The Alpha's Rejected Luna

Chapter 5

Bryant

As soon as I fired Kiara, a feeling of relief washed over me.

She was a distraction, something sent to destroy my happiness.

It was the right decision to send her away, so why the hell was Anna telling me something else now?

“I don’t understand—you want me to marry her?” I asked Anna in disbelief, thinking I must have heard her wrong.

“I know it sounds silly, but it’s something my friend and I came up with.”

“You told someone else about this?” My voice rose, tinged with incredulity.

This was the last thing I thought I’d be dealing with today.

“No, she was here when I called you the last time…” Anna trailed off.

“But that doesn’t even matter now. What matters right now is why the hell you think I’d marry a slave girl.”

“First of all, Bryant, don’t call her that. The poor girl is probably just looking for honest work. Secondly, like I said before, it’s only a bet. I wouldn’t have made it if I didn’t think you were capable of winning. Plus, you do want to prove your trust to me, don’t you?”

I sighed, massaging my temple. Anna always had a way of making everything sound like a test of loyalty. And the truth was, I hated saying no to her, even when her requests were absurd.

“This has to be the most unreasonable thing you’ve ever asked me,” I muttered.

“We can use this to solve the problem of you needing to get married," she clarified.

I raised an eyebrow, curious about what she had in mind. "The only solution is for you to come and let's get married, Anna. If that’s not the solution you have, I’m not doing this." I said and went back to staring at my paperwork.

“Bryant, please, with this I will be able to trust you fully.”

“Listen, babe. I didn’t want to bother you with unimportant things. Kiara is the least of our problems. We already decided to abandon each other’s mate if we ever found them.” I said and she sighed.

"Think about it," Anna said, leaning forward. "Kiara is your fated mate, and you know that you can't marry me. At least not now. But you need to get married to please your father and to fulfill your responsibilities as the future Alpha, and to get your grandmother's assets. A contract marriage with Kiara would solve both problems."

I shook my head, feeling hesitant about the idea. "I don't know, Anna, a contract marriage seems like a big risk."

Anna always sees every situation as a way to gain assets and make more money. That's why she's so occupied with her work and wouldn't give our relationship a chance.

Anna sighed, looking frustrated. "Bryant, we've been over this. You can't marry me yet, at least for the next five months. And you can't keep putting it off. A contract marriage with Kiara would not harm us both in any way. No one needs to know about it, and it's only for five months. After that, you can go your separate ways. Except you’re scared that the Mate bond is something that can come between us both."

I could tell that Anna had thought this through and had a solid plan. But the idea of marrying someone who wasn't my true love still didn't sit right with me.

“Anna, this is risky.” I sighed.

“But it’s not impossible,” she said, her voice calm but insistent. “You’ve taken on harder challenges before. And let’s be honest, you’ll probably come out of this looking better than ever.”

I didn’t bother arguing with her. Once Anna set her mind on something, it was easier to go along with it than to resist.

“Fine,” I said finally, exhaling deeply. “What are the rules?”

Anna smiled, satisfied. “Well, if you bring her back to the pack, you have to marry her—but only as a formality. It’ll be a contract marriage, nothing more. She’ll still work as your personal maid rather than as a wife. If you can tolerate her for four months without letting her affect your life, we win the bet, and you can finally reject her.”

I narrowed my eyes. “And what happens if I lose?”

“You won’t,” Anna said simply, her tone filled with confidence.

That didn’t answer my question, but I let it go. I was never one to back away from a challenge, even if I thought it was stupid.

“Fine,” I said through gritted teeth. “I accept this challenge.”

“Thank you, baby,” Anna cooed. “I knew you’d come around.”

She kissed my cheek, leaving the faint scent of her perfume lingering in the air as she left the room.

I stood there for a moment, staring at the closed door. What the hell had I just agreed to?

******

By the time Kiara arrived at the pack house, I’d had time to mentally prepare for what was about to happen or so I thought.

When the guards announced her arrival, I found myself pacing the length of my office, trying to suppress the irritation bubbling within me.

This was ridiculous. A bet. A goddamn bet.

A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. “Come in,” I called, my voice sharper than I intended.

The door opened, and Kiara stepped inside. She looked different than I remembered—more composed, less timid. There was something defiant in her posture that both intrigued and annoyed me.

“You wanted to see me?” she asked, her voice steady.

“Yes,” I said, gesturing for her to sit. She hesitated for a moment before taking the chair across from me.

I studied her in silence, noting the way her hands were clasped tightly in her lap, as if she were bracing herself for bad news.

“First of all,” I began, “I owe you an apology.”

Her eyes widened slightly, but she said nothing.

“I may have acted rashly in dismissing you,” I continued, the words tasting foreign in my mouth. “But I believe there’s a way we can rectify that.”

She frowned, clearly wary. “What do you mean?”

I leaned back in my chair, folding my arms across my chest. “I’m offering you a new position. One that will require a bit more… commitment.”

Her frown deepened. “What kind of position?”

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to meet her gaze. “I want you to marry me.”

The words hung in the air between us, heavy and absurd.

Kiara blinked, her expression shifting from confusion to disbelief. “Excuse me?”

“It’s not what you think,” I said quickly. “This would be a contract marriage, purely for appearances. You would continue to work as my personal maid. Nothing more.”

She stared at me, her mouth opening and closing as if she were struggling to find the right words.

“Why?” she asked finally.

“It’s complicated,” I said, unwilling to divulge the real reason. “But it’s a good deal for you. You’ll have job security, a place to live, and a fair salary.”

“And what’s in it for you?”

Her question caught me off guard. She wasn’t as naive as I’d assumed.

“Let’s just say it’s a mutually beneficial arrangement,” I said curtly.

She didn’t look convinced, but she nodded slowly, as if weighing her options.

“I’ll need time to think about it,” she said.

“You have 24 hours,” I replied, standing up to signal the end of the conversation. “After that, the offer expires.”

Kiara rose to her feet, her expression unreadable. “I’ll let you know my decision.”

As she walked out of the room, I felt a strange mix of relief and apprehension.

This was going to be harder than I thought.