I REJECT YOU!

The moment those words left my lips, a heavy suffocating silence descended on my room.

My mom stared at me with a bewildered expression, as though she had never seen me before.

“W—What did you say?” her voice was low and filled with a note of danger.

I didn’t look away like she expected, instead I stared directly into her eyes.

“I reject Alpha Adrian,” I slowly repeated my words, making doubly sure that she heard me correctly, “I will not be his mate.”

For a split second, shock flickered through her expression. Then, just as quickly as it came, the shock shattered into complete fury.

Her hand came up fast, faster even than her own thoughts.

My head snapped to the side as she slapped me. The sting was sharp against my cheeks. In my past life, this slap would have broken any resolve I had. I would have cried and even apologized.

But this was not my past life. This time, I slowly turned my head back towards her and stared directly into her eyes.

Her expression wavered as she saw my unflinching gaze,

“Have you lost your mind, child?” she demanded, “Do you have any idea the opportunity you are about to throw away?”

“Yes,” I replied in an even tone,

My mom’s face grew red with rage, “This was going to be your only chance to rise above your station. Both in our pack and his,” she continued, her voice rising with every word that left her lips, “Without him, you are nothing, do you hear me, child – NOTHING!”

A hollow laugh escaped my throat as I stared at my mom with raised brows. Over the years, I had been made to feel that way hundreds of times and every time similar words were uttered in my presence, I always held back my tears.

Now, I didn’t even care.

“I don't need their pack, and I certainly do not need this one.” I replied with a hard gaze,

My mom’s lips parted, and for the first time in my life, she didn’t have a rebuttal.

Her expression twisted, and she quickly covered up her anger with frustration. She took a deep breath, then stared at me with a stern expression.

“If you refuse him, Nyssa,” she said in a sharp tone, “Then you can get the hell out of my house.”

There it was. A threat, just like in the past.

I was given the same choice, the same pressure and the same ultimatum. In my past life, I folded quickly. This time, I felt absolutely nothing.

“Fine,” I answered as I stood up from the bed, “I’ll leave,”

Elara, or the woman I once called mom, stared at me in disbelief. This was obviously not the reaction she was expecting when she had made the threat.

For a long moment, she just stared blankly at me, as if trying to figure out how I had somehow managed to change so much overnight. Finally, she made her choice and her eyes hardened,

“Go on then!” she hissed, pointing at the door, “Let’s see how far you get in life without this family, this pack.”

Calmly and steadily, I stepped past her without a single word. And for the first time in my life, I did not look back.

I barely made it down the hallway before I felt the temperature drop. The air shifted, it became slower, heavier and more familiar.

My steps slowed as a frown tugged at the corner at the corner of my lips.

“Of course he’s here,” I whispered under my breath,

I had expected him to show up, but he came faster than I had expected. That meant my mom had somehow informed him about my decision.

“Nyssa.” His voice echoed behind me,

I stopped, closed my eyes for a brief second in order to calm down my raging pulse and then slowly turned to face him.

My blood ran cold as I stared into the face of the man who had ended my life just a little while ago. Alpha Adrian stood at the end of the hall, his presence filled the space like a storm.

He was tall, handsome and entirely imposing.

His eyes locked into mine and I spotted anger within them,

“So, it’s true,” he said in a cold voice, “You rejected me.”

I said nothing, I could not trust myself to speak, not yet at least.

He took a step closer, his aura billowing off of him, “Explain yourself this instant,” he commanded,

There it was. There was no why, no concern or even confusion, all he had was expectations. Like I was ordained to always follow through with his orders.

I met his gaze evenly, “There’s nothing to explain,”

His jaw tightened, “You don’t get to say no to this.” he hissed, his tone flat, “This was arranged already,”

A small, bitter smile tugged at the corner of my lips,

“What is that supposed to mean…. Adrian?” I tilted my head and studied him, really studied.

How the hell had I ever mistaken his gaze for warmth and love?

“You and I both know you don’t want a mate,” I continued, “You want someone to use, someone convenient. I am not going to be that person.”

Adrian’s expression darkened, “Be careful with your words, Nyssa.”

But I didn’t stop, this was my chance to speak up, and I was going to use it.

“You only want someone who will fix your problems, manage your pack and never question your decision,” my voice remained steady, even a rage simmered beneath my veins, “You don’t want a partner, Adrian,”

I took a step closer and stared straight into his eyes, “You want a tool,”

Silence descended on the hallway. Even the air around us seemed to grow still.

Adrian stared at me in surprise and confusion, “What did you just say?”

“You heard me,” I replied, crossing my arms,

His aura exploded, the pressure slammed into me with force greater than a freight train, yet I didn’t move a single step. I didn’t bow, and neither did I flinch.

That alone stunned him more than any words I could have used.

“You are in no position to speak to me like that,” he growled,

“Then do not give me a reason to,” I replied cooly,

My brows furrowed as I watched him clench his fists,

“You are making a mistake, Nyssa.” he hissed,

“No,” I replied, “I already made that mistake once.”

His eyes narrowed, “What?” he asked, confused,

I smiled faintly, and turned around, “Nothing you will understand.”

That was the final push. The fact that I even turned my back to him was enough to send his rage through the roof.

“You are throwing away the only opportunity you will ever have in your life,” he roared,

I turned around, and I chuckled,

It was soft and quiet, but it was sharp enough to cut. His expression darkened further, and this time, I could tell he was almost at his breaking point.

“You are overestimating your value, a little bit, Adrian,” I said with a shrug,

His gaze turned lethal, “This will be your last warning. Watch yourself,”

But I was done with this and done with him.

Without another word or snarky bite back, I turned fully and began to walk away.

“Nyssa.” he called out one last time,

I didn’t stop, nor did I turn back. And that simple fact hurt his pride more than anything I could have said.

The moment I stepped out of my mom’s house, I smiled.

“Only opportunity, huh?” I whispered under my breath with a smirk,

Three weeks from now, a trade shipment from Europe would be ambushed, everyone would panic, supply chains would collapse, prices would skyrocket.

But one thing would become far more valuable than gold overnight.

Moonshade herbs. They were powerful and useful enough that everyone used them, but not that rare that they cost a lot.

That changed when the largest shipment of the herbs was lost. This time, I had the knowledge, and with that knowledge came the ability to get rich.

This was just the beginning. I let out a soft laugh as I looked up at the sun.

This time, I wasn’t just going to survive, I was going to rise. And if I did, absolutely no one would be able to stop me from getting my revenge.