Chapter 5 Rejection 2

Bella's POV

"I cannot accept you as my mate."

These were the first words I heard from my mate when he awoke. What did he mean by this? Did I hear correctly? Were my ears failing me?

"What! But why? I love you, and I thought we had something special"

"Love? He scoffed, his tone cutting through me. You don't know me, neither do I know you. You come from a pack I so much detest, your Alpha is a weak man who cannot even protect his pack! You may love me, Bella, but I can't overlook the fact that you're weak and wolf less. I have responsibilities to my pack, and I need a strong and capable mate by my side" He said.

"I may not have the ability to shift, but I have other qualities that can benefit your pack. I am loyal and intelligent, and I can contribute in other ways." I tried to weakly argue.

Tears were already streaming down my face as he spoke. I thought he was my knight in shining armor! We made love last night. I thought mates were chosen by the moon goddess, Selene, to love, adore, and cherish each other. Why am I getting rejected instead of being loved and cherished?

"I understand that you have good intentions, but in my pack, strength and the ability to protect the pack are crucial. Our survival depends on it. I need a mate who can stand beside me and ensure the safety of my pack"

"But aren't love and companionship important too? I thought being a mate was about supporting each other emotionally and working together as a team"

"Love and companionship are important,but they aren't the only things that matter. My pack needs a strong leader with a strong mate. I can't ignore that reality. It's not just about what I want personally, it's about what's best for the entire pack"

"You keep talking about the interest of your pack! What about you? What exactly do you want? Do you even want me?"

I watched him battle silently within himself. He seemed to be speaking with his wolf as his eyes changed colors. This was the bravest I had ever been since my mother left the pack. I was ready to fight for my mate. He was my last hope, the light sent to me by the moon goddess to bring me out of this dark tunnel I call a pack. I fell in love with him at first sight; Was that how foolish and desperate I was?

Falling in love with a man because he turned out to be my mate!

Isn't that how it's supposed to be?

Am I missing something?

"Bella, I need you to understand that this decision was not easy for me either. It's about ensuring the survival and well-being of my family and pack. I need to make difficult choices sometimes, even if they hurt. I hope you can find happiness and fulfillment elsewhere"

With his words, I was now certain he truly wanted to reject me!

Why was my life plagued with such hardships? First, the loss of my father, then my mother's abandonment, and now my mate's rejection. Why did misfortune cling to me? Why wasn't I deemed worthy in the eyes of my mate? Why was I denied the gift of a wolf?

Why did the moon goddess decide to treat me this way?

I kept asking questions I had no answers to. I felt hurt and tried to beg my mate once last time.

"Please, I beg you, don't do this to me! don't do this to us! The moon goddess had chosen us to be mates; we are meant to be together."

"You do not deserve to be my mate, you are too weak to be my mate."

"I, Lucius King, Alpha of the Blackheart Pack, reject you, Bella Callum as my mate, and Luna."

"You do not deserve to be my mate, you are too weak to be my mate" were the last words I heard as I blanked out. I couldn't even hear what he was saying as these words kept replaying in my mind like a mantra. I couldn't even feel my surroundings anymore until I felt a piercing pain that passed all through my body. I couldn't breathe properly. I felt as though I was dying. I fell to the floor and let out an agonizing cry as pain engulfed me. I looked over to my mate to help me but rather, I saw him looking at me with cold eyes before he left me to deal with my pain.

I felt devastated that my mate couldn't help me as I curled up on the floor to deal with the pain. After a while, I heard footsteps approaching me

"And who do we have here? Oh! It's the stinky rogue's daughter, Bella"

I froze as I heard the voices of Lucinda and her annoying friends. Lucinda and her friends had always envied me when my father was alive. They were jealous of the attention I got from the pack because of my dad's sacrifice to train the warriors and protect the pack, and being his only daughter, I was often favored in the pack. However, their opportunity for revenge presented itself when my father passed away, and my mother chose to become a rogue. They seized this chance to make my life unbearable and subject me to their constant humiliation.

"Please, Lucinda, leave me alone."

She kicked me in the abdomen, making me double over in pain.

"You do not get to tell me what to do, slave! Wait a minute, what is that?"

I managed to look at what had caught their attention, I was embarrassed to see that the cloak my mate had spread on the ground where we made love was stained with blood. I looked at my faded white dress and also spotted little smears of blood on it. I knew I bled when we made love yesterday, but I was so distracted with the rejection and pain that I forgot to clean up.

"Oh my! the little slut decided to give up her virginity on her eighteenth birthday! We knew you turned eighteen last night and would run to your perfect hiding spot. We came to see how small and weak your wolf would turn out to be, but you really surprised us, Bella" said Lucinda.

"You turned out to be a whore. I thought you were the only innocent one amongst us, I guess you were hiding your true slutty nature." Lucinda mocked and laughed at me.

"Lucinda, please stop, I just want to be left alone"

"Well, let's see what Alpha Ray would say once he finds out that innocent Bella is no longer innocent but a dirty b*tch"

"No, please! I begged

I felt horrified at what Alpha Ray would say or do if he ever found out about all this. He would first punish me severely for going close to the pack boundaries. He forbade me from going close to the boundaries and would often punish me whenever I sneaked out to go there.

I would usually sneak out to a spot in the pack boundaries because that was where my father would often take me whenever I was sent by my mom to deliver her special homemade beef soup to him. He would tell me stories about our previous Alpha and Luna and how magnificent they were in battle. I enjoyed listening to the past glory of our pack and wished our pack would rise again as one of the strongest packs in the werewolf kingdom. That was our favorite spot, and going there often reminded me of him.

"Lucinda, please, I beg you, I will do whatever chores you want me to do, but please, do not say anything to Alpha Ray" I pleaded and begged.

"Too late, Bella, too late; come on girls, let's go"

I already knew I was in trouble. I quickly rose as the pain had lessened and ran to the riverside to wash and get myself cleaned up before returning to the pack. I walked back, feeling defeated and dejected.

My plans to leave this pack with my mate when I turned eighteen were ruined. I couldn't imagine living in a pack where they treated me like a slave.

As I headed to the pack house, I made up my mind to accept any punishment the Alpha would give me, and then I would start planning on how to leave the pack.

I felt sorry that I had to break the promise I made to my mother, but if I don't leave, I might end up dead. I steeled my heart against the rejection I received earlier and promised myself to leave this pack after drafting out my plan.

"Oh, she's back, the newest whore in the pack" Some of the pack warriors that saw me mocked me, and I immediately knew that Lucinda and her minions had spread the news.

"You know, Bella, if not for the fact that the Alpha made us steer clear of you, we would have satisfied you thoroughly" they laughed.

"What did you just say? The Alpha did what?"

I was surprised that the reason I was not harassed by these lustful unmated warriors as I often see them do to other female omegas was because of Alpha Ray.

"But why? I thought he hated me!" I silently whispered.

They all busted out laughing again.

"Oh, look at her, she is so naive"one of them said.

"The Alpha has actually been protecting you from us so that when you are old enough, you will be his pretty little whore.

You are the only one who is so blind and stupid not to notice the way he desires you"

I was once again thrown into a state of confusion. The Alpha was protecting me so that I could be his whore!

I started recalling the lustful gaze I often see in his eyes whenever I am close to him, but I never imagined he wanted me for his dirty sexual fantasies!

"I can imagine how furious the Alpha is going to be when he realizes her cherry had been popped"

"He would probably want to murder the fool that touched his little whore"

I felt bile rising in my throat as I listened to them. Everything they said was disgusting to my ears. I would never agree to be the Alpha's whore! He had numerous she-wolves he often went to bed with, so what does he want from me?

"No, this can't be true."

"All of you are liars" I screamed

"Hahaha, she's so confused, oh poor little Bella!"

They laughed and continued to taunt me as I ran to my room, choosing not to believe what they said.

I got to my tiny room and wept so much at the turnout of events. I was tired of my life and wished my parents were here with me.

"Bella, the Alpha has summoned you to his office right away," one of the pack guards announced.

At this point, I knew I was doomed!