10

Kayla's POV

"I, Adrian Hunter, son of the Alpha of the Eclipse Pack, Guardian of the twelve forests and 13 rivers of Lemuria, reject you, Kayla Sebastien, to be my mate.". My eyes widened with fear and surprise as I heard Adrian's declaration.

I knew well that Adrian had never fancied me. Heck, no one in the school had fancied me. It was the same in the entire pak. They all called me names, and kept their distance from me like I was a plague. I was the weak, wolfless daughter of two dead omegas, the weakest rank of the pack. But I never expected him to go against the moon goddess will.

He was the Alpha's son and next in line to lead the pack. He of all people should know better than to defy the moon goddess. There were repercussions for defiling the Alpha not to talk of defiling the moon goddess. He of all people knew about this.

I felt a spear-like pain up my chest. Even though I was hurt, this particular pain wasn't from the severance of the bond. All my life I had only wanted to be loved, to be accepted by someone. I had counted the days for years, the moments before my eighteenth birthday, the day I would finally find my mate and be free from all the misery in my life. The day I would be loved and cherished.

After all the abuse I had faced from the pack, from my uncle, all the trauma I had gotten from being called the 'the cause' of my parent's death, I hoped I would finally be free with the one person who would love me for who I was - the weak omega, but it seems I was wrong. All of those dreams crashed down to pieces before me as I stood before Adrian in the middle of the pack.

"Now say it back and let's get this madness over with," Rachel said, eyeing me and slowly rubbing Adrian's chest in such a way that aggravated every fiber of my being, but I pretended not to see it.

If I had been even a bit stronger, I could have pounced on her but Rachel was a beta, the daughter of the King's beta and the strongest beta in the pack. She could easily bite off my head if she wishes. Rachel was Adrian's girlfriend. They had been together for years, since they were children and were probably waiting to be mated together only for me to ruin their plans.

I stood still in front of the entire pack, getting rejected by my mate. I could easily get it over with as Rachel had said but then what? I would have to return to my abusive uncle's home and continue with that life of pure misery.

"Hey, you wolf-less bitch!" Someone shouted from the crowd, causing a roar of laughter from everyone. This was the name I was called by everyone. Wolfless bitch. Simply because I don't have a wolf yet.

"Say it already and stop wasting everyone's time. We don't have all day" Someone hissed from behind and I could only sigh.

"Yeah, it's the audacity for me. I mean how dare you think that a weak wolfless omega's daughter could be our future Luna!" Another mocked.

"Who knows? She might even be human!"

Another joined while the crowd roared in mockery. They never liked me. They didn't even try to hide it.

"That's enough!" I shouted as tears ran down my cheeks. People calling me human was the one thing I couldn't stand.

"I..., Kayla Sebastien, accept your rejection, Adrian Hunter." I said in-between ragged breaths. Immediately, bouts of air escaped my lips as I fell to the ground, holding my chest in pain. This pain was like nothing I have experienced.

Adrian staggered in pain as he struggled to keep his composure despite the bone-wrecking pain in his chest that he was feeling. I know for sure that he was feeling what I was feeling too.

"Come baby", Rachel said as she helped him out of the field, eyeing me on the way out.

My tears multiplied as I groaned in pain, while everyone slowly left the field, leaving me alone to suffer. No one even came to me to offer comfort to me. Instead they laughed at me. They must be enjoying my pain. Just like they have always done.

After some time, the pain seized as the mate bond severed completely. I stood up and wearily made my way home, back to my captivity, even though I wished that I wouldn't.

***

I knew my uncle worried greatly about me, not in a way that he cared very much but rather in a frightful way. He cared about what everyone else was saying about me and how it stained his name. Therefore, he only saw me as a burden and all he wanted to do was to get rid of me in any possible ways.

According to my uncle, my mother had left me at home when I was five. She left town for business for a few days but had never returned. After some time, her body was discovered, burnt without recognition. My father who couldn't bear the news about his mate's death, committed suicide. Suddenly, rumors began to spread, saying that I was the cause of their death. Simply because it was my birthday and I asked my mom to get me gifts when she was coming home.

And after a few years had passed and I hadn't shifted, it doubled. Suddenly, it wasn't a rumor anymore, it was the truth. They called me human, they called me wolf-less. They called me a murderer, saying I was responsible for the death of my parents. They called me all manner of names.

I had been standing outside the house for a long while in nervousness and it was already very dark. After a while, I took a deep breath, summoning the courage to go inside.

I walked in to meet my uncle relaxing on the couch. On sighting me, he stood up immediately. He must have been waiting for me all day. Not in a way that one would think that he was worried about me because I haven't returned home yet.

Initially I had told him that the mating ceremony would be held in our school today. He probably wanted to know how it went - if I had found my mate or not. Nothing more. He was that eager to get rid of me in a way that wouldn't warrant him to shed my blood.

"So, how did it go? Did you get your mate?" My uncle blurted out. I stood still. I didn't know how to respond to that..

"Judging by the look on your face, I can see it didn't go well" He added fiercely. He fisted his hands as though he was about to hit me and I could only stumble back.

It wouldn't be the first time he was doing such

Almost every day he would slap me, wrap me up in a blanket and beat me with his heavy belt or whatever he could find around because of the smallest things.

"Would you speak before I slap you?!" He shouted.

"I... I got it", I spoke timidly.

"Oh finally! She has done something right at last!"

He exclaimed for joy. "All the disgrace and shame you have caused me is over..."

"But..." I looked up at him, tears filling my eyes. I knew exactly what would happen after the next thing I was about to say, but I just hope he doesn't blame me for it.

"I got re... He rejected me." I completed it.

"You little rat!" My uncle shouted, slapping me hard across the cheeks as usual.

"I'm so sorry please, it wasn't my fault. It was the Alpha's son...", I begged for mercy, crumbling to my knees in tears.

"How wouldn't he reject a disgusting thing like you? Who wouldn't? Your parents never wanted you. You're nothing but a liability and even he can see that. I would have done the same thing if I was in his shoes" He said, landing me with another slap and pulling out his belt.

"I curse the day I brought you into this house! You are nothing but a disgrace and a mistake. I should have just left you to die in the streets" He swung the belt across my rib.

I groaned in pain as he hit me again. Just when he was about to hit me again, I immediately turned, running out of the house and into the streets. This was the first time I was running away from the house whenever he hit me. I always stayed back because I couldn't possibly run away, into the streets where rogues were always roaming around, looking for who to devour. But at this point, I was ready to risk it. I was ready to go meet my parents. I was ready to die. At least by the rogue's hands, but not by my uncle's.