The Alpha's Reject

Chapter 16

Vlad pov-

She would be the end of me. I couldn't help but glance down at her lips, as she finally looked up at me. Pretty Brielle. So young, so innocent. I didn't deserve her.

She was afraid of me. The thought of scaring my mate hurt more than I'd like to admit.

"She has a good reason to fear you." Mikhail sighed.

He was right. I hurt her. Even if I did so in order to protect her. I threw away our mate bond in front of the entire ballroom, and I prayed to the goddess there would still be a way to fix it. Because the truth was, I wanted her. Badly.

"If you want her so badly then fucking tell her." My wolf snarled.

He was still angry with me for what had happened. I didn't blame him. I was mad at myself to. But if I could go back and do it over again, I would still make the same choice.

"-Find a mate. Reject anyone who does not fit the specific requirements. If failed to do so, your chosen will be slaughtered on the spot-" Dmitri's words replayed over and over in my head.

He had wanted me to find an experienced Luna. A strong she-wolf from a good bloodline. Preferably from a pack that could be potential allies. So what if she wasn't my true mate. None of that mattered to him. Dmitri was a psychotic leader.

He murdered his first wife in front of the entire pack because he saw her as "weak". He thought it as a display of power. What a disgusting man.

My mate would be safe here. Nobody knew about this place except for Alexei. I didn't necessarily trust him, but I didn't have much of a choice either. As long as she was safe and away from Dmitri that was all that mattered.

The smell of Brielle's fear flooded my nostrils. It wasn't as strong as that night in the room, but it was still there.

"Don't lie to me. I can smell your fear." I growled. I didn't like it when she lied to me.

I was quiet for a moment, unsure of what to say next. I wanted to explain myself. She deserved to know what was going on. There was so much I needed to tell her. But now is not the time..

"Tell her you're sorry." My wolf suggested.

I bit down on my tongue. I couldn't do that. At least not yet. As bad as I wanted my mate, to fully claim her, I had to keep my distance for now. Apologizing would only make us grow closer, and that's the worst thing that could happen right now. I had to keep her at arm's length. I couldn't let my feelings get in the way until all this mess gets sorted out.

"You can go to your room now."

Brielle looked relieved as she turned to walk past me. Out of instinct I reached out to grab her arm. She let out a little gasp, and a lovely smell filled the air. It was more subtle than that of her fear. At first I wasn't sure what it was, but my wolf recognized it instantly. Desire. I lost my train of thought, distracted by the bloom of red creeping up her neck. My wolf growled hungrily.

"She wants us. Her scent doesn't lie." He paced.

I squeezed my eyes shut, blocking out the sensations I was currently feeling. You can't feel like this. When I opened my eyes, I found hers already watching mine. My mate was still wary of me, still hesitant.

"You don't have to be afraid of me Brielle. I would never do anything to hurt you." I whispered. Fuck.

Why did I say that? I mentally kicked myself. I knew that I had already hurt her. More deeply, and painfully than I could ever imagine. I could only hope that she will one day be able to forgive me.

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A/N: hey guys!! I'm back with another super short chapter, my apologies for it not being longer..
I hope you all are enjoying this story so far, and I look forward to writing more!

P.s. don't forget to vote and comment it helps so much <3