Chapter 4: The Proposed Rejection

Alpha Callum POV

So that was why I felt the strange pull towards her earlier.

She was my mate.

Or at least, whatever cheap lie the Alpha of Crescent Pack wanted me to believe.

The invitation to Crescent Pack had immediately gotten my brows raised. Since I became Alpha, no host pack had ever invited me to participate in the Alpha games.

We were the outcast pack of the werewolf world. Most people didn't want to associate with what they feared. And they feared what they didn't understand.

Yet Alpha Kenneth had suddenly welcomed me to his territory with open hands. Only for one of his Omegas to kiss me, awaken an impossible mate bond and break a mask that the strongest of weapons could not even dent.

At least, I now understood why he had wanted me here. He wanted to pull me into some cheap tricks by manufacturing a fake mate bond between me and…

My thoughts disappeared when I looked at her.

Her palms were still held up against my bare skin. Heat flooded her cheeks beneath my stare but she was too flustered staring into my eyes.

Alpha Kenneth really had good eyes choosing someone like her as bait.

The way her clothes outlined the curves of her body. The lingering taste of her lips was intoxicating. My wolf crawled up to the surface and if I had let it push any further, I would have claimed her right there.

If only Alpha Kenneth had done his research well, he would have known that it was impossible for me to have a mate.

The oath that I had sworn years ago severed whatever thread the moon goddess used to tie people to the mate bond. I was the only wolf that wasn't tied to her and that she didn't have control over.

Then the mask came crumbling at her touch. A muscle tightened in the pits of my stomach.

That was impossible. That mask could only leave my face when I pulled it out. And it could never be broken, still.

My hands balled into a fist as she tried to fix it quickly; instead, her hands found themselves caressing my face.

"I am truly sorry, Alpha Callum, I didn't mean to break it. I will get you a new one."

Her acting was flawless. She meant she didn't plan this fake mate bond with Alpha Kenneth? Or that she wasn't aware of their plans to break the mask with whatever sorcery they had acquired.

Even though her fear smelled real, it didn't prove her innocence.

"I will accept whatever punishment you deem fit, Alpha." Her lips trembled as she spoke.

I grabbed her hands from my face and she pulled her eyes away.

"Look at me!" The words rumbled from my chest. But it was quieter than I intended.

"Anything?" My voice dropped lower.

She nodded quickly.

With each step that I took closer towards her, she drew backwards. Her eyes were fixed on a girl up ahead instead of me.

"Look at me!" I growled again.

"Do you think that you can have your brains made into soup? Or maybe have your skin to make your clothes?" I asked.

"Perhaps I should use your skin for my next batch of leather?"

Sweat had begun gathering on her forehead. And I wasn't even done making the list of things that I could do.

Then she stopped. Nobody had ever stopped when I walked closer towards them, but she did. She was in danger and the little cub was sniffing me?

Was she trying to get some sort of information through my scent? Or had Alpha Kenneth chosen someone that didn't even know how to seduce properly?

Still, I didn't want her to stop.

"I don't think I will taste particularly, Alpha… Callum." She shivered at the end of the sentence.

She was forcing each word from her throat like it was real work. "I'm pretty dumb, Alpha, and I wouldn't want the brain… soup to taste disappointing."

My gaze zeroed in on her.

She was as dumb as she thought if she thought I would really make soup out of her brains.

"I could recommend someone. Someone that is quite intelligent. Alpha Dan, and his upcoming Luna, they will taste better." Her nervous gaze flicked towards the other end of the hall.

The Crescent douchebag's name twisted something inside me. It was the person whose boxers she had pressed against her throat, and it had taken me a lot of control not to yank them out from her hands.

She chuckled, awkwardly. "For us, maybe we could start with the rejection?"

"Rejection?"

The sound of the word echoing through the hall caused my blood to heat. I walked towards her until I could feel her breath on my skin, and every bit of her hair standing.

After all the plans that she and her Alpha had conjured to lure me into this mate trap, into breaking the mask through some sort of sorcery, she suddenly wants to escape?

No. Not until I found out what they were up to and brought out all the truth from her. After that, I would end her life myself.

"Yes, I will take the burden of the rejection so that you will not have to bother about it," she said, chuckling again.

Her trembling body betrayed the calm looks she was trying to force.

I frowned. "You're in pain and all you can think about is rejecting me? Do you think that you can handle a rejection with how you look right now!"

That wasn't what I intended to say.

However, I couldn't get my eyes away from the hand prints on her swollen face. The sight of it sent a chilly rage running down my spine. I wanted to cut those hands off so terribly

What if Alpha Ken has beaten her just to force her to do this.

Whether that was true or not, it didn't change the fact that she agreed. Everyone had a choice and this was hers.

"Let's imagine that you don't know that people like us don't have a choice before people like you." The words seemed to escape from her mouth before she could stop them.

Fear immediately flared up in her eyes. She lowered her head until her chin almost touched her chest.

"I'm sorry for speaking carelessly."

"You are my mate. Is that how quick you apologize to anyone?"

Her chin lowered further. "I'm sorry, I didn't apologize quickly enough."

For several moments, I could only stare at her bowed head. My wolf roared with frustration. Even though I already knew that she was an extremely convincing pawn, I hated seeing her reduce herself before anyone. Not even me.

For the time this fake mate bond existed, she was still my mate. And automatically Lycan of Blood Moon Pack.

"The healer of my pack will take a look at your wounds," I said.

"You don't have to worry. Really, Alpha Callum, the healer of my pack can do it."

I turned towards her and the rest of her protest died in her throat.

"My mate will not be treated by the healer of another pack." The word mate tasted bitter on my lips.

Her lips parted as she stared at me. "What… What do you mean? You're accepting me as your mate?"

Her brows were raised slightly.

I said nothing. Because I wasn't going to accept anyone at all as my mate, especially not one that was an elaborate trap.

Nevertheless, I could not tell her that.

Whatever sorcery created the bond, the pain traveling through it was real. She had already suffered enough and speaking about a rejection when she was fighting to breathe could kill her.

"Why are you doing this? Green eyes." The abrupt boldness in her expression surprised me. She looked like someone that was ready to die.

“Green eyes?” I stopped.

I have had several nicknames through the years. This was the only one I liked. Because of this wretched mate bond.

"Because you're my mate," I answered, ignoring the part of me that recoiled at the declaration and the part that wanted me to repeat it.

"Unless there is another reason you are desperate to reject me? Something that I should know about?"

Before she could get to say another word, another presence in the room pricked at my skin.

I recognized him before I turned. I had memorized the gaze of every Alpha, their sons and their betas before I accepted the invitation. For someone that didn't know much about the werewolf world, I had to be prepared.

More importantly, I had come to Crescent Pack in search of someone, and I could not overlook any possible clues.

Dan stopped several feet away from us. The expression on his face when he looked at little cub caused my stomach to clench.

My hands instinctively wrapped around her waist. I drew little cub closer to my side and Dan's face darkened.

I smiled.

"You're here to congratulate me on my mate?" I asked.

"You must reject him now, Brave," the Crescent douchebag said.

My hands were clenched so tightly and I didn't notice until warm blood trickled from between my fingers.

"What?" Little cub responded, too startled to say anything else.

"You heard me. You must reject him, Brave."

I hated the way the little cub shuddered under the weight of his words. "She will do no such thing."

Dan ignored me and focused on her like she wasn't mine.

"I'm ready to accept you back if you reject him."