FATAL REJECTION

Kieran’s Point Of View

I managed to stand upright, with my hands on my lower abdomen, but the cramp came once again, and I screamed. The scent grew stronger, and I felt my wolf rumble inside of me. It was either struggling to take over my body, or it was fighting something.

“Oh, dear, it can’t be.” I heard someone say as I wriggled in pain and crouched on the floor.

I struggled to stand upright once more, but the cramps pinned me to the floor like I was being possessed by some demon, and the next thing I knew, everything blacked out all of a sudden.

The next time I opened my eyes, I was lying before the high place. The cramp was gone. My wolf was calm. I scrambled to my feet and looked up to the high place. The priest was no longer there. Alpha Coltan was no longer there.

I looked down to the stem of the high place and saw them: Alpha Coltan, Rasputin, and William, standing in a long stretch with the ten alphas of the neighboring packs.

Everywhere was silent though it was still full of nobles and low-lives like me. No one was saying anything. I tucked my hair behind my ears and bowed my head.

“I think there is a mistake here!” Alpha Colten thundered. “This wretch cannot be my mate!”

No one dared say a thing. Not even the alphas. I wonder who the heck was the wretch he was referring to. I am one of the wretches by the way, but wretched people like me can’t smell such privilege of even getting rejected by Alpha Colten.

But what the heck brought me to the front line? The front line was meant for the nobles. Oh, was it because I was unconscious the other time?

I slowly stepped back, but my eyes met Alpha Colten’s. He doesn’t look like he wants to either move or stay. It seemed his rage had tripled at the sight of me. It seemed I disgusted him more than anything anyone or institution on planet earth has ever considered disgusting.

But seriously, what the heck brought me to the front line?

I stopped backing off, anyway. I stayed back. But fuck!

“I think the goddess made a mistake. Look at her!” Alpha Colten yelled again.

“Do not mock the goddess.” The priest, Rasputin, stepped out of the file. “The goddess made no mistake.”

Rasputin’s eyes met mine. Why the heck is he looking at me in the face? Were they talking about me? Oh, good fucking lord, I might be the one Alpha Colten was yelling at.

I decided to back off at all costs even if it would cost my head. For the moon’s sake, the earth was supposed to open and swallow me at this moment. I backed off once more, but the rage in Alpha Colten’s eyes grew.

“What is your name, wretched thing?”

I looked around. I was surrounded by nobbles. The wretched class, my class, was at the back. So, I knew without being told that the query was for me.

“Kieran,” I answered in a soft tone. “My name is Kieran Medici.”

He nodded gently and walked up to me, his strong scent filling up my lungs. My hands trembled, and my legs nearly gave up. I’ve never felt that way before any man. But before him, I couldn’t tell if it was out of fear or out of something stronger that I felt the earth should open and swallow me whole.

“Kieran Medici,” he said, bold and loud. “You are a disgusting low-life. You are not fit for me. You do not have what it takes in beauty and in knowledge, and nobility to be my mate. I hereby…”

He paused for a while. Then, his words echoed once more.

“I hereby reject you as my mate!”

His words puzzled me. Was I his mate in the first place? Was that why I felt my wolf rumbling inside? Was that why I couldn’t even stand before him? 

“Kieran Medici, what do you have to say?” The priest, Rasputin asked.

“Come on,” Alpha Colten turned to him. “Does she have a choice?”

“I accept the alpha’s judgment,” I said almost immediately. Yes, I do have a choice here. I choose my safety and sanity over my demise.

“In that case,” Alpha Rogan stepped out. “I propose to take the rejected mate as mine.”

“You don’t have to, Rogan,” Alpha Colten sneered like an enraged beast about to devour its meal. “Not under my watch, Rogan, will you feed on my vomit.”

Alpha Alfred stepped out. 

Alpha Colten looked at him like he was an equal. Maybe, he’s an equal indeed.

“Not you, Frost!” Alpha Colten growled with the snare of a tiger about to pounce.

Alpha Alfred smiled and took a deep breath. 

“You just rejected her.” Alfred spat.

“Not a thing to bother about, friend.” Colten cracked a finger.

The rest of the alphas looked at each other and remained silent. They seemed not to match Colten’s aura and thus, were not willing to mess with him, but Alfred was ready. He removed his gloves and dropped them to the floor.

“You mocked the goddess for blessing your ass with that beauty, and now, you stand in my way to possess her.” Alfred sneered.

Rogan stepped in between Colten and Alfred. Both of them seemed greater than he was, but he was brave. That’s what I was starting to love about him. his bravely. He just made me look like a thing.

“Don’t tell me you will fight over a…”

“Shut up and stay out of this, young alpha.” Colten’s tone was not friendly.

Alfred gazed at his gloves on the floor. I can’t imagine he dropped those pieces of luxury on the floor because he wanted to challenge Alpha Colten.

But what I can’t tell is whether he dropped it because he wanted to defend the moon goddess, or because he wanted to defend me.

“Enough of this,” Rasputin chirped in. “The meeting is over. She is Colten’s to deal with. So, let’s call it a day.”

The three alphas didn’t flinch until Alfred picked up his gloves and put them on. Rogan nodded gently and returned to the file, while Colten and Alfred battled with glare for a while before they made it back to the file.

“The alpha rejects his option. We meet here next full moon, or the alpha will have to select a bride of his likeness!” Rasputin hollered.