YOU REJECTED ME

Roxanne's POV

My body ached, my heart shattered and my wolf, Zoey, whimpered softly within me, as she mourned the rejection that had torn through our bond. I can't tell how long I've been here, but I know that it's been more than two days.

I slumped against the rough stone wall, my legs giving out beneath me. The floor was cold and hard, but I barely noticed the discomfort. My mind was filled with different emotions…. anger, humiliation and a deep sadness that was threatening to consume me.

"How could this happen?" I whispered to myself, my voice trembling. "How could he reject me like that? I haven't even done anything to deserve it”

Zoey stirred within me. "He doesn’t deserve us," she growled, her voice laced with pain and defiance. "We are strong, Roxanne. Stronger than he thinks. We will survive this."

I wanted to believe her, but the weight of Alpha Alejandro's rejection pressed down on me like a heavy blanket. He had taken everything from me—my dignity, my freedom, and now, the hope of a mate bond. And yet, despite the hatred I felt for him, a small, traitorous part of me still longed for his touch, for the connection that had sparked between us, however briefly.

The hours dragged on, the dungeon silent except for the occasional drip of water echoing in the distance.

My stomach growled, reminding me of Alpha Alejandro's cruel order to be locked up without food and water. I clenched my fists, anger flaring within me. He wanted to break me, to reduce me to nothing more than a pawn in his game. But I refused to let him win.

“I'm hurt, Roxanne!” She whimpered softly. She was feeling the pain more than I did and that's because she tried to take away all the pain from me, just like she's always been doing, but my wolf was weak. I was weak!

“I'm so sorry for putting you through such pain, Zoey. I'm really sorry.” I said to her in a calm voice.

"I will endure," Zoey whispered, in a firm voice. "For ourselves, and for the future we will claim."

Her words struck a chord within me. The future. It. felt so uncertain, so out of reach, but I clung to the idea of it like a lifeline. Alpha Alejandro might have rejected me, but he couldn’t take away my will to fight. And fight I would, no matter what it took.

As soon as I give birth to his heir, I'll be out of here.

The sound of footsteps approaching pulled me from my thoughts. And I tensed, my heart pounding as the heavy door creaked open. A sliver of light spilled into the dungeon, and I squinted against the sudden brightness.

"Roxanne, my dear?" a soft voice called. It was the head maid, her face etched with concern as she stepped inside, holding a small bundle in her hands.

I stared at her, too stunned to speak. She hurried over to me, kneeling down and placing the bundle on the floor. It was a small loaf of bread and a flask of water.

"Eat," she urged, her voice barely above a whisper. "You need your strength if you want to survive here!”

I hesitated, my eyes darting to the door. "But the Alpha—"

"The Alpha doesn’t need to know," she interrupted, her tone firm. "You’re still a person, and no one deserves to be treated like this. Now, eat."

Tears welled in my eyes as I reached for the bread, my hands trembling slightly. "Thank you," I whispered, my voice breaking.

She nodded, her expression softening. “I want you to know this, my dear. You are stronger than you think, Roxanne. Don’t let him break you. Don't let Alpha Alejandro break you.”

With that, she stood and left the dungeon, the door closing softly behind her. I stared at the bread and water, a small spark of hope igniting within me.

She was right. I couldn't let Alejandro break me. I had to fight, for myself, for my dignity and for the unreachable future that I still dared to dream of.

**Later That Night**

No matter how much I tried to sleep, it was impossible. I couldn't sleep. Not when my body and my heart hurts, but I couldn't tell which pain was greater - the one on my body, or the one on my heart. It was definitely the one on my heart.

The cold seeped into my bones, and the silence of the dungeon was deafening. My mind replayed the events of the night—Alpha Alejandro’s harsh words, the way he had looked at me with such disdain, and the bond that had flickered to life only to be brutally severed by him.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. I stood, pacing the small cell despite the exhaustion weighing me down. I needed a plan. I couldn't stay here, at the mercy of a man who saw me as nothing more than a tool.

But escape seemed impossible. The pack was vast, and Alpha Alejandro’s reach was long. Still, I couldn’t give up.

The sound of the door creaking open again made me freeze on the spot. I turned, expecting to see the head maid again, but inside, a tall figure stepped inside. My heart raced as the figure moved closer, the dim light revealing familiar green eyes.

Alpha Alejandro.

My breath caught in my throat as he approached, his expression unreadable. He stopped just outside the bars of my cell, his gaze piercing through me.

"Why are you here?" I asked, my voice trembling despite my efforts to sound strong.

He didn’t answer immediately, his eyes scanning me as if searching for something. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and measured. "You felt it too, didn’t you? The bond."

I stiffened, my heart pounding in my chest. Why was he suddenly bringing this up? Didn't he reject me already? So why did he care about the bond, if I felt it or not?

“Answer me!” He wasn't yelling. His voice was calm, unlike that night when he yelled at me.

"You rejected it," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "You rejected me. So you shouldn't worry about anything."

For a moment, he said nothing, his jaw tightening. Then to my surprise, he unlocked the cell door and stepped inside. My instincts screamed at me to back away, but I stood my ground, my eyes locked on his in defiance.

“I didn’t come here to apologize," he said in a cold voice. "But I need you to understand something. The bond changes nothing. You are here for one purpose, and one purpose only. Do not mistake this for anything more."

His words cut deep, deeper than I had thought, but I refused to let him see the pain they caused. After all, he didn't need to worry about the bond anymore. He has rejected me already. I don't get why he keeps forgetting it.

"I understand," I said, my voice steady despite the storm burning inside me. "But know this, Alpha. I am not yours to control. Not completely."

I couldn't tell where the courage to talk back at him came from, but deep down, I was glad that I did it.

A flicker of something- surprise, maybe respect, crossed his face, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. He turned and left the cell, locking the door behind him without another word.

Alpha Alejandro might think he had broken me, but he was wrong. I would survive this. I would find a way to reclaim my life, my freedom, and my future.

And one day, I would make him regret ever underestimating me.