Lilly

For Goddess sake! How the hell did I end up like this?

I take a walk in the forest belonging to my pack and end up a prisoner of a neighbouring pack. I don’t recall what happened, nor how I got here. All I remember is running in wolf form, then suddenly, nothing.

I woke up in this dirty, stinking cell like some filthy rogue a while ago. Some dickhead threw clothes at me and told me to get dressed. I would have refused because I’m stubborn, but I didn’t want to be naked in front of him any longer.

For some reason, I can’t mind-link my pack, my parents, nor my triplet counterparts. My brothers will be going out of their minds with worry. They’ve never been able to deal with me being too far away from them for long periods. No one knows why, and no one can explain it, though it may have something to do with me being their Omerian Alpha. An Omerian is the most powerful female Alpha alive; they’re also incredibly rare. Though my brothers were born Romerian, the male equivalent of an Omerian and should be able to handle things without me, I am the superior Alpha, and they follow me blindly.

If I can’t mind-link with any member of my pack or family, no one will be able to find me here. I would have counted on our pack bond, but I don’t feel that either, which concerns me. A pack bond can only be broken if a wolf chooses to leave, is exiled, or the whole pack is slaughtered. I know that hasn’t happened, nor have I decided to leave nor been exiled. So what the hell is going on?

It isn’t lost on me that I’m chained in silver like a savage. I have no clue what those who took me saw in me, except maybe how big my wolf is, but it couldn’t have been a threat. I’m not an active threat to anyone unless they attack my pack.

Sure, I’m stronger than most, faster, and more strong-willed. But my parents raised me to respect everyone around me, no matter their shifting ability, lack of it, or rank. How am I meant to respect someone who deems it okay to kidnap their future Queen?

I hear the sound of a heavy metal door creaking open. The most erotic scent hits my nostrils, and I groan. Oh, come the fuck on! Of all the places to meet my mate, it had to be while I was locked in a damn cell?

A man around twenty-five stands in front of the cage, staring at me with a smirk. He’s not bad looking. He’s blond, has brown eyes, and tanned skinned. He’d be handsome if he weren’t a complete prick. “Well, well, well, look what we have here,” He laughs.

I roll my eyes. I’m guessing this idiot is the Beta of whichever pack this is. He’s not the Alpha, and thankfully not my mate. “Why is your little friend hiding? Can’t face me himself?”

I hear a loud growl, and he finally steps forward, my mate. Shit, this has to be a fucking joke!

Bastian Ashworth?

Alpha of Greenrock Pack?

This can’t be true!

How can this pig be my mate?

Someone up there hates me.

Bastian scowls at me through the bars, his arms folded across his chest. “Wanna tell me what you were doing on my territory?”

“I wasn’t on your territory,” I hiss between clenched teeth. I can’t believe I’m being treated like this! These idiots know who I am, and if they don’t, they’re more stupid than they look.

“You dare to speak to me like this? You filthy rouge!” Bastian yells.

“Oh, my goddess,” I shake my head to the ceiling and roll my eyes.

“What you want me to do?” I don’t know who the other guy is, but I want to claw his throat out. “Want me to break her?”

A burst of laughter rips from my throat, and it’s almost maniacal. “You?” I laugh louder; then it dies on my lips as I stare at the two of them with hate in my eyes. “You wouldn’t stand a chance against me.”

“A rouge?” This time, it’s blondies turn to laugh. “You have to be kidding me? You’re on Greenrock territory, rogue. You have no power against a pack this size, with an Alpha as strong as mine. I don’t give a shit if you are my Alpha’s mate!”

“She’s not my mate.” Bastian opens the cell door and walks inside, his Beta following. “Stand, bitch.”

I roll my eyes and stay where I am. This arsehole does not have the power to command me. He may be an Alpha, but so am I, and I am much stronger than he will ever be. Fact!

Blondie grabs the back of my hair and drags me to my feet. I do nothing, and I say nothing either. They won’t get me to cower in fear; I don’t know what that is. Oh, I can feel it, but not as strong as most would. That’s the Omerian in me.

“Is this where the two of you beat on an unarmed woman? How very rabid wolf of you,” If they think I’ll show respect, then they’re sadly mistaken. Just because I may have stumbled upon their territory, it doesn’t give them the right to treat me like this.

“What’s your name?”

I take a deep breath. “Lillian Dalgaard.”

Bastian narrows his eyes slightly as if I’m lying to him, then laughs, proving that he thinks I am. However, he’s too eager to reject me to think about it. “I, Bastian Armond Ashworth, reject you, Lillian Dalgaard as my mate and future Luna of Greenrock pack.”

I laugh; he has no clue. I will never mate with this fucker, but I’m not going to let him off that easily. Being rejected and accepting that rejection is painful for the rejected one. The one doing the rejecting feels pain for a while, then gets to go off and live their life, while their rejected mate suffers in agony as the mate bond slowly severs. For Alphas like us, the sheer agony of rejection; is magnified tenfold. It will be worse for me because of my Omerian status.

Feeling every touch, kiss, and thought given to someone else through the mate bond can slowly kill someone. But I won’t suffer alone; Bastian will soon learn that rejecting an Omerian and her not accepting will cause him twice as much pain as usual. I am not to be messed with, and it’s time these arseholes realised why.

“Well, guess what, dickhead?”

Bastian’s eyes widen. He thought I would have crumbled at his rejection, but he doesn’t know me. Well, it seems he doesn’t remember me, at least. It might have something to do with the fact we haven’t seen each other in ten years. Our fathers are friends, our packs are friendly, but that’s all about to change.

“You wouldn’t dare!”

“What are you talking about, Bastian?” Blondie lets go of me and looks to his Alpha.

I smirk. “Oh, I dare. You have no idea what you’ve done, but you’re about to find out.”

“Don’t do it!” Bastian hisses.

“I, Lillian Anja Dalgaard, Omerian Alpha and future Queen of Zidiah,” Both Bastian and Blondies eyes widen so much it’s almost comical. “Do not accept your rejection, Bastian Armond Ashworth, Alpha of Greenrock. You may not have remembered me, but I remember you, Bastian Ashworth. The mate bond will eventually break, and you know what that means for you, don’t you? Rejecting an Omerian is the most stupid thing any wolf could do. Now you will suffer pain you never knew existed.”

“You stupid bitch! You’ve doomed us both to death!” Bastain rakes his fingers through his hair.

Once you find your mate, it isn’t long before the heat and rut come along. If you’re not with your mate, it will feel as though you’re being tortured with fire. It will burn you from the inside out. It’s much worse for Alpha’s than any other rank, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to survive it, but Bastian most definitely won’t.

“Boo fucking hoo! You thought you could reject me and watch me suffer? You’re sick and twisted, and now you’re going to find out what real pain is. Enjoy your last few days, Bastian. May they be the most painful you’ve ever encountered. Take to your grave that your rejected mate killed you.” I laugh loudly, Bastian’s eyes lock with mine, and I bite my lower lip seductively. He will never know what he’s thrown away, the stupid man.

Bastian and his Beta storm away after closing and locking the cell door.

As soon as I hear the lock click shut on the big metal door, I slump to the floor. Bastian’s rejection is already gnawing at my stomach. It shouldn’t feel this way when I don’t want the man as a mate. But sadly for me, the mate bond doesn’t care if you like it or not.

I don’t know why the Goddess Selene has cursed me like this. I mean, what have I done in life that’s so bad she’d curse me with a mate who’d reject me?

Hours pass in the blink of an eye, and I try to hold back a scream when the fire burns in my belly. This is not going to be easy by any stretch of the imagination.

‘Vasara, are you there?’ I call for my wolf, but she doesn’t answer. ‘Vasara, please don’t ignore me right now. I need you,’

‘I’m not talking to you!’ She snaps. ‘You hurt our mate.’

‘He rejected us, Vasara! He didn’t want us! It might have escaped your notice, but I didn’t accept it. You should be mad with Bastian, not me.’

‘Whatever.’

I groan and hang my head. I’m not getting any help from my wolf until she stops sulking. I try mind-linking my brother’s again, but nothing happens. I don’t understand this; I’ve always been able to get through to them, no matter where I am.

I don’t know what Bastian’s men did to me when they caught me, but they’re going to pay for it, you mark my words.