9. Other Half
ALPHA RAIDENThis content © 2024 NôvelDrama.Org.
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Without warning, my heart tightened, and my breath hitched, causing me to gasp in pain and shock as the wind carried those words of rejection to my ears.
... Reject you, Alpha Raiden Flockhart of the Dark Moon Pack as my mate and Alpha.
Her words of rejection.
I heard them in my soul and I felt the impact in my bones instantly.
Pain coursed through my body and god did I hate the way my soul cried out for losing its other half yet I was furious.
"Are you alright?" Larisa questioned, her voice sounding so far away even though she had been beside me, clinging to me since the party began. "Raid!" She exclaimed out of what I assumed was genuine concern. However, I snapped ferociously, ignoring Larisa, "How dare she!"
My outburst was triggered by the rage and pain that was rapidly taking over my body and even though it was all Aurelia's fault, I ended up ruining Larisa's party when I barked out orders to my warriors, "Bring her to me!"
I didn't have to mention her name for my men to know who I was talking about. They scurried off to drag Aurelia out of my mansion while my blood boiled immensely.
"She had the audacity to reject me despite my warnings? Tsk! I would make an example of her." I growled to myself, jolting off the exquisite chair that I had been sitting on for hours just to endure the big and loud outdoor coronation party that Larisa had pestered me to hold in her honor.
I wasn't enjoying the party... Even before I felt my mate's rejection killing my spirit, I wasn't enjoying this party but I was able to pretend and roll along with it in order to please my Larisa.
But I couldn't hold back my raving emotions after what Aurelia had done to me.
"That tramp..." I heard Larisa hissing. 'We can't let her soil your mood and ruin the party, Raid. Please calm down-"
"How am I supposed to calm down when I just got rejected! Can you take a minute to think about something else other than the party you have been demanding for all week!" I snapped, clenching my teeth and my fists. Larisa's eyes widened and she gasped, hurt flashing through her eyes. "Raid..." She whimpered.
At this point, the loud music and banter from the pack members in attendance had faded and I was certain they all heard me yelling at the woman I loved. The raw emotions in Larisa's eyes failed to break through my anger and pain and even though I did think of apologizing to Larisa, I couldn't bring myself to.
I would be lying if I said that I was pleased with her. She has been demanding all week and no matter what I did for her, she complained. Even now that I was throwing her the biggest outdoor party to make her coronation, something Aurelia didn't get three years ago, Larisa still complained.
She also complained about me being in the sex room with Aurelia even though she knew it was just sex... at least that's what I made myself believe. The steamy moments with my so-called mate grew to become more intense and enjoyable but I still did everything in my power to guard my heart for Larisa's sake just like I had been doing for the past three years.
Fuck!
Yes, I didn't like Aurelia but does anyone even understand how difficult it was to be intimate with her all these years and still hate her? It was so damn difficult because of the bond we shared and recently, it has been harder to stay away from her and also consider the feelings in her captivating eyes whenever I was buried in her.
Heck! Sex with my mate was all I could think about and look forward to all week even though I had denied myself and my wolf the pleasure and instead focused on making Larisa happy because I loved her and wanted her to be happy.
"That bitch! She did this intentionally. She chose this moment to reject you because she knows we are about to create a bond as the Luna and Alpha of this pack. This is what she wanted, Raid. Please don't let her come between us again. I can't bear to lose you. Not again." Larisa cried profusely, bringing up the past like she had been doing since she returned.
Of course, I pitied her and wouldn't want to lose her again but at the moment, finding Aurelia and making her pay for uttering those soul-draining words of rejection was my priority.
"I would rather die than watch you choose her over me once again, Raid." Larisa whimpered, tears rolling down her cheeks. Perhaps my heart would have ached for her if it wasn't hurting because of Aurelia's rejection. She added, "Just end my life now. Kill me, Raid-" "Alpha." My lead warrior, Jacob interrupted Larisa's sobs, panting as he declared, "She is gone, Alpha. We couldn't find her."
I pushed past Larisa, staggering closer to Jacob who had clearly gone with my other warriors to get Aurelia out of the room she was supposed to be in. "Who is gone? Who is it that you can't find!" I yelled, failing to realize the underlying fear and desperation rocking my body like a dangerous wave.
"Luna Aurelia, Alpha. She is gone." Jacob answered, avoiding my gaze so he could avoid my wrath.
However, rather than wrath, the emotion that took over my body next stunned me because never in my wildest dream did I think that I would be devastated because of Aurelia-A woman I neither loved nor cared for.
I found myself dashing towards the mansion even though Larisa called after me and I ran as fast as my strong legs could carry me. I ran, struggling to accept how much the rejection was killing me.
Still, it was killing me, and even though I didn't find Aurelia in the mansion and for many months, it continued to kill me... and I never remained the same nor did I accept her rejection much to Larisa's dismay and my surprise.