Pain

A searing pain suffused my cheek after I said the words. I knew a third scar had just appeared, showing I had been rejected as a mate three times. It’s a curse, for those who went against the will of Moon Goddess.

For those who were unwanted

Warm blood trickled down my check down to my jawline as the occupants of the ballroom–a flurry of fated mate hopefuls–began tittering around me. I was not dressed in anything resembling the finery the other women had donned for the occasion. I wasn’t there to be mated at the ball.

I was only there as a guardian, a warrior for the pack.

Maybe I was worthy for everything, but no, not a mate of Family Hale.

Mason Hale, the Alpha of the Blackfoot Pack, gave a nod, his chin raised a bit with wounded pride

I couldn’t blame him. I was the daughter of a pack traitor. Which was how I was in this situation to begin with. I was warrior, an Omega unfit for mating.

“She’s less than worthless,” Giselle, a former friend, simpered, going to Mason’s side. “I can’t believe the Moon Goddess could have found it in her wisdom to even suggest she be your mate. What a cosmic joke”

I shrugged it off. Giselle was only saying what everyone was thinking. “By your leave, Alpha,” I said, giving a small bow and starting to leave them to their commiseration.

“Wait.” Hale’s Alpha order froze me where I stood. I couldn’t have moved if I wanted to.

“Yes, Alpha?” I asked, wishing he’d just let me quickly go to the buffet table for a napkin. At this point, I was dripping blood on the floor, and I could just feel the house staff Omegas‘ eyes boring into the back of my head.

“You are forgetting something” Then Hale turned to those gathered. They stopped laughing immediately, not wanting their Alpha to think they were laughing at him!

*The rejection ceremony will take place in two weeks.”

What he said reminded me. Yes, just like my first mate who’s an alpha and rejected me as well. Different from other werewolves, if an alpha wants to reject the mate, he or she needs to hold a rejection ceremony, otherwise the rejection will not be fully completed

“I will vow before the Moon Goddess to reject this mate. That is all. Please enjoy the rest of the ball? He simply said.

Giselle clung to Hale’s arm as he made a move to leave. “Don’t let that unworthy b*tch ruin your good time, Alpha. Eni the rest of the ball with us.” She batted her eyelashes at him.

‘With me, more like,’ I thought to myself, resisting the urge to chuckle. Giselle didn’t change at all, she had been after Hale since we were kids.

When we were friends.

I turned to Hale. “Alpha? Might I go now? I understand the ceremony is to be in two weeks. As always, I am at your disposal. Just tell me when and where and I will be there.”

Hale didn’t even spare an eye contact and turned around directly, leaving me behind without a second thought, which made Giselle chuckled happily.

But next second, he stopped and jerked his chin in the direction of the buffet table. He still didn’t say anything, but I knew it meant “go clean yourself up.”

I pretended not seeing others‘ glaring and hurried to the buffet table. Not only had I sullied the hardwood, but I was sure I must have quite a stain on my uniform now as well. The house staff was going to be incensed, and I was going to suffer for it.

As I dabbed a napkin over my new scar, I could still hear Giselle wheedling at Hale to stay. “But Hale–y–boo,” Giselle pouted. “The ball won’t be nearly as fun without you.”

“I’ve had quite enough, Giselle,” Hale grunted, and somehow managed to extricate his arm from her grasp.

I was sure he meant he’d had enough of HER, not just the ball. But Giselle let it whoosh right over her head.

“Aww, Hale–y–boo, don’t be like that,” she whined.

Icovered my l*ps with the napkin to keep from laughing at the disgusted look on Hale’s face when he turned away from Giselle. Maybe he thought no one would see, but I did.

“No,” Hale said. “I’m leaving. Have a good time, Giselle. Hopefully, you’ll meet your mate.” He then made as quick an exit as he could. He was Alpha, after all. It was hard for him to simply disappear without a word.

Giselle was disappointed. And angry. Very angry.

I knew she was angry because she rounded on me immediately. “You stupid b*tch! You ruined everything!” Giselle hissed in my ear after marching my way.

Giselle looked at the buffet table, then picked up a glass of red wine and poured it on my uniform. “Oops,” she snickered. “I didn’t see you there.”

Yes, the house staff were going to murder me in my sleep. Or drop spiders in my bed. Though, perhaps this time they’d get

more creative

I simply picked up another napkin and began blotting at the stain.

Not satisfied with my response, Giselle took a quick look around, then subtly kicked one set of table legs out from under the buffer table

Wine glasses shattered, and silver plates and platters bounced everywhere. Food sloshed and rolled across the floor. Giselle plastered on a wide–eyed, innocent face and brought her hands to her mouth. “Kora, what have you done? Just because ALPHA HALE rejected you, doesn’t mean you should go destroying things!”

I squeezed my eyes shut and sighed in my heart. I was in for it now.

The crowd came over and yelled at me.

“You idiot! How can you ruin the Alpha’s things this way? You’re lower than dirt. You’re not worthy to be in the Blackfoot Pack, yet the Alpha’s family allows you to stay! THIS is how you repay them?!” one roared right in my face.

I took a small step back quietly. The eardrop I was wearing was a new one Shawn made for me, I didn’t want any saliva on it. Giselle didn’t notice my little trick and smirked, lapping it all up.

“She’s so hopeless. I don’t know why they bother to keep her,” a friend of Giselle’s said, fanning the flames.

“She’s not just hopeless,” Giselle announced. “She’s a coward! If it weren’t for me, the whole pack might have been destroyed today! I found scouts from another pack sniffing about-”

When Giselle had shrieked and run away, and I found those scouts.

“-and Kora just ran away! I alerted the perimeter guard-

Smack!

A sharp slap was thrown at my bleeding face. The wound split open and blood instantly stained my clothes and Giselle’s hand

“Does it hurt?” Giselle chuckled, flung the blood onto the floor and kicked me to the ground “Lick the floor clean!” “By your order. Beta Giselle.” I looked into her eyes stilly

I wasn’t stupid enough to shrug in the middle of a mob that was just missing pitchforks, but honestly, I didn’t really care. I didn’t really care if I was pissed, if I was humiliated, if I was rejected.

This was a daily occurrence for me. I just happened to be standing in a larger group than usual,

Besides. Lowering my eyelids, I hoped my emotionless mask was still working as well as usual.

Until I got what I wanted, it was not wise to infuriate them.

“Hey, Kora.” Shawn Norman, a fellow traitor’s child, came walking over to me. The crowd parted like the seas, obviously amazed he’d dared to speak.

He ignored the others and gave me a bright smile. We were equals, after all. “Why don’t you let me take the rest of your shift, and you take mine later? Looks like you need a change of clothes.”

My eyes shining with gratitude, even though I couldn’t smile back, I gave a quick nod and quick–marched out of the

ballroom.

I heard the music strike up again behind me. With their favorite entertainment gone, I guess dancing was back on the menu. With stealth born of years of trying not to be seen or heard, I dodged any encounters with angry house staff and made my way toward a servant’s entrance at the back of the mansion.

Diana, another familiar face, ducked out of the kitchen, full vodka bottle in hand. “I heard about what was going on, so I sent Shawn in,” the housekeeper whispered to me, pressing the vodka into my hand. “Here. Take this. Go relax.”

She paused for a moment, rubbing my back. “We all know you are the best warrior, Bloody Kora. Forget these people.”

“I already have,” I said with the slightest of smiles.

The nervous creature bobbed her head and scurried back into the kitchen.

I went out the side door with the vodka.

It took less than fifteen minutes to reach my destination, loping along on my long legs. I didn’t shift, but I was still pretty fast without becoming a wolf.

The cliffs were tall, sheer, sandstone, and beautiful. I come here often to rest, relax, and think. Not that there was much to think about today. Fourteen years. A full fourteen years had passed since the bloody night my kind father rebelled. I was almost there, so close to the goal.

Mated to the Alpha? Please.

Unscrewing the bottle cap, I sat down in the grass and swung my legs over the edge of the cliff. I was just about to take a pull from the bottle when I heard a noise behind me.

Thump. Thump. THUMP.

I turned my head, blinking as a large, black wolf came barrelling toward me.

“What in the-?” I gaped, setting the bottle down and scrambling to my feet

Before I could shift, the black wolf leaped into the air. When he landed, he was a man again.

It was Alpha Mason Hale.

“What..” he snarled at me.

His n*ked upper b*dy pressed against my soaking wet top, hot breathing brushing against my n*eck. He grabbed my wrist so tight, as if I was about to fall off the cliff, as if the cold Alpha at the ball was an illusion.”

“What in the ROYAL HOLY do you THINK you are DOING?!”