Alpha’s Regret: His Rejected Mate’s Revenge

2. BETRAYAL AND REJECTION

(Ava’s POV)

“Wait!” My voice echoed through the grand hall, a desperate plea cutting through the cheers and applause. My heart raced as I pushed forward through the crowd, barely noticing the shocked faces that turned to me.

“There’s been a mistake,” I said, my voice trembling but firm as I approached the platform where Alpha Caleb and Tessa stood, basking in the glory of their false announcement. “Alpha Caleb,” I called out, my eyes searching his, “you know I’m your fated mate. We felt the bond—back in the meeting room, earlier today. You looked at me, and you knew it too.”

A murmur rippled through the gathered pack as Caleb’s smile faltered, his brow furrowing in confusion. For a brief moment, hope flickered in my chest as I saw recognition flash in his eyes. He remembered. He remembered that connection between us, the spark, the way his gaze had softened when our eyes met. He had to.

But before he could say anything, Tessa stepped forward, her expression one of shock and feigned hurt. “Ava,” she said softly, her voice laced with a pity that made my skin crawl, “I was also in that room, remember? I was sitting right there, too. Maybe you’re confused.”

Confused? I stared at her, my mind spinning. “What are you talking about?”

Tessa sighed, placing a hand on Caleb’s arm, as if to calm him, as if she had any right to touch him. “You see,” she said, turning her gaze toward the crowd, “Ava is… troubled. She’s been going through a lot lately. We’ve all seen it. Being an omega is hard, and sometimes it leads to… desperation.”

“What?” I gasped, staring at her in disbelief. The entire room seemed to tilt on its axis as I struggled to make sense of her words.

Tessa’s eyes gleamed, though her face was all sympathy. “I hate to say it, but it seems like Ava may have tried to steal my scent… to make Caleb think she was his mate.”

My world shattered.

The pack erupted into whispers and gasps, but all I could hear was the loud pounding of my heart. Tessa’s accusation hit me like a physical blow, leaving me reeling. She wasn’t just betraying me—she was destroying me.

“No,” I breathed, shaking my head, my vision blurring with tears. “I would never do that.”

“Enough,” Caleb’s voice boomed, silencing the room. I turned to him, my heart hammering in my chest. His expression was unreadable, his eyes hard as they bored into mine.

“Alpha Caleb, please, you know I’m telling the truth. You felt it too. The bond…”

He frowned, his gaze flicking briefly to Tessa, and then back to me. For a moment, I saw a flicker of doubt, but it was quickly replaced by cold indifference. “Even if what you’re saying is true,” he said slowly, his voice turning icy, “I would never accept a lowly omega like you as my mate.”

The breath left my lungs in a sharp gasp. It felt as if he had reached into my chest and ripped my heart out. His words cut deeper than any blade could, and I stood there, frozen, as the pack’s eyes bore into me, judgmental and unforgiving.

“But Alpha Caleb…” My voice broke as I spoke his name, the name of the man I thought was destined to be mine.

Tessa leaned closer to Caleb, whispering in his ear, her eyes never leaving mine. After a moment, Alpha Caleb nodded, and Tessa stepped forward again, her voice soft but laced with poison. “Caleb, I think you should reject her… officially, just to avoid any confusion. It would be the fair thing to do.”

I stared at her in horror as Caleb turned back to me, his expression void of any warmth, any recognition of the bond we had shared. “Ava Carter,” he began, his voice formal and cold, “I, Alpha Caleb of the Ravenwood Pack, reject you as my fated mate.”

Each word was a dagger to my soul. I could barely breathe as the bond between us snapped, severing with a force that left me gasping in pain. The rejection burned through my veins, leaving a hollow ache where once there had been hope.

“I…” My throat felt tight, the tears I had been holding back spilling down my cheeks. “I accept your rejection.” My voice was barely a whisper, but the moment I said the words, the bond shattered completely. The weight of the broken connection crushed me, and I felt the world closing in.

But it wasn’t over.

As if crushing my heart wasn’t enough, Tessa turned to the pack, her face twisted into a mask of false righteousness. “This crime,” she said, her voice ringing with authority, “cannot go unpunished. Ava has attempted to steal my scent, to deceive the Alpha and the entire pack. Such treachery deserves punishment.”

“What?” I gasped, my horror deepening. “Tessa, you can’t be serious!”

But she only smiled. “Guards,” she commanded, “take her to the dungeons. She will await trial for her crime.”

“No!” I shouted, panic surging through me. I hadn’t done anything wrong. This was all a lie—a twisted, cruel game Tessa was playing, but I couldn’t stop it. The guards grabbed me roughly by the arms, dragging me toward the exit. I struggled, but they were too strong. “I didn’t do anything!” I screamed, my voice cracking. “Please, you have to believe me!”

No one moved to help. Not even Caleb.

As I was dragged through the halls, I heard the guards muttering to each other. “She wants us to kill her,” one of them whispered. “Make it look like a suicide.”

My blood ran cold. They were going to kill me. Tessa had planned this all along.

Desperation fueled my next move. With a surge of strength I didn’t know I had, I twisted out of one guard’s grip, elbowing the other in the stomach before breaking free. I ran. My feet pounded against the stone floors, the guards shouting behind me as I fled through the darkened corridors. I had no idea where I was going, but I couldn’t stop.

I turned a corner, my breath coming in ragged gasps, but suddenly, the floor gave way beneath me. I stumbled, falling into a hidden trap, my ankle catching painfully in the snare. I cried out in pain as I tried to free myself, but it was no use. I was stuck.

The guards were catching up. I could hear their footsteps closing in, their taunts echoing through the hall.

And then, a shot rang out.

One of the guards dropped to the ground, blood pooling around him as the others scattered, their faces pale with fear. My heart raced as I looked up, my vision blurred with tears and exhaustion, and saw him. A tall, broad-shouldered man stood in the shadows, a gun still smoking in his hand.

He stepped forward, his face shrouded in darkness, but his voice was low and commanding. “Get away from her.”

The remaining guards didn’t hesitate. They turned and fled, leaving me alone with the mysterious stranger.

“Who… who are you?” I managed to whisper, my body trembling with pain and fear.

The man knelt beside me, his dark eyes locking onto mine. “I’m someone who’s here to help,” he said quietly. And for the first time since the night began, a flicker of hope sparked within me.