HIS REJECTED MATE

Chapter 3

--------------- MANY YEARS BACK----------------------

Ten-year-old Salina was having a lot of fun playing in the Pack's backyard playground. She was laughing so loudly that the other kids could hear her. They frolicked about, swinging on the swings, climbing the jungle gym, and sliding down the slides.

Salina's joyous laughter only grew louder as the afternoon sun beat down on them, and their game of tag intensified. Some of the children were out of breath, but Salina kept going, determined to win. There was nothing more important to her at that moment than having fun with her friends.

They were all gathered around the swing in the playground waiting for their turns and cheering on whoever was on the swing at the moment.

"Fly high into the sky!"

"Soar as high as you can go!"

The kids all clapped their hands and chanted the song together, encouraging the kid on the swing to go higher.

Salina stood very close to the swing as it was her turn next. She bounced from one of her feet to the other, excitement at getting on the swing running through her.

As the kid on the swing got down to allow the next person on, Salina moved over to get on. Just as she pushed herself up, the swing was pushed away from her, and she landed with her bums on the floor.

Pain seared through her buttocks and she lifted her tear-filled eyes up to find Lisa, one of the older kids among them, standing over her.

Salina pushed herself up off the floor and stood from toe to toe with Lisa.

"Why would you push me off?" She asked angrily, ignoring the fear running through her as Lisa was older, bigger, and probably stronger than her.

"It's my turn, kiddos". Lisa crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her chin up, daring Salina to protest.

Salina shook her head at Lisa. " I got here before you, Lisa, which means I'm supposed to get on the swing before you do". She tried to reason with Lisa.

Lisa pushed her back and sneered at her. "If I say I'm the next, then I'm the next, got it?"

Lisa moved to get on the swing, but Salina pulled her back. Lisa turned and slapped Salina heavily on the cheek. Salina fell back on her buttocks once again and started to cry.

Lisa jeered at her. " You are weak! Now I see why your father doesn't want you".

"My father wants me!" Salina shouted through her tears, her cries increasing.

Lisa scoffed. " Well, my mother told me that the Alpha, Beta, and Gamma families are supposed to have male kids to take over the title. Your mother should have given birth to a boy, instead, she gave birth to a worthless child like you".

"I'm sure she's the reason why her mother can't give birth any longer," another kid interjected. " My mother told me so. She said that she blocked her mother's womb".

"What my mother told me is that the Gamma is going to lose his position because of her," another kid chimed in, pointing at Salina on the floor.

"You are all lying!" Salina insisted. "My father wants me, and he's not going to lose his position because of me. He's a good Gamma, and he's dedicated to our pack".

"He doesn't have a son to take over the title, that's why he's going to lose it. You are just a tiny, useless, and weak female who can't do anything," Lisa spat.

With tears streaming down her cheeks, Salina stood and ran away from the playground. Rushing into the pack house, she made straight for the north wing, where her family stays in the pack house.

Rushing into her room, she crawled onto her bed and under her duvet. The kid's words began to replay in her ears.

'You are weak'.

' Your mother was supposed to give birth to a boy

Salina placed her hands over her ears, trying to block the voices replaying in her head.

"I'm not weak!"

"I'm not a weakness to my father! They are just trying to get to me".

Salina tried to make herself feel better and disregard their words, but she couldn't. This was not the first time she had been told this. And if she was being honest, her father didn't seem to care much about her.

She was just ten, but she could see it in the way he treated her.

Is it really because I'm a girl?

Was I a mistake?

Is that why my father is always extra hard on me?

These questions and more kept going through Salina's head. She sniffed, tears still running down her face. Without realizing it and not intending to, Salina falls asleep with her duvet wrapped tightly around her and her hands still covering her ears.

************

It was evening time when Salina woke up.

The first place her eyes went to was the clock on her nightstand. Her eyes widened at the time.

6:30!!

Shit!

How had she slept that long?

The evening training started at 6 O'Clock on the dot and lasted for two hours. Which meant she was already a whooping thirty minutes late.

Her father was going to murder her if he found out.

Jumping out of bed, Salina scrambled to get out of her current clothes. When that proved difficult due to her haste, she grabbed the bag that contained her training gear and darted out of her room quickly.

She came to a halt when she nearly bumped into her mother in the hallway. Her mother's eyes widened in surprise. Worry lines furrowed her forehead.

"Lina! What are you still doing here?"

"Where is Papa?" Salina asked instead of answering. " Is he back?"

Her mother nodded and took her arms. "He's at the South wing, reporting to the Alpha for the day. Come quickly before he gets done".

Salina dashed down the hallway with her mother, her heart pounding against her chest. The moment they made it outside the pack house, she released a deep breath.

"Bye Mama".

She waved at her mother and turned to run to the training arena, thanking the Moon Goddess for helping her escape her father.

Little did she know........