Rejected

[Tatiana’s POV]

"Tatiana!"

The madam’s shrill voice pierces through the door, snapping my gaze from my reflection and toward the direction it came from.

"What the hell do you think you’re doing?"

"Sorry!" I gasp, rushing forward and yanking the door open. "I was…"

Before I can get any other words out, a hand is connecting with my cheek, snapping my head to the side.

"Are you even trying to explain your being late?" The madam snaps, her blue eyes flashing with rage. "How dare you waste my time!"

"I’m sorry," I repeat, trying to collect myself despite the pain that is radiating from where I was hit. "It won’t happen again."

"Of course it won’t," she smirks, giving me a knowing look. "And what exactly was so important that you decided delivering my morning tea wasn’t important?"

"I…" I begin, but then grow quiet as I realize that nothing I say will be good enough for her. "Nothing," I finish lamely.

I had worked for the madam long enough to know that everything had to be her way or it was no good. And if you crossed her, you could end up killed.

Since coming to this mansion ten years prior, I had learned to do as I was told to avoid suffering the fate that my fellow maids suffered.

"Shall I deliver your tea now?" I ask, averting my gaze since I knew that she didn’t like direct eye contact. "It will only take.."

"No," she snaps, "I have already had another maid bring me it, and now it is time for my morning meeting. However, you can make yourself useful by going and fetching that brat from his study. He has been hulled up in there all night, and his father is beginning to worry."

As she speaks, her voice drips with venom while she doesn’t bother to hide her hatred toward Knight due to his being the heir of Hunters Moon Pack instead of her son. 

In the past, she had gone as far as attempting to kill Knight, but she failed, and after that, his father, Alexi, made sure to keep guards around him at all times, so she never got the chance to try again.

Despite all this Alexi still loved and cherished not only the madam but her son as well. In his eyes, this was simply how things worked and only the strongest survived.

"Are you just going to stand there?" The madam snaps, raising her hand to strike me.

"No, of course not," I gasp, beginning to move before she can hit me.

"I can’t wait until this evening," she huffs, before I round the corner. "I’ll have one less nuisance around this place."

Frowning, I try to make sense of what she was saying, but before I can think too hard on it, I feel an odd tingling in my body as I grow closer to Knight’s office. With each step, the feeling grew more and more until I felt like I was being drawn toward something, and by the time I reached my destination, I understood what was happening.

"No way," I whisper, my eyes growing wide. "This can’t be."

Pushing aside any hopes or expectations, I knock lightly on the door and wait until Knight appears.

The minute his eyes lock with mine, the world around me fades, and all I can feel is his overpowering aura and warmth. Gasping, I attempt to take a few steps backwards out of fear, but am stopped as his arm wraps around me, and before I can react, I’m being pulled inside.

"Kn-knight," I gasp as he slams the door shut and locks it behind himself. "What are you…"

"Why are you here?" He hisses, fixing me with his piercing green gaze.

"I was sent," I begin, but stop as I take in the dark circles that rest under his eyes. "Have you not slept?"

"Doesn’t matter," he sighs, causing my worry to grow.

"You should really," I begin, but stop as he slumps forward, resting his face in the crook of my neck. "W-what?"

"Just a minute," he sighs, breathing me in. "Just let me stay like this for a minute."

"But your mother…"

"That bitch isn’t my mother," he growls, lifting his gaze to meet mine. "And don’t you ever call her that again."

Nodding, I don’t dare respond as my heart starts doing sumersalts over just how close Knight is to me.

What in the world was he doing? It didn’t make sense, especially given our history, but here he was letting his guard down in front of me. Could it be because he felt it too?

Since coming to Hunters Moon, I had been insulted, ridiculed, beaten, and starved by every member of the pack except for Knight, but even when he wasn’t joining in on the things that were happening, he was still turning a blind eye to them. Even when Olga, the head maid, beat me in front of everyone, Knight never said a word and kept walking while I was left bruised and broken.

I was sure that he hated me just as much as the others, and I constantly found myself wondering why he picked me back then. Was it on a whim? Did he see something in me and then later decide he was wrong? I didn’t know, and I didn’t dare ever ask.

"Tatiana," Knight’s deep voice rumbles now as he lifts his head and stares into my eyes. "Did you know that you’re beautiful?"

At his words, I felt my skin flush a crimson red that probably matched my hair.

Beautiful? Was he calling me beautiful?

No, I had never once thought myself beautiful with my wild red hair and odd silver eyes with red around the rims that constantly had me called a devil and a bad omen. Nor did I think that my full, curvy figure was beautiful since I always wished that I was lean and muscular like the rest of the she-wolves.

"I’m not," I whisper, trying to keep the pain I felt every time I looked in the mirror out of my voice. "I think you may be delirious from lack of sleep."

"I’m not," he counters, reaching up and touching my cheek. "I’m very much in my right state of mind."

As he speaks, he leans in close so that his minty breath tickles my skin.

"What are you doing?" I ask, unable to process what is happening. "How is this in your right state of mind?"

"I know you feel it too," is his only response before his lips find mine and his hands begin to explore my body.

Before I know what is happening, my clothes are being removed, and I’m being laid down on the couch that sits to the side of Knight’s office.

"Knight," I whimper as he positions himself above me. "I don’t think…"

"Sssshhhh," he murmurs, pressing his lips to mine. "And just enjoy."

Nodding, I close my eyes as he pushes deep into me, sending pain and pleasure flaring as we become one and my entire world turns into the man above me.

Afterwards, I remain in place while Knight busies himself putting his clothes back on, taking in his muscular figure and the large tattoo of a phoenix that covers his back. Once he’s dressed, he fixes his gaze on mine and frowns.

"Why are you just lying there?" He asks, his tone cold. "You should be getting dressed and getting back to work."

Confusion flares within me as I try to process the sudden change in Knight’s behavior after how sweet and gentle he had just been.

"Knight, shouldn’t we…"

"Get up and get dressed now!"

Tensing, I slowly do as he says while ignoring the pain that radiates between my thighs. If it weren’t for that, I would most certainly think what just happened was a figment of my imagination, but the pain proved it was real.

"Knight, what was that just now?" I ask quietly while pulling my clothes back on.

"Do you not understand what it was?" He asks coldly, narrowing his gaze. "I simply wanted to have you before another. Did you actually think that meant anything?” He laughs. “Omegas truly don’t have any brains. Do you truly believe you are worthy of being my luna?”

Have me… Before another…

Instantly, the madam’s words from earlier echo in my mind, and I suddenly feel a chill race down my spine.

"Are you rejecting me? After what we just did!"

"Of course I am," he responds, his voice, which had been so warm, ice cold. "Do you really think you have what it takes to be my luna?"

"But I’m your mate!"

I know he felt it too when we touched and made love. I know he felt the wonderful sensations that passed between us while our bodies were pressed together.

"Mate or not, a lowly omega will never stand beside me."

His words are like a punch to the gut and a knife to the heart as I realize that despite him taking my virginity and being my first, it was all just a whim.

"Then do it properly," I hiss, trying to fight back the tears that want to escape. "REJECT ME PROPERLY!"

"I, Knight Dilano, reject you, Tatiana, as my mate and future luna."

Gasping, I double over as a fierce pain shoots through my chest. With wide eyes, I meet Knight’s indifferent gaze and find myself wondering if he even felt a tiny bit of the pain I was feeling.

"Is that enough for you?" He growls, kneeling in front of me. "If so, get the hell out!"