ORTEGA: THE ALPHA’S HUMAN MATE

“That’s absurd!” Mr. Nicholas scoffed dismissively.

“Choose your words carefully. Now reveal the human’s location, or we’ll have to retrieve her forcefully,” the first guard demanded with a stern expression.

“Never. I won’t let you take her with you!” Mr. Nicholas declared angrily. His eyes shifted to an intense shade of green, and razor-sharp claws extended from his fingertips.

“If you insist on making this difficult, then so be it!” the guards replied, preparing for confrontation.

“Enough of this!” Mrs. Lisa intervened, positioning herself between the opposing sides.

“I apologize for his behavior. I’ll bring the human out,” she assured the guards.

“Don’t you dare!” Mr. Nicholas protested. Mrs. Lisa shot him a stern glance.

“What’s gotten into you, Nicholas? This is a directive from the council, and you shouldn’t defy it!” she reprimanded him with frustration.

“Moreover, you never cared about Ortega before, so why resist now?” Mrs. Lisa questioned, but Mr. Nicholas remained silent.

In truth, Mr. Nicholas had never shown genuine concern for Ortega, treating her indifferently. However, a deep connection lingered within him, reminding him of his late wife whenever he looked at her.

This unspoken attachment was the reason he resisted handing Ortega over to the guards. Glaring angrily, Mr. Nicholas scoffed once more before retreating to his room, leaving the unresolved tension lingering in the air.

“I apologize once more,” Mrs. Lisa expressed regret to the guards.

“It’s alright, ma’am,” the guards responded calmly.

“Ortega!” Mrs. Lisa called out loudly.

“Yes, ma?” Ortega responded, rushing to the living room.

“Here she is. You can take her,” Mrs. Lisa informed the guards.

“Take me where?” Ortega questioned, a puzzled expression on her face.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

“Let’s go,” the guards ignored her query and forcefully escorted her out of the house.

“Leave me alone! You can’t just come out of nowhere and drag me out of my home! Let me go!” Ortega protested, struggling to break free from their grip.

The guards paid no heed to her protests, dragging her until they reached a massive black gate – the sole entrance and exit to the kingdom. Onlookers emerged from their homes, wearing expressions of sympathy as they witnessed Ortega’s plight.

Reaching the gate, the guards pushed Ortega to the ground. Six elderly men, members of the council, entered the crowd and positioned themselves before Ortega. Tears streamed down her face as she sat on the ground.

The eldest of the council members, their leader, addressed the gathered crowd solemnly.

“We werewolves have thrived for centuries, our existence intertwined with our nature. However, this human before you is unfit to coexist with us. Tonight, I declare her banishment from Brimstone Kingdom. She shall never be permitted to return,” the man proclaimed, addressing the assembled crowd.

Ortega, now facing an uncertain fate, pleaded desperately, tears streaming down her face. “Please don’t do this! I’m begging you!” she implored, but the man remained unmoved by her pleas.

Ignoring Ortega’s desperate pleas, the man’s expression remained stern and resolute. He continued, “The decision has been made, and it is irreversible. The council has spoken.”

As Ortega sat on the ground, her world crumbling around her, the crowd watched in somber silence. The guards, still impassive, awaited further instructions.

The council leader turned away from Ortega and faced the people. “This is a necessary measure to preserve the balance of our society. We cannot allow an outsider to disrupt our way of life.”

Ortega, overwhelmed with sorrow, whispered one last plea, “Please, I haven’t done anything wrong. I don’t understand why this is happening.”

The council leader, unmoved, gestured to the guards. “Take her away. The banishment is effective immediately.”

The guards, with a firm grip on Ortega, began to lead her away from the kingdom. The onlookers remained silent, exchanging glances filled with a mixture of sympathy and fear.

As Ortega disappeared beyond the gates, the council leader addressed the crowd once more, “Let this be a lesson. Our survival depends on upholding our laws, even if it means making difficult choices.”

The gates closed behind Ortega, sealing her fate as she was cast out into the unknown, severed from the only life she had known in Brimstone Kingdom.

“Please let me in! Please!” Ortega cried, banging the gate from outside. After numerous pleas, she ceased her futile attempts and sat on the floor, back against the imposing gate, tears flowing freely.

Sniffing and still overcome with sorrow, Ortega found herself in a desperate situation with nowhere to turn. Her thoughts turned to her boyfriend, Justin, who lived on the outskirts of the kingdom.

“I hope Justin is at home,” she muttered. Determined, she stood up and began the trek to his house, a journey that took about thirty minutes.

Upon reaching Justin’s house, she noticed the door was unlocked – an unusual sight in the middle of the night. Justin, a werewolf like herself, chose to live independently on the outskirts, enjoying a comfortable life.

Entering the house, Ortega surveyed the living room, finding it devoid of Justin. However, her confusion deepened when she spotted a woman’s dress on the couch and a bra carelessly discarded on the floor. The atmosphere shifted, leaving Ortega to confront an unexpected and unsettling scene.

“Justin!” she called desperately, but there was no response. Walking towards his room, she heard him talking with a female whose voice sounded oddly familiar. She placed her ear on the door, eavesdropping on their conversation.

“You should’ve broken up with her by now. I’m tired of sharing you with another woman,” complained the familiar voice, Vanessa.

“I can’t break up with your stepsister yet,” Justin replied.

“Why can’t you break up with her yet?” Vanessa questioned.

“Because I haven’t been with her yet. I want to be with her before ending things,” Justin coldly admitted.

Ortega’s eyes widened in shock at Justin’s hurtful words. Summoning courage, she opened the door. There, on the bed, lay Justin and Ortega’s stepsister, Vanessa, both naked.

“Ortega?” Justin stammered, surprise etched on his face. Vanessa hissed and hastily covered herself with the duvet.

“Wow! Can’t believe my so-called boyfriend’s been cheating on me with my stepsister!” Ortega remarked, a sad smile masking the pain in her voice. The hurt and betrayal were palpable.

“It’s not what you think, Ortega. Let me explain,” Justin pleaded, standing and moving towards her.

“Oh! You’ve got an explanation for cheating on me? Just wow!” Ortega exclaimed, a mocking tone in her voice.

“That’s right, he cheated on you. So what?” Vanessa retorted, getting down from the bed, still draped in the duvet.

“You still have the guts to talk, you shameless daughter of a bitch!” Ortega snapped, inciting laughter from Vanessa.

“At least I’m a daughter of a bitch. What about you? You’re nothing but a motherless bastard!” Vanessa cursed, infuriating Ortega.

Without hesitation, Ortega lunged at Vanessa, unleashing a flurry of punches. Justin attempted to intervene, but Ortega was relentless.

“Take your words back, you shameless bitch!” Ortega shouted, continuing her assault on Vanessa’s face.

“Stop this, Ortega!” Justin yelled, finally managing to pull Ortega away. Vanessa’s face bore the marks of the brutal beating.

“Let go of me!” Ortega screamed, breaking free and delivering a resounding slap to Justin’s face. Tears streamed down her face as she unleashed her anger.

“Don’t ever touch me with your filthy hands! You’re nothing but a scumbag! A worthless piece of shit!” Ortega yelled, her anger cutting deep. The withheld tears finally escaped.

“I’m sorry, Ortega. I can explain, please!” Justin pleaded, attempting to hold her hands.

“Just fuck off!” Ortega pushed him away and fled from the room, running out of the house into the tearful night, disregarding the late hour.

Her heart shattered, Ortega couldn’t bear the weight of the pain. Banished from her home and discovering betrayal on the same night felt like the universe had turned against her. The sky rumbled as the cold night breeze intensified, raindrops falling as she ran, each drop seemingly echoing her tears.

As the rain poured down, it seemed to match the storm inside Ortega’s heart. She ran through the night, tears mingling with raindrops, soaking her completely. Her heartbreak echoed in the stormy atmosphere.

Without a clear destination, Ortega wandered through darkened streets, each step a painful reminder of her shattered life. The cold rain washed away the physical wounds but couldn’t erase the deep emotional scars.

With no specific place in mind, memories of happier times with Justin flashed before her eyes, intensifying her pain. The betrayal felt like an unrelenting ache, gnawing at the core of her being. This night had turned her world into a desolate landscape of abandonment and heartache.

Exhausted and emotionally drained, Ortega finally halted her run and knelt on the rain-soaked ground, tears blending with the pouring rain. The weight of her troubles felt insurmountable.

“What have I done to deserve all this?!” she cried out loud, the rain doing little to quench the pain within her. The downpour seemed insignificant compared to the turmoil in her heart.

Lost in her despair, Ortega became aware of a presence behind her. Turning around, she found no one in sight. The realization struck her – she was now standing in the midst of a dense forest. Slowly rising, she surveyed the dark expanse around her.

The moon’s glow pierced through the thick canopy, casting sporadic light on portions of the forest. As the rain continued to pour relentlessly, something swift moved past Ortega. Startled, she turned to the source but found nothing.

A chill ran down her spine when she noticed two red eyes, ominously glowing in the darkness, fixed on her. Fear seizing her, Ortega dashed into the deeper recesses of the forest, driven by the terror of encountering a wild animal.

The eerie echoes of loud howls reverberated through the forest, intensifying Ortega’s anxiety. Footsteps echoed behind her, compelling her to glance back. In her fearful haste, she slipped on the wet ground, colliding with a rock that rendered her unconscious.

The forest embraced her in its mysterious depths as Ortega succumbed to the darkness, leaving her fate hanging in the balance.