“I am not rejecting you just yet” he snarled as I cringed and cowered slightly away from him, his eyes darkening as he glared at me.
What use was I to him? I was not Luna material, not as the mute I was. I had no wolf which could be useful to defend the pack. But the mere mention of the word rejection had him so angry that all I could do was look down at my hands. Alpha Jaxon’s friend had a small smile on his face.
“When is she to be officially discharged?” the friend enquired smoothly.
“I believe tomorrow morning, so long as nothing happens, should be an appropriate length of time to determine there are no other health problems,” the doctor said calmly, glancing between Alpha Jaxon and me with curiosity.
“But she’s out of danger?” this time it was Alpha Jaxon who spoke, his voice low, and was that concern I heard in his tone of voice? Concern for me?
“Yes. It’s a very good sign she’s awake and well pardon me for saying this” the doctor hesitated “but the mere fact that you are mates might be explanation enough for why she survived while others might not have. Your blood mixing with hers, and the bond you two share, worked in conjunction to keep her alive.”
Alpha Jaxon said nothing, coolly observing me as I blushed.
He really was handsome I thought miserably and clearly wanted nothing much to do with me. I had my suspicions that the only thing preventing him from rejecting me at the moment was that he was worried I was too weak to survive it. Either that or he just wanted the strength that came from the mate bond, without having the actual mate that came with it. “You’re name’s Riley isn’t it?” he asked me abruptly and I looked up surprised and then eagerly nodded.
“Are you the Alpha’s daughter?” he asked bluntly.
What did I say to that? Did I confirm that I was and experience the shame and the horror or sympathy that was bound to follow the declaration? I didn’t need him to feel sorry for me. But he was clenching his jaw and waiting for the answer. It was only a matter of time until he found out and if I lied, he would not be forgiving about it. It was the wrong way to go about navigating this mate bond as much as I wanted to deny being that bastard’s daughter at all. I met his eyes and then nodded carefully. He exhaled.
“So you’re the daughter that’s been missing and nobody’s really laid eyes on” he murmured “I had my suspicions but you’ve just confirmed. No doubt he made you an omega because you didn’t have a wolf, but for any father to abuse his daughter, the way he’s abused you” he sounded disgusted, his expression one of disdain as I ducked my head and stared at the ground, feeling close to tears.
So now he knew. Even my own father despised my existence and now my mate did not want me either. I played with the sheet on the bed with my fingers, while the doctor continued to scribble away in her chart and Alpha Jaxon remained silent.
“What are you?” he asked and I looked up bewildered.
What was I? I was a shifter with no wolf, what else would I be? But Alpha Jaxon’s eyes were narrowed and he was focussing on my hair as I touched it absent-mindedly.
“That hair, the doctor said it’s natural” he growled.
I nodded still confused.
“So what are you?” he growled.
I stared at him not comprehending what he was getting at. I was a shifter, minus a wolf. What else could I possibly be? But a small voice inside of me whispered, you know that’s not true, don’t you? I blinked at him. “There’s something about you, I don’t know what it is, but” he sounded frustrated as he glanced at his friend who raised an eyebrow and shrugged, looking equally perplexed “you’re not just a damn shifter” he snapped.
The doctor coughed “I’m afraid that the blood tests have confirmed that she’s of shifter DNA but nothing more” she advised Alpha Jaxon, looking at me sympathetically “perhaps she just has a really unique hair color” she finished, looking as though she didn’t believe her own words.
I couldn’t help it. He sounded so frustrated and so angry. Despite myself and the continual urge to keep it locked inside, my eyes welled with tears and one trailed down my cheek. Alpha Jaxon looked stricken for a moment and his hand reached out, his finger wiping the tear tenderly away, before his expression turned just as hard as before. “Perform the tests you want to perform” he said gravely as I clenched my hands into fists and tried not let anymore tears fall “make sure they are done before tomorrow morning. I will send somebody to collect Riley when she’s discharged.”
The doctor nodded. His friend frowned. “Wouldn’t it be safer if you picked her up Jaxon?” he said quietly “you don’t know what reactions the pack members are going to have and…”
“I’ll send Callum” Alpha Jaxon interrupted, glowering at his friend “nobody is going to attack the Beta, unless they are stupid. He can escort Riley to the pack house. I have responsibilities and they don’t include babysitting some damn wolfless mutt who can’t even speak” he snapped icily.
That hurt. My chest tightened and it was all I could do to breathe in that moment. For a minute Alpha Jaxon looked pained at what he had just spoken but then he let out a low growl and stomped from the room. His friend looked at me sadly “Give it time” was all he would say, before he turned and walked away.I wanted to scoff. Time? Time would change nothing. Time would still not allow me to speak. Time would not change this man’s opinion of me. All time would grant me was the chance to think of a way to leave this pack, while I still retained some of my dignity. I stared at the doorway while the doctor began to speak, advising me of the tests she wanted to perform now that the Alpha and his friend were finally gone.
Alpha Jaxon POV
“What the hell are you thinking man” Cody exploded the second we made it out of the hospital and onto the grounds “how can you even be thinking about not accepting that girl as your mate?”I glared at him “May I remind you that I have always said I didn’t want a mate because they are a weakness that makes you vulnerable?”
He scowled “I thought you would change your mind when you felt the mate bond. Having a mate does make your wolf stronger” he pointed out “and that girl looks like a rejection is likely to kill her in the state she’s in, regardless of how much blood she’s been given.”My wolf was also growling in my mind at the notion of rejecting our mate.
The mate bond is sacred. How dare you suggest that we don’t accept her. Riley is perfect for us you stupid fool!
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