Rejected By My Mate; Loved By His Brother

Chapter 3

Damian's POV

“First, you messed up my coffee, and now this? You’re nothing but a constant disappointment, Elena. Everything about you is a mistake!” I yelled at her.

I could see her gulp in pain, the words hitting her like physical blows. She clutched the shirt to her chest, and I could feel she was fighting the tears from spilling.

But I wasn’t done. My eyes blazed with cold anger as I continued, “You know what the real mistake is? The real mistake was you ever coming into this world. You’re a waste of space, Elena. You can’t do anything right. You’re nothing but a burden, a worthless, pathetic excuse for a person.” I added, my tone harsher than intended, but I acted like I didn’t care.

I turned away from her, trying hard to control myself before I did something stupid, dismissing her with a flick of my hand.

“Get out of my sight. I don’t want to see your face right now,” I said dismissively.

I could hear the opening and shutting of the door, indicating she had left. I sighed in frustration, running a hand through my hair.

A few minutes later, the door to the room was pushed open, and Dante walked in, looking exhausted and sweaty. I raised a questioning brow at him.

“Where are you coming from, brother?” I asked.

Dante sighed and walked over to the bar, a mini wooden counter with bottles of liquor neatly arranged behind it. The room was dimly lit, with thick curtains and leather chairs adding to its luxurious interior. He grabbed a bottle of whiskey, poured himself a glass, and took a long sip.

I could feel he didn’t seem to be in a good mood, and I began to worry, eager to know what was bothering him.

Despite our differences, I was the more serious and composed one, while Dante was carefree and impulsive. The bond between us was unshakable. We had always understood each other without words and could sense each other’s emotions and thoughts as if we were two halves of the same soul. I often acted as the protector, guiding Dante away from trouble, while he also brought a sense of adventure and spontaneity into our life.

Worried about Dante’s sudden bad mood, I walked over to the bar and stood beside my brother. Taking the glass of whiskey from his hand, he emptied it into his mouth before dropping it on the bar table.

“Tell me, where are you coming from?” I asked again, my eyebrows raised.

Dante sighed. “From the gym,” he responded, and poured himself another drink.

“But that doesn’t explain why you’re in a bad mood,” I questioned.

Dante sighed while running a hand through his hair.

“Come on,” I urged, hating to see my brother in such a state.

“Nothing for you to worry about,” Dante responded, but I knew he wasn’t telling the truth. There was more to his sudden attitude, and I wondered why he was keeping it from me when we usually didn’t keep anything from each other.

A knock landed on the door before it opened.

“Mother,” Dante and I called out in unison, our faces suddenly lit up.

“My boys,” my mother, Luna Anita, responded, her smile widening.

When she got closer, we both kissed her cheek.

“Are you two ready for tomorrow, the big day?” she asked excitedly, while Dante and I glanced at each other before looking back at her, who seemed more excited than us.

“Tomorrow, you two, my boys, will become men," she said excitedly, and we both nodded. “You two will get your wolves and, if lucky, find your mates among the girls present during the ceremony.”

“Never!” Dante grunted while I chuckled.

“None of those girls will turn out to be our mates,” Dante sneered, and I just scoffed.

“That’s because you have basically slept with seventy percent of the young ladies in this pack,” I teased, while Dante simply rolled his eyes.

“No lies detected," our mother supported me, and we both laughed while Dante frowned at us as we made fun of his Casanova lifestyle.

“Let’s stop teasing your brother," Mother said playfully. “Listen, sons, I just want to see if you two are preparing for tomorrow. Your father, the Alpha, has been eagerly waiting for this day ever since you were born, and I pray nothing goes wrong."

“Nothing will go wrong, Mother. Everything will be perfect," I assured Mother.

“Alright then, I will see you two tomorrow morning. Have a good night’s rest. I have already asked Elena to get you guys some tea." She pecked our cheeks before leaving the room.

After she left, Dante glanced at me, noticing I seemed lost in thought.

“Are you worried about tomorrow?” Dante questioned, and I released a soft sigh.

“Of course. I’m so worried, man. Dad seems so eager for tomorrow, but what if something goes wrong? What if we don’t get our wolves? Father will be so embarrassed in front of the pack.”

I had also been thinking about it. I had been having some silly dreams, imagining our wolves not coming forth. That would be a big blow to our father’s reputation because we were his only children and pride.

I stood up and placed a hand on Dante’s shoulder, giving him a comforting smile.

“I think tomorrow will be just perfect,” I assured Dante, while trying to assure myself of the same. There was this knot in my stomach whenever I thought about tomorrow. I had a gut feeling that something unusual was about to happen, something we were not ready for.

Just then, a knock landed on the door. It was Elena, carrying a tray with two tea cups on it.

My eyes met hers, and I glared at her, still remembering how she burned my shirt. Dante, on the other hand, settled his gaze on her with a warm smile playing on his face as she approached us.

“Good evening. Mother said I should bring this to you two,” Elena said with a bow, which made Dante frown. He never liked it when Elena bowed her head and acted like a maid. He had warned her several times not to bow to us, but Elena was adamant.

I scoffed. “The last time I checked, she wasn’t your mother; she is just our mother and your Luna. Why do you always seem to forget that?” I mocked, shifting my gaze away from her.

“I’m sorry," Elena apologized, her voice barely above a whisper. I noticed my words had hurt her, and an uncomfortable feeling hit my chest, a feeling I had been trying to control over the years.

“You can leave now, Elena. Thank you," Dante said softly to her, while I swallowed my discomfort and looked away from her.

After Elena left, Dante turned and looked at me.

“Why do you always do that?” Dante asked angrily, and I wasn’t surprised at Dante being angry. He had always stood up for Elena since we were kids.

“She is human, and I hate the way you treat her. You treat her like a rag when clearly she does everything to please you," Dante growled.

“Of course, it’s her duty to please me. She’s been our maid since birth,” I said, masking my feelings from my brother.

A tense silence hung in the air for a moment until Dante spoke.

“She deserves better," Dante muttered, his voice barely above a whisper but filled with emotion.

I sighed, rubbing my temples. "Look, Dante, I know you have a soft spot for her, but you must remember our positions. She’s just…” I trailed off, the words too heavy on my tongue.

“Just what? A maid? Someone beneath us?" Dante spat, his eyes blazing.

I stared at him, not surprised by his outburst. Elena held a special place in Dante’s heart, and he expected me to act his way.

“We have more important things to worry about right now. Tomorrow is a big day, and we can’t afford to be distracted by trivial matters," I said, wanting to change the topic.

Dante shook his head, his expression a mix of disappointment and frustration. “You’re wrong. It’s not trivial. But fine, we’ll deal with this later.”

The room fell into a tense silence as both of us pondered our thoughts. Tomorrow, we were supposed to gain our wolves, the final step in proving ourselves worthy of our father’s legacy. But what if we failed? What if the expectations were too high, and we crumbled under the pressure?

I thought as I sighed, pushing those thoughts away. Dante put his hands on my shoulder and brought me back from my thoughts.

“Come on,” he said softly. “Let’s head to the club. We both need a break,” he suggested. The club was the distraction we needed.

I responded with a nod. “Let’s get dressed.”