Once Rejected: A Slave To My Alpha Stepbrothers

Veil.

Today is my sixth anniversary with my mate, Alpha Ryder of the Ghostriver pack. However, instead of celebration, I'm wallowing in pain as I watch the scene before me.

A scene I'm forced to watch with omegas holding me down like a prisoner and laughing at my misery.

Ryder is on our matrimonial bed, making out with omegas.

My cheeks drench with tears, and my wolf whines at the pain he's causing us.

"Ryder...please. Stop!!!" I cry, struggling for the omegas to release me.

"Shut up, bitch!" Leila, his beta's daughter, barks, sending her fist to my cheek. The slap stings so hard my vision blurs for a minute. "Didn't the alpha instruct you not to speak!? Who do you think you are to defy him?"

"She thinks she's the Luna..." Another omega echoes beside Leila, laughter in her voice. "She doesn't know she's nothing but a mutt."

Ryder laughs at their words, continuing his actions with the omegas.

I don't understand why he's doing this to me.

I've been so supportive of Ryder ever since I abandoned my pack to be with him. The Ghostriver pack was nothing but a crumbling, wretched pack in our world, but I helped him rebuild it to what it is today.

I sacrificed my bond with my old pack, my money, everything just to please Ryder, and yet he's never valued me.

Ryder has been punishing me in the worst ways imaginable, always forcing me to watch him bed other women despite knowing what it does to my wolf.

He's made my wolf weak, and yet he verbally abuses me for having a weak wolf that doesn't match his strength as an alpha.

More tears rush down my face in a frenzy as I hear him pounding and ejaculating in another omega.

"Why, Ryder?" I sob, forcing the words out. "Why do you keep doing this to me!?"

"I've done everything just to make you happy. I've abandoned my family for years as you demanded..."

"I helped you rebuild your pack and yet..." The pain cracks my voice, making me trail off.

"Please...stop. Stop hurting me. I beg you..."

Sweat beads on my forehead. My head dangles aside as my pulse begins to fade.

I can barely feel my wolf.

I'm hoping Ryder will listen, that he'll stop. Instead, laughter is the response he gives me.

He rises from the bed and walks to where I'm forced to kneel, smirking.

"Stop hurting you?" He sneers, his brown eyes glinting. I nod slowly through my tears. "Why would I do that? You and your pack are the reason I lost my parents..."

I look up at him in shock, my mouth dropping open.

"That useless, impotent alpha your mother married killed my parents and left my pack in ruin..." he scoffs, tsking. "And those asshole stepbrothers of yours called "Three devils" ridiculed me, thinking the world belonged to them..." he laughs harder.

I flinch when he crouches and claps my chin hard, his fingers digging into my skin. He bores his eyes into me, snarling. "Your worst mistake was ever thinking this mate bond will make me fall for you, Veil. It took me years to find a way to ruin your pack, and you...you were just the right bait."

No...

He can't say that.

I've loved Ryder from the very moment I found out he's my mate.

It didn't matter that we're from rival packs or that I was disobeying my mother's husband, Alpha Moon. It didn't matter that my Stepbrothers were against it. I just wanted to be with my mate, and I eloped with him when everyone least expected it.

"Every day you're here, Veil, you'll pay for what they did to me. What's the best way to do that than to punish that stupid wolf of yours that chose to bond with me?"

The omegas' laughter deafens me. Unrestrained tears plummet from my eyes.

This is too much.

This pain.

This punishment for a sin I didn't commit.

It isn't my fault that my mother married Alpha Moon as his fourth wife, and I became a part of the family that made him suffer.

"Ryder...please. I didn't do anything. I'm innocent, I swear. My mother..."

"Shut up!" Ryder howls and hits me on my belly. The impact makes me wheeze, and my head reels.

I land on my back, squirming in pain on the floor. The omegas force me back to my knees, and Ryder holds me by my hair, making my scalp burn.

"You've always been naïve, Veil. What were you expecting? That I'll treat you better after what that wretched polygamous family of yours did to me and my pack? They claimed all that was mine. They left my pack poor, my people dying..."

My body trembles seeing the cold, dangerous look in his eyes.

His wolf is about to surface, and if it does, the punishment worsens. I've had Ryder's wolf throw me out through the window during one of his alpha haze, a moment where his senses are clouded by his pheromones. It's a moment of complete rage.

I spent one month in the infirmary, trying to recover from the injuries. With my wolf weak, my natural fast healing ability has become almost impossible.

Now that his wolf is surfacing, panic surges inside me.

"Now, I've gotten almost everything back, thanks to you. So it's time I make you feel what I experienced. You'll watch me please my omegas, and you'll do nothing..." his eyes glow, fangs slowly starting to bare.

He rises back to his feet, eyes still pinned on me.

"If you so much as blink, Veil, I'll make sure to lock you up in the dungeon forever."

My throat parched, I nod as laughter echoes in the background.

I watch through my tears as Ryder pulls Leila forward and claims her lips in front of me.

My wolf groans in pain, the mark on my neck scorching my skin.

Ryder takes her, praising her and cursing our bond.

I heave, my chest constricting.

When he pulls away from Leila, I almost think he's done, but it's as if the universe is mocking me for having hope, no matter how small.

Ryder pulls Leila into his chest and bares her neck.

Oh no.

He can't do that

He can't mark another woman when he's still mated to me. It's going to kill my wolf entirely.

But he does it anyway.

I watch my mate mark Leila. Instantly, fire races through my body. My belly knots.

"Ry...der..." I croak, feeling it, the last breaths of my wolf.

As if that's not enough, Ryder's voice ripples through the room. "Tonight, before these omegas and my chosen mate, Leila Havenwood, I, alpha Ryder Widow of Ghostriver pack, reject you, Veil Nightsaw, as my mate and Luna."

"No!!" I howl at the pain that lances through me. It's the worst of all the pains he's put me through.

Fated mates aren't supposed to reject each other because of the chances of one dying.

In this case, the outcome is already clear. With my wolf gone, I'm nothing. Just a weak, pathetic wolfless girl who was betrayed by the man she loved. The mate given to her by the moon goddess.

The wave of dizziness hits faster than I anticipated, and as my breath further slows, my vision gives way to darkness.

It's over, I echo in my mind at the crushing reality.

Veil.

The scent of antiseptic hit my nose.

I'm dreaming...

It has to be.

My eyes twitch, fluttering open and pinning on the white ceiling above me. My body aches terribly.

Am I in the other realm? I can't help but wonder.

However, the distorting sound of machines in the background and the pain I feel crush the theory forming in my mind.

I flit my eyes nervously around me, and everything makes sense.

I'm not on the other side, but rather in the infirmary. The place that has become my home for the past few years.

But how did I end up here this time?

I struggle to rise up, but to my shock, my right hand is shackled to the bed with a handcuff. Dread pools through me.

What's going on?

I wrack my brain for answers, and slowly, the memories flood back into my mind.

Ryder's betrayal, the rejection. His open affairs with his omegas. The pain he caused me.

My wolf, goddess.

I reach inside me for the bond I've with my wolf, but it's not there. She's gone.

Tears sting the back of my eyes, the loss weighing heavily on me.

How is it possible that I'm still alive if my wolf is gone?

This doesn't make sense, and the more awake I become, the more tears pelt down my face.

I've suffered many losses just because I cherish my bond with Ryder because I want to remain with my fated mate.

It was during my first pregnancy that Ryder started showing his true colors. He'd whoop me before the pack until I passed out. He called it his 'evening drill,' and his pack members would pay and gather around to watch the show.

They'd ridicule me and encourage what Ryder's doing.

I had my first miscarriage then.

I had hoped things would change if he found out I was with his child, but it was lame of me to think that.

Ryder didn't change; he got worse.

He used me to make money despite everything I've done for him. I handed over my properties to him, the ones I inherited after my mother married Alpha Moon of the Moonbloom pack.

All that and yet, he remained a beast to me, feeding off me until there's nothing left.

I don't even know why I'm alive. I'd rather be dead than be here for these things to continue.

It already has, given the way he has imprisoned me in this hospital bed.

I huff, wringing my hand shackled to the bed just to see if I can free myself, but that doesn't work.

The door creaks open, and I look, hopeful for some intervention, but instead, Ryder comes in along with the doctor.

A dark smile lit up his face upon seeing me awake.

"Ahh, finally. It took you seventy-two hours to wake up. What a bad behavior!" He clicks his tongue, appearing displeased.

My hope thins, morphing into fear. A powerful one.

Ryder inches further to the bed, his hand tucked into his pocket as he examines me.

"Lunas are meant to be powerful, Veil. But you? You're a far cry from a powerful Luna..."

Anger bubbles inside me. I writhe my shackled hand more as I watch him. "You already rejected me." I grit out through the sweat gathering on my pores.

His eyes roll. "Yeah, my best decision ever. I don't even know why it took me so long to do that."

"Then let me go!" I hiss, my heart galloping just as my breath.

A crease forms between his brows. He inclines his head toward me. "Let you go? No way. You're still very useful to me. In fact, more useful to me than anyone else in this pack."

What is he talking about?

He notices the confusion on my face and barks a laugh. "Oh, you possibly don't know what you are, do you?"

My face reddens. I don't care what he's talking about. I just want him to let me go.

I want freedom.

"You're not going to get anything from me, Ryder. I won't give you anything again!"

That earns me a snort.

"Ah, I expected that." He waves aimlessly at me. "Regardless, I'll take all I need from you, Veil. That's why Diego here is preparing something special that will keep you tied in this pack forever..."

I swallow thickly, unsure of what he's talking about.

What does he mean he's going to keep me here forever?

He cuts through my thoughts, adding proudly. "And you won't be in your right senses."

"No...you can't do that." I let out, my eyes darting to Diego. "He's joking, right?" He can feel the desperation bleeding through my voice, and Ryder feeds off it.

"I wish I were, Veil. Diego and his team developed a new compound that drives wolves feral. Guess what? You'll be our first prototype. After that, you'll remain in this pack forever, serving your purpose."

I squirm on the bed, not just from fear but from frustration.

No!

I can't let him do this to me.

I need to run.

Ryder notices and drops his next words like a bomb. "You can't escape, Veil. I've made sure of it."

He pulls away and faces Diego, looking down at his umber-toned face. "Finish up with the compound, Diego. We'll experiment with her by Sunrise."

"Yes, alpha." Diego bows respectfully to him and leaves.

Tension weaves inside me as Ryder looks back at me. "Enjoy the rest of your night, Veil. It's the last moment you'll ever be in your right mind. By morning..." a sinister smile appears on his face. "You'll become feral. A mad woman."

"Ryder!! Nooo!! Please, don't do this to me!!" I yelp through dreadful tears.

He ignores me, striding to the door.

"Ciao, Veil." He winks, waves his fingers at me, and walks through the door, slamming it shut; it rattles my veins.

A sudden gloomy wave hit me.

What have I done to myself?

I should've listened to my mother. I shouldn't have chosen my mate over Alpha Moon's family.

But it's too late.

Love blinded me, and now I'm paying a huge price for it.

Regardless, I pull harder on the handcuff, the movement hurting my wrist. I'm going to run mad by dawn, and no one is coming to save me.

The situation on the ground robs me of sleep.

I'm wide awake, watching the clock ticking like a time bomb on the nightstand.

It's twelve a.m., completely dark outside. My head slumps between my shoulders as I sob, feeling wounded. Broken.

Several hours passed, my face soaked, my dress soiled.

However, by four in the morning, the door flutters open. My body trembles, already certain it's them.

I try to scream, but someone clamps a hand over my mouth, muffling the sound trying to escape from me.

"It's me, Luna."

My eyes flutter at that familiar voice.

Gabe, Ryder's younger brother and gamma.

"Don't talk."

I do as he says, holding in my breath while he removes his hand from my mouth.

Gabe rounds the bed until he's facing me.

He pulls out a bunch of keys, selects one in particular, and begins to work it into the handcuff.

"Gabe?" I whisper, a surge of warmth in my chest.

Gabe and I were never really on talking terms since I came to this pack. He's always distant and focused on his duties. So, I'm surprised he's helping me.

"You need to leave before Ryder wakes up." He whispers, pulling the shackle away from my hand. I rub at the ache in my wrist, watching him. "This is your only chance at escape, or else you'll become a victim of his...madness."

Adrenaline courses through me at his words, and I lunge to my feet, eyes on him.

Wordlessly, Gabe checks the hallway, and when he notices it's clear, he beckons me forward.

Together, we make it out of the hospital discreetly, diving into the darkness outside as it provides me the cover I need to escape from the Ghostriver pack.

There's only one place in my mind- the Moonbloom pack. The place that was once my home until I chose to turn my back on them in the name of love.

Maybe they'll take me back if they see me, or maybe not. I just have to try. Whatever the outcome, I'll face it.

Hence, I head south as the pounding of paws and howls of Ryder's men resonate in the air.

He has found out that I've escaped.

Tbc.

Veil.

I cross the borders of the Moonbloom pack at the first peek of the sun and draw to a halt, bending to my knees.

Exhaustion pulls through me from hours of running from Ryder's men, and I gulp in a breath.

I made it, thank goddess.

A beat later, I rise back up, flitting my gaze around the pack that was once my home several years ago.

I left thinking I was walking into the promise land Ryder promised me, but it all turned out to be lies.

I was only his bait.

It was during the night of Quin's coronation, the son of Alpha's Moon's first Luna, that I eloped with Ryder. A very crucial night in the pack.

Quin was my biggest bully right from high school. However, his bullying worsened when my mother agreed to marry Alpha Moon as his last wife.

Alpha Moon was impotent; however, his desire to strengthen his lineage of alpha blood made him marry widows with alpha blood, my mother included.

I never liked Quin because he made my life a living hell.

The rest of the alpha's stepsons, Rio and Hunter, completely ignored my existence in the pack house. I guess it was only fair I disappeared rather than watch them treat me like I was nothing.

But now, I'm back here to the polygamous family, full of the stepbrothers I hated. Ryder has proven to me that I don't have a choice.

I take a step, focusing on getting to the pack house where my fate will be decided, when I feel someone cock a gun behind me.

"Halt!"

My heart flips.

That voice. It isn't the first I was expecting to hear.

A thick lump gathers in my throat, and my hands raise above my head as he commanded.

I close my eyes as his footsteps begin to echo behind me, making my pulse race erratically.

He stands before me, and I raise my head and meet his smoky green eyes.

Hunter.

The son of Alpha Moon's third Luna. The strong warrior and biker who handles the pack's security affairs.

His smoky blonde hair and olive skin shimmer under the morning sun. He looks...more handsome and dangerous than I remember.

He wields his gun tightly like he's facing his enemy.

As I expected, his gaze narrows when he realizes it's me, the look scorching my body.

"Veil." He drawls, scanning me with something akin to hatred and shock in his eyes.

"Hun...ter..." I manage, hoping that seeing me here, looking unkempt and homeless, will at least soften him up.

But his next words snap breaths from my lungs.

"The fugitive." He steps away from my space, a sinister smile tipping up his lips. "Bold of you to come here after what you did." He points his gun at me and whistles.

Men dressed in black fall out of the woods. The patrol warriors, and of course, members of his MC.

They have a contemptuous look on their faces as they stare at me, and I wonder what's going on.

"Hunter...look..." I start talking, ready to drop the drama for now, maybe when I've rested and regained strength, we'll continue, but Hunter's orders stop me.

"Arrest her!"

Two hefty warriors walk over to me and nab my arms. My body goes rigid, alert.

They begin to drag me away to goddess knows where. I whimper, looking over my shoulder at my stepbrother, who's glaring at me.

"Hunter. Please just let me go to the pack house...it's urgent."

I need to see my mom and Alpha Moon. They're the ones I'm looking to for mercy, not Hunter, not Rio, and especially not Quin.

Hunter doesn't budge. My pleas fall on deaf ears as the warriors drag me through the border woods until we reach their barracks.

They throw me into one of the cabins, and I land on the wooden floor, grunting at the searing impact.

The door slams behind me, and I tense. I surge to my feet and race to the door, banging on it.

"Hey!! Could you please let me out? I need to see my mother!" I plead, knocking on the door.

They don't respond.

I press my back against the door and sink to the floor in exhaustion.

Why would Hunter do that?

He just called me a fugitive, and I don't understand why.

I think he's nuts. That I eloped with Ryder doesn't make me a fugitive, and I wasn't banished either.

Well, I need to see my stepfather and explain things to him.

I wait for several minutes for Hunter's return, but he doesn't show up.

I feel abandoned.

Lonely.

I decide to look for something I can munch on in the cabin, which makes me ransack the room.

Turns out it's Hunter's cabin. The bed linens bear his sandalwood and leather scent. There are guns and bullets scattered on it, causing a hitch in my breath.

I check the mini fridge, and it only has a bottle of water and a leftover sandwich.

Seeing that, my stomach grumbles. I reach for the leftover and devour it hurriedly, polishing the plate in under a minute.

I take a drink of water and then resume looking through his things. The bunch of condoms on his nightstand leaves me speechless. Unthinkingly, I grab one. It's half used and smells of his warm skin, the rubber stretching in my hand.

Just like the rest of my stepbrothers, Hunter is promiscuous, always throwing parties and messing around with girls.

Good thing I hardly crossed paths with him back then because his lifestyle irritated me.

The door opens before I can drop the condom. I turn my head to the door, and there he is, looming over it in his 5'9 height.

He's strapped his gun over his chest, a hard grit to his jaw.

He steps in, slamming the door closed, brooding as he walks towards me.

I can feel it, the hammering of my heart as he narrows his gaze on the forbidden item in my hand.

My hand wobbles, fear mixed with something strange I can't put a name to swirling through me, and the condom drops before I know it. I peer up at him, swallowing hard.

"It's...not what you...think." I start, but his angry voice interrupts.

"Traitor." I blink rapidly, ogling him. I don't understand. "You think returning to the pack after six years will make us forget what you did, witch?"

What is he talking about?

My brows furrow. "Hunter, I don't understand..."

"You left the pack in ruins. Turned the goddess against us, and destroyed the lives of everyone. Now you walk in here pretending not to understand what I'm talking about?"

"Look, Hunter, I think there's a misunderstanding somewhere. I'm innocent. I didn't..."

The hollering voices outside the cabin and the banging on the door cut through my words. I look at the door, confused.

Why are they making noise?

"Bring her out!!"

"The thief!"

"Bring out the traitor!"

Nervous, I look between the door and Hunter.

"What's happening?" The terror rising inside me now leaks through my voice. "Hunter, what's going on?"

He doesn't respond; he only smirks.

"It's time for judgment, Veil. You were never going to escape it. Pay the price of your actions. You should've thought twice before you took what was never yours." He says. His smoky green eyes have flecks of gold, and I realize he's mind-linking someone.

My mind rattles. There has to be a misconception somewhere. I didn't take anything that wasn't mine at all.

I work up words to defend myself, but the door slams open and the warriors from before shove inside.

They grab me like I weigh nothing and pull me outside.

Then I see them, the angry mobs that are the pack members, calling me names and spitting curses at me.

"Thief!"

"Traitor!"

"She deserves to die!"

But I didn't steal anything. I'm innocent.

Yet, the fear restricts me from talking as they drag me away, heading to the pack square.

Tbc.