Ch 3. Rejected and Accepted.

*Aurora’s P.O.V.*

He pulled me into his room and forcefully pressed me against the wall. Before I could fully comprehend what was happening, he stood before me and raised his hand, placing it above my head, effectively trapping me in place.

I gazed up at him, maintaining a poker face. "Go ahead, kill me. What are you waiting for?" I challenged him. His hand tightened around my neck, shaking me and cutting off my air supply. I struggled to breathe, clawing at his hand in a desperate attempt to free myself. Just when I thought I couldn't hold on any longer, he abruptly released his grip on my throat.

"I know you can't kill me. After all, I'm your mate," I mocked with a smug smile. His expression turned blank, unspoken words lingering on his lips as he locked eyes with me. "…So, you have become a full-blown chicken, huh? Since you know, what the hell do you want from me?" he demanded, raising his voice.

I scoffed in surprise. "I don't want anything from you, especially not to be your mate," I retorted. "I, Aurora Starkwood, reject you, Alpha Finn Blackthorn, as my mate," I declared, my voice firm.

His eyes widened in disbelief. "How dare you reject an alpha like me?" he snapped back. "I, Finn Blackthorn, accept your fucking rejection," he proclaimed. As he spoke those words, I felt my wolf howling in pain within me, nearly losing my balance. I managed to steady myself against the wall for support.

He clutched his chest slightly, staggering backward, his gaze locked on me. "H-How did you..." He paused and continued, "How did you reject me without feeling intense pain? Y-you have an Alpha’s blood," he stammered, I had no idea why he would think that, but I didn’t dwell on it.

"Excuse me, I have to help out in the kitchen," I said rudely, attempting to leave the room. However, he caught my wrist, stopping me.

"Wait," he insisted.

I turned my head to look at him, a hint of annoyance in my expression. "What do you want?" I asked sharply.

Before he could respond, the door swung open, revealing a beautiful redhead dressed in a sparkling blue gown. My eyes narrowed as I recognized her—Isabella. She was the daughter of one of the most powerful alphas in the world and had been friends with Finn since childhood. Rumor had it that she had romantic feelings for him.

"Oh, Finn," she cooed flirtatiously and practically jumped into his arms, showering his face with kisses, leaving lipstick marks all over him. I seized the opportunity to escape, dashing out of the room as quickly as I could.

"You did the right thing, girl. That asshole doesn't deserve you," Raven's voice echoed in my mind. "He didn't even hesitate to accept your rejection, all because he thinks too highly of himself."

As I entered the bustling kitchen filled with maids and chefs hustling and bustling, Leni approached me, offering a bowl of vegetables.

 "Here you go. Thank goodness you are safe. I was afraid I wouldn't see you again," she said with concern. "I heard you slapped Alpha Finn. What were you thinking, girl?" She pushed the bowl into my hands, and I accepted it.

"I...I don't know, something just came over me," I replied. Her gaze shifted to my neck, and she reached out to touch it. "Did he do this to you? That prick," she muttered through clenched teeth, her eyes filled with concern.

"Don't worry about me," I mumbled, my gaze fixed on the bowl in my hands.

"What should I do with this?" I asked her.

"Chop the vegetables. The chefs need help!" she snapped, and I couldn't help but smile. She had always been a bit bossy, and for a moment, she was showing affection.

"Come on, move along, get chopping," she said, pushing me toward the sink. I maneuvered my way past the maids and waited for a chef to finish washing his hands at the sink before starting to wash the vegetables.

After hours of labor in the kitchen, I put on a pair of leather gloves as the maids and chefs began stacking up dirty dishes and pots for me to wash, while they carried the prepared food out for the coronation party.

I had no interest in watching the event. I detested everything about the alpha and his family, so I didn't care about their new alpha. He certainly wasn't my alpha. I shoved my hands into the soapy sink, tackling the mountain of dishes one by one and placing them on the counter to rinse afterward.

"Hey, girl, I'm here to help," Leni said as she entered the mostly empty kitchen, joining me to rinse the dishes.

"Thanks, this is much better," I beamed, smiling at her, and she returned the smile.

"Has the coronation started?" I inquired.

"Yeah, it has. They have just finished making him the alpha, and they are all dining. Too bad we only get to eat their leftovers," Leni said with a sigh as she opened a top drawer to store some of the plates.

After what felt like an eternity, we finished washing the plates and squatted to arrange the pots into a drawer on the central counter when we heard approaching footsteps.

"Bitch! Show yourself!" Sabrina's voice echoed in the kitchen.

"Stay down, I know she hates you. I will handle this," Leni whispered to me and stood up.

"Which bitch are you talking about, your highness? Can you be more specific?" Leni asked with an unexpected amount of confidence. I glanced at her face, noticing that her eyes were trembling with fear.

"Where is that stupid Aurora?" Sabrina demanded.

"Um, she, uh, she went to the bathroom," Leni lied.

"Don't lie to me. All the pack warriors have searched everywhere for her, but she's nowhere to be found," Sabrina replied. "I know she is in here. I was told she was doing the dishes. Don't lie to me, or you will lose your job," Sabrina threatened. Before Leni could stop me, I quickly stood up.

My eyes widened in shock as I spotted Sabrina standing at the doorway with a group of fearless-looking warriors. They all moved their hands to the edges of their sheaths as I walked along the counter toward them.

"Don't harm her just yet," Sabrina told her warriors, waving her hand in the air.