Rejected

Thalia’s POV:

"Bring the murderer over here!" A familiar voice growled, a distance away.

I froze at the sound of his words.

A chorus of cheer rose from the crowd, making me even more confused.

Murderer?

Wait, what?!

My eyes scanned the courtyard, and in an instant, a strong pair of hands yanked me and pushed me forward.

I fell to my face right on the floor.

"She deserves to die!" Someone cried out from the crowd.

"Who? Me?" I wondered.

Everything was happening so fast! Too fast for me to even understand.

I raised me face from the dust and looked up at him, stunned.

Thane Frostbite.

My chosen mate; the man I had looked forward to spending the rest of my life with until last night.

He stepped down from his throne seat, clutching firmly to the Alpha staff that had just been handed over to him by the council of elders.

Silence swept threw the crowd as he raised his right hand and suspended it in the air. His eyes remained pinned on me as he edged closer.

For a second, hate flashed in his eyes as he glared at me, but I didn't care!

What I felt for him was way worse than that.

"Have you lost your mind, you miserable murderer?" He hissed.

I eyed him in defiance. "I am not a murderer, Thane. You are!" I shot at him.

He chuckled, then drew close to me and lowered himself to a squat, meeting me at eye level.

A lump formed in my throat, but I ignored it and locked my eyes with him. Another moment of silence passed before Thane cleared his throat and spoke again.

"The unfortunate being you call a father poisoned the Alpha king of Ember pack; my father. What does that make you, Thalia? A murderer too. The apple doesn't fall far from the—"

"Oh! Spare me that trashy speech" I hissed at him, cutting into his words.

I was at his mercy, but it didn't scare me. Nothing scared me at this point as I obviously had nothing else to live for.

I continued, "You beheaded my father without any trial. You—"

I didn't get a chance to complete my statement as his palm swung through the air and landed on my face with a force that sent me reeling backwards. My body hit the ground a second time with a thud.

"Don't you dare question my actions, you ingrate! You are lucky I didn't order for you to be beheaded alongside your father last night." He spat.

I looked up at him, tears blurring my vision as I held the side of my face he had just slapped. My mouth opened and closed without a word. He rose and stood upright, fuming.

"The only reason I kept you alive from last night till now is because I want to cut off every tie our fathers have made between us." He announced.

The realization of his words hit me with a shock but I refused to show it. Rather, I picked myself up from the ground and stood, facing him.

"So be it! I would rather die than be mated to a man like you!" I shot back at him.

He let out a mirthless laugh, then he turned to face the crowd behind me.

"Isn't it surprising that she is not only a murderer, but she is a joker?” He mocked.

I didn't know what he was talking about, and it made no sense to me.

He pointed his alpha staff at me, "This joker right here had assumed I was glad to be her chosen mate. News flash: she has no wolf!”

The crowd broke into chaos, as almost everyone started to talk at the same time.

I bit hard on my lower lips. So, he knew?

Damn! Why was I surprised that he did? We were chosen mates, bound from childhood. Somehow, he must have found out that the miserable girl who had been bound to him wasn't even worthy to be his mate.

Cold sweat broke out on my forehead, causing me to shiver.

I clenched my teeth, not taking my eyes away from him.

"She's as shameless as the word itself. Now, I am ready to cut off ties with this wolfless thing!" He mocked, turning again to face me.

I cringed inwardly and I pleaded with the moon goddess to just let me disappear into thin air.

This was just too much to bear.

When the noise had died down, he cleared his throat and looked me in the eye.

"I, Thane Frostbite, Alpha of the great Ember Pack, hereby reject you, Thalia Nightshade, as my mate.”

His words came heavy to me, but I didn't flinch.

I had no wolf, anyways. If I did, I was sure that the hurt of the rejection would pierce right through me, shattering the last piece of my sanity.

Was it luck or fate?

I didn't know. All that mattered was that a part of my heart broke as I realized that the mate I had grown to accept from childhood was now rejecting me in front of the pack members.

He was doing it right on the day he was coronated as Alpha.

"Are you deaf?" He barked, jolting me back into reality.

I stared at him.

"Accept this rejection, now!" He ordered.

"I, Thalia Nightshade, hereby accept your rejection as my mate, and I hereby put an end everything that has been planted between us."

A satisfied grin spread across his face. He bobbed his head, "One more thing, you murderer.”

I eyed him without a word. He grabbed my arm and pushed me backwards onto the ground like a piece of trash, leaving me gasping for air. Something was handed over to him by the guard who stood close by.

Without any warning, he stepped over my small figure, bent low and slashed me.

Slashed over my Pack Mark. With a knife.

“And I, hereby, sentence you to death by dawn tomorrow.” His cold words echoed through the crowd.

My breath hitched as I focused on the pain on my shoulder, the exact spot he had just cut open with a knife.

When he bragged about being able to kill me earlier, I didn't doubt his words.

Now, it felt like he was referring to someone else. It seemed like I was standing right outside my body and witnessing my very own rejection by my chosen childhood mate.

Sentenced to death?

It was impossible! Was that how fast it took him to realize that I wasn't worth being alive any longer?

I looked at my feet, forcing my tears back.

"Members of the Ember pack! There is one more thing that I want to make known." He paused and took in a long stare at me.

Then, he flicked his fingers at me.

I stiffened.

No! He wasn't even gesturing at me.

I noticed that he was looking past me.

His face lit up as the person he had his eyes on emerged from the crowd behind me.

A gasp escaped from my lips.

Wasn't that my...best friend, Zara?

What was going on?

There was a large grin on his face as he watched Zara with pleasure. When she was within arm's length, he snaked a hand around her waist. She leaned in close and resting her head against his chest.

Then, he swung around to face the crowd again.

"I hereby pronounce Zara Zhir as my Luna and Queen of the great Ember pack!"

An instant chill went through me.

No!

No, this wasn't happening! A small voice yelled in my head.

I took a few steps backward and then, I lost control, allowing my tears to break free and stream down my face. I felt empty and cold as I looked at the people who were clapping around me.

Soon, I met Zara's stare and noticed that she was smiling.

My best friend was smiling right in the arms of my chosen mate!