Rejected

Chapter 22

Alex's POV

It was a good plan, telling a member of the council that I was an illegitimate child of an Alpha who had just lost his mate. Saying my mother kept him in the loop about me would silence any demands on a paternity test, or at least it should. Her death would explain why I'm only now showing up at the pack's front door. The training I've received would look good to the council as proof that I can defend the pack and its members. It was a solid story, and close enough to the truth that we could pull it off. So why do I feel uncomfortable with being Alpha Blood's daughter? Why can't I physically call him 'dad'? Why did my stomach turn when Tab called me his sister?

The door to Alpha Blood's office opened to reveal the Alpha and a man I had never met before. I stood and lowered my head slightly as a sign of respect. I didn't know the Councilman like Tab and Alpha Blood did, so I showed him the same respect I gave Alpha Blood.

"Councilman Ular, this is Alex." The Councilman looked me up and down with a critical eye.

"Alpha Blood, is there a reason for this unscheduled meeting?" The man didn't regard me for long, pushing me aside quickly. I wanted to sigh with relief when the attention was removed from me, but knew better as I would soon be the topic of conversation.

"I would like to invite Alex to join Blood River permanently, and of course will need your approval to extend that offer. I figured you would want to meet her to get a better feel for her." Councilman Ular's attention was back on me in a nanosecond, this time he regarded me with a ferocity that made me uncomfortable. Shifting my weight from one foot to the other I lowered my gaze and made myself as non-threatening as possible. This was my chance at being a part of a pack again, a pack that actually wanted me.

"Who are you?" He stopped and faced me head on, he sported a frown that revealed deep wrinkles across his brow. He took a step closer to me and tried to inhale my scent. The lack of space between us made me uncomfortable, but I couldn't back away from him. Alpha Blood cleared his throat and the councilman backed away.

"Alex is my daughter." The councilman's eyes grew and his attention snapped to Alpha Blood.

"Your daughter? HA! I hate to break it to you Alpha Blood, but I know for a fact that your mate passed away before the two of you could have any more children. You don't have a daughter. So I'll ask again, who is she?"

"Your statements about my mate are true, she did pass before we could have more children. But Alex was conceived after my mate died. The nights are lonely after you lose a mate. I found someone to keep me company." Alpha Blood growled out his rehearsed explanation. The Councilman gave a questioning look to Alpha Blood.

"Why is she only coming into the picture now? And why didn't you bring this woman back to the pack?"

"Alex's mother and I shared a night together shortly after Sabine died, it was meant to be a one night stand, but when she found out she was pregnant we kept in touch. I got updates on the pregnancy and on Alex while she grew up. Her mother kept her out of the pack but close by. Her mother died, and that's why Alex is here now."

"She doesn't look like you at all. You're tall, as is your son. You've got lighter blond hair and blue eyes. Explain that." Councilman Ular thought he had Alpha Blood. I didn't look anything like the Alpha or Tab, but I didn't look like my own father or brother either.

"I take after my mother in more ways than one." I was done with the interrogation. I wanted to be a part of this pack, but if this councilman kept pushing I was going to give it up.

"I see." Councilman Ular leaned back and looked at me again. His eyes assaulted every inch of my small figure. "I suppose that is more than likely, considering everything." He looked at Alpha Blood once more. "And you want her in the pack?" Alpha nodded. Ular turned back to me, "And you want to join?" I nodded my answer. "Hmm." Ular shrugged and waved his hand dismissively "Fine. Alex... Uh Blood, I give my approval for membership into Blood River Pack." I wanted to shout my excitement from the rooftops, but refrained and kept my expression contained, saving my celebration for when I was alone or with people I trusted.

"Thank you sir." I lowered my head and looked to Alpha Blood for permission to leave. He smiled at me, then nodded. I kept my composure until I had closed the door to Alpha Blood's office behind me, then I released a sigh of relief and let my smile take over my face. I couldn't remember the last time I was this happy... I had a pack again, one that wanted me, one that I could protect, one that I wanted to protect. I practically ran down the stairs, wanting to find Kole and tell him the good news. I found Tab and the Twins in the kitchen, but they hadn't seen me yet. I wanted to tell them too, but I wanted Kole to be the first to know, so I spun around and sprinted to the gym.

His back was to the door as he threw a combination at the sand bag hanging from the ceiling. His entire focus was trained on that bag, even one of the twins could have startled him if they tried. I leaned up against the wall off to his right and announced my presence by clearing my throat.

"I didn't hear you come in." He didn't take his eyes off the punching bag. I frowned, something was wrong. He didn't usually avoid eye contact with me.

"I've been told I'm light on my feet." I took a deep breath, trying to pick up on some of the Chemo Signals he was leaving, but all I got was old sweaty gym socks. "Okay, what's up with you?" Kole's eyebrows pinched together. "You're giving off a weird vibe and I can't pick out your Chemo Signal to figure out if I'm right or not... so, are you just your regular moody self or are you pissed?" I pushed myself up off the wall and folded my arms across my chest.

"I'm not moody. Just working through some things." He gave the punching bag one last swing then started unwrapping his hands. "You on the other hand are giving off some strong Chemo Signals. What are you so excited about?"

"I just got out of a meeting with Alpha Blood and Councilman Ular, who by the way is a total creep."

"I heard that Alpha Blood offered you his last name and you accepted. You're now a member of the Blood family."

"I'm also approved for membership into Blood River Pack. Councilman Ular just made it official." I couldn't hide my smile any more. Kole's eyes lit up and he cracked a smile as well, making this officially the best news I've had in a very long time.

"That's great! Do you know when Alpha Blood will make it official? With the rest of the pack and all."

"Probably real soon, Alpha Blood wants me to go with Tab to the Alpha Academy, or something like that, and I'm pretty sure the councilman is going to need to approve that as well." I shrugged.

"Alex..." Kole's voice had a tone to it that you would expect from a mother correcting her child's bad habit.

"Hmm?"

"You're scratching at your neck again. Is everything okay?" I hadn't even realized I was scratching until Kole clued me in. I stopped and looked at my hand, then back at him. With a sigh I closed my eyes and tried to mentally prepare myself for something I wasn't sure was going to happen. "Alex?"

"The last time I was scratching like that he was intimate with someone else... And I felt it."

"True, but you also got through it." He had just finished when I felt sharp pains set into my stomach and lower back. My joints burned and my skin began to crawl. The pain forced me onto my hands and knees as my legs gave out and my head began to swim. I was short of breath and it was difficult to concentrate on anything but the images of Farris and Ally flashing through my mind's eye. I could see everything they were doing, and although I had no way of confirming it, I knew beyond a doubt that it was true. The pain stayed with me for some time after the images stopped playing in my head, and when it was finally over I stood straight up and looked at Kole.

"Is this going to become my new normal? Feeling him with the woman he chose over me every time they decide to take it to bed? I don't want to go through that. I thought that when he marked his other woman the mate bond would be severed."

"From what I know about rejection, which isn't much, you'll never fully be rid of the bond. It will lessen over time, but you'll always be connected to him in some way."

"Great. Well, at least I'm not in a hospital bed." I reached up to scratch again but Kole's hand caught mine.

"Silver lining I guess."