The Alpha Twins Rejection

Chapter Forty-Two - Zac's P.O.V

The following weeks passed in a blur of wallowing in self-pity, pining for Ashley and tagging along with her and the Alpha twins as they took over their reign of the three packs and their accompanying territory.

Ashley stayed by my side for the first week, to the minor annoyance of the twins. I mean, I couldn't blame them. Ashley was their mate, not mine. Something they reminded me with every lowered eyebrow aimed in my direction, along with the tight jaw muscles twitching every time Ashley folded her arms around me.

After the first week, I tried to let her know that I would be fine and that she didn't need to mother me, but she only let up when I took her spare clothes out of my bedroom and placed them back in her joined room with the twins, much to their evident relief I am sure.

As much as I genuinely needed Ashley, they needed her more.
I tried hard to hate the twins for taking Ashley away from me, but the more time I spent with them, I realized that they were perfect for her and that they loved her fiercely. The way they doted on her and defended her, insert eye roll for anyone who knows Ashley doesn't need personal protection, was somewhat cute.

I would never let them hear me saying that though, they were savage beasts with their fists when they were pissed off. And where Ashley was concerned that was a short fuse, easily lit.

The last week had been a unusual one to say the least. I wanted to continue to be upset over Mia's death, but it was as if my heart had moved on. Not even Callan shed a single tear for our traitorous mate. He had wanted a mate desperately, but had always considered Callie his as I had always thought Ashley would be mine.

For years no one could have convinced me otherwise, and with every year after Ashley's eighteenth that she stayed mateless, I naturally thought for sure Callie and Ashley were destined to be ours.

As if on cue, Callan piped up, "Why do I feel exactly like I did when Ashley is around when we found mate," he asked wearily as if I knew the answer. "It is possible it is the old pull of the familiar," I replied thoughtfully. "Ashley and Callie were our world for years. If I had to hazard a guess, I would say that is why you are feeling confused, Callan." "Maybe," he huffed while slinking away.

The last few days had been the same; Callan had been grumbling that he felt a direct connection to Callie, one that he had never felt before. Sure, he had always loved her, but he thought that the pull towards her was growing more vigorous each day.

I wanted to adamantly deny it because Ashley already had mates, but deep down, I knew that something had shifted. I didn't know what and wasn't sure if I should explore it, especially for Ashley's sake.

I knew she still loved me and had feelings for me, but a blind man could see how much she loved both of her mates. They were lucky bastards. So instead, I put on a brave face and stood beside her day in, day out to help them take over the packs amd make the merger run smoothly.

Even with the pack size and the uncertainty of having two Alpha's ruling along with their Luna, there were minimal disruptions with the completion. It seemed that the River Run pack trusted their Alpha's, and the Midnight pack was more than relieved to have a new ruler amd to be rid of Alpha Dante for once and for all.

The only thing that was left to sort out was the relocation of a dozen or so families who had decided that they wanted to relocate to the Blood Moon pack territory so that they could be closer to their new Luna. I couldn't blame them for wanting to be closer to Ashley. She seemed to naturally draw people in whether she liked it or not. She was a magnet of love, loyalty and stability. I, on the other hand, was nothing but a mateless loser.

"We are NOT mateless", Callan spat."I don't feel like we lost ours." "Mia is dead Callan, please stop with the wishful thinking of Callie being your mate. Ashley has two mates already. End of discussion," I replied promptly in a contemplative voice. The sooner Callan gave up the idea of second chance mates, the better.