Verena
I smile, while my heart breaks in pain. He is so good at crushing my heart, like it's an object. “I will be there in time.” Saying that, I pull my hand away from him, engraving his touch for the last time in my head.
A while later, I look at my reflection in the mirror. Dark eye bags hang under my green eyes, like someone has sucked the soul out of me. Only half an hour left before the ceremony begins, and after that, I will be separated from Elijah completely.
I have mentally prepared myself for it, but physically, I am in a mess. Nixie took all my clothes and accessories, even the ones I bought myself. I am not that interested in fashion, so most of my clothes and jewelry were gifted by Elijah. So now, I have nothing to wear except this dress that I have on. My hands tremble a little in concern. Without anything, it will be hard for me to survive.
But then I remind myself that I will be a mother soon. Stress is not good for the baby. I rub my belly, “Mamma promises to be strong from now on. You hang in there, pup.”
I will need to dip into some of my savings to purchase new clothes and other necessities. But first, I must find a good hotel to stay in.
My thoughts are interrupted by the loud sound of footsteps, and my face sours when I see Nixie walk in through the door, looking very chirpy. Now, what does she want?
"Why are you here?" I ask in frustration, deciding not to turn around and act as though I am busy. Searching for hotels will be a better use of my time.
I feel her close in, and she waves her hand before my face from behind. My gaze falls on the diamond ring on her finger, the ring I thought Elijah had gifted me as a sign of his love. My heart crumbles at the sight of it.
"It suits me more than you, doesn't it? Elijah said that it looks better on me," she giggles, adding salt to my wound. I intentionally stay silent and focus on scrolling through a site that shows the various hotels available with their ratings and reviews.
"Hello? I am talking to you!" she waves her hand again, clearly annoyed by not receiving her expected response. I refuse to give her the satisfaction of seeing me in pain, so I continue to avoid her.
There's a groan from behind before she slaps my phone away, causing it to hit the hard, hardwood floor. I gasp at its state and immediately pick it up. The screen has cracked.
"Now, that's a proper reaction," she says, smirking.
Clenching my jaw, I face her. "What the hell is your problem?! I have divorced Elijah, and we are rejecting each other. That should be more than enough for you!"
She sneers at me. "Don't act like you're doing me a favor. Actually, I'll do you a favor. Once you're rejected, I'll make sure you get banished after that."
My face drains of all colors. Banishment? No! If I'm banished, I'll become a rogue with nowhere to live and no means to survive. That's assuming I don't get hurt by the dangerous creatures outside the borders or get captured by rogue traffickers who might sell me to some nasty, old Alpha as a slave first. I can't let my child be born in those circumstances.
"Why? I'll leave this packhouse after rejection, so I won't be a threat to you anymore," I protest.
She scowls. "Of course you are. I don't know what Elijah saw in you, but he seems to still care about you. He was telling me to return your clothes since he gave them to you," she rolls her eyes, "And he won't allow me to turn you into a slave for this packhouse either. So it means you're a threat to my position."
I gulp, feeling a little relieved knowing that Elijah said that. But it's quickly replaced by Nixie's warning.
"Be prepared to be kicked out. See you in the training grounds," she waves her hand and walks away humming a tune. My legs give out, and I collapse to the floor. My fingers curl around the bedsheet for support as I try to calm the crumbling anxiety inside me. What do I do now? I can't become a rogue.
Dory walks in, her eyes falling on me. "Luna, are you okay?" she rushes up to me and helps me stand. She touches my forehead. "You're burning up. Did something happen?"
I shake my head. "I'm fine. Is it time?" Her face falls, and she nods once. Taking a deep breath, I gather some courage. "Alright, let's go."
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Verena I have to fight this. If Nixie wins, my pup will be in danger. I won't let that happen. We walk down the stairs and step outside. The sky is filled with gray clouds. On the large training grounds where the air usually buzzes with excitement and the energy of warriors, there's a damp, silent atmosphere among the people who came to watch the ceremony. None of them seem sad to watch me get rejected. They've never wanted me as their Luna because I'm an orphan. I take my place in the center of the ground. The people on the left clear a path for Elijah to walk through by standing in two rows, and he stops before the space created for the ceremony. Our eyes meet for a few seconds before he turns to the crowd. “I won’t waste time on explaining what’s happening here as most of you present are already aware. But know that I won’t tolerate anyone breaking the rules. If anyone dares to say a bad word to Verena or insults her in any way, I will have your head. Rejected or not, she is s
Verena My lips part in shock. Goddess! This can’t be. The man standing there, he is my mate! I can feel it in my bones. The tall man growls, and power rolls off his muscular body as he approaches me. The people in the crowd take a step back, staring at him in shock. “Isn’t he Carlisle Cane, the Alpha of Mountain Cross Pack?” One of the ladies in the crowd asks out loud for everyone to hear, and my eyes widen. An alpha? People gasp and start talking amongst themselves. But my mind zones out, and I can only think of one thing. If Elijah is my mate, then this man being my mate can only mean one thing: my second chance mate! What kind of cruel game is this? I got rejected as someone’s second chance, only to have my own second chance mate? He approaches me and kneels on one knee. His blue eyes sparkle as they meet my green ones. Alpha Carlisle extends his hand for me to take. I want to refuse, but my body is too weak to stand on its own. So I take it, and instantly feel a spark sail
Verena Elijah shoots an intense, frosty glare at Carlisle, “Let go of her hand.” Carlisle returns his gaze with a burning look in his eyes, “You are holding what belongs to me. Let go of her!” Both of them bare their canines at each other, and the air turns thick with tension as the two Alphas challenge each other. And I am the prize. How did it come to this? I am about to speak, but Carlisle beats me to it. “Why were you even rejecting her in the first place? Doesn’t that mean you don’t want her?” he says, and Elijah turns stiff, “I can see the tears in her eyes and feel her pain. As long as I am here, I won’t let you hurt her any further. She does not deserve to be with an asshole like you.” Elijah growls in anger and pounces on Carlisle. I stumble back, and Drake comes to hold me from behind. My eyes turn wide when I see Elijah shift, his blazer ripping to shreds and his body getting covered with black fur. His wolf Rolf stands like a giant before us, his black coat glistening
Verena "It will be troublesome for her to live in a different pack with her new mate if she's still attached to this pack, don't you think?" Nixie asks, fluttering her eyes like she is the most innocent girl on the planet. My gaze shifts towards Elijah, waiting for his answer in anticipation. Will he change his mind now? There is a part of me that believes he won't. He literally fought with Carlisle to keep me here, so he definitely has a reason to not let me go. Not that I expect it's because he still has feelings for me. I would be a fool to believe that. A look of hesitation crosses Elijah's chiseled face. "That's absolutely ridiculous. This pack is her home, so there is no need to banish her." My heart skips a beat. I knew it. He wouldn't be cruel enough to kick me out of my home. Nixie's brows furrow in disappointment. She steps closer to him, and wraps her arms over his neck like a snake ensnaring its prey. "But her home is where her mate lives. Also, it's in the law that as
Verena Indistinct voices greet me as I open my eyes and find myself in bed. Drake and Dory seem to be engaged in an argument until they notice me stirring. Dory quickly rushes to the bedside table and hands me a glass of water, which I eagerly drink. Wiping my mouth, I look at them. They both wear crestfallen expressions. It's over now. He banished me, so I am left in a packhouse that no longer belongs to me. “Please don’t leave us,” Drake breaks the tense silence. He looks like a sad puppy, and it brings a smile to my face. “I don’t have a choice. How much time has passed?” “Half an hour. Since you fainted,” Dory answers. “That means I only have one and a half hours left before the effects of the banishment start to take place.” It takes two hours for the effects of the banishment to fully initiate, and once that happens, I will be forcibly thrown out of the pack by Elijah’s men. “I know that, but…” his jaw wobbles as he holds back tears. “Who will scold me when I sneak out o
ELIJAH "What the fuck is going on here?!" I growl. "My clothes are a mess, breakfast is awful, and my room is chaotic! Look at this!" I motion toward the bed. The sheets are all crumpled, and the pillows are scattered. "Don't you know how I expect my room to be?" I'm very particular about how I like things organized, especially in my room. When it's not up to my standards, it's really frustrating. Maya and the other two maids look like they're about to faint as they stand outside the room. What were they doing all this time? Don't they understand my preferences? It's only been a day since 'the incident,' and things have already gone to hell. I don't even want to think about what went down during the rejection ceremony. Just remembering it makes my stomach twist with all sorts of emotions. But there's no time to dwell because everything around me is a fucking disaster. Nixie said that she can’t do anything as she feels sick again, and is in bedrest. I turn to Maya, who's keeping
ELIJAH Flashback “You can’t even make a simple cup of black coffee?!” I shout, tossing the cup aside as if it's worthless. She served me milk coffee, but I can't stand milk in my coffee. Rena flinches at my outburst, her features painted with terror. Instantly, my anger melts into guilt. It's not her fault; I haven't told her that I don’t like milk coffee. With a sigh, I say, “I don’t like milk in my coffee.” “I know,” she replies, prompting a frown from me. “I wanted to try making milk coffee that tastes like black coffee, so I experimented with it.” My brows shoot up at her explanation. She turns to me with a pout, saying, “But you just threw it away without tasting. You could have politely asked for black coffee. Why act so rudely?” She glares at me. I'm torn between the fact that she intentionally made me something I didn't want and how cute she looks at the moment. A part of me wants to kiss her plump lips. "Why didn't you just make me black coffee if you knew what I want
ELIJAH I feel a tug at my heart when Irene mentions Rena’s name, a sharp pain that I try to push aside. Her name keeps coming up in everything, and it's frustrating. “Is everything running smoothly in the borders?” I ask in an attempt to change the topic. Irene furrows her brow, clearly puzzled by my sudden shift in topic. "Why are you avoiding my question?" she probes, her curiosity evident in her voice. My jaw clenches, anger simmering beneath the surface. “That’s none of your concern. I didn’t call you here to be interrogated,” I retort sharply. But Irene doesn't back down, her smirk only growing wider as she leans in, her eyes fixed on me. "This just got interesting," she remarks, her curiosity clearly piqued. "There's something off about you today," she observes, her gaze scanning me from head to toe. "You look like a mess. Your hair's unkempt, your suit is not ironed, and the files are disorganized. Yet here you are, sitting amidst it all." I sigh in annoyance. Irene know