine.”
Kael's eyes followed her.
She turned away.
Her wolf immediately fought against the distance, pulling toward him with every step.
Don't leave.
Lila clenched her teeth.
“I'm leaving.”
He's our Mate.
“He rejected us.”
We still belong together.
Lila stopped.
Her eyes burned.
“No.”
She turned back toward Kael.
“You don't get to reject me and still expect me to belong to you.”
Kael's expression changed.
For the first time, he looked genuinely caught off guard.
Lila held his gaze.
“You made your choice.”
She pointed toward his chest.
“Now live with it.”
Kael took one step toward her.
“Lila.”
She stepped back.
“Don't.”
He stopped.
The distance between them suddenly felt larger than the entire forest.
Lila's voice was quiet when she spoke again.
“I came here because I thought there had to be something I didn't understand.”
Kael said nothing.
“Now I understand.”
She turned away again.
“I wasn't rejected because I did something wrong.”
Kael's gaze stayed on her back.
“I was rejected because you decided I wasn't worth the trouble.”
“That isn't what I said.”
“It's what you meant.”
Lila walked away.
She didn't look back.
Not even when she heard Kael's footsteps behind her.
He stopped after a few seconds.
“Lila.”
She kept walking.
“Wait.”
Her feet almost obeyed.
Almost.
Then she remembered him standing before the entire pack.
You're too weak.
She kept going.
Behind her, Kael remained beneath the trees.
For several seconds, he didn't move.
Then his fist slammed against the trunk beside him.
The bark cracked beneath his knuckles.
He stared at the blood running down his hand.
He had wanted her to leave.
He had told himself that this was necessary.
So why did watching her walk away feel like losing something he had never realized he possessed?
Lila didn't know what was happening behind her.
She only knew that each step away from Kael hurt less than the one before.
The bond still ached.
Her wolf still wanted him.
But for the first time, Lila wanted something more than his acceptance.
She wanted her own life back.
And she would start building it without him.
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