Rejecting My Alpha Mate

Chapter 18

SELINA’S POV

I went to school on the second day of the Mooncrest Trial. All the students were already heading toward the arena to watch the students who were scheduled to fight today.

All the incoming first-year students from every pack were here, each of them hoping to become one of the ten students who would be chosen to enter Lunaris Royal Academy. With five packs participating, that meant only fifty students would be accepted into Lunaris Royal Academy.

I was still walking toward the arena when five men suddenly blocked my path. I stared at them blankly.

"Take her and bring her behind the school," one of them ordered. I was about to run when two of them grabbed me.

"What do you want from me? Let me go!" I shouted, but they ignored me. They dragged me behind the school where the area was surrounded by trees. Hardly any students or teachers came here.

The two men shoved me as soon as they let go of me. Did Adrian send them to hurt me again? What were they planning this time?

"You're Beta Dante's daughter, so we're sure he taught you a lot about fighting. Just give this to us. Let us be the ones to get into Lunaris. If you cooperate, you can fight next year instead. If you listen to us, we'll let you go," the one who looked like their leader said. So Adrian had nothing to do with this.

These were the students who were desperate to enter Lunaris Royal Academy. Did they really threaten and hurt everyone they considered a threat just to make sure they secured a place in Lunaris?

"I can't do that. I'm not interested in making it into the top 10, I just want to study this year. It doesn't matter which school I end up in," I answered. Their leader let out a dry laugh. "Why are you targeting me? You should already know that I don't have a wolf," I added.

"Hurt her if she won't listen," their leader ordered. The four men charged at me at the same time. I stepped back, preparing myself for every attack they might throw at me.

One of them tried to grab my arm, but I quickly kicked him, sending him crashing to the ground. I immediately sensed another man coming from behind me. I rolled across the ground just in time to avoid him.

They didn't stop until they could hurt me. I knew they wanted to weaken me so that by the time my name was called to fight, I wouldn't have any strength left.

When two of them rushed at me, I quickly dropped to the ground, stretched one leg out, and swept their feet out from under them, causing both of them to fall.

One man grabbed me, then another followed. They held both of my arms tightly. I used all my strength, yanked both of them forward, then lowered my body, causing their heads to slam into each other.

"You idiots! Useless trash! It's just one girl and you still can't take her down?!" their leader shouted furiously. I turned to face him.

"Do you really think you'll get into Lunaris? You're too weak if you can't even hurt a girl like me who doesn't even have a wolf," I said, making him grind his teeth in rage. He immediately shifted and lunged at me.

I groaned when his claws slashed my arm, but the wound healed almost instantly.

All of them rushed at me together, and once again two of them grabbed both of my arms. Their leader, still in his wolf form, was about to charge at me while his companions restrained me. Before he could reach me, I jumped and kicked him straight in the face. The force sent me crashing onto the ground as well, and his companions lost their grip on me.

One of the men tried to kick me, but I blocked his leg just in time. I grabbed it tightly, then spun him around with all my strength, sending his back crashing into a tree.

The remaining two also shifted and charged at me. I staggered backward when both of them slashed my arms. Their claws dug into my skin, but I refused to give up. I forced myself to keep fighting even though there were five of them. I hadn't trained for years just to lose to people like them.

I continued fighting them. I used every bit of strength I had until all of them were thrown against the trees. I could already feel exhaustion creeping into my body, but I refused to surrender just so they could get what they wanted. All I wanted was to study, have a better life, and repay my parents for everything they had done for me. Why were they doing this to me?

"Let's go, hurry!" one of the men shouted before taking off at full speed. The rest of them quickly followed him.

I looked down at the cuts and claw marks they had left on my body. They healed almost immediately.

I frowned when I suddenly felt like someone was watching me again. I looked up, and there was someone sitting on top of one of the trees. A second later, he jumped down and landed in front of me.

"You again? What were you doing up there? Have you been watching this whole time?" I asked Maxwell one question after another. His gaze dropped to my arm. My sleeve had been torn apart by the wolves' claws, but there wasn't a single scratch left on my skin.

"I didn't expect you to be this good at fighting. You're wolfless? Are you really sure about that? Why didn't you tell me while you were staying in our pack? I was worried about your wolf because it would've suffered the most from the wolfsbane, that's why I searched for the most powerful herb to help you recover."

"I'm sorry, Maxwell. You don't have to know everything about me."

"You do, Selina. Can't you feel me? I don't understand why you still don't know who I am." Maxwell frowned deeply. I couldn't understand what he meant.

"What do you mean?" I asked. His face remained serious. He stared straight into my eyes as if he was angry at me for a reason I couldn't understand.

"Can't you feel me because you still don't have a wolf? Are you really sure you don't have one?" he asked again.

"I have no reason to lie to you. Everyone at my school knows I'm the only one without a wolf. Does it really matter that much for you to know?" His jaw tightened. His eyes burned as though they were filled with flames. It looked like he wanted to tell me something, but he was holding himself back.

"Now I finally understand why you still don't recognize me. I thought you were only pretending not to know who I was. I even thought your wolf had been hurt so badly that she couldn't recognize my scent," he said coldly. I kept staring into his eyes.

I still couldn't understand him.

"Why don't you just tell me whatever it is you're talking about? I'm not a fortune teller, so—"

"Goddamn it. I'm your mate, Selina."

His words left me frozen, and for the first time, I couldn't find a single word to say.