The Alpha's Claim

Chapter Seven

They say that a mate rejecting you is one of the most painful things a wolf can go through. Just as rogues can become deranged, a rejected wolf can be shot into a deep depression, unable to eat until they waste away.

Alpha Ronan's words rippled through me shooting fire through every cell in my body. I saw a flash of pain and regret in his face before it was shielded revealing only coldness in his eyes. He quickly walked away closing the door behind him. As soon as the door closed I felt my legs crumple underneath me and my weight crashed on the floor. Unable to move, I felt the fiery lava of rejection flow through my body. Silent tears trickled down my face until I finally fell asleep.

I woke up feeling as though someone had bashed my head with a rock. My blurry vision began to focus and I realized that I was once again on the soft bed. Someone had moved me. Without warning a feeling of nausea overtook me and I raced to a toilet only to dryheave. When the feeling subsided I rested my head on the side of the bathroom wall. I had managed to survive as a rogue, I kept moving and allowed the beauty of the landscape to keep me sane. I would do the same thing in the face of rejection.

Allowing myself to feel sadness and pity for one more moment I soaked in all of the pain. Okay, now it was time to go. I stood up and looked in the mirror, staring back at me were dull blue eyes with dark rings underneath. My dark skin was scraped up and I could tell that I had lost weight in my face as my cheekbones were more pronounced. I washed my mouth out and ran water over my face watching as dirt and dried blood swirled down the sink.

Feeling refreshed and a renewed sense of independence I walked out of the bathroom with my head held high. I could still feel the undertone of pain festering in my gut, but focused on the task at hand. I gathered an extra shirt, water, and a small pocket knife that I had carried with me. Packing and mentally planning my next steps and route gave me a much needed distraction and sense of comfort.

Finally satisfied with my very loose plan, I walked out of the door. The familiar hallway and staircase renewed my feeling of sickness as I walked through them. Moments ago I had been happy being carried through here, now I was rejected.

As I walked out of the packhouse door a sense of relief washed over me as I did not see anyone. I had wanted to find Alice and thank her, but my sense of urgency to leave was greater. As I walked outside, the warm afternoon air hit me, and I smiled at the familiar pine scent. A few people were walking around, but all of them were too busy to notice me. I went through my belongings one final time and then shifted.

Vera seemed to take the same approach that I had. We both still had burning pits in our stomach from the pain of rejection, but did our best to ignore it. Our survival depended on it. She began a gentle trot heading East, we were not sure if Thomas would be waiting for us, but East felt right.

Despite the soreness from being tackled, Vera quickly found her rhythm. The light shined through the canopy of the trees, and we soaked in the feeling of being a rogue once again. While the loneliness could be chalenging, the simple life was rewarding. Just beyond the creek that layed ahead of us we could tell that we would be exiting the pack and starting a new life.

"Stop," a voice boomed from behind us with such authority that Vera had no choice but to freeze. Alpha Ronan.

"Shift" Anger radiated from him as he walked in front of us. The pain of rejection once again rippled through me as I looked at the dominating male standing before me. All of my strength felt as though it had been ripped from me and once again I was at his mercy. Following his demand, I immediately shifted throwing the shirt and shorts I had with me on.

"What are you doing?" he asked coldly.

"You rejected me, I have no place here." I responded stating the obvious.

This seemed to anger him more. He took steps towards me and easily picked me up again. I froze in fear, apart of me that I did not wish to acknowledge enjoyed having my mate touch me. I felt tingles erupt on my skin where he touched, this was the only thing that truly eased the pain of rejection.

"You are still mine, and you will not leave." Alpha Ronan retorted all logic seeming to leave him.

"Why did you reject me then?" I asked unable to hide the weakness I felt.

Alpha Ronan simply growled at the question and held me closer to his body. Once again, I felt him calm down breathing my scent in.

I knew that this was wrong, that this would just cause me more pain in the future, but I also allowed myself to lean into him. I felt the warmth of his body igniting mine. His strong body gave me a false sense of comfort.

Questions began to boil inside of me, what was my life going to look like, why was he doing this? However I silenced them and allowed this moment to consume me like a warm blanket.

When we got to the pack house he laid me on the bed gently, as if I would break if he made the wrong move. He shut the door, then laid beside me and held me to him wordlessly. I felt his breath and heart rate slow down, then I too was consumed by sleep in his arms.