Chapter 9

It had been two long days since Reyana had last felt the cold grip of chains around her wrists. She had been released and was free to go about her usual activities around the pack.

She stood before the mirror, her hands trembling as she brushed her hair in an attempt to regain some semblance of normalcy as she prepared to go out and get something to do with her time. She was done healing.

As she stared at her reflection, Reyana's thoughts drifted to Alpha Randall, the man whose presence had become an ever-present shadow in her mind. Since that fateful night, she had not laid eyes on him, and Aldric on the other hand had been keeping his distance.

Reyana was eager to go out and mingle with people because she was tired of feeling trapped and frustrated. She was finally a prisoner in her pack.

Her heart sank as her gaze fell upon the bracelet adorning her wrist – the Arcane bind. A single tear traced a path down her cheek.

The Arcane bind sat mockingly on her wrist. As harmless as it looked, it was meant to keep her confined in the pack. The day she goes beyond her confinement, she dies.

With a heavy sigh, Reyana wiped away the tear, steeling herself for the day ahead. Though her spirit may be broken, she refused to surrender to despair.

The door creaked open and she jolted on her seat as her gaze fell on an unexpected face.

Surprise, resentment, and envy warred within her as she struggled to mask her emotions with a forced smile. "Visha... What a pleasant surprise," she greeted, rising from her seat and crossing the room to meet her unwanted guest.

Visha returned the smile, though there was a subtle edge to it that did not escape Reyana's notice. "Reyana. It's good to see you are better," she said, her voice laced with tenderness but carrying an undertone of something else – something Reyana couldn't quite decipher.

Unsure of how to respond, Reyana simply nodded, her smile faltering slightly. Visha was the Alpha's mistress, and Reyana knew better than to let her guard down in her presence. Everyone threaded carefully with her. She was the apple of the Alpha's eyes.

Visha walked further into the small room, her innocent gaze fixed on Reyana, scrutinizing her with an intensity that made Reyana shift uncomfortably. "So, Reya... You tried running away? What a pity," Visha said, her tone dripping with false sympathy.

Reyana's cheeks burned with embarrassment, and she lowered her gaze.

"I can imagine how it feels being mated to someone who despises you so much. I could never withstand such hatred from anyone, not even from an enemy... You are surely a strong woman, I must say," she mused, her words hitting Reyana like a blow to the chest.

"Well..." Reya started but Visha stopped her mid-sentence.

"How have you been coping? I also heard Aldric hasn't exactly been as close as he used to be with you anymore... Oh, Reya... You must feel so lonely," Her voice cracked with emotions.

Confusion washed over Reyana as she struggled to make sense of Visha's words. Was this empathy or mockery?

Reyana knew what this was, and she wasn't cut out for it. She smiled brightly at Visha, "I am genuinely touched by your concern. I never knew you cared so much about me, Visha. This is so heartwarming. Thank you," she replied, her words dripping with saccharine sweetness as she masked her true emotions.

Visha's gaze lingered on her for a moment, and Reyana could see a flicker of disappointment in her eyes, but the smile never faltered, "Of course, Reya." She reached out and placed her hand on Reyana's shoulder, "Don't hesitate to let me know if you need anything."

As Visha turned to leave, Reyana's curiosity got the better of her, and she couldn't help but inquire about the bandage on Visha's arm. "What happened to your arm?" she asked, her voice laced with genuine concern.

Visha hesitated for a moment, her expression betraying a hint of discomfort before she composed herself with a casual wave of her hand. "Oh, it's nothing. Just an injury I sustained in the bathroom," she replied nonchalantly, though Reyana could sense that there was more to the story than Visha was letting on.

Reyana furrowed her brow, her curiosity piqued. "Why hasn't it healed yet?" she pressed, unable to shake off the feeling of unease that had settled in the pit of her stomach.

"I really don't know. The hinge on the door was quite old and rusty. I guess that's why the healing process is slow. But it's being taken care of already. Thank you for your concern," Visha said, her tone tinged with genuine gratitude as she flashed Reyana a friendly smile before exiting the room.

"I do not like her, Reya," Mia said in her head, "You have to be careful. Stay far away from her."

"I know, Mia. I've never liked her from the day I set my eyes on her," Reyana replied to her wolf who had always warned her about Visha.

Reyana busied herself with preparing for the day ahead. A few minutes later, she froze in her spot, the little basket in her hands fell to the ground as the strong scent of her mate filled the air.

Her gaze was fixed on the door, waiting for him to barge in as usual as she braced herself for whatever he had for her that day. His presence always spelled trouble and came with torture.

Reyana's heart jumped out of her mouth as Alpha Randall barged into her room, his aura was heavy with raw anger and fury.

Before she could process the reason for his anger, Reyana felt a searing pain explode across her cheek as she found herself falling harshly to the ground.

Shock and disbelief flooded her senses as she tasted the metallic tang of blood in her mouth, her vision swimming with tears as she lifted her hurtful gaze to meet his blazing ones. She barely had time to process what had happened before she felt his iron grip on her hair, yanking her roughly to her feet.

‘Did he just hit me?’ She thought to herself as she felt his strong hand pull her up by her hair.

Her back slammed against the unforgiving wall, the impact driving the air from her lungs as she bit back a cry of pain.

"How dare you?" He counted his words through gritted teeth, his tone seething with rage.

"How dare you make her shed a tear, Reyana?" He growled, his voice laced with barely contained rage.

"Wh... Who?" She summoned up the courage to ask because she was totally confused.

His grip on her hair tightened as he regarded her with resentment, "She came to pay you a harmless visit and all you could do in return was mock her?"

"What? No... I never did anything to..."

Reyana's heart pounded in her chest as she struggled to make sense of his accusations, confusion clouding her mind like a thick fog. His grip on her hair tightened painfully, sending shards of agony radiating through her skull as she fought to hold back a cry of pain.

"You keep lying, Reyana... Why?" He whispered as he closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, "Why do you keep pushing me to my limit?"

Reyana felt her bones crushing under his hard grip, "I didn't do anything to her, you have to believe me," She shook her head frantically, her voice barely a whisper as she pleaded for him to see the truth in her eyes.

"You must be delusional to think that I'd believe you over Visha. I've seen you lie... I've seen you cheat... I've seen you done terrible things over the years, yet, you want me to believe you over Visha?" His voice cut through the heavy silence like a whip, his words laced with scorn and disbelief.

Reyana felt her blood run cold as his accusing gaze bore into her, stripping away the last shreds of her dignity.

"Let this be a warning to you, Reyana," he continued, his tone icy and devoid of any compassion, "The next time you make her cry, I might not be this nice," his voice was cold yet his words burned her like hot coal as he let go of her, making her fall harshly to the ground.

Reyana's heart shattered into a million pieces as Alpha Randall's words pierced through her like a dagger

She wasn't expecting any form of love or warmth from the Alpha, but, she was his mate for crying out loud! She deserves a little bit of respect, at least, until he rejects her.

"Alpha Randall..." she choked out between sobs, her voice barely a whisper in the suffocating silence of the room, as she knelt down before him, broken and defeated, "Please, kill me... I have no desire to live anymore." 

"You've refused to reject me, yet you've made me a prisoner in your pack. You've refused to accept me, yet you do not want another man around me." Her sobs grew louder.

"That is enough torture for a lifetime, Alpha Randall. Show me mercy and end it all, please," fresh tears flowed like a fountain down her cheeks as she bowed her head, waiting for his response.

Alpha Randall couldn't deny the twist he felt somewhere in his heart. Her words touched a part of his heart no one had ever touched but he shook it off.

"Why bring the drama to an end, when it has only just begun?" He said with a smirk.

His words sank into her consciousness, stirring something strange within her.

Reyana felt the urge to rip his heart out and crush it with her bare hands. What manner of monster is he? Why is he such a wicked soul? It disgusted her and she was done keeping up with it.

She refused to be cowed by his cruelty any longer, refused to let him trample over her dignity and self-respect.

Reyana found strength from deep within her as she rose to her feet, standing face-to-face with the devil himself.

She could see the puzzle in his eyes, even though his face remained neutral.

Her sapphire eyes bore into his green ones as if peering into the depth of his soul as those words left her lips. With each word that tumbled from her lips, she felt a sense of liberation wash over her as if casting off the chains that had bound her to him.

"I, Reyana Hade, reject you, Alpha Randall Daken, Alpha of the Blood Crescent pack as my mate."