"I, Fred Upton, reject you, Sophia Rush" "I, Sophia Rush, accept your rejection, Fred Upton" What's harder? Loving a man who doesn't belong to you or watching the one who does love someone else? -------- Sophia has always been at fate’s mercy. She fell in love with Kaden but when his mate arrived, she was cast aside. Heartbroken, she ran away without so much as a goodbye. Ten years later, she meets her fated mated but he already has a family. Desperate to forget her cursed fate, she seeks solace in a club, hoping to forget everything, even if it's only for a night, in the arms of a stranger. But when a ruthless Alpha sets his sights on her, refusing to take no for an answer, she has no choice but to run. Fate is cruel enough to thrust her back into the arms of the man she ran away from years ago. The one who once shattered her heart. But this time, he’s not just cold. He’s out for revenge. Blaming her for the tragedy that followed her departure, he’s determined to make her suffer. Yet when the very enemy he’s hunted for years sets his sights on Sophia, Kaden is forced to protect her. Because no matter how much he resents her, one truth remains. He’s never been able to forget her But love is fragile in the face of a relentless enemy. And when Kaden must choose between Sophia and a hidden kingdom he never knew existed, will he follow his heart or his destiny?
View MoreHe was everything I'd ever dreamed he would be. Blonde, blue eyes, high cheekbones, straight nose, plump lips and already mated. With two kids on top. Talk about karma. As I'm handing him his phone back, our fingers brush. The little contact sending shocks of electricity up my hand and straight to my heart. My wolf whines halfheartedly, knowing what is coming next but surprisingly, not scared. Maybe because we expected this. The moon goddess is punishing me for that one mistake, although I refuse to see it as a mistake. It was a decision made by two people who... I shake my head to clear those thoughts. What good would it do to live in the past? He probably has two kids, too, or more.
"Are you ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be" I reply nervously. This isn't something people do every day "You go first"
"Before that, I want to tell you how sorry I am"
"You've already apologized. Please just say the words and get it over with" so that I can find a hole to crawl in and cry my eyes out for the next fifty years. I am going to be alone. The only chance I had to forget him just went out the window when I found out my mate isn't mine. I'd hoped he would save me from this madness. Erase his touch and kisses from my body and replace them with his. But what do you know? Even he is taken. The one person who was meant to be mine isn't mine. What am I going to do?
"I, Fred Upton, reject you, Sophia Rush"
"I, Sophia Rush, accept your rejection, Fred Upton"
I see the tears shining in his eyes, feel his regret at letting me go, and feel even worse. He truly is sorry for not waiting for me but what can we do? I can't ask him to leave his family. Maybe I would have fought for him if the children weren't in the picture but I can't bring myself to tear apart a family. I know first-hand how painful it is to be left behind. Because I've gone through that twice already. But damnit! How can fate be so cruel?
He was supposed to be mine.
"I hope you have a happy life. Don't worry about me. In a way, I think I was ready for this. Somehow I knew it wouldn't work out between us"
"How would you know if you never even tried?" He snaps at me and I twist my head back in shock.
"Don't use that tone with me when you are the one who has a family" I throw back. I only gave my heart to someone else. I didn't start a family with him. But I would have done it if he'd asked. Goddess knows I would have mated with him right there and then. If only... Too many ifs.
He bows his head in shame "I'm sorry. I just..." He pauses and takes a deep breath then looks up at me "Can I have one kiss?"
"Wouldn't that be cheating?"
"No. Anais would understand. She told me it was okay to uh... Um be with you for one night" he says rubbing his neck. The tips of his ears red. I'm offended that she thinks she can rent me, my own mate, for one night. If I was a bitch, I'd take that offer and while we're in the middle of sex, mark him. He'd mark me back because the mate pull wouldn't allow him to walk away. Even now, we're both finding it hard to walk away. But I'm not a bitch. That's my mother's expertise.
"In plain terms, she's okay with you having sex with me as long as you go back to her. Is that right?"
"Don't misunderstand her. She just wanted to give me a chance to know what it's like to be with your real mate because she'll never know. Hers died shortly after they met"
"Well, either way, I don't think it's right for us to kiss. Since you chose her, just stick with her to the very end"
His face falls making me wonder if he really thought I would jump into bed with him "You're right. I hope you won't hate me. It's too much to ask but I hope you won't hate me for not waiting and I wish you would find someone who would love you because you deserve it. Because you're beautiful and kind and..."
"You don't need to say that. Like I said, I'll be fine. Don't worry about me" the fucking compliment sandwich. Never thought I'd live to hear it but here we are.
"Okay"
Before things get awkward, I point at the door "You can leave. I'm just going to sit here for a while" he gets up, takes a few steps, stops, turns around, and comes back to where I am. Before I can ask if he has forgotten something, he bends down and takes my face in his hands. Kissing my forehead.
"You will find the right man for you" he murmurs before leaving. Fucking hell. That stupid sentence is my undoing.
Tears burn at the back of my eyes and I struggle to keep them at bay. I already found that man, but he'd forgotten about me the second he met his mate. After everything that happened between us, he hadn't even bothered to say goodbye when I left. All these years I'd hoped my mate would help me forget him. I'd held on to the fact that our connection would tramp every other feeling. Just as how it was supposed to be. How could I have known that he too had already chosen someone else? If I'd found out earlier, would it have made any difference?
Deep down I know my tears aren't for Fred. Yes, I'm heartbroken that he has a wife and kids but that isn't the reason I feel like bawling my eyes out. It's the idea of being stuck with his memory forever. Of remembering every single touch and kiss but knowing those touches and kisses now belong to another. Of being stuck pining after a man who was never meant to be mine. Of the fact that I already knew Fred couldn't erase those memories even if he'd waited for me. What had I been thinking back then? Falling stupidly in love with someone who wasn't my mate?
My wolf whines, retreating, further in my mind, silently blaming me for our predicament. I angrily swipe at the tears, get up and go home. If I'm going to cry, it would be better to do it in the privacy of my bedroom. Where no one can witness my shame and embarrassment.
"Sophia, you're back. Sit, we have to talk"
"Not now mom" I reply breezing past her and straight to my room. Locking it just in case my mother comes barging in. Whenever she wants to talk, it is either about a new boyfriend or moving. As a kid, I can't remember how many packs we've been to. Mainly because we didn't stay long for me to remember anything. I understood my mother was mourning the death of my father but did we have to jump from one pack to the other? It was her fault I met him. If anyone is to blame for my heartbreak... Fuck. I have no one but myself to blame. I'd known he wasn't my mate. Had known we were only seeking comfort in each other's arms. He'd even told me it was a one-time thing. He would make me forget everything for a while. In the process, he'd do the same. We only wanted to shut out the world for a while. How could I have known I would never be able to forget him?
The next few days, getting out of bed becomes a chore. I have to force myself to leave my room so my mother wouldn't suspect anything. Leigh Cassandra Rush famously known as LC can be a nightmare when she wants to be. I don't even want to think what she would do if she caught wind of my situation. She'd probably find someone else and have me mated to them in a matter of days. The more powerful they are, the better. A week goes by with me feeling like a zombie then I force myself to snap out of it. The world hasn't come to an end. Those two men are living happily with their mates. Why am I the one wasting my time wallowing in misery? I will live. No one has ever died from heartbreak.
Constant moving made it impossible for me to make friends but since we've stayed in Bittercrest for a while, I managed to make one. Reagan. We are around the same age. She was born and raised in Bittercrest and when we first arrived, it was Reagan who had helped me settle down. I can't believe we've managed to stay here for five years now. Although, it's solely because my mother is banging one of the members. I'm yet to figure out who it is. So unlike LC since she's the type to brag to the world about her new boyfriend. Reagan went to visit her mother's relatives in another pack and the moment she arrives, she can't wait to gush about all the hot guys in Silvercrown pack. It's the perfect distraction from my predicament.
"I should have dragged you by your hair, Soph. I swear you would have drooled" she says fanning herself
"That hot. Huh?"
"Don't even get me started" she goes on and on about them and how she almost embarrassed herself. I zone her out, my mind on what to do next. Now that there is no mate to rely on, I have to plan my future. Figure out what to do and where to go. Should I find another pack and start over? It would be best if I did that. Far away from my mother and her complicated relationships. Reagan grabs my hair and gently jerks my head back "Are you even listening?"
"Yes. Let go"
"Nuh-uh. Now that I think about it, you look weird. Did something happen while I was gone?" She brings our faces closer and narrows her eyes "Were you crying?"
"No-"
"You were. I know you, Soph. If you hadn't cried, you would have gone 'Who? Me? Why would I do that?' but you replied with just a no. That means you were crying. What happened? Is it your mother? Or one of the members? Don't tell me Nova and his crew are still bothering you. I will fry their asses and feed it to them"
"It's not that" I know Reagan will follow through with that threat. Not fry their asses per se. But she could report them to the Alpha who would punish them or create a scene so the whole pack would find out and criticize them. They'd never hear the end of it. Having grown up with her, Nova and his crew know not to mess with Reagan. So they'd stopped bothering me after she warned them. I can't have my friend accuse them wrongly. Besides, I need someone to unload my shit to. Who better than Reagan?
"Then what?"
"I met him. My mate but he's already mated and has two kids" there are a few seconds of silence before she shrieks,
"What?"
"We rejected each other"
"No way. At least tell me you rejected him after knocking off his front teeth" I shake my head no "How could you let him get away with it? That fucker. Tell me his name. I'll kick his ass for you"
"It's over. We are not connected anymore"
"Still, he knew better than to mate with someone else and have kids with her. How can you forgive him, Soph?"
"What was I supposed to do?"
"I don't know, kick his balls. Scratch his face out. Light a fire under his ass. Anything"
"It's over. We were not meant to be" I stop and take a deep breath "I wasn't meant to be with anyone Reags"
"Bullshit! You are beautiful, smart, intelligent, and hot as fuck. It's his fucking loss. Don't you dare shed another tear for him"
But I end up doing exactly that because I'm so miserable. I don't know how I can move forward. What's there to live for?
"I don't think I can do this"
"No Soph, don't say that" her arms come around me "If it comes to it, I will give up my mate for you. I promise I'll help you find your happy ending"
"How? Fate screwed me over. I fucking hate my life"
"Give it time hun. So what if your mate rejected you? We can easily find-"
"Who rejected who?" An eerily familiar voice asks. We jump apart to find LC staring down at us "Sophia, did your mate reject you?"
Fuck my life.
******************************************
"Is this a kingdom of Lycans or werewolves? Ever since that king arrived, he's turned our kingdom upside down. I'm begging you, join me so we can send him away and return things to how they used to be" "You mean go back to the days our houses were falling apart while you lined your pockets with more gold?" Someone from the crowd asks. "Are you not ashamed of yourself, Perrin?" Another one adds "What right do you have to preach such nonsense? If it wasn't for his majesty, we would be begging for morsels of food at your doorstep. Go away. No one wants to listen to you" "Shall I make him leave, your majesty?" Reign asks."It's not necessary. He has nothing better to do so let him run his mouth" "Your Majesty!" Perrin calls out making all eyes turn to me. He drops his microphone and runs to kneel in front of me "Your Majesty, please take me back. Without you, I'm lost. Please, your majesty. I promise to be your loyal servant from today onwards" "That is up to the people. I don't decid
"Hands off. I don't want to be late for dinner" "I can be fast," Kaden says his hands sliding up the back of my thighs to rest on my ass. "Later. Is that what you're wearing?" "I would like to spend time with you without those two interfering. They know we've been mated for a while and still insist on inviting us to dinner every two to three days. I'd rather spend my free time with you than them" "They only want to bond with you but you keep giving them the cold shoulder. They're your parents, Kaden. Why are you being so cold to them?" It's the third time Dessa invited us to dinner. The first two times, we arrived, Kaden pushed around the food on his plate then told them he was busy and left. He keeps saying he doesn't care about them abandoning him but turns around and acts like a child. I'm not forcing him to like them or accept them. But since he decided we'll be living here, can't we be civil with them? Not that Dessa is any better. At least Atticus tries to talk to him. She, o
I wake up to soft breaths fanning my neck and Sophia's body half lying on top of mine. She's in one of my T-shirts while I'm naked. A sense of calmness washes over me knowing this is how I'll wake up for the rest of my life. Our lives. I will protect and love her until my dying breath. Although, now that she got her memory back, will she change her mind? I won't allow her to leave me. We already completed mating. Granted it was different than I'd expected it to be. Aside from being able to connect our thoughts, nothing else happened. Her mark on me disappeared while mine is still visible on her neck. Is this the first time a Lycan has mated with a werewolf? I'd like to know if this is the end or if there will be more changes in the future. But first, I have to get her to stay with me. Sliding her off me, I get up and throw a robe on then go in search of Merlin. He's in the main living room and he jumps to his feet when he sees me. "Your Majesty, you're awake.
My hand flies to my mouth, shock rendering me immobile. Is this the reason Kaden didn't want to talk about that day? I never understood why he was reluctant to tell me what had happened. He'd even forbidden Leander and the rest from talking about it. I thought it was because he didn't trust me but I now I know it was because he felt ashamed and guilty. It's written all over his face. Camden instigated the attack but Kaden had just turned eighteen. I doubt he knew what he was or how powerful his beast was. Newly turned wolves have a hard time controlling their wolf side. I can't imagine how harder it is for Lycans. Camden took advantage of that and it led to the demise of Kaden's family. But why? (He can keep the throne. I'll take everything else away from him) I can't believe he fooled me into believing he was the good brother. I wish I'd stuck all the iolites Iridessa gave me in his back. She slipped them to me earlier and told me their effect on Lycans. Th
The first memory I have is of Celosia forcing me to lift the crown. I was around three or four. She took me to the throne room and told me not to leave until I had succeeded. The naive little boy in me wanted to please her so I promised her I would do it without realizing it was impossible. I thought I could thaw her coldness towards me if I did what she said. She left me there for a whole day and night without food or water. By the time Jovita, my nanny found me, my hands were bleeding because I refused to accept I couldn't do it. It was the first time my mother had paid attention to me. I couldn't disappoint her. The memory is still so vivid because it was also the first time I suspected she didn't love me. I wondered why she didn't send someone to bring me a cup of water. To be able to do it, I needed strength. Feeding me once would have sufficed. A few years later, I found out that she didn't care about me at all. She was telling Morena how useless I was a
I've been expertly avoiding these people for more than two years. I can't believe all it took was one word from Sophia and I agreed to attend this banquet. She'd better hold up her end of the bargain or I will be very pissed. My eyes bounce around the room until they land on her. She's laughing together with other women while her hands make gestures. I believe the woman standing next to her is Iridessa. I'd bet my money that she strong-armed the others into being nice to Sophia. I'm not blind. I saw the way the servants were treating her and when I had Reign investigate it, he found out Ellinor had threatened them. Claiming that when she became the queen, anyone who was nice to Sophia wouldn't be spared. I wonder why she was so bold as to actually think I would agree to make her the queen. Even without Sophia, it wouldn't have been her or anyone for that matter. My mind was made up when I decided to be the king. It's Sophia or no one. I project more erotic image
"She tricked me too. I didn't even know she was your mother" "Find her and tell her to cancel it. I'm not going" "The invitations have already been sent out" Kaden huffs in annoyance and I know it's because he doesn't like these kinds of parties. I crawl onto his lap and wrap my hands around his neck "We can sneak out tomorrow night and go to the other side" "Because they can't find us there and drag us back?" "Then just attend it. I've never been to a black tie event" "How do you know that?" "I'd never forget something like that" "But you can forget me?" "You're being a big baby. Stop sulking and find yourself a tuxedo. I'm going to try on the dresses your mother sent me" I try to leave but his hands go around me. Holding me hostage. "On one condition" "Name it" "Let me fuck your ass when we get back" Goodness, is it me or is he horny all the time? I do want to dress fancily and attend those types of parties. But Kaden's reason isn't bad either. "Your wish is my command,
"What's with the turtle neck? If I didn't know you, I'd think you were trying to cover up my mark" "That's because I am" I snap my head toward him "You are? Why?" "To avoid gossip" "Are you kidding me?""Stop right there. It's not what you think" he says adjusting his sleeves. He's an ass but a hot ass. I wouldn't be surprised if women threw themselves at his feet. But now that we've marked each other, they should know he's taken. Why is trying to hide it? "Unlike wolves, our marks don't remain visible. It'll disappear in a day or two" "Then all the more reason you should display it for all to see. Unless you don't want anyone to know about it" "Correct" Ugh, I knew sooner or later, he was going to start showing his true colors. He asked me to be his queen but it's not even a day later and he's already going back on his words. I'm not stupid. It's obvious no one will accept me as their queen and I'm fine with that. Being with him is enough. But if he
I didn't think it would happen so soon. This feels like a dream. It was all so easy that I can't help waiting for the other shoe to drop. I'm normally confident in everything I do but when it comes to Sophia, there are times I find myself hesitating. Even though I claimed her and we marked each other, it doesn't guarantee that she'll stay once she regains her memory. It was foolish of us to do this now but even if it was just for a day, I wanted her to be mine in every way. With no worries about the past or the future. It's selfish of me to wish she never remembers. I'm tempted to make sure she forgets the past forever but I can't bear to hurt her. Her mind has already been manipulated enough times. If I damage her further, I'd have no one to blame but myself. Besides, she just managed to get her wolf back. I can't let her efforts go to waste. "What are you thinking about?" She asks drawing drawing circles on my chest with her finger. I've lost count of the number of times I've made l
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