Chapter 34 34
POV LOIS
“My sons marked you. Both of them.”
The woman couldn’t hold back any longer and continued what the director had been about to say.
“Because of your condition, people believe you suffered an attack—from both of them. They both marked you, but only Emmanuel was your mate. What happened in that house? Did you suffer any kind of abuse? Did something happen against your will, or were you pressured in any way? It doesn’t matter if it was even Emmanuel—you must say it now. Why did both of them mark you?”
“They’re my mates.”
I admitted it with a certain shame—not because of the fact itself, but because of the acts. My intimacy had been exposed to everyone.
“First I found out Emmanuel was my mate, and then… I saw Ezequiel and the same thing happened.”
“So it’s true,” his mother said.
“My sons were telling the truth.”
The man shot the director a murderous look.
“Why didn’t you reject Ezequiel? It happened with Emmanuel first.”
His father’s voice filled the entire room; he didn’t have to try hard to show he was angry.
“Why did you accept them both? Shameful! Don’t you realize you will be the future Luna of our pack?! How do you think you can have two mates?!”
“It’s something unheard of—of course it is. A decent person wouldn’t accept having two mates.”
Decent?
So she considered me indecent.
I couldn’t believe how terrible an opinion his parents had of me now.
“An honorable Luna would never commit such an act against her mate. You lack a lot of education regarding this. On that and many other topics, Lois. There are things one must set limits to, even if you’re an Omega.”
Suddenly everything felt small—me included—and the only thing big and imposing was that Alpha standing in front of us.
I guessed my parents felt just as tiny as I did.
He kept talking—I don’t know how many more things—without stopping, clearly furious because I was mate to both brothers. Emmanuel was—or would be—the Alpha of the pack, and I couldn’t have two mates. He mentioned other things, like how impossible this was in the eyes of everyone, that an Omega with two Alphas, that the future Luna with another mate, the two brothers, the entire pack, commitments, and rejection.
Rejection?
“That’s right,” the mother continued. “You have to reject Ezequiel.”
That knot in my throat tightened in my stomach too.
“Ezequiel is here, ready for you to do it.”
“Lois.”
Mom approached, held my hand, and brought it to her face.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been here with you. Are you feeling all right? Have they treated you well?”
“I want to go home,” I confessed, feeling so small and insignificant that I wanted only one thing.
“I want to go home.”
But that wasn’t going to happen.
The doctor opened the door and Ezequiel entered. He stood beside his father in complete silence, his eyes fixed on the floor.
I remembered when he told me he wanted to be chosen too—practically asking me to fight against my fear—but here we were, and my fear was bigger than I thought.
We couldn’t be three.
The normal thing was to be two.
And everyone believed he was the one who didn’t belong.
“He refuses to reject you, so you must do it, so that he accepts your rejection, Lois,” his father said.
My lips felt dry, and I didn’t think I could speak—much less reject him.
No one asked whether I wanted to, what I felt, what I wanted to do—they only ordered me.
To reject him.
“Lois, we don’t have all day, sweetheart,” his mother added.
Just like everyone else, she pressured me.
“Say something, Ezequiel.”
“It’s the right thing.”
Ezequiel said it.
I searched for his gaze, but he didn’t give it to me.
And if it was the right thing, why wouldn’t he tell me while looking me in the eyes?
“N-No. I won’t. I have two mates. Ezequiel, Emmanuel. And I don’t intend to give up either of you. I choose you both. I accepted you both and I will not give either of you up.”
“Fine. There’s another way to do it.”
His father turned toward him.
“Reject her, and then you’re coming with me. Only Emmanuel will stay at the university. You’ve already stained our family name enough by daring to accept the same woman.”
“I, Ezequiel—”
Was he going to do it?
Was he really going to reject me?!
Why was he obeying?!
“No…” please “…don’t do it, Ezequiel.”
“Reject—”
He continued, as if on automatic.
“Ezequiel! I love you! I chose you too! I accepted you! Don’t do it!”
“—Lois.”
He rejected me.
He rejected me.
Ezequiel had just rejected me.
I lifted my hand toward him, but my arm fell instantly due to lack of strength. I tried to go to him, but I fell off the bed, landing in my mother’s arms.
Why did he do it?
He wanted to be chosen too.
Why did he give up just like that?
He left the room without looking at me—running from me.
“Sweetheart, accept his rejection, please,” his mother said, taking my face between her hands.
“Listen to me and let all of this be easier and simpler, even for Ezequiel, who only did the right thing. Accepting his brother’s mate was a complete mistake—he should have refused from the very beginning. He made a grave error. Emmanuel has a great burden on his shoulders, and it’s not fair for you and Ezequiel to play at being a couple when you already have a mate. You don’t have two Alphas—only one. Emmanuel is your mate. Now… accept Ezequiel’s rejection and don’t torture him by leaving him in that limbo, waiting for your response. Being indecisive will only hurt him more than necessary.”
She stroked my cheeks with her thumbs, her voice soft, sinking into me, convincing me of everything, soothing my pain as if it were a balm.
“I, Lois, accept your rejection.”
Again I fell backward as something inside me broke apart.