Rejected by my Rival Alpha

CHAPTER THREE

Amelia

My eyes flutter open.

And then everything hits me all at one, like a goddamn dream.

Mere hours ago…

My eyes slide to Ethan on the driver seat, reclined in his chair, shirtless, with his zipper undone. The light off his phone screen reflects the frown on his face as he stares down at it in his hand.

A groggy smile pulls on my lips. So serious. Even the amazing moment we shared just hours ago isn’t enough to put a lasting smile on his face. I reach for him blindly, resting the palm of my hand on his chest, “Is everything okay?”

His hand closes around my wrist, pulling it off and away from his chest. He tosses the limb away so hard, the back of my hand hits the steering wheel with force. Grimacing, I sit up in the seat, holding my discarded dress to my chest to cover myself.

“Ethan, what-”

“Get out.”

I feel my entire body freeze, “What?”

“I didn’t f*****g stutter, did I?” He snaps, “Get the hell out of my car.”

My brows pull together, hurt contouring my expression, “Wait, you want me to leave? But-”

He sits up, tossing his phone in the centre console as he reaches for his keys, starting up the car, “Listen, Amanda-or whatever the hell you name is-We f****d, yeah. I got you out of my system and now I’m good. So you need to be on your merry way alright, don’t make this any harder on yourself than it has to be.”

My heart stills in my chest. I feel the tears burning the backs of my eyes, the whisper barely making it past the swell of emotion building in my throat, “Ethan, you said-”

“I don’t f*****g care what I said!” The growl is unrestrained, and he turns to face me for the first time since I woke up. I shrink away from his glare, trying to understand what could have caused such a drastic shift in his demeanor within just a couple hours, “Listen to what I’m saying now, open your ears wide. This,” He gestures between us, “Can never f*****g happen. It’ll never happen period, do you understand. I’ll never take you as my mate, hell, I’ll never f**k you again. This s**t was a mistake, a lapse of judgement. I got you off, you had the time of your f*****g life, I get it. But that’s all this is, all it’ll ever be. So don’t make me repeat myself again. Get. Out. Of. My. Car.”

I shake my head, frantic, “Ethan-”

He reaches over me, letting out an angry breath as he opens the door on the passenger side. Drawing back, he shoves against my shoulder, pushing my body out of the car and out onto the dirty street. I let out a cry as my side hits the ground. He tosses my dress out haphazardly, not even sparing me a glance as he slams the door shut and drives off.

I feel like I’ve been flipped inside out. Sitting practically naked on the cold ground, barefoot and exposed. How did things end up here?

It was all a lie?

He took advantage of my heat to get me to sleep with him?

The tears make heavy, hot tracks down my cheeks. Soon enough I’m a full blown sobbing mess, my back heaving as I hiccup with tears.

I’m such a fool.

What on earth made me think he could actually want to be with me? Just because he said it? Because I thought he meant it?

But he did.

The voice in my head won’t let the thought go. But if he meant it, why did he toss me away like that? Why did he… treat me just like everyone else?

My bottom lip trembles, with shaky limbs, I put on my dress, crouching into myself in case there are any lingering eyes nearby who might have caught a front row seat to the show. I’m in no hurry, hugging my midriff to block out the cold weather as I drag my feet along the cracked pavement.

He just… he just… My nose stings, I cant even process the last thirty minutes without becoming an absolute mess. No part of me planned on going back to the party, but something-someone-catches my attention. .

Ethan’s friend.

Something unfurls in my chest. Hope? My body’s already moving in his general direction, stopping right in front of him before he even realizes I’m there.

His furrowed expression comes down to mine once I voice out the question.

“What?” He asks.

“Did I do something wrong?” I repeat, wiping at a stray tear that slips from my eye.

He frowns down at me, jerking his gaze briefly to the group of wolves he was with before I walked up to him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

My arm shoots out, desperation leaking into my voice as my fingers dig into his bicep, “You have to. Did I do something? Why did he change his mind about me so fast? He didn’t even give me a chance-” My voice cracks, I’m not even trying to hide my sadness from the lingering pairs of eyes at this point. “You have to tell me! What… why-”

He lets out an uncomfortable laugh, wrapping his hand around my wrist to pry my grip off him. Leaning closer, he whispers, “You’re embarrassing yourself. Let go of me.”

I shake my head, frantically tightening my grip on his sleeve, “Just… what did I do? Help me understand? How can I fix my mistake?”

“You cant f*****g fix anything, okay?” He snaps suddenly, making my jump back. He rips my hand off him, running a hand through his hair as he puts distance between us. He shakes his head on an amused breath, “He doesn’t want you, okay? It’s not rocket science, you guys f****d and it’s done, you’re gonna have to forget about him.”

My eyes burn, that familiar feeling of helplessness and sorrow seeping in through my pores so fast I damn near sway on my feet.

A muscle moves in his jaw as he watches me, “Listen,” He says, “You can’t be together, Cal-Ethan isn’t about to get himself wrapped up in s**t like this, he’s already got enough on his plate. The last thing he needs is some…Wild Roar Omega.”

My heart slows in my chest, and then ultimately… stops.

How did he find out? We’ve been alone since the moment we left the party.

And… does he not want to be with me now that he’s realized what pack I belong to? Is this a hard no for him? A line the Alpha Heir won’t cross?

I came here for closure, but it feels like my heart has been ripped even further open in the process.

“Everything good, Deven?” Another wolf walks up to us, eyeing me carefully.

“All good.” Deven says to him, turning back to me as he says, “She was just leaving.”

I swallow past the lump in my throat.

The walk back to pack grounds was lonelier than most days. Ive never been one to fit in, or to experience acceptance. But today… for the first time, I’d experienced what it felt like to be loved. To be wanted.

It felt amazing.

And now it’s been ripped away, I’m left feeling uncertain about what the hell to even do with myself.

“You’re back.”

Dragging my gaze up, I meet Olivia’s eyes as she regards me, hand perched on her hip and a slight frown pulling down her bottom lip.

I loose it the second I see her, throwing myself into her arms and letting the grief pull me underwater.

“Shhh,” She coos by my ear, smoothing the strands of my hair as she holds my trembling body to hers. It’s late, well past social hours, but the pack member are still over the place. I can imagine how I look right now, crying like a damn child in front of the assemble house without a single morsel of reservation.

I cant be faulted. I cant even find it in me to care about anything else.

“It’s okay,” Olivia sighs, “Wild Roars and Mad Wolves never get along away. Look at the bright side sweetie, even though Ethan doesn’t see you value just because he loathes the Wild Roars shouldn’t mean s**t, he doesn’t deserve you.”

I hiccup, trying to draw in a ragged breath.

He doesn’t deserve me. She’s right.

Wild Roars and Mad Wolves have never gotten along, what? Did I think they would ever accept me, a Wild Roar omega as their future Luna? I sniffle in Olivia’s arms, that’s just the way things are… the way things have always been, and even though it hurts that Ethan can just-

My chest thaws.

I pull away from Olivia’s comfort slowly, my brows drawn together as I stare at her, “How did you know why I was crying?”

Her eyes widen a fraction, but she tries to play it off just as quick, “What do you mean?”

“I never told you what happened.”

She lets out a sharp laugh, waving her hand in front of her dismissively, “Millie, don’t be dramatic, you literally-”

“No.” I interrupt, stepping out of her embrace fully, “Don’t try to make me look stupid. You knew what happened and you didn’t even come to find me? To make sure I was at least okay? What kind of friend are you?”

Her head draws back, like I’d struck her across the face. A beat passes, and I watch then as her upper lip curls, “I’ll let you in on a little secret, Millie.” All the kindness is gone from her voice, as she straightens her shoulders, “I’m the little birdy who put a nice notification in your mate’s phone about where you’re really from. So guess what, you can thank me for why he tossed you out of the road after he most likely succeeded in warming his way into your pants, friend.”

Hurt fills my expression. And it seems that’s all the ammunition she needs, as she throws her hear back, her back bowing with the loud display. People stop to stare, as she points a finger at me, “Little w***e, can you imagine she snuck off pack grounds to go fraternize with wolves from the Mad Wolves pack?”

Gasps break out all around me. I shrink into myself, hiking up my shoulders as if they could make me disappear.

“She sleeps with guys from the Mad Wolves?”

“Disgusting!”

“She is a whore.”

Their taunts lash at me, cutting deep into my skin. I don’t meet Olivia’s gaze. I wouldn’t be able to take the triumph in them. Neither to I want her to see the pain in mine.

The betrayal.

The anguish.

All this time…I had always seen her as a friend. As my only friend.

It’s too much to bear. I take off in a sprint, ignoring the voices laughing and mocking my retreat.

When would it ever end?

When would I ever actually feel like I belong somewhere? The tears come fast, spilling down my cheeks and blurring my vision.

Pathetic little Millie.

Stupid little Millie.

Stupid.

So stupid.