Rejected and Saved by my Alpha

4

LILY

“I think you should leave,” Connor said.

This time, he was not only speaking, but actively looking at me. His eyes were no longer pleading and downcast, but clear and full of resolve.

It was as if he’d stopped pretending – stopped wearing the mask of the sad mate who didn’t really mean for all of this to happen.

“It wouldn’t be good for any of us to be around each other,” he went on. “A clean break would be the best course of action. The less messy, or awkward”.

Leave.

Leave my pack, my home, all the people I knew, loved, and all of my family.

All because that asshole had decided to stick his d**k into my stepsister.

I didn’t bother trying to keep the tears at bay – I’d long stopped trying.

It wasn’t fair – I was the wounded party here, and I was the one who was losing it all. I was the one who had to leave, to make sure Connor and Jane could start their perfect life and perfect family without having to see me around.

Once again, no one dared to speak up for me, to at least try and make things right.

So I did.

“Surely less awkward for you, Alpha,” I hissed. Connor even had the guts to recoil at my words, as if he had any right to be hurt.

Then I turned towards my father and brother. “And you too, surely. Considering how you’ve been acting ever since those two came into our lives, you’ll only be happy to have me gone. This way, you’ll get to play happy family without the troublemaker around, right?”

No one spoke – but Jane and Willow’s smirks did.

Connor took a breath, and I braced myself for what was coming. I knew it – I could feel it through our bond.

“I, Connor Harrison, Alpha of the Silver Lake pack, reject you, Lily Cooper, as my mate”.

The pain was quick to come – burning, flesh-tearing, unbearable, and it took me all I had not to scream.

No – after the utter humiliation I’d gone through, I wouldn’t let them see me in pain as well. I wouldn’t double over and cry again.

“I, Lily Cooper, accept your rejection,” I whispered.

I grabbed the diamond ring on my finger and yanked it off, throwing it on the ground.

Then, unable to bear that environment, those looks, those smirks a moment more, I walked out of that door.

There were two things I was thankful for: that I hadn’t allowed Connor to buy me a new car when we’d first mated, as he’d wanted to, and kept my old, slightly beaten-up Honda, and that the pack house had secret passages.

This way, I managed to get down to the garage undisturbed and unseen, after packing what little of sentimental value I had. I’d been humiliated enough that night – I wouldn’t let everybody and their mother see me in tears and with a runny nose packing my s**t and leaving.

The only thing I had done, other than packing up, had been briefly saying goodbye to Cassie: she’d helped me pack up, her blue eyes filled with tears, and hugged me so tight I’d feared my ribs would break.

It surely had helped in preventing me from bursting into sobs.

None of my other friends had come – and they’d all seen the text I’d sent them, in which I quickly explained what had happened.

So much for having friends, I thought grimly, throwing a duffel bag onto the passenger seat and getting the keys out of my pocket.

“Lily! Lily, wait!”

A shiver ran down my spine.

Wow. The audacity.

“Oh, so you can speak after all,” I said, turning towards my brother. “What do you want?”

A pained look crossed Alex's face. “I … I’m sorry for how things went down”.

“Yeah, sure,” I hissed. “I’m sure you’re so sorry you’re now getting to be the uncle of the future Alpha, the brother-in-law of the current one, the best friend of Willow and Jane … Cut the s**t, honestly”.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t know what to do, he’s the Alpha, and she’s pregnant, I …”

“And I am your sister! Your bloody sister, someone you’re supposed to protect!” I screamed. “I don’t give a f**k about your excuses! What do you want?”

For a few seconds, he didn’t speak – and for a moment I almost bought his pained, sorrowful look.

And then his words hit me again.

We must decide what to do with Lily.

He’d chosen which side to stand on, and it was not mine.

He had no reason to act all sad and sorry.

“I have a friend – he lives among humans, a few towns over. Damien Carter, he was my roommate at college,” he then whispered. “I’ve called him, he’s willing to take you in for some time”.

“I don’t need your f*****g pity”.

“No, but you need a place to stay. He’s waiting for you. It’s about a six-hour drive from here”.

So much for just a few towns over, I thought.

“Fine,” I hissed – if only to get him off my back.

Still … I needed a place to crash. Maybe I could use that to my advantage.

A couch to crash on for one night, and then I’d be on my way.

“Lily, I swear I’m sorry,” he went on again as, with shaking hands, I worked on finding my car keys. “I didn’t want any of this to happen”.

And yet you didn’t stop it. Despite being able to.

After all, he was Connor’s Beta.

Hell – he’d probably known about the affair. After all, Jane told everything to her mother – it was likely that my father and brother knew.

It was likely the whole f*****g pack knew before I did.

Shame and anger made my skin burn and crawl.

“Lils … Lils, can I hug you? I’ll never see you again, and …”

Oh, for f**k’s sake.

“I too will never see you again,” I growled. “Nor my family, or friends, because no one in that room thought about standing up for me, and you asked what you all should do with me, like I was a piece of furniture. I won’t see you again, and all considered, I’m f*****g happy for it. Who needs enemies when you have brothers like this?”

Given the look on his face, it looked like I’d just slapped him.

I climbed into my car and slammed the door behind me.

“Wanna hug someone? Go hug your new sister,” I spat towards him.

And I drove off into the night.