The Alpha Queen's Mate (Book 5 of The Regal Eclipse Pack Series)

Chapter 23

She was done. The man in front of her was breaking her heart. She needed out of this situation before she broke completely. She could not do that here. She would not. She was a Remington. He would not see her break.

She didn't want to bring her own mate to submission, but he wasn't given her much choice. She would not be manipulated or controlled, and that was exactly what he was trying to do to her.

She released her aura and watched him take a step back as it pressed down on him. His eyes widened as he felt it, though she couldn't bring herself to make him fully submit to her, even after everything he'd done. She still cared, even though she didn't want to.

"Who are you?" He muttered, his eyes wide with surprise as he stared at her.

"Someone who will not be brought to submission. We're supposed to be equals, Alex. I understand not waiting for me. It's been a long time. You're thirty years old and I know you needed an heir. But bringing me all the way over here without telling me anything wasn't fair of you. You took away my choice on this entire thing. You just expected me to do what you wanted, no matter what. You didn't take my feelings into consideration, or how your wife might feel about all of this. We both have feelings too, and I don't know about her, but I will not share my mate with another woman," she said. She was so hurt, and she could imagine his wife was as well. He'd betrayed them both.

He stared at her for a long moment, and crossed his arms over his chest, then sighed. "Fine."

She stared at him, feeling sick to her stomach at the pain she knew was coming. He was about to break her heart and she let her gaze travel over him one last time before they broke their bond. He was looking at the ground now, and she heard him take a deep breath.

He looked up at her again, and she could see how angry he was. It radiated off of him like armor. "What's your last name?"

"Remington," she said quietly.

He stared at her and she heard him curse under his breath. "I, Alpha Alexander Artino reject you Noelle Remington as my mate and Luna," he said bitterly.

Noelle swallowed hard as the pain began. "I, Noelle Remington, accept your rejection." Pain stabbed through her heart and she felt her bond with him break as Holly howled in her head. She took a deep breath as the pain of having the bond break tore through her, overwhelming her. She held her ground though, not moving, and did her best to keep her face impassive, but it was hard.

He glared at her for a moment, then turned and walked up the steps and into the pack house, slamming the door behind him.

Hold it together, Noelle, you're a Queen. 'Holly, I need your strength to get me through this or I'm going to break down.'

'I've got you, Love,' Holly said quietly.

She felt warmth and strength surge through her and she looked up to see Evangelina looking at her smugly, as she rubbed her belly. The blond turned and walked into the house behind her husband, slamming the door behind her and shutting Noelle out. Out of their life and out of their marriage. A place she never belonged in the first place.

Noelle stood there, wondering what to do next. She'd never expected to be in such a situation. She had no idea where she was at and no way to get home. He'd just left her out there, standing on his front lawn, in his territory with nothing. The last thing she wanted to do was go into that pack house and ask him to take her home. She was too overwhelmed with heartache right now, and seeing him wouldn't help.

All she wanted to do was curl up somewhere and cry her eyes out, but she couldn't. She couldn't allow herself to break. Not yet. The pain was horrible though, and she wanted to scream out her anguish. Thoughts of going back inside and begging him to take it back crossed her mind, but she couldn't. She wouldn't. He didn't deserve her.