I'M NOT ACCEPTING THAT REJECTION

CHAPTER 2: I'M NOT ACCEPTING THAT REJECTION

ZARA:

He let out a scoff, a look of pure arrogance crossing his face. He stepped closer, towering over me, trying to use his Alpha presence to intimidate me into submission. "No way in hell. You’re my goddess-given mate, Zara. It’s 'til death do us part.' I’m not letting you go."

"I’m not asking for your permission," I spat, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "If you don't reject me, then I’m gonna reject you. Right here, right now."

Rider’s eyes turned cold, devoid of any warmth. He leaned in, his voice a low, threatening growl. "You won't dare. You know the law, Zara. You try to reject an Alpha without his consent? You’ll go mad. Your wolf will rip your mind apart before the words even leave your mouth. You’ll be nothing but a drooling husk."

I looked him in the eye, not flinching. "Then I guess I’ll just have to be the first one to break the cycle. Because I cannot continue to be humiliated by you.”

I raised one hand up and spoke. “I, Zara Ravencrest," I shouted, my voice echoing off the walls, "reject you, Rider Stormfang, as my fated mate!"

His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at me. The silence that followed was deafening.

Instantly, it felt like my entire body was being put through a meat grinder. An excruciating, white-hot pain shot through my chest, radiating down to my toes and up to my skull. My knees buckled. I let out a sharp cry as I hit the wall, sliding down until I was crumpled on the floor, gasping for air. It felt like my soul was being torn in two.

I looked up, tears blurring my vision, my body shaking with the aftershocks of the severing.

Rider stood over me, his eyes dark, his face a storm of fury and possessiveness. He took a step toward me, his voice low and dangerous.

"I’m not accepting that rejection, Zara," he growled. "You don't get to decide that. You are mine, and you will stay mine. I get to decide when this ends."

I didn't stand there and listen to his nonsense.”

I turned, about to storm out of the room. The sheer audacity was enough to make my head spin. Rider caught my wrist and pulled me back, my body slamming against his half dressed body, reeking of another woman.

"Look, Zara," he said, his voice dripping with that smooth, fake charm he used whenever he wanted to bypass the truth. "We can just do the mating another time. Can’t you just understand? Serena sprained her ankle, and I couldn't just leave her there in pain. I’m sorry, okay? Just… let’s just go back to our suite and talk things over."

I didn't say a word. I just snatched my hand from his firm grip and turned on my heel, walking out of the room. I didn't look back to see if he was following. I just needed to get away from the smell of them, away from the sight of that betrayal, and as far away from him as my legs could carry me.

As I walked down the long, carpeted hallway toward our master suite, the walls seemed to be closing in. The pack house was buzzing. Word traveled fast here—faster than a wolf on a hunt.

"Did you hear?" I heard a voice whisper from around the corner. "Zara is back alone. Again."

I slowed my pace, hiding behind a marble pillar. It was a couple of the younger maids, folding linens near the laundry chute.

"She’s so unlucky," the first one said, her voice dripping with pity that felt like acid on my skin. "I don’t know why she can’t just see it. Rider doesn't love her. He never has."

"She’s a fool for thinking he would ever change," the second one added, snapping a towel. "I heard from one of the kitchen staff that Rider and Serena are secretly engaged. They’ve been planning it for months. That’s why he’s always coming up with an excuse when he’s supposed to be at the temple with Zara."

My heart stopped. Secretly engaged?

It all made sense. The flat tire, the panic attack, the sprained ankle—it wasn't just him being a pushover. It was a strategy. A way to push me out without having to deal with the messy consequences of a rejected mate bond. Serena wasn't just his side piece; she was the plan. I was just the placeholder.

I didn't wait to hear any more. I walked straight into the master suite, my legs feeling like lead. As soon as the door clicked shut, I collapsed onto the couch. My hands wouldn't stop shaking. I felt sick to my stomach, a cold, hollow dread hollowing out my chest. I had been an idiot. I’d spent months trying to be the perfect Alpha’s mate, ignoring the red flags, excusing the absences, believing in this "destiny" crap.

Rider could have just rejected our mate bond instead of keeping me here, dangling like a puppet, just to humiliate me in front of the whole pack. I was the laughingstock of the Stormfang Pack now. Every time I stepped outside, I knew exactly what they were thinking.

I grabbed my phone, my thumb hovering over the screen. I needed an anchor, someone who wouldn't look at me with pity. I dialed Mia.

She picked up on the second ring. "Zara? Hey, girl! I am so, so sorry I missed the ceremony today. My boss dragged me out on this last-minute business trip, and it’s been a nightmare. How did it go? Did the big bad Alpha finally put a ring on it?"

Her cheerfulness was like a physical blow. "Mia," I whispered, my voice breaking.

"Zara? What’s wrong? You sound… you don't sound happy."

"I’m leaving him, Mia. I’m done."

There was a pause on the line. "Wait, what? What happened? Didn't you just got marked today?"

"He missed it. Again," I said, the words tumbling out, sharp and jagged. "And you know what? I went to find him. I caught him in the guest room. He was screwing Serena. While I was waiting at the altar, he was… he was in there with her."

Mia gasped, a sharp, angry sound. "Oh my goddess. Zara, I am so sorry. That bastard. That absolute piece of trash."

"I need a place to stay, Mia. Just for a while. I can’t be here anymore."

"I’m not back for another two days," she said, her voice firm. "But listen to me. Do not stay in that house if you don't want to. Check into the Grand Oak Hotel downtown. Put it on my account—I’ll cover it. Just get your bags, get out, and I’ll be there the second I get back. You can move into my place for as long as you need."

"Okay," I choked out. "Okay. Thank you."

"Are you going to be okay?"

"I’ll be fine," I lied. "I’ll talk to you when you get back."

I hung up and stood up, my resolve hardening like iron. I didn't care about the clothes, the jewelry, the "status" of being an Alpha’s mate. I opened the closet and grabbed two suitcases, throwing my clothes in without folding them. I wanted to be gone before he came back. I wanted to leave a void where I used to be.

I was zipping up the second bag, my knuckles white, when the door handle turned.