The Rejected Alpha

Chapter 6

Zayde's Point of View

Ten minutes to seven, I knock on the door to my parents' house before pushing it open.

"Mom? Dad? Maya? It's me."

I call out as I step into the house, and look around the foyer and living room.

"In here!"

My mother's voice comes from the left and I make my way into the kitchen.

She looks up at me and smiles as I enter the kitchen.

"Hi."

I smile back and walk over to her, giving her a quick hug and kiss.

"Hey momma, it smells delicious in here. Can I help with anything?"

"Yes please. Would you set the table please?"

She asks, as she continues to toss the salad she was making.

"Of course."

I make my way over to the dining room when she calls out.

"Oh, Zayde, set the table for five people, please."

I peek around the door, a frown on my face.

"Five? Why?"

"Chloe is coming for dinner."

"What?"

I ask, staring at my mother, who just shrugs at me.

"Don't look at me like that. Maya invited her. I couldn't exactly say no, she is family."

I sigh and shake my head as I head to the cupboard.

"Great, so much for avoiding her."

I mumble to myself before I start to set the table.

Fifteen minutes later the table is set, and the room is filled with the delicious scent of mom's lasagna. Dad and the girls have just arrived, and I can't take my eyes off of Chloe, who was looking absolutely fine.

She is wearing a pale blue halter dress with a pair of brown ankle boots, the slight heels making her already long legs seem even longer. She isn't wearing any makeup and her curly hair is cascading down her open back and over her shoulder. She looks so... dangerously innocent, but when her eyes land on me, and she smiles, I know everything about this look is anything but innocent, especially when she and Maya glance at each other with a knowing smirk.

Maya steps up to me and hugs me.

"Hello, big brother. So you finally decided to grace us with your presence for dinner."

My father frowns at her.

"Maya, stop. Your brother has been busy."

She looks up at him and rolls her eyes.

"I know dad, I am just kidding. Zayde knows that, right?"

She asks, looking back up at me and I nod with a smile.

She smiles back and pulls away from me.

Before I can react, Chloe steps forward and hugs me as well, giving me a small kiss on the corner of my mouth before pulling back and turning to my mother to hug her.

"Thank you for having me, Aunt Shay. It smells absolutely delicious."

"Of course, you are always welcome."

My mother says with a smile, pulling away from her.

"Can we eat now? I'm starving."

Maya complains, and my mother shakes her head.

"Of course you are. Come on, let's sit down before she keels over."

She says, making all of us smirk and Maya sticks out her tongue.

We all sit down, with dad at the head of the table, mom on his right hand side and me on his left. Usually Maya will take the seat next to me, but tonight she takes the seat next to our mother, leaving Chloe to sit next to me.

Well... fuck...

My heart starts to race as Chloe sits down next to me and I shoot a glare at Maya, knowing this was part of whatever plan they cooked up, but she just smiles at me, shrugging before turning away to talk to our mother.

"Did you get my message?"

Chloe asks softly, without looking at me and I tense, my fork hovering halfway to my mouth before I take the bite and slowly chew before I nod my head.

"Good."

She replies before she continues eating.

All around the table they were making small talk and every now, and then I answer someone's question, but mostly I keep to myself, eating my food, my entire body tense as I am very aware of Chloe sitting next to me.

Her scent surrounds me and tingles run up my arm every time she brushes against my arm or hand, making it impossible for me to concentrate on anything else.

"Zayde? Did you hear me?"

My father's voice snaps me out of my daze and I quickly look at him, giving him an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry. What did you say?"

My father frowns but continues.

"I asked when you were leaving again?"

"In two days. Oliver got word from his father about a few attacks down south."

"Are the packs okay?"

"Well, I wouldn't say okay, but at least they weren't all wiped out."

"Well, I guess that's something."

My mom murmurs, before taking a bite of her food.

"Could they track any of them?"

I nod my head.

"Yes, they did. Council teams were already sent to clear out the hideouts. Two packs also caught a few of them. They are still trying to get some more information out of them, but so far no luck."

"When will you be back?"

I shrug.

"I'm not sure. Maybe in a week. We'll see how it goes. I'm taking Jack and Scott with me. Jason will stay here."

As dinner ends, I offer to clean up and make coffee. My mother smiles and nods her head, nudging my sister.

"Maya, why don't you go help your brother?"

Maya opens her mouth to protest, but before she can, Chloe interjects.

"No need. I'd be happy to help Zayde."

She says and, without waiting for a response, she stands and begins to gather the plates across the table. Leaning over, she puts her weight on one leg, the other rising up slightly, making her dress ride up a little as her ass hikes in the air.

I swallow nervously, unable to pull my eyes from her perky ass.

'Are you going to keep ogling her or are you actually going to help?'

My father's voice pops into my head, snapping me back to the present. My gaze snaps towards him to see him staring at me, his brow raised.

I look around the table feeling embarrassed at being caught, but I realize that my mother and sister have already left.

Without answering my father, I quickly stand and grab some of the dishes, carrying them to the kitchen.

As soon as the dining table is cleared, I return to the kitchen and Chloe turns to look at me.

"So, who is washing, and who is drying?"

She asks as she continues to empty the plates into the bin.

"You know you really don't have to stay. I got this. You can go find Maya."

I say, hoping she'd leave, but she smiles at me, shaking her head.

"No, I have already told Aunt Shay I'd help you, so I think I'll stay. Besides, you make terrible coffee."

She teases as she straightens, making me chuckle.

I run a hand through my hair.

"Fine, you can stay... But you wash."

"Fine, then you dry, and we can talk."

She says, handing me a dishcloth before taking her place in front of the sink already filled with hot water. She starts to wash the dishes and as she finishes she hands them to me to dry.

It is quiet for a while between us before I ask.

"What do you want to talk about?"

She glances at me over her shoulder and arches her brow.

"Us?"

"Well, then in that case there isn't much to talk about, is there?"

I murmur, leaning my back against the counter, crossing my ankles.

She turns and glares at me as she crosses her arms over her chest.

"Stop that. How can you say there is nothing to talk about?"

I sigh, running a hand through my hair.

"Because there isn't. Chloe, we have been through this. There is no us. I don't know what game you are playing tonight, but it is not working."

"It seemed to be working when you were checking me out earlier."

I turn away from her to avoid eye contact, and fix my eyes on the fridge as I shrug.

"I'm a man. It was just a moment. That’s all it was. Don’t read more into it than you should."

Chloe steps closer to me.

"Just a moment? Really Zayde? You think I imagined the way you looked at me? Like I was the only person in the room?"

She asks, her voice sharp and I look back at her.

"It doesn’t matter how I looked at you. We can't do this, Chloe. We have mates."

"Then stop looking at me like that. Stop making me feel like I'm not crazy for wanting this. Just admit what you feel. Stop fighting against it. "

"f**k! Fine Chloe. You think I want to feel this way? I fight what I feel every second I am near you. Every time you walk into a room, it's like the whole world shifts, and I hate it because it shouldn't be happening."

She cups my face, making me look at her.

"Then maybe stop running from it and feel it with me. Just for a second."

I shake my head and step away from her, letting her hand fall from my face.

"You don’t know what you're asking me, Chloe. If this has to end, it won’t just be me who gets hurt. You think I can live with that? I don't want to hurt you."

"And you think I can live like this? Pretending that I don’t care about you when you pull away? Watching you, watching me from across the room but never letting yourself get close to me? Why can't we just be together? Why does it have to end?"

She tries to step closer again, but I shake my head again.

"I'm sorry, Chloe. But this... whatever this is between us, it can’t happen."

She narrows her eyes at me.

"Yeah, right. Because you're such a noble martyr, aren't you?"

She asks, her voice cold and I from.

"Chlo... That's not fair."

"No, Zayde. What's not fair is you lighting me up like a damn wildfire and then pretending you didn’t strike the match."

"I don't want to hurt you, Chloe. That is why we can't pursue this."

"But you did! You do! You hurt me every time you push me away... If you don't want to hurt me, then maybe you should stop looking at me like I am the only thing in your world that makes sense. Like I mean something more to you. You keep hiding behind what-ifs and mates and excuses. And still I catch you looking at me. Just say you want me. Out loud."

I stare at her and open my mouth, but no words come out and she scoffs, shaking her head.

"You are a coward, Zayde."

She heads for the door and I grab her hand.

"Chloe, please..."

She pulls her hand out of my hold, her shoulders tense.

"You only get to ask me to stay if you’re willing to fight for me. For us."

She says without turning to look at me.

After a few seconds of silence, she shakes her head again.

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

She whispers before walking out of the kitchen, leaving me alone with my heart feeling twisted.