Rejection on the Alpha #1

34. Cleared Of The Red Smoke

Yes to what? To him? To a life? To everything he's wanted while I shrivel in the shadows, just awaiting for death while he tries to nullify everything he's done, I trail my eyes away to Elias, who stands there with a clenched jaw, "What is it, Elder Elias?" Martin questions, looking over to him. I step away from Martin, his eyes snap to mine: they're pleading, begging to just look back at them.

"I need to speak with Celestine for a moment. Privately, my King." That title, like Martin was above him. They reached the same damn line, Elias just didn't want to admit it. I step past the two of them, moving swiftly to the very edge of a brick-way, a tunnel to the other side of the gardens to the palace, when tingles shoot up from my arm and I tense before my back is pressed against the hardness of a stiff, chiseled chest.

I tense in shock when Alastair presses his cold fingers against the fabric over my stomach, "What are you doing?" I ask him, ripping away.

Elias steps forward, eyes narrowed and on me, "We need to talk. It has come to my attention that you and myself, as well as my true King share a bond more true than the one Nicolai is insistent you have. And there's more than that." Elias says lowly.

I look to Alastair, who runs his eyes over me, "What? You thought I wouldn't hint at the fire wolf." He slithers in behind me, I watch him, unsure which one of us is the predator. Before fingers move a curl of mine aside.

Elias had gotten closer, "The reason for my immortality and his pause on his vengeance." He mutters, studying me. I punch him hard, kicking Alastair who chuckles, dodges but couldn't miss the roundhouse kick I slammed against the Ice King's face. The burn felt good. Only there was one different when Elias spins me around and grasps my cheeks.

"You lied to me." That dark hiss on his tongue made mine shiver.

"Because I can't trust someone like you."

"Someone who was just doing their job? You saw me as a bloody professor, old enough to be a great grandfather. How do you tell a child she's yours, and not by blood, but by bone. Having you engraved in bone is difficult. I did not know you had elemental abilities, meaning that request of yours to venture to the elemental runes, a substance that tells the truth and only the truth about your mate. Or mates, as I can now fucking see." I'd never seen the darkness parade like a carnival in his eyes. He glides them to my lips while I still the moment hands move to my waist. Hands from behind me as my hair moves aside. Cold breath on my neck. Elias's eyes darken more.

"I don't do males, Alastair." He grits out.

"Neither do I, but you should share." Alastair plants his body against mine, I trail my eyes over my shoulder to look at him.

I'm stuck between them both, and I hate it.

"No." I say aloud.

Both pause, "What do you mean 'No'? We haven't done anything yet." Alastair says, smirking above me.

I don't think, grabbing his dagger, I drop to a knee, slicing up his thigh through the fabric, he rips himself away before I kick out Elias's legs from under him. Keeping the blade pressed against his neck, I straddle the man I thought I once knew.

He stares up at me, "I underestimated you."

"You did more than that." I whisper.

He closes his eyes, "I followed the wrong orders."

"Oh thanks." Alastair mutters sarcastically from ahead of me, healing his leg and glaring at me, but the heat in his usually cold corpse eyes shows me otherwise, the fucker was undressing me now. After showing him I couldn't be cornered, after continuously fighting against them in a manner so verbal and so strongly when he just won't get it. Neither of them will.

"If fate chose the two of you, then I will choose my own destiny. Martin. You. Alastair. None of you are good. None of you will hold me the way I deserve to be held. I don't understand why." Why they're so—

"Why we're flawed? Huh. Because everyone's just so fucking perfect in your Princess eyes?" Alastair spits ahead of me, hands out wide while he exclaims. I lean up from Elias and step off of him. He sits up and moves to a stand, leaning on the wall, right next to me.

I stare at Alastair, he looks me down, an intimidating stance that held mistakes and flaws, but hurt deeper than I knew, "I didn't say I wanted you perfect, I just wanted someone who's destiny was to manipulate me to getting what they want. Martin, Elias, then you. All you people ever want from me is either submission, acceptance of another man or to force me onto that other man for vengeance no one understands. So what if you gave Elias the information of my elemental abilities. You should've guessed it while I was working with Athena." I mutter, shaking my head at him.

He growls and steps forward, "Really? I spent decades in the making at taking the bastard who ripped my family apart down, and if I had to use a female he's grown so attached to, to get it done, then so fucking be it. It doesn't mean I'm a sexist asshole to everyone, Princess. But one girl, no matter who you are to me can stop this. He took away my blood because he couldn't handle his animal side. A dog is put down if they aren't tamed. Yes, I used you. Yes, I treated you like you were nothing. Your words, your finicky public speeches that hold little to no value when all you do is strut around here showing no difference does nothing to change my plans about a male you claim you have no feelings for, when you don't use his first name, you call him Martin. Not Nicolai. Not Darkling." He lists, pointing a threatening finger at me.

I close my eyes, "You've been waiting around for so long, do it. End it. Kill him. Does it change what happened? Does it bring back who you lost? You're at a goddamn standstill, Alastair. You've got nothing. I can feel it against my skin. You'll use your mate just to run with the saying 'an eye for an eye'? You have done nothing!" I snap, shaking my head at him when I look at him.

He rolls out his shoulders, "You want me to do something, little wolf. Fine, let's do something." He snaps, before shooting like a bullet towards me and I still in horror when his lips press against mine and something in my changes. Because of a bond I couldn't control. A bond I couldn't cut ties to, something snapped into place when smooth, but ice cold lips parted mine in a rough, horrifying sensation that sizzled my blood, boiled it and fried whatever thoughts I had before when he parts my lips with his. He's not nice in his kiss, in truth he's like a dark, wet concoction of shadows and ice. As if on a snowy white mountain, gaining the frostbite that was numbing and igniting all at once. And he fought for dominance—

"GET OFF MY QUEEN!"

He's shoved back from me, Martin grabs me by the waist and hauls me behind him, he stills as he stares at the one man he probably thought he'd never see, "Ares." He whispers.

Alastair stares at me, not him, "Step away from her." He murmurs.

Martin rolls out his shoulders, "It's been far too long since I'd seen a face like yours. Talked to Artemis' ghost much?" He wonders.

Alastair drags his eyes over my form, "Step. Away. From. Her. Before I send you to a quick, early grave, even when I wanted to take my time. Like I'm doing with her." He points at me. Before I feel the presence of another, she moves with grace and nobility. Age, wisdom and beauty that was captured on the essence a long time ago. I hated that I didn't notice her until it was too late to understand what was happening. See, Elias looked like he wanted to punch Alastair in the teeth. Martin looked like the ice King in front of him was another war he wished he'd won before I was brought into the picture and of all things...

Alastair looks like he really isn't done with me after that kiss.

Athena slowly moves out from behind the vine-wall and claps slowly, "You three are truly the best live entertainment I've had in centuries."

She didn't include me in that picture.

I trail my eyes behind me, "Move and I trap you, Celestine." Alastair read where I was headed.

I look at him, "Fuck you."

He dampens the air and looks at me, "Believe me, you will."

Martin shifts in front of me, and then all hell breaks loose.