Cold Rejection

The X

As promised another chapter. 

"Venessa"

The name weighted tons in Hazel's chest. For a moment, everything seemed surreal, like he was dreaming, but the fear was too great to not be from this realm.

He wanted to laugh, instead, he felt himself nod. Aware that his mate was speaking yet unable to grasp what was being said. In all his list of things that could go wrong never once did he imagine the returned of Vanessa. Never really even thought of her for more than a few seconds after she was mentioned.

Zander didn't speak of her. Vince didn't seem like he knew much of her.

For what James had told him, Hazel knew she was alive, that she'd slipped away in the middle of the night to be with her mate. How could it have never occurred to him that she could just as easily slip back in?

"Hazel" Zander called, his hands on both of Hazel's shoulders pulling he omega out of his haze.

"Hazel, you have nothing to worry about," The alpha told him. Hazel nodded, drawing his eyes away from Zander's dark pair and looking past him. Paris had left, When did that happen? He wondered.

The alpha sighed, knowing very well that his mate was unwell, but he also knew that the quickest way to ease Hazel's obvious worries was to deal with Vanessa and whatever reason she had to come back. And so, relentlessly he pulled away from the omega. Leaving him feeling cold and uncertain, blankly staring ahead as Zander walked out the door.

......

There was no way to describe the relation Zander shared with the mother of his child. Simply because there wasn't one.

She wanted him like she wanted a purse, a new pair of shoes or a fancy dress. He was something to her, as opposed to someone.

And to him, she was the person that took his mate away.

It was ironic really, she didn't care who the goddess of the moon chose for him, yet she nearly dragged the packs, both his and hers through the mud in the process of getting to hers. But He couldn't blame her for that. Her father, the man who spoiled her, Xavier who loved his own mate tell death and he himself, could not blame her.

Nor could they hate her for choosing a life with her other half over one with the husband that paid her not affection, and the child that stole all the attention.

But Zander dislikes her for the way she left.

Sneakily running away in the dead of night, without notification. Not to the pack, to him, to her father, not even to her son.

For the way she acted before she left.

Going to countless waves, clubs and college parties, ignoring her duties, not even trying to hide the affairs she leads.

Not only for coming between him and his destined but for picking up and leaving the mess she'd played a role in making for others to clean. It took years for him to regain his people trust, to strengthen their allies after it was revealed that they'd gone against, history, culture, and most of all, Luna's design.

There wasn't a doubt in his mind that Vince would one day suffer greatly for being a child outside of the mating bound. His claim as the successor will be questioned. Have been questioned, and would forever be.

Yet, now that they'd come to a place where their packs were prospering. That Vince was okay, that he, himself was fine and Hazel was back. Now that he could see a light at the end to the punishment he'd endured since the day he'd utter those sinful words. Now that he had his mate. And could allow himself, if not to hope for forever, then tomorrow.

She was back!

Zander ran a hand through his hair, adjusting the folder he'd tuck under his arm as he approached the nursery. It was mostly empty on weekends, but there was always someone on duty, no matter the day or time as it is also used as a sort of children safe heaven and drop off for abandoned kids.
For those reasons, it was in a 'safe place' close enough to the main house to give the sense of security, but built in a way that one could enter without being in the sight of every nosey Annie and curious Kevin.

It was a large building with three floors.

The first was the nursery which was like a church, in the sense that their doors were always open. The second and third was the orphanage and was closed off to the general public without an escort.

Had it been any other day, for any other reason Zander would have simply walked in as he knew the building in and out and was one of the few to have free access to every room. But as he climbed the stairs to the hardwood double doors and pushed through, he found Hellen waiting.

With a look and the nod of the head, they greeted each other and he followed wordlessly as he was lead. Passing through various twists and turns until they found the stairs and headed up to the orphanage part of the building. She leads him to her office, stopping just outside the redwood barrier, a hand on the knob and turns to him.

She looked him in the eyes. Her gaze tired, stress but most of all determined.

She'd been working with societies mistreated, abused and abandoned children for far too long. She'd seen and heard enough to have her looking four times her actual age. Not that she was young to begin with.

But in her gaze, through the exhaustion and pain, he saw the same fire, care, and thirst for justice that lead her to this position in the first place.

"I don't care what you and that woman have." She began in a hard tone.

It wasn't disrespectful, simply the way she'd come to talk after years of being surrounded by kids that forever tested her authority and patience. Poking and picking at her in a means to reveal what they had all witnessed. The ugly, nasty and unreliable side of adults.

"But whatever you have to do," She continues. "Do it with the knowledge that the child suffers to" Helen finished.

Zander sighed, looking through the one way glass window on the door.

Vanessa was sitting at the desk with her back turned to him. But he knew it was her. Could feel it.

He sighed again, running his finger through his hair once more.

"Children" He voiced. Forcing a smile towards the caretaker "Vince isn't as unaffected as I'd like him to be" He voiced. Helen took her hand off the knob and he replaces hers with his. With a nod, he twisted it and entered. His gaze freezing over as Vanessa turned around a meet him with smiling blue eyes. She stood, looking just as tall, slender and stunning as she did all those years ago.

"Husband." She greets.

Zander crossed the room, closing the door behind himself as he moved to the back of the desk while he opened the folder he carried and produce a thick pile of papers.

"Ex-wife" He greeted back, dropping the pages on the monogamy surface with a bang!

So that's the chapter, It's the shortest I've posted so far but rest easy, the next chapter with be posted on Sunday so stay tuned. Also, I've said this before but this story will soon end. By soon I mean that there are less than 10 chapters left.