Chapter 5: Wrong Decisions

Brave's POV

First, I discovered that the man I had smacked on the head was Alpha Callum.

I almost melted on the floor when the realization hit me fully. I could still remember ordering him around like a visiting servant.

Because I really thought that he was a visiting servant. He knew that, right? My world was spinning so hard.

Then he said he wasn't planning to reject me. I almost begged him to, but that stone cold look didn't leave any options to ask questions.

I could only chuckle, shifting away the sweat that was gathering on my forehead and hoping that he didn't notice.

It could only be one of two things. Or just one at most. He was concerned about his reputation. There were twelve Alphas in this room, each from the twelve biggest packs, and more were to come.

That meant he was planning to kill me secretly. I shuddered at the thought and chuckled again when he looked at me like I was going mad.

'How do I get out of this? I am too young to die, especially not a virgin.'

My hands instinctively found their way to my head. It was ironic how only a few minutes ago, I was almost willing to die, just because of some little heartbreak.

Then Alpha Dan walked over with his face dripping with disdain. Seeing his face caused the pain of his rejection to tighten around my chest again.

"What is he doing here?" I almost glared, until he announced that he wanted me back. All the thoughts and the words froze in my guts.

Had the rejection loosened a nut in my head? Or had I fallen into a strange dream? It was a sweet dream at the very least. Two painfully attractive men fighting over me was something that could never happen in the real world.

Usually, dreams don't feel this suffocating.

The opposing forces of the Alphas' auras pressed against me from both sides. I pinched my thigh hard enough to make myself bleed.

Still, I didn't wake up on the floor of the servants' quarters. This was definitely happening.

"Brave, don't make me repeat myself," Dan said with a hardening gaze. "Your Alpha is waiting."

The offer might have been tempting if only it had come before he announced to the pack that I was only a bag of blood to him.

A part of me still wanted him desperately. The stupid part that remembered every time I thought he protected me, but I had washed most of that away when I cried for him in the basement.

I pushed back the feelings that were gradually beginning to stir in my chest. I wasn't going to be stupid twice and he had made himself pretty clear.

He only wanted me because Alpha Callum did too. I wasn't stupid enough to think that he was offering an acceptance because he suddenly regretted what he had done earlier.

Besides, everyone also knew that once a bond had been rejected, it couldn't be reinstated. It was either he had forgotten that or he thought I was really dumb.

I might not have been allowed basic education when I was in the pack house, but I would usually sneak behind the window. It got me bruises all over my body, sometimes I was locked up, but I was well-read at the end of the day.

From there on, I didn't allow newspapers or anything that had words on it to leave my sight. It had become one of my flexes that I was better informed than those she-wolves with expensive education.

What a waste.

"I warned you little cub," Callum said flatly. Still, his voice sounded dangerous.

"I wouldn't have my mate bowing to some wannabe Alpha scum."

I almost glared at him. I wanted to tell him, both of them how stupid this was and if it was up to me, I might reject them both.

Instead, I found myself drawing closer towards him.

Before I could dip my head to the floor and apologize, I felt a strong hand on my chin.

Their auras clashed again, and I suffered the force of the impact.

If they were really fighting over me, shouldn't they be treating me nice instead of trying to kill me in the process?

"Your father planned this out, shouldn't his son even try to see it through?" Callum said.

He had been mumbling strange words since he found out that I was his mate. From Dan's knitted brows, he was just as clueless.

"Seems your own father doesn't even trust your wit." Alpha Callum didn't waste another glance at him. He turned to me and I bowed before his gaze fell on me and I earned a glare from him.

"You wouldn't dare to reject me because he ordered you to," Callum said calmly, and it still felt like a threat.

"I have never been rejected before, and I can't assure you what the consequences of your rejection would be."

A chill travelled down my spine. That was definitely a threat.

I chuckled with more sweat pooling on my forehead. "You heard him, Alpha Dan. I really wish that I had an option in this."

The only way to survive this was to stay safe, somewhere in between.

Callum's eyes narrowed on me. "Is that the only reason you will accept me? Because I ordered you to?"

My jaws tightened. What did these men expect from me?

Before I could answer, Dan's fingers closed around my wrist and he pulled me towards him.

"She's a Crescent Pack wolf. She remains under the pack protection and we would see to that no matter what."

Another nice way of saying we aren't done pumping out your blood just yet.

Callum's gaze fell on my swollen face and his jaws tightened. "If that's your protection, I would love to see what your cruelty looks like."

"How I decide to run my pack is none of your business."

"You would have been correct if you didn't have my mate in there."

"You cannot call her that when she hasn't accepted you." Dan's Alpha aura flared, but Alpha Callum didn't even flinch. He was just as powerful as they said he was, because I was flung backwards.

Callum caught me before I swept off my feet, and Dan's grip tightened until I groaned from the pain that ran through my wrist.

"Get your hands off her." Callum's voice rumbled with a low bass that echoed through the whole hall.

"Is that a threat?"

"I prefer if you term it a warning, but either of them works for me," he returned.

Their auras clashed again, my knees buckled, and before I reached the ground, they caught me at the same time.

They resumed their swirling again, and throughout the time, I couldn't breathe.

Hurried steps sounded behind us.

Genea rushed into the hall with her hair scattered across her face. She had escaped Helen's gang, who now glowered at us from across the doorway.

"And who are you?" Both Alphas glared at the same time.

Geez, this girl would be the end of me. I only told her to be my best friend, and I was already regretting being so kind. That would have been true if I was the one that offered to be her friend.

"Who are you?" Alpha Dan's and green eyes' voices clashed.

"Miss Brave… Brave's PA," she stammered.

Their gazes flickered towards me and I quickly nodded.

"And what's an Omega like you doing here?" I heard Dan's voice first.

"Don't you know it's rude walking into people talking?" Callum replied.

Her teeth were chattering now. She could feel the force of their auras too and she was shivering.

My lips curved upwards. At least, I wasn't the only one that was suffering now.

"I… I wanted to propose a solution. Since this is about Brave, don't you think she should be the one deciding who to be with?" Her voice was so low, I could barely hear her.

It was hard to decide if she was brave or just generally stupid. She's the one always getting us into trouble, talking back to authorities. But I couldn't be hard on her knowing that her parents were the former Beta of the pack and she was only reduced to this status after their deaths.

"Her decision changes nothing. She belongs to Crescent Pack and cannot leave without my permission." Dan started walking towards Genea.

She frantically doubled backwards until she hit a dining table and gripped the edge.

My heart dropped for my friend. After she had gotten herself into trouble for me, I didn't even know how to help her.

Before Dan could do whatever he had in his mind, Alpha Callum came between them.

"Touch anything belonging to my mate and Crescent Pack will be needing another Alpha heir."

Then green eyes found mine. "She's right, the little cub should decide."

The bond flared between us. Heat crossed my skin and everyone else seemed to be further away.

His next words reached me through the bond.

'If you accept me, I will never let you go.'

I should have been terrified of him. After all the gore stories I had heard about him, I should be running away. But who could be afraid of that perfectly carved face?

But that wasn't the reason I was weighing most in my mind. Dan had hurt me and I wasn't stupid enough to return to someone who wanted me because of another man, irrespective of my feelings.

"You rejected me, Alpha Dan." The broken space inside my heart throbbed as I choked the words out. "I would prefer that we keep it that way."

Dan stared blankly like I had spoken another language.

Before the stupid part of me changed my mind, I looked at Callum.

This… was really stupid, but I didn't have much of a choice.

"I choose Alpha Callum."

The bond tightened, carrying heavy beats of his emotions into my heart. I suddenly felt sad and confused at the same time as I locked into Alpha Callum's gaze.

"Who exactly are you?"