Chosen By Fate, Rejected By Hate

Chapter 16

Alpha Magnus Pov

"What? You actually kicked Mavi out of your house? What about Moses now? I know he will only be sad when his mother leaves. It will be so much harder for you to build a relationship with your son because you sent his mother away," Alex commented the moment he found out what I had done.

Alex is my only true friend, the only person I can truly confide in. The world sees me as a brave and feared Alpha, but in Alex’s eyes, I am just an ordinary man. Just his friend. He is never afraid of me or wary around me, which is why he is the only one who knows every single one of my burdens. He is also the only person in this world brave enough to yell at me and scold me when I am wrong.

"I had no choice, Alex. If I had kept her there, she and Sonia would have kept clashing every single time they saw each other. And I honestly never expected Mavi to do something like that," I replied, reaching for the glass of alcohol on the table and finishing its contents in one long drink.

"Do you truly believe Sonia’s face was burned by Mavi? You were not there to see what really happened, so why did you side with her so quickly? And another thing, Magnus, you know exactly what Sonia is like. Whether you want to admit it or not, her character is far from good," he lectured me firmly. "If she were not your chosen mate, I would never even bother speaking to her," he added with clear disapproval.

"Are you saying that Sonia lied to me and deliberately framed Mavi?"

"Come on, Magnus. You are ruthless and sharp when dealing with everyone else, but the moment Sonia is involved, you turn soft and blind. That is exactly why she has become this way. I know you feel deeply grateful to her mother because she once saved your mother’s life, and you have never forgotten that debt. But all of that happened such a long time ago, and both of those women are gone now. So stop coddling Sonia, because her bad behavior is only getting worse the more you protect her," Alex continued, his voice sharp with frustration. "And do not ask me that question again, because I know deep down in your heart you already know the truth."

I know Alex has never approved of Sonia being my chosen mate, but there is nothing he can do about it because that decision was mine alone to make.

"I think you are right, Alex. I have spoiled Sonia far too much because of that old debt of gratitude. But I also told myself that it might be for the best that Mavi is no longer under my roof. At least now she can finally have some peace. She is far away from me and Sonia, who have only made things difficult for her since she arrived."

"But is that really what you want? To be separated from the mother of your child? The last time we spoke, I saw something change in your eyes every time her name was mentioned," Alex teased gently. "But have you stopped to think what might happen if Alpha Abner decides to harm her now that she no longer has your protection?"

A curse burned on the tip of my tongue the moment those words left his mouth. How could I have forgotten such a dangerous thing before deciding to kick her out? Now that she is out there alone, that monster Alpha Abner can easily find her and do whatever he pleases.

"I have to go," I said abruptly. Before Alex could even reply, I stood up from my seat and walked quickly toward the door.

"Hey! Magnus! Where are you going?" Alex shouted after me.

"I am going to find Mavi. I need to make sure she is safe, and that man will never be able to get close to her again," I answered briefly, glancing back at him for only a second before stepping out of his house.

I rushed to my car and started the engine, driving away as fast as I could. I ignored the slight dizziness clouding my head from the amount of alcohol I had consumed earlier. My mind was filled with nothing but worry for Mavi.

As I drove, a vivid memory suddenly forced its way into my thoughts. I remembered kissing Mavi, and then I felt something hard strike the side of my head before everything went black.

I slammed my hand hard against the steering wheel as the full memory finally came back to me. That was what happened the night Alex brought me home completely drunk. It is only now that I clearly remember pulling Mavi into that kiss. I remember opening my eyes for a moment and seeing her standing over me, covering me with a blanket while I slept on the sofa. But what I realized now made my blood run cold. The face I saw that night was the face of the woman I had rejected publicly during the sacred moonlight ceremony. I never imagined that the woman I had kissed, the mother of my child, was none other than the destined mate I had turned away.

Everything made sense now. That was why she had told Sonia to ask me why she had hit me with the flower vase. She had struck me that night because I had forced myself on her and kissed her against her will.

Damn you, Magnus! How could you forget something like that? I berated myself bitterly inside my head.

I pulled out my phone and dialed David’s number. David is the Beta of the Iron Pack and the only person I trust completely besides Alex.

"Yes, Alpha Magnus? Is there something wrong? You are calling very late at night," David said on the other end of the line. It was obvious that I had woken him from sleep.

"I am sorry to disturb your rest, but I need you to do something for me right now. Please find out exactly where Mavi is at this moment. She is the mother of my child, the boy we saved from Alpha Abner, remember? I will send you her photo shortly. And when you find her, make sure she is safe and keep her out of harm’s way," I instructed him urgently.

"Consider it done. I will deploy our men immediately to locate her," David replied quickly before ending the call.

I immediately sent him the photo of Mavi that I had secretly taken one day while she was busy inside the house. I had found her expression so endearing that I could not stop myself from capturing that moment, even if it had to be in secret.

I drove around aimlessly for a while, hoping that I might somehow spot her along the way. After nearly an hour of searching, my phone finally rang. Thinking it was David calling with news, I quickly answered the call. But my heart sank when I heard Sonia’s voice instead.

"What is it, Sonia? Hurry up, I am in the middle of something important right now," I said impatiently.

"I just called to ask what time you will be coming home?" she asked, her tone laced with clear irritation. "I cooked your favorite dish. Come home now so we can eat together," she added, her voice suddenly shifting to a sickeningly sweet and affectionate tone. I let out a long sigh at how quickly her mood had changed.

"I am sorry, but I cannot come home right now. I have something urgent I need to take care of," I replied shortly. "I have to go. Goodbye." I did not wait for her to respond and ended the call immediately.

I knew she would be upset and angry that I had hung up on her like that, but I did not have the luxury of time to comfort her right now. My mind was consumed by one terrifying thought after another. What if Alpha Abner had already found her? What if he had already taken her? If anything bad happens to Mavi because of my foolish decision, I will never be able to forgive myself for the rest of my life.