Chapter 3

Tears stung her eyes. Her brain was exploding. Had he just rejected her? Like the day her rogue parents fled to the woods and banned her from seeing them.

Unsure whether they did that in embarrassment or anger didn’t matter to her. They had abandoned her when they got banished. 

Just when she thought something good was about to happen, her edge of happiness was turning to rejection. Was her fate like her parents? They had married as fated mates but never for once accepted each other in the marriage. Each had a lover and her mum got pregnant with a beta wolf. 

In anger, her mum was banished by Alpha Lycan alongside her husband - who had been caught sleeping with his wife. Lucky enough that he wasn’t beheaded.

"You wanted me to have your babies. Has that changed?" Quinn remained on the floor; refusing to stand up. She wished the ground would open up and swallow her.

"You are not my betrothal. Yes, I still want you to carry my babies. Don't you get it? You are going to be a baby mama - nothing more. I'm not looking for a wife."

"So you plan on using me?"

Alpha Rowan huffed. "You ladies don't get it. A man offers you a deal and you think he wants to use you. How about you think of this as an opportunity for you? After all, what investment and properties do your pack have? Wouldn't you like to stop assassinating and serving as an underdog for people?"

There was a sting of sarcasm in his voice - an air of authority that made him believe he was better than anyone else.

Quinn finally dragged herself from the floor and thundered a resounding slap on his strengthened cheeks. 

"You bastard. You must think I'm desperate. To hell with you!"

Snippets of their heated conversation could be heard by Sasha. As his secretary, she had a bug planted in his office which she linked to her pen camera. 

She was happy to hear them arguing. Although we couldn't decipher what it was about.

Itching to know it all, she places a call on the intercom and brings up an excuse to see Alpha. 

He was pleased to see her call. He needed to escape the clingy attitude of Quinn. He knew she-wolves like her were easy to get back with after being dealt a hard blow of rejection. 

She was obviously in love with him. So fast. How could she have been so stupid to let in a man who didn't want her friendship - just the baby part?

He sensed she was still going to take him up on his offer. 

Every she-wolf wants to feel like she is the only one in her mate's life.

He had it all planned out. He will shower her with enough attention and gifts. By then, she'd have forgotten the brawl between them.

"Why do you obsess about marriage? We can make love often and be happy. Your assignment in my life is very simple - just give me babies and I will give you a sweet life you never dreamed of."

"I've been developing feelings for you since childhood. I didn't know you were this horrible. You are such a terrible mate. You have no value for my feelings."

Quinn was filled with fury. She was one to be courageous and daring, but Alpha weakened her.

At that instance, Sasha came in to meet Quinn on the floor. Immediately, Quinn picked up herself, while Sasha only scoffed.

She had risked her reputation and dignity just now. She had always been noticed for her beauty - nothing more. Was that all there is to her? Sasha wasn’t even as beautiful as her except for her endowment. Yet Quinn could see in his eyes how taken he was by her.

“Young lady, can you leave my office this minute? I vehemently reject you as my mate. Accept it. You make my skin crawl” 

Alpha Rowan squeezed his face in horror.

In his eyes, she was small enough for his dreams of a wife but important enough to make babies.

"Save face and leave. You have embarrassed yourself enough. I'm the wife." Sasha puffed up her ego to the size of  Quin's rejection.

"Whose wife? We never discussed that." Alpha Rowan said to her dismay.

"But you promised to marry me while we made love yesterday." 

So they had made love. He had promised her the same thing as hers. 

Quinn couldn't bear to think of the truth. 

For Sasha, there wasn't time for more conversation. 

She stopped short a few feet from Alpha and gave an alluring pose. 

"Unlike her, I'm not seeking a marital mate. I just want to enjoy the moment."

Alpha Rowan leaned over and hugged Sasha. 

"I've found an understanding mate in you. I do not want to be held down by marriage. I like my freedom."

Quinn faced the two of them and wrinkled her brow. "I don't know what I was thinking to believe anyone would love me the way I am. I shall move on" 

And she did move out of his office with him bellowing, "My offer still stands."

She scurried to her office in the basement and wept her soul out. Never had she felt love from anyone? When she had a crush on someone in the past, it was always one-sided. No one wanted to associate with her romantically. Was she good enough just for friendship and baby mamas? It couldn't be.

The leader of the Nightshade Pack who happens to be her foster parent, had told her she was destined to love and be loved.

Quinn is set to work. And just like that, the rejection returned with a master plan. A master plan was known only to her. No, she wouldn't force herself on him. Neither will she seduce him or give him a cold shoulder. Her master plan was a kill. 

Quinn smiled as if none of the previous conversations had happened.

"Why are you smiling at yourself? Care to share?"

Quinn shot a look at who spoke to her. 

"Who are you?" He must be a co-worker like her.

"I'm Fenris." He was a beta wolf who worked tirelessly at Nightfall Gems. "I work here like you. You must be my new colleague, Quinn. Nice having you here." He shook hands with her.

In times like this, Quinn wanted to be left alone and not speak to anyone.

"I can see your heart is breaking but you are trying so hard to hide it. Why is that?"

Quinn was taken aback by his quick wit.

"Nice meeting you Fenris. Uhm, can we talk later?" Not waiting for his response, Quinn turned away from him. She couldn't possibly tell Fenris about her feelings for Alpha Rowan and how he rejected her. Deep down, she hoped he was wrong and would soon come to beg her. Then, she'd take her time to accept him as her fated mate.

"I can always talk about myself…" And Fenris went on speaking about work at Nightfall Gems and sharing gossip.

Quinn, who didn't want to open up before, began to laugh and respond to his talk.

Then Fenris got talking about how his mate was the jealous type. 

Quinn sniffed and dabbed at the corner of her eyes. She wished for a jealous mate over a rejection.

"Hopefully, she is not around to throw her tantrums, otherwise it would have been a fit. And I trust you to beat her up as a skilled assassin"

Quinn gave a dry smile. "I don't use my skills for that."

"Still you may be tempted to give her a punch or two. Sometimes, I wish to get away from her jealous aura." 

Quinn could feel the sincerity in his voice.

"Why is that?"

"Her jealous nature can get dangerous sometimes. Often, I think she needs medical attention."

Quinn burst into laughter. "Then treat her. Always affirm your love for her."

"I do that. But she needs constant reassurance. And I'm not good with words."

"All males are good with words." Quinn speculated.

"Well, words don't work on her. She just doesn't want to see you talking to other females."

"That's interesting."

"Why did you become an assassin though?"

Fenris asked out of the blue.

Quinn wasn't ready to tell him about her painful past.

"How dare you?" A small firm hand gripped Quinn by the hair and when she turned, a slap resounded across her face.