[04]

AUTUMN:

Beta Maddox looked like a god who had walked here on earth. All the women had gaped at him as if he was what they were worshipping on the ground he walked.

My stomach churned.

Why did he have the perfect timing? Always seeing my pathetic side. The bullied. The weak.

“Beta Maddox.”

The crowd dispersed and parted. With my heads bowed, I waited for the footsteps to stop until I could see feet right in front of me.

I had to stop myself from inhaling his delicious scent.

Damn it.

Why did he have to barge in and pretend that he did not reject me?

I hated him. I loathed how he tossed our past.

"Bullying in front of the daylight?" Beta Maddox asked.

Why do you ask when you even rejected me. Secretly.

‘Why? You want the world to know that he rejected you and that you want it to be out in the open?’ Trisha asked.

“Sabrina!”

The woman paled.

Sabrina was too flabbergasted to answer.

She should have reacted that way. Bullying was prohibited in the pack, but it was not strictly implemented. It was supposed to be punishable by imprisonment in the pack's dungeon, but then again, who would even protect the omega's of the pack?

Those who were above were blind to the injustices.

‘Not even our ex-mate could defend us,’ my wolf added.

‘Let’s stop thinking about him,’ I scolded.

“It’s the woman’s fault, Beta Maddox! She stepped on my new shoes.”

Her shoes? I didn't even know if I stepped on something earlier. She just threw an egg in my head and that was it.

My eyes shifted on the shows she was saying. Sabrina was the type who would flaunt all her new things to her friends and even to me. She was that happy to see the envy in our eyes.

I was not envious of the material things she had. I was jealous of her for having a complete family.

A low growl escaped his lips.

He was angry. Because of what? Because of me? Or because he wanted the worse to happen to me?

Or maybe he was defending me?

Why would he do that when he and the alpha had been treating me coldly when I turned eighteen years old? No. It was way earlier than that.

My family's death changed everything around me. More bullies. Less love. More suffering to the point that I wanted this to end.

“Your shoes? Is that the only thing that is important right now? You hurt an omega.”

Omega?

I had a freaking name! As far as I knew, rejection did not mean that he would forget his mate.

“Beta Maddox? Do you even hear yourself?” Sabrina asked in disbelief. “You're siding with that woman? Not me?”

He and Alpha Hugh did not stay in the pack for how many years and we almost forgot his existence. When the previous alpha and beta were already old enough to lead the pack, he and Hugh seized the opportunity and became Hugh’s beta. The boys who were nothing but children became fine men and strong too.

Lifting my gaze, I stared at Beta Maddox who was staring at Sabrina. His expression was cold. Colder than the snow.

“I am siding with the person who is right.”

“It’s new. My dad bought it for me. This is a gift! I want them to be replaced but how could the woman pay me if she's dirt poor?” she cried out.

She did not have to rob it on my face.

“If you don't want anything to happen to those beloved shoes, you should keep them in your room until the termites eat all of them, Sabrina.”

Sabrina suddenly sniffed. “You’re embarrassing your fiancee, Beta Maddox. You should be defending me. Not the other way around.”

Oh. Right. The two had already promised to marry each other. An agreement between the two heads of the family. Which I believed that the two had no problems about. Another reason why he rejected me?

He never said anything about that.

‘You two promised to each other,’ Trisha commented. She was at edge earlier, but when Beta Maddox came in, she was pacified.

‘When we were only young back then, Trisha. It was nothing but a childish promise where we said that we would never accept someone else even if it was our mate. It was based on human decision. Not by the Moon Goddess.’

’The Moon Goddess had agreed with the union,’ Trisha added.

‘Beta Maddox no longer wants to honor that promise. Including Alpha Hugh.’

My wolf whimpered.

“I don't tolerate the bullying of my people, especially my servants. In the near future, you will be beside me. I did not want the others to know that my supposed fiance is out bullying the omega.’

Tears swelled in her eyes.

‘You will suffer for this, you bitch,’ Sabrina suddenly expressed with our mind link. ‘You better get ready. I will make your life even more miserable that you will wish you died with your family.’

I gasped at the sudden intrusion on my mind. She did not usually talk to me. Especially if through a mind link.

‘Why do you hate me this much?’ I asked.

Glaring at me, she answered, ‘You’re pathetic. You're a loser and your kind is an eyesore to me.’

My chest tightened while my wolf snarled at her. ‘Bitch! Don't you dare do anything to Autumn or you will face me. I dealt with bitches like you and I loved it when they begged for my mercy.’

‘Trisha!’ I scolded. She never usually interjected but maybe she was already fed up.

‘Is that your wolf?’ Sabrina asked.

‘Yes. It is me. Know that I will be your enemy. Not Autumn but me. When I will be out, prepare, woman,’ Trisha threatened.

‘Trisha!’

Sabrina suddenly cried even more and I could no longer feel her presence inside my head.

I internally panicked, knowing she would tell Beta Maddox about this. The latter would of course take his side.

Sabrina's minions tried to console her. That was her cue to overreact. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks, earning her minions sympathy while they glared at me.

Oh, goodness.

‘What have you done, Trisha? Do you want me to die?’

‘You will not die. The next time that bitch bullied you, allow me to take over and I will rip her throat—’

‘Stop saying that!’

“You like that omega! You haven't forgotten about your past, right? How could you like that bitch? I am your fiancee! It should be me whom you should shower your affection with.”

“Sabrina! I never said I like her. If you have nothing to say, you better go now. We will talk about this in private.”

"I hate you, Beta Maddox!" she exclaimed and stormed out, with her minions, leaving me and Beta Maddox while thinking I had to take a bath later despite the cold weather.

Beta Maddox clapped his hands when he spotted a few omega’s glancing at us. "End of the show. The rest, you go back to your work."

The crowd dispersed until it was only the two of us.

Beta Maddox.

He looked so much different back when we were still children. But he looked serious unlike the time when we were a child.

With the only two of us, he asked, “Why do you always allow everyone to step on you? What are you? A child who could not defend herself?”

I grabbed the mop. “Why do you care?” I asked. “Why do you care when you already rejected me?” I added, which made him taken aback. Always.