The Alpha Twins Rejection

Chapter Twenty-Six - Ashley's P.O.V

The terrible thought of the Alpha twins leaving in the middle of the night surprisingly shocked me to my core. The realisation hit me; they had felt what Zac and I had done last night. They didn't know that I did it as a final goodbye, no I can only assume they thought it was the nail in the coffin for my rejection. A single tear slid down my cheek thinking about the pain I had caused them. It made my heart constrict with overwhelming guilt.

"I'm so sorry, Dad", I finally manage to choke out as I let my body fall into the closest seat near me."There is nothing to be sorry for, Ashley," he replies bluntly in a soothing voice. "I don't know why you rejected them or why they left, but I know you, I know you can sort this out," he continues as I sink further into the chair. I don't want to tell my father anything, so I nod in reply. Brushing the tears from my eyes, I move to stand. "Thanks, Dad," I merely say in a small voice.

My father grabs a piece of paper and quickly scrawls something on it before passing it to me. "What's this, I ask" Looking at the numbers scrawled hastily on it. "Alpha Kane and Alpha Raynes phone number," he says before dismissing me.
As I walk out of the conference room, I stare at the numbers, unsure what to do. I shove the piece of paper deep into the pocket of my denim pants and make my way back to my bedroom.

Anxious moments later, I enter and quickly notice that Zac is no longer in bed but instead sitting on the sofa in the corner of my room. His strained voice floats over to me. "I came looking for you," He says gravely. "Are you going to River Run?" he reluctantly asks. Before I answer, I look at him and know instantly that he knows the answer. I am too numb to speak, so I nob my head slightly. Zac jumps up from the lounge, frantically grabbing the floor lamp, throwing it at against the wall. Watching it smash into a million pieces, I think the sight of it is fitting. Broken and unfixable. Just like me. Just like my dire predicament, I think with a snort. How fucking fitting.

"It isn't fair," he says after what seems like years of silence passing between us. Before I realise it, my legs are propelling me across the room and into Zac's arms. "I'm so sorry, Zac," I say breathlessly, aggressively pushing my wet face into the fabric of his t-shirt. "Neither of us wanted things to end like this," I say grimly between passionate sobs. "But you need to be with Mia now. She is frightened, hurting and needs her mate. She needs you," I reply gently.

Zac and I hold each other for how long, I don't know. Neither wanting to let go. Neither wanting to make the separation final. "Ashley, we have to let him go," Callie says sadly. "Zac needs to be comforting his mate right now, not us. We are strong," she continues, carefully shaking me from my emotional numbness. "You are right, Callie," I reply soberly, untangling my arms from his muscular body and taking a step back. "Goodbye, Zac", I choke out before motioning to him to leave the room. Zac's eyes cloud over, and he doesn't stop the tears that fall.

Seemingly finding what he needs in my eyes, he lets out a small strangled breath and walks out of the room, not once looking back.
Once he is gone, I allow myself to collapse to the floor. This is truly the worst day of my life; I don't know how I will ever survive it. Feeling for the crumpled piece of paper in my pocket, I take a deep breath and square my shoulders.

There was no point staying here any longer than necessary. I needed to give Zac and Mia room. I needed to give myself space to think and steel my mind to never be in Zac's arms ever again. The thought terrified me and wrenched my heart out at the same time. I had to do what was right by them, though and what was right by my pack.

It was about time I started acting like a Luna and accept my place in the pack. To rule them like I was born to do.
The thought sent chills down my spine, along with another feeling. Excitement. Excitement at the thought of being the leader of not one but three packs! Blood Moon was passed down to my rule once I turned eighteen, killing Alpha Dante had merged his pack with ours, and once I make it up to the twins and accept my fate as their mate, their pack would also merge with mine. Blood Moon would be the largest pack in the world. The thought terrified me.

It also made me want to pull my big girl boots on and find the courage to become the Luna I was born to be.
It had never been heard of before, a female taking over their father's pack, let alone a female being the head of three merged packs.

The unusual thought had my head spinning, but I didn't want to get ahead of myself. I didn't know yet if the twins would ever forgive me for the rejection and heartache that I caused them. Not to mention the public humiliation. I had seen it in their eyes, both times. And it was something that I never hoped to see again. I wasn't entirely sure if I was ready to be mated, let alone to twins. Good lord, the Goddess must be laughing heartily at me right now, I thought with a snort. One mate wasn't enough. No, the bitch made me wait six years and then gave me two!

I just prayed it wasn't too late. I hadn't intentionally wanted to hurt them. Hell, I didn't even know the guys. And it wasn't as if I wasn't attracted to them because they were fucking gods. Just like Zac, I thought sadly. ARGH, I need to stop torturing myself, I thought desperately. I can't control who I am mated to just as much as anyone else. I had known it was a dangerous game to play, becoming attached to Zac for so long. The realisation didn't make it hurt any less, in any case. Because it did fucking hurt. Bad.

Picking myself up off the floor, I sprint to my closest and start tossing clothes into a suitcase. Once it is full, of god knows what, I scramble back over to my desk and snatch my car keys off of the smooth tabletop, followed by my mobile phone. Racing down the hallway towards the stairs, a familiar voice fills my head. "Where are you off to in such a hurry," my father's concerned voice asks questioningly."To fix things," I say breathlessly, not bothering to slow down nor seek him out.

"I will call you in a couple of days. I love you, Dad," I continue. "I love you too, Ashley," He says in what I think is a proud voice.
Once I hit the bottom of the stairs, I keep running. If I slow down now, I feel like I may chicken out and just run and hide from my destiny. I need to think of Zac and Mia, though, Alpha Kane, Alpha Rayne, and most importantly, I need to think of my pack and what the alliance will do for it. So I keep running and don't stop until I reach my car. Once inside, I punch the gas.

"Do you know where you are going, Ashley," Callie asks, head cocked sideways. "I know what town", I reply while punching the name into the cars GPS. A small thrill races through my veins. I want to hate it but know that I can not deny it. Forcibly pulling the warm piece of paper from my shallow pocket, I dial the number with shaky hands, listening anxiously as it rings through the cars sound system.

Seconds tick by, and I think I am about to pass out from forcibly holding my breath when all of a sudden, a gruff voice answers, "Who is this," the voice growls impatiently.
I don't reply immediately, and then another voice asks in an equally gruff voice, "Hello". The hard edge to their voices snaps me out of my uncomfortable silence. They must still be driving.

"Ashley," I say in a low-pitched voice, shit so much for trying to come across as being strong. Thanks, voice I scold myself. Silence. When I think I have lost signal, one of the voices startles me. "What do you want? it merely says. It is snappy but has lost the hard edge from moments ago. I don't know what to say, so I say the first thing that comes to mind " A chance," I reply in a small voice.

Before I completely lose my nerve and before they get the chance to respond, I continue, "Text me your address. I will see you in a few hours." Before I hang up, I swear I could hear a sharp intake of breath. I don't expect anything from either of them except a chance to apologise and a chance to get to know them. It won't be easy on any of us but it needs to be done. No matter how much my heart aches for Zac.