Alpha's Loss, Chasing his Rejected Maid

Chapter 2

Aria's Pov

My heart stopped functioning and I blinked at him. "What? No! Of course not!"

He pulled back slightly as his gray eyes searched my face. He looked confused and almost shaken. "Then why do I smell..."

He trailed off and shifted back away from me with his brow furrowing.

"Why do I smell my scent all over you?" he finished quietly, more to himself than to me.

I held my breath, not daring to move.

He shook his head sharply, as if clearing it. "No….That's impossible.” He stepped back, putting distance between us. "Get out."

I didn't need to be told twice as I yanked open the door and practically ran down the hallway with my heart racing so fast I thought it might explode.

When I reached my room, I slammed the door and leaned against it, gasping for air.

I looked at the black backpack still peeking out from under my bed and my decision remained significant. I couldn't stay here another day because If Ryker figured out I was pregnant with his child, he would kill me. And if I went to that festival, the other Alphas would kill me.

I grabbed the backpack and checked inside one more time. Clothes, the little money I'd saved, a water bottle, and the positive pregnancy test wrapped in tissue paper was everything I needed to start over.

I pulled on my jacket and slung the backpack over my shoulder. The pack house would be busy with preparations for the festival so this was my best chance.

I crept down the back hallway, avoiding the main areas. I could hear maids chattering in the kitchen, and someone was vacuuming upstairs.

I made it past the kitchen, through the garden entrance, and into the side corridor that led to the back exit only to realise that two guards were talking, it was an open gossip without noticing anyone’s presence.

"Can you believe he became Alpha at eleven?" one of them said, shaking his head. "I was still wetting the bed at that age."

The other guard laughed. "Yeah, well, after what happened to his parents, he didn't have a choice ... .Those Sunset Valley wolves really did a number on them."

My chest tightened at the name Sunset Valley…was my old pack. My grandfather's pack.

"I still don't get why he keeps that Aria girl around," the first guard continued. "Her family killed his parents and If I were him, I'd have snapped her neck years ago."

"Oh, don't worry about her," the second guard said with a nasty grin. "I heard she's going to Crystal Lake tonight. You know what they do to omegas there. She'll be lucky if she comes back alive."

They both laughed and I felt sick to my stomach, I couldn't use the back door or I'll get caught with them standing right there.

I turned around carefully, planning to try the front gate instead, but I only made it two steps before I walked straight into something solid.

"Where do you think you're going, Aria?" One of the tall guys asked, crossing his arms and I knew I was trapped.

"Where are you going with that?" The tallest guard, Derek, pointed at my backpack. His eyes were suspicious as he looked me up and down.

My mouth went dry as I couldn't think of anything to say. If they told Ryker I was trying to escape, I'm doomed.

"Well?" Derek stepped closer. "I asked you a question."

"I'm... I'm taking out the trash," I blurted out, hugging the backpack tighter.

One of the other guards laughed. "Trash? Through the back exit? Why not use the front gate like everyone else?"

"Because... because it's getting dark and I thought—"

"You thought what?" Derek cut me off. He reached for my backpack and I almost screamed, but then he wrinkled his nose. "Ugh, it does smell like trash….What's in there?"

"Old rags and... and spoiled food from the Alpha's room," I lied quickly. "Rita told me to get rid of it before the festival preparations."

Derek pulled his hand back, looking disgusted. "Fine but make it quick. The Alpha told me to keep an eye on you tonight, so don't take forever."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "You're letting me go?"

"Do you want me to change my mind?" He glared at me.

"No! No, I'll be fast. Thank you, Derek." I bowed my head and started walking toward the gate, trying not to run.

My heart was beating so loud I was sure they could hear it. This was actually working. I was actually getting out.

Derek shouted something to the guards at the main gate, and they opened it for me without even checking my bag.

The moment I stepped outside the pack territory, I wanted to cry with relief but I couldn't celebrate yet. I needed to get far away before anyone realized I wasn't coming back.

I walked quickly down the dirt road until I reached the edge of the forest. Then I started running.

Branches scratched my face and caught on my clothes, but I didn't slow down. I ran deeper and deeper into the woods with my backpack bouncing against my shoulders.

The freedom I was looking for was finally here but then something strange happened. A sharp pain exploded in my chest, it was so intense that I stumbled and had to grab a tree to stay standing.

"Mate!" Kira suddenly howled in my head. "Our mate! We're leaving our mate!"

"What?" I gasped, pressing my hand against my chest. The pain was getting worse, like someone was squeezing my heart. "No, Kira, we don't have a mate!"

"Yes we do! I can feel him! We need to go back!" She was whimpering now, scratching at my mind. "Please, Aria let's go! It hurts! It hurts so much!"

I leaned against the tree, tears streaming down my face. She was right that it did hurt. It felt like an invisible rope was tied around my heart, pulling me back toward the pack house..back toward Ryker.

It couldn't be him….It couldn't be.

"Kira, listen to me," I said through gritted teeth. "Even if he is our mate, he doesn't want us. Remember what happened two years ago? When his sister Maya told him we might be mates?"

Kira went quiet.

"He laughed in her face," I continued, the memory still fresh and painful. "He said he would rather die than be mated to a murderer's daughter. He said the moon goddess must be playing a sick joke if she thought he'd ever accept me. He rejected the possibility of us before the bond even formed."

"But—"

"No buts!" I pushed away from the tree and started walking again, even though every step felt like torture. "We don't have a mate, Kira and we never did."

I wiped my tears and kept moving forward. The pain in my chest slowly faded to a dull ache, but it didn't go away completely.

I had no idea where I was going. I just knew I had to keep walking, keep putting distance between me and that horrible pack.

The forest was getting darker. I should probably find somewhere to rest for the night until I heard and snap and froze. That wasn't me, there’s someone else in the forest.

"I smell her! She's close!" a rough voice called out and my blood turned to ice. Who were they?

I sniffed the air, trying to catch their scent. When I did, my stomach dropped in dread. They didn't smell like pack wolves, they smelt so rotten like rogues.

"There! I see her!" another voice shouted and I didn't wait to see how many there were. I just ran without looking back.

Behind me, I could hear them crashing through the forest, snarling and laughing like this was some kind of game.

"Come back, little omega!" one of them called out. "We just want to play!"

My lungs were burning and my legs felt like jelly, but I pushed myself harder. I couldn't let them catch me. I couldn't let them hurt my baby.

"You can't run forever!" a rogue yelled. He sounded closer now.

I risked a glance over my shoulder and immediately regretted it. There were at least five of them, and they were gaining on me.

I turned back around and tried to run faster, but my foot caught on something, it's a root or a rock, I couldn't tell and suddenly I was falling.

I tumbled down a steep hill, my body slamming into trees and rocks and I heard something crack in my ribs which exploded in pain, My head hit something hard, and I felt warm blood trickling down my face.

I rolled to a stop at the bottom of the hill, gasping for air. I tried to stand up, but my body wouldn't cooperate.

Above me, I could hear the rogues laughing.

"Looks like she fell!" one of them said.

"Good…. This even makes our job easier do you think she's from Dark Wood Pack?"

“Yeah, her scent is definitely there!” They chuckled and began to rustle downwards and I shook my head.

I had to get up and keep running but my vision was getting blurry, and the world was spinning so that I could feel myself slipping away, falling into darkness.

The last thing I heard before I passed out was the rogues' footsteps getting closer.