Falling for my Ex Mate's Twin

"I, Alpha Mattias of the Lakemoon pack, reject you, Kai Davenson, as my mate."

The pain of rejection didn't hurt nearly as much as the things Lucien had done to me before today. In spite of the waves of torment washing over me, my lips curved up into a small smile.

"I, Kai Davenson, accept your rejection and revoke my place as candidate for future Luna and as a member of this pack." Despite my struggle to speak, my voice remained steady and calm.

I raised my eyes to Lucien’s narrowed ones. He looked displeased, clearly expecting me to break down and beg him like always. Not today.

Though he was still looking down on me from his place next to his father's throne in his all-black attire, in that moment we were equals.

His parents stared at us approvingly, probably already making plans for Lucien to find a new mate. A better mate. One who wasn't a man and wasn't an omega at that.

My eyes locked with Damien's, standing beside my former mate. For the first time, Lucien’s brother didn't look at me with mocking distaste. Despite them being twins, they couldn't have been more different.

Where Lucien was outgoing and cruel, Damien was silent and dangerous.

"You've caused little trouble throughout your stay here. There's no need for you to forfeit your place in our pack. Leave the palace, marry well, and build a family, only not with my son."

His father spoke, mistaking my silence for pleas to stay here. If he thought he could humiliate me further by keeping me here, then he was purely mistaken.

"My mind is made up. I wasn't born in this pack. I appreciate your kindness in taking me in after my own pack was destroyed by rogues, but there's nothing left for me here. I will pack my bags and leave before dawn."

Neither his face nor that of the Luna betrayed an ounce of sympathy.

Typical. Lucien was the one who abused me, forced me to mate him, and then proceeded to cheat on me, yet the weight of his sins fell on my shoulders.

"If the Alpha and his Luna would excuse me, I would like to go and pack."

The Luna's face scrunched into a frown at my casual tone. Her lips parted, but her husband held her back before she got off her throne. "You may go."

I straightened, walking out of the throne room with my head held high. Damien met my gaze right as my hand gripped the handle of the bronze doors and pushed them open.

My footsteps made loud echoes in the hall, swallowing the sound of my erratic breathing. My throat clogged, my eyes glistening with unshed tears.

The chambers Lucien shared with me had felt more like a prison than a home these past few years.

The smell of the oils and perfumes that the maids used on me daily before presenting me to him clogged my nose.

My worn suitcase was half filled with my belongings when the bronze doors were pushed open and footsteps clicked against the polished tiles.

"You're a fool." Damien's voice pierced my ears. Familiar, yet completely different from that of his twin.

"Care to elaborate?" It was a weak retort. A sorry excuse to avoid the gravity of the situation. An omega without a pack might as well be dead.

"You should just stay. Set your pride aside. With your current status, any lord or duke would jump at the chance to mate with you. Don't leave the pack. The rogues out there will ruin you."

Despite him speaking the truth, the calm, emotionless tone he used only infuriated me further.

"There's nothing they can do to me out there that hasn't already been done. That your brother already hasn't done to me."

I turned then, coming face to face with the only man who could have saved me from the monster that was once my mate.

"Did he threaten you?"

Anything but believing that this was my choice. "Why can't you get it in your skull that I actually want to leave?"

His eyebrows drew into a frown, unused to disrespect. Especially from me.

"A few years ago you followed us around like a wounded pup. You've woven your way into the hearts of our family, and you're just going to leave like that?"

I didn't point out to him that the same family he claimed loved me had just watched my humiliating demise and did nothing.

"Pretty much, yes." I shoved my mother's snow globe, the only thing left of her, into the suitcase and slammed the lid shut.

"Where the hell are you going to go anyway?" He still had that disgusting calm about him. "My father will retire soon. We both know he'll never choose Lucien as the next Alpha. Just wait for me to ascend. I swear things will be different for you."

I pulled the suitcase off the king-sized bed, dragging a bit of the white duvet covers with it.

"Get out of my way, Damien. If you truly had any intention of helping me, you would have done it the first time your brother raised a hand to me for no reason but his pleasure."

His face finally betrayed emotion. For a fraction of a second, a pained guilt graced his features. Then it was gone, and he was back to being the heartless bastard he'd always been.

Slowly, he stepped aside, allowing me to fumble with the suitcase toward the bronze doors.

"You didn't answer my question," he called, stopping me in my tracks. "Where are you going to go?"

Truthfully, I hadn't given it much thought. Ever since last night, when I'd caught Lucien in bed with one of the pack members of noble blood, my only focus was to leave.

My lips curved up into a bitter smile. Once again, he had me mesmerized by his beautiful silver eyes. The only difference between him and Lucien, whose eyes were blue.

"I'm going home." His lips parted, ready to speak again, but my fingers quickly latched onto the door handle, pulling it open.

He was next to me with inhuman speed, one hand slamming the door shut in front of me.

I felt his breath on my ear, whispering words that made me feel too much and nothing at the same time. "You don't ever walk away from me, Kai."

Panic gripped me, the position all too familiar. Me shrinking back while an Alpha towered over me. My palms pressed into his perfect, muscular chest, pushing with all my strength to get him off.

Before he could adjust, I shoved the door open, pulling my suitcase along. Then I ran like the devil himself was chasing me.