RECLAIMING HIS ONCE REJECTED MATE

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Emilia's POV

"Maximilian, I am more than just a fighter in this pack. In addition, I am Luna and your wife. Considering that your mistress is not a member of this pack, please explain why an apology is necessary. I pointed an irate finger at Lena and let out a scream.

All Maximilian could do was sneer. He gave me a derisive look, as though I were a joke. "You are so delusional!" His tone was heavy with irritation as he responded.

"When have I ever seen you as my mate and Luna?" The question he posed struck me deeply and intensely. My chest hurt more deeply and more acutely than I had anticipated. "If it wasn’t for you, Lena and I wouldn’t have separated."

A chilling sense of shock swept through me as I froze. I never anticipated he'd blame me for what transpired between him and Lena.

I stumbled out and said, "Maximilian... I'm your mate," my voice shaking.

"A mate that I never wanted!" His words shattered what remained of my crushed heart as he roared.

"The Moon Goddess selected us to be together, Ma-Maximilian. Please explain why you chose someone else over me. The rejection made the beast inside of me whimper.

His words fatally struck my heart, breaking the mate link.

"I don't care! I have been unaffected from the beginning! All you are is a Pack Warrior. If you hadn't tricked my dad into making me mark you, I'd have chosen Lena as my Luna.

I stood motionless, gasping for air as I gazed into his eyes. I knew he was telling the truth, but hearing him say it stung more than I had anticipated. I had sensed the absence of affection and the distance between us throughout the years. Could you imagine hearing it spoken aloud? Nothing was as impactful as that.

"I never manipulated your father, Maximilian." I defended myself by saying, "I never asked him to force us into this marriage," in a voice that was almost audible above a whisper.

"Really? If you hadn't lied to my father, why would he make me mark a mere warrior?" Maximilian shot back, and I couldn't say anything. His accusation left me feeling powerless, even though I was speaking the truth. If he thought differently, how could I possibly prove my innocence?

"You have already caused Lena a great deal of suffering." You no longer need to discipline her," Maximilian growled, his voice low and menacing. The coldness of what he said made my body go rigid.

With my head racing, I went silent. Maximilian believed that I had ruined everything for him and Lena. I was seen by him as the bad one, the one who tricked her way into being the Pack Luna and took him away from the lady he loved.

As he turned to see Lena, who was still standing there and appeared frail, his eyes abruptly softened. "How are you, Lena? Is there anything that hurts? With an intensity I had never seen focused on me, Maximilian fussed over Lena and questioned her, his fury melting away.

As I watched Maximilian kneel next to Lena and hold her as if she were the most valuable thing in the world, I blinked and felt my stomach turn violently. Perhaps she was also precious to him. That was the first time he had ever glanced at me.

Lena's voice faltered as she glanced up at him and gripped his sleeve desperately. "I'm okay, but I'm afraid," she said. "I fell quite hard. What if the baby suffered an injury? I need to seek medical attention at the hospital. Until I'm certain the baby is okay, I won't be able to sleep."

Without saying another word, Maximilian took Lena into his arms, his features softening with compassion. He comforted her, "Don’t worry, I’ll take you to the hospital," and they hurried off in that direction.

I stood there feeling as though I had no significance to him at all.

Looking at the calendar, my lips curled slightly. We celebrated our anniversary today. No one cared. Maximilian certainly didn't.

I was going to surprise him by telling him that I was expecting his child. However, my heart broke into pieces, leaving me alone in the dust.

I knew Maximilian would expect his office to be immaculate when he got there, so I headed for it. I occupied myself with organizing his office and clearing up the mess Lena had created. It was as immaculate as it had been when I finished.

It was only at that point that I attended to my leg wound. Although it was deep and lengthy, I had witnessed many worse wounds in my time as a Pack Warrior. I'd dealt with similar injuries a thousand times before. The situation didn't warrant much attention. But knowing that Maximilian was hurrying to attend to Lena's every need without hesitation while I was hurt made me seem even worse.

After firmly wrapping the bandage around my leg, I locked Maximilian's office door behind me. I was about to head out when I heard my name called.

"Emilia."

Startled, I turned. Maximilian's uncle Antonio was standing there in the darkness.

The kindness in his face brought me relief. Antonio, the Alpha of the Desert Wind Pack, had always treated me well. I didn't think he would be here tonight.

"What happened to your leg?" Antonio's eyebrows narrowed when he saw the bandage covering my leg.

I made an effort to grin. "It's nothing. It was only a practice injury.

Antonio's eyes remained fixed as his frown became deeper. "Are you certain? That wound appears to be new, and it's late. There appears to be a problem.

I tried to ignore it and waved him away. "I'm just exhausted, Antonio." I'm okay, really."

He didn't believe it. His eyes were filled with worry, but he didn't press. Antonio maintained my personal space even though he was aware of what I was concealing.

It wasn't the proper time, but I wanted to tell him everything.

Antonio called again, "Emilia," as I turned to go.

I stopped and turned to face him again.

To my surprise, he said, "Happy Anniversary," in a quiet voice.

As the words replayed in my head, I gazed at him with a sinking heart. Antonio remembered, but Maximilian didn't even.

I wanted to thank him, but he turned and left before I could say anything, leaving me feeling a void in my chest. I could see the sadness in his eyes.

My phone rang, startling me out of my reverie. When I saw the caller ID "the hospital" my heart fell.

"Hello?"

"Please arrive at the hospital right away, Mrs. Garcia. Your grandma ..."

I didn't wait for her to finish. I transformed into a wolf and sprinted as fast as I could in the direction of the hospital.

Although I was aware that my grandma had been ill for some time, I wasn't prepared for this. This did not come as quickly as I had anticipated.

A familiar nurse hurried to greet me when I got there. Mrs. Garcia, please proceed promptly. It's unlikely that your grandmother will live for very long."

"Lena?" I froze as a voice called.

Lena was the one.

"Why are you in this place? Here to mess with us once more?" Her eyes glared at me with a hatred I didn't deserve, taunting me with her words.

The task was not something I had time for. I had to be with my grandmother as she passed away.

"Hey! I was conversing with you. I ignored Lena and headed for the elevator, but she shouted after me. However, I was impatient for it. I bolted for the stairs.

She screamed after me, "Emilia!" in a poisonous voice.

Lena abruptly grabbed my arm and pulled me back as I continued to run. I regained my balance after almost losing it.

I yelled, "Let go of me," as I attempted to break free of her hold. She paused for a moment, then suddenly screamed and hurled herself down the stairs.

As I stared with terror, my breath seized in my throat.

"Lena!" I hurried to her side as I gasped.

Maximilian showed up there before I could get to her, running toward us with fear in his eyes.

"Lena!" Kneeling next to her, his hand hanging over her stomach, he yelled.

Panic struck as he realized Lena was bleeding.

When he looked up at me, his eyes were filled with an anger I’d never seen before.

"You did this!" He growled, his eyes piercing me like a dagger.

"I didn’t—" My voice trailed off.

With tears running down her cheeks, Lena held on to his arm. "She gave me a shove! She attempted to murder both the infant and me.

Maximilian's gaze grew stony. "Emilia, stay put. I have to check on Lena and the infant. Until I say so, you're not leaving."

"But my grandmother—" I began, trembling.

He said, "No excuses," returning his focus to Lena.

I fell on my knees and begged him. "Please, just let me see her before she dies."

Maximilian didn't even acknowledge me. All he could think of was Lena.

A doctor with a stressed expression came out of the emergency department after what seemed like an eternity.

He declared that "Lena and the baby are stable," although I hardly heard him say it.

In the hopes that I wouldn't be late, I hurried to my grandmother's room.

I walked into her room and whispered, "Grandma..."

The blaring heart monitor had stopped beeping as she lay motionless. The final indication that I had arrived too late was the loud flatline.

I collapsed next to her bed, tears welling up in my eyes.

I sobbed as I held her limp corpse in my arms. "Grandma..."

My tears would not cease. She had left.

Maximilian kept me away from her when she most needed me.