CHAPTER FOUR

Evvie’s POV:

“f*ck.” He sighed into my lips. His strong hands trailed down my thighs and lifted me. I wrapped my legs around him, my arms snaking around his neck as I banished all reason to the fact that I was doing nothing wrong. He is my mate, after all.

His tongue invaded my mouth and I welcomed it, thrusting my own and tasting the inside of his mouth. I moaned as he sucked on my tongue and I pulled him closer.

It felt just right.

But like all good things in my life, this one moment I get to share with my mate has to end briefly.

“She’s pregnant, Evvie…” He sighed. “I can’t…”

He gently placed my feet down, but I was numb all over. Zach hung his head and I pressed my lips into a line, taking in deep breaths as my wolf handed me back the reins out of sheer disappointment.  I felt my cheeks flush in embarrassment.

If only I knew, I would have given him myself sooner. Then this never would have happened. He would still be my mate. And I would still be his.

My heart ached until I couldn’t feel anymore.

“Do it.” I said through clenched teeth, meeting his eyes head on.

He raised his head. His eyes sparkling with tears as he opened and closed his mouth like a fish in the water.

At first, he hesitated. Then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. I could no longer see emotion in his pale blue eyes.

He had made a decision. No, he made his decision when he knocked up another woman. A woman who is not me.

“I… Zachary Stone… reject you,” his voice broke.

I braced myself for what is about to come next.

“Evvie Moondragon…” He looked at me with tears in his eyes. “as my mate.” The words came out through a whisper.

I don’t know exactly what I expected when I allowed him to reject me. Who am I kidding? He was going to reject me anyways.

But I did not expect the excruciating pain to slam right into my chest as my world came crashing down.

He did it.

He rejected me. I forced a smile upon myself. Hoping that would somehow make it better but it didn’t.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

“Evvie, I heard a noise. Is everything okay in there?” My brother’s worried voice sounded behind my closed door.

I looked Zachary in the eye and I felt my lips tremble.

“I, Evvie Moondragon…” I whispered, my voice sounding frail. “Accept your rejection, Zachary Stone.” I breathed.

I finally said it.

I watched closely to see his reaction, but he did not even move an inch from his position. Nor did the muscles on his face twitch. He just stood there, staring at me like a deer in headlights.

Moments after, he blinked and shook his head.

“I gotta go.” Was all he had to say.

With clenched fists, I bit my lip and held my chin up, watching silently as he turned on his heel.

He walked over to the window, about to jump in when he turned his head towards me.

“I’m sorry…”

His eyes said it all.

Duncan, his wolf, showed his pain through his eyes. I couldn’t bear to see the sad look in his eyes as he gazed back at me. A look I knew would render me shattered into a million pieces once he leaves me in this room. Alone, mateless, and rejected. I felt my fists clench on their own accord bracing myself for the inevitable breakdown that’s about to tear me apart.

Swallowing the lump down my throat, I turned my head away, whispering. “Just go.”

The words had just left my lips when my bedroom door burst open before the huge, bulky figure of my brother walked in.

“What the h*ll?” he growled, spotting Zach just as he jumped out the window.

When I was sure Zach was nowhere in sight, I felt my legs finally gave in and I collapsed in a heap on the floor. My body weak and numb from his rejection.

Ethan crouched instantly by my side and he caught my head before it bobbed on the floor.

“That bastard!” he growled, throwing murderous glares at the window. He scooped my head up gently with his big hands, holding me close to his chest.

The smell of Ethan’s familiar scent comforted me instantly and I began to cry.

“Evvie, what did he do to you?” He asked, his eyes softening.

“He rejected me, Ethan.” I sobbed. My hands gripped onto his shirt for dear life. I cried and cried until I had no tears left to waste. The room fell into silence.

I looked up to see the murderous look in his eyes as they swirled into pitch black.

“Ethan, don’t tell me…” I have known my brother all his life to know he was up to no good.

“He will regret what he’s done to you.” He said in a dangerously low voice.

I abruptly pulled his shirt, forcing him to look at me in the eye.

“No. What’s done is done. There’s no taking back.” I told him. Oh how I wanted that to be a lie.

After making him promise to not hunt my cheating ex-boyfriend and his own best friend down, I let him lull me in his chest until eventually, I fell into deep sleep.

The next morning I woke up on my bed. My body aching all over. Mom came to my room all dressed up for the occasion.

“What’s with the dress, Mom?” I asked gawking at her.

“Alpha Gabriel gave an order for all of the pack to attend the mating ceremony today.”

My heart sank, and for good reason.

“Whose mating ceremony?”

I don’t even know why I bothered to ask. But I had a feeling.

Mom hesitated, and I raised my brow before she finally replied, “Zachary’s.”

My eyes instantly went wide.

“What?”