The Rejected Traitor

Chapter Three

*MELANIE*

This man sitting next to my bed, the one who told me I could stay and be treated along with the Doctor, has a powerful aura to him. The way he just struck fear into Malcolm made me shiver in excitement. I know that sounds sultry or slutty. But I mean come on. Any girl would feel that way with a hot guy sticking up to her attacker that way.

"Now where were we Malcolm." He says in a borderline growl. Malcolm pales and sweat dripping from his brow. He looks around and sits in a chair near the door.

"Why did you and the others attack Melanie?" He growls again. I just kind of relax into the hospital bed and let this play out. I got my punishment, and honestly, I don't care about it anymore.

"She's the pack traitor. Plus she was rude to Serafina. Called us all pricks and bitches. So we taught her a lesson about knowing her place." He growls without missing a beat. He said everything I knew he would say.

"Tell me your side, Melanie." Lazarus motions for me to speak but never moves his eyes from Malcolm. A calm fury is swirling in his face, if I were anyone else I might just reach out and touch his cheek but I'm me.

"I was just trying to get out of school. I was going to leave the pack for a week before graduation and not paying attention I walked right into their group. Instead of letting me be, they called me out by saying 'it must be my traitor blood that makes me a piece of s**t that doesn't say excuse me.' And that's when I made my statement of not associating with pricks and bitches that have nothing better to do with their miserable lives than to mess with other people. But I am sure I was more sarcastic. I just wanted to leave school, but Serafina has had it out for me since elementary school. It's even worse now since... It doesn't matter. I didn't say anything that anyone else wouldn't have said in the same position. And then it happened." I scoff.

It won't matter, Lazarus will probably agree with Malcolm and the others that I deserved every single minute of it and let them go. I don't even know why I bothered telling my side of the story.

"As promised, I will let your father deal with the physical part of your punishment. But once he is done with you, you will report to the dungeons until graduation. And at the ceremony, you and the others will apologize publically." He says through gritted teeth.

"Are you for real Laz? We are all friends. How is this so easy for you to choose sides with that traitorous b***h?" And just as the words left his mouth, Lazarus lept across the room, his fist connecting to Malcolm's jaw, almost completely crushing it. Just when I think he is fixing to beat him unconscious, he stops. "Because right is right and wrong is wrong. And as the Future Alpha of this pack, I protect OUR PEOPLE. I WILL NOT tolerate people attacking other pack members because of some stupid story you heard at bedtime as a pup that you aren't even sure is f*****g true or not." And as he pushes him down to the floor, the Doctor comes back in.

"I hope you're ready for a fight. Cause that's nothing. I raised you better than that. What the f**k were you thinking?" I hear them say as they leave the room and close the door behind them.

"Why did you believe me? Why did you stick up for me? And you're the future Alpha? I am dead." I start rambling. Anxiety creeps through my veins, my breathing becoming shallow.

"Calm down, Melanie. Nothing is going to happen to you. You are under my protection now, not even the Alpha will dare touch you." He says smoothing my hair down. Something about him is mesmerizing.

"And I can tell when people are telling the truth. And I stuck up for you for two reasons. Reason one being, it was the right thing to do." He smiles. His sandy blonde hair faded on the sides and a little long on the top. His deep oceanic eyes swallow all the air from my lungs. "And two, friends stick up for one another." He says, flashing a perfect white smile. I feel the blush creep up my neck.

Just then I can feel anger running through my chest. And I look toward the door, Lazarus still has his hand on my hair. But there stands none other than Sorren.

"What the f**k are you doing, Lazarus?" He says seething at the doorway as his hands are clenching the frame.

Lazarus seems surprised that Sorren, his Beta, is speaking to him that way.

"How about what the f**k has gotten into you, Sorren? Why does it matter what I'm doing?" Lazarus growls.

"Damn, you didn't tell him?" I ask, starting to feel lava of anger pounding through me.

"Tell me what, Melanie?" He asks his features and voice softening slightly when he locks eyes with me. What is it about Lazarus? When I look at him, I feel something stirring within me. But when I look at Sorren, all I feel is depression.

Lazarus grabs and squeezes my hand. "Sorren is my mate. Who did not want me, so I am now the rejected Traitor. But I asked him not to reject me today, but to wait until tomorrow on my birthday so I had my wolf." I feel pitiful and useless. Some s**t that happened way before I was born is always going to come back and haunt me. That is something I have always expected.

But what I didn't expect is what happened next.

"You're a f*****g i***t, Sorren. But since you are rejecting her tomorrow, it doesn't matter what I am doing since you do not want her. As long as there is consent from Melanie, I will do what I please." He growls, and I shiver at his words. "I am more concerned that you are worried about another man near the mate you don't want and not concerned with why the f**k she is in a hospital bed to begin with." Lazarus closes his eyes and inhales, he still has my hand in his, so I squeeze so he will calm down.

"It's okay, Lazarus. I don't care if I am wanted or not. I don't care if everyone here hates me. I'll be switching packs after graduation. So it won't even matter then." I say my words a little thoughtlessly. I haven't told anyone about my plans.

"You're leaving?" Lazarus sounds saddened. "Sorren, get out." He growls.

"What if I change your mind to stay?" Lazarus says and I just know Sorren is in earshot.

"I doubt that will happen." I laugh slightly. "It's hard to be in a pack that no one wants you in. That no one cares if you wake up the next day or not. All because of something that your parents did. It's better for me this way." I tell him as I start unhooking the machines again. He doesn't move right away until the monitors start freaking out.

"I meant what I said Melanie, get your ass back in this bed." He says as he puts his hands on my shoulders to lay me back down. "We have to at least get you evaluated by the doctor before you just go off galivanting." He smirks and I just nod. It feels awkward. Doctor Morris comes back into the room without a word and starts checking all the monitors and asks Lazarus to step out of the room. He does so after a minute or so nodding to the doctor. After 5 minutes passed, I start to feel my head split. 5 more minutes and the pain in my lip started to vibrate through my whole face. I try to inhale deeply and my rib cage feels like it could be broken in several places. I start to cry and whimper, not wanting to scream.

Lazarus comes back in and rushes to my side, and suddenly all the pain seems to go away after every passing minute.

"Just as I thought. Ms. Melanie, you must stay with Lazarus until you are completely healed." As soon as the words left his mouth, my jaw dropped.

"You should have been healing and not have had that type of reaction, but the moment Lazarus leaves the room you start to feel all the pain of your attack. But when he comes back, it starts to subside."

"How long will it take for me to heal? And what happens if I don't stay with Lazarus?" I ask, and the heat creeps up my neck and into my ears. "Not that I wouldn't mind or anything like that. But I have plans this week." I say sheepishly now trying to hide my face.

"About a week. You should be okay by graduation." He smiles and hands me some pain medications. "If for any reason you have to be apart for 10 to 15 minutes or more, take these. But other than that, you are free to go." He says smiling brightly at me.

Lazarus is blushing at the door. Waiting on me to make my choice.

"Melanie, I won't force you to come with me to the pack house, we can still go through with your plans to leave for a week before graduation. I will go where ever you go. I don't want you in any pain." He says sweetly.

"Oh good f*****g goddess," I whisper. This is going to be one long ass week.