Chapter 4

There was never such a time as this when I questioned everything. I didn't know if i was making the right decision by not informing the Alpha about this new development, but it chipped at my heart watching Ava look through her emerald glassy eyes with nothing except fear and acceptance of something dark.

What had they done to her?

I was new to the pack, had come as a transfer from a smaller pack because i heard this pack, considered the greatest pack in the whole of Northern America, was in need of medical aides. Who was I to refuse such a great privilege? I never expected to stumble on someone like her however. Red hair, big eyes, a skinny-not slim-stature. Everything about her screamed something i wasn't familiar to; suffering, neglect, oppression....

Maybe that's why i felt it was my duty to protect her. Protect her while i could before she would fall into the hands of her oppressors again. I knew i wouldn't be able to keep her away from them for long.

"You look lost in thought." I mumbled inaudibly, watching her as she stared off into space

I was sat on the chair next to her bed whilst she sat on the bed, facing the window i had pulled her away from. Her knees were tucked all the way up to her chin and she folded her arms around herself. The image of a little girl seeking solace in herself.

"I-I just...." she started to say "....how d-does someone reject their mate?"

I was startled by the question and shot her a questioning look. She continued to look on, not even bothering to turn towards me as I sat by her side. Was it possible she had found her mate already? Or had she smelt him...? That would mean he would have smelt her too, because when you catch a sniff of your mate's scent, it would automatically link you to the person and your scent would become visible to him/her and they would sniff you out. I didn't understand her...

"Well...?"

I blinked as i had realized she was now looking at me. Her body had angled into an uncomfortable-looking position but her face was passive and she didn't seem to feel any pain from twisting her spine the way she was doing.

"Umm..." I licked my lips and ran a hand through my hair "...I haven't found my mate yet, but i do know enough from what I've learnt in class. To reject your mate, it simply takes you uttering the rejection."

"So it's that easy?"

"Not exactly. After the utterings, come the acceptance. If the latter mate who faces rejection should accept it, then the two mates can depart from each other but they are to complete the rights in front of the Blue Waterfall of the Moon goddess. If not, then if they are to spend their lives with other people, they'd have to live in pain."

"Why? I thought rejection didn't need the Moon goddess' intervention?"

This was the longest she had gone without stuttering. Her voice however, was still comparable to that of a breath.

"The Moon goddess paired two wolves together for a reason. Rejection by right, isn't meant to happen in the first place but some wolves believe she makes mistakes when pairing..."

"And what if she actually does mistakes?"

"That's the thing Ava" I shrugged "She never makes mistakes."

Silence sunk in and I could notice Ava visibly shrinking. Her head turned once again to the window and she resumed staring at the window. What did she see when she looked at that window? What memory resided in the corners of her mind that haunted her so much enough to make her so silent?

"If there is no plausible reason for rejection, the two parties must stay together and try to work it out. The Moon goddess must consent to it, for the rejection to be complete."

"And let's say by chance..." she licked her lips "...that it's an Alpha involved."

"That is a more difficult rejection process. Alphas are the next power after the goddess herself. The gap is a lot but there's no one between them, that means it's harder to reject one. Everything is intensified with an Alpha, the desires and the urges and the domination as well any other thing you can think of. So if you want to reject an alpha, it'll probably not end up so well. He may never accept the rejection and you'd have to be alone because any other possible love interest you might have..."

I trailed off as her small eyes widened and i knew she had gotten the picture.

"So, to be mated to an alpha is to be mated forever?"

"Yes. Unless the Alpha wants your rejection. But here's the thing. In a case where the Luna dies, after being acknowledged as the Alpha's mate, mated or not, the pack will suffer. Even after rejection, once she's gone, it will weaken the Alpha and the pack members. They'll die off one by one."

Her eyes shut and suddenly an ear piercing scream tore from the depths of her throat as her back arched backwards. It was as if time froze in that moment. Her body twisted and my hands trembled. I was afraid to touch her, it felt like there was a force field around her preventing me from touching her.

"A-Ava..."

I moved towards her but i was suddenly pushed back and my back came in contact with the wall close to the door. I stared at her as a white light began to emit from her and her hair began to shine a bright orange. I began to breathe heavily and after a while, her scream came to a stop. Her back went flat against the bed and the lights dimmed until the room became normal again. I looked towards the window, confusion and caution rising within me as i saw the window panes trembling.

Cautiously, i moved towards her, treading softly until i stood above her form. Her eyes were wide open and stared back at me with such vibrant depression, i was almost moved to tears.

"What j-just happened..?" she asked, her voice trembling

"I don't know" i answered after swallowing down the lump that had formed in my throat

She whimpered, her shaky fingers moving up to touch her forehead.

"I-I can't..." she began to mumble "...I can't do this. He h-he'll kill me."

"Ava, what are you talking about?"

"I'll n-never be free. I'll never be happy. I-I just thought that....maybe...I just wanted t-to..."

I could hear her heart rate increasing and the blood flowing through her began to pulse faster than what i was used to. The way her eyes hazed indicated her mind was too far gone into her thoughts. If i didn't do something fast, she was going to have an anxiety attack.

"Ava."

She continued to mumble about him. The him who seemed to be the object of her fear.

"Ava."

Gradually, as my hands began to shake her small shoulders, my mind connected all the dots. Maybe 'he' was the reason she had ended up in this place. He was why she was the way she was; fragile, afraid of everything, broken.

"Ava!"

Her eyes centered right on mine and when we had held eye contact for more than 10 seconds, I knew she was back from wherever her mind had taken her to.

"Who is he?"

The tears gathered in her eyes and she began to gape like a fish out of water.

"I-I can't t-tell you...I c-can't say his name."

"Now you listen to me Ava, whoever he is, he can't hurt you. He can't touch you. I need you to answer me please. Was he the one that did this to you?"

She nodded her head slowly.

"Is he the reason why you look the way you do...?The reason why you're s-so..."

....broken.

She nodded rapidly but i didn't have the heart to utter the words that my mind held. It's like she already knew what i wanted to say.

"Ava..." i whispered her name "....who is he?"

She hesitated and sucked in a deep breath. Then her mouth opened and the name that fell from her lips made my own heart fly towards the sky. I feared for myself and most importantly, i feared for her.

"Alpha Xander H-Harrison."

She broke down in silent tears. And i couldn't help it anymore, i cried with her. I felt the pain she hadn't even explained.

"....he's my mate."

That was all it took for me to gather her into my arms and hold her against my chest.

"That monster...that beast...that murderer...is the person i'm supposed to spend the rest of my life with." she said, her voice hard with pronounced spite "...am i ever g-going to be free?"

I wish i could answer. I wish i could assure her. I wish i could do anything to help. The only thing i could do was hold on to her tighter and whisper to hair, that everything would be alright.