Declan pov.
Watching Kyle and Mitchell run off was hard. I want to go with them. I want to be there when she wakes up. I know she wouldn’t choose me, and would probably even be afraid of me. But I couldn’t help it. I wanted to know that she was okay.
“Are you ready for this?” I asked Connor. I didn’t really know how to talk to him yet. It was so weird for me. He was never really real to me. And now here he was.
“Don’t talk to me.” He grunted rudely as he stepped off the plane.
“Okay, prick.” I scoffed and walked out behind him, giving him the finger.
By now the whole pack was spilling out of the pack house to see what all the commotion was about. Nosey bastards.
All the older members, the ones who had been around 18 years ago when Connor died gasped in shock. I couldn't say I blamed them. It's not every day you see somebody come back from the dead.
“What is the meaning of this” my mother's shrill voice broke through the crowd as she pushed her way to the front.
Her eyes instantly landed on Connor.
“No, it can’t be.” Her hand flew to her heart.
“You look like…. Are you…. It’s impossible.” She stammered through her tears.
“My baby boy” she cried as she run to us. Her high heels fling off high into the air as she ran with all her might.
My mother crashed into him with so much force Connor couldn’t help it, he had to take a couple of steps back to steady them both.
Like the rest of the crowd, I didn’t know what to do and so I just stood there like a complete idiot.
“How? Your alive I can’t believe it.” My mother cried as she kissed and hugged onto my brother.
“Dec” Sam called as she ran from the pack house. She stopped in her tracks. My brother stiffened in my mother's arms.
“Oh my gosh,” Samantha shouted with joy. Her eyes sparkled in a way I had never seen them do before as she looked at my brother.
“I can’t believe it” she squealed apparently completely oblivious to the mood around her.
“Samantha,” I said, but she paid me absolutely no attention. I never thought she actually loved me. All she wanted was the power that came with being with me, still, it pissed me off. Being ignored so completely by her and in front of everyone after I had been away was embarrassing and I hated to feel embarrassed.
“Samantha?” I called her name again, but still, I got no response. She stood just a few feet away from me, but it was like she didn't even see. She had this smile plastered all over her face, and she was just staring at my brother like she expected him to say something.
“Connor. After all this time. I never thought I’d see you again.” Samantha said breathlessly blissful, I have never seen the girl so excited.
My mother pulled back from my brother, glaring at Samantha with such hatred.
“Shouldn’t you be all over Declan? Didn’t you two tell everyone you were mated? Stay away from Connor.” She snapped at her.
At least my mom was going to call her out on her sh..it. Even if it was for Connor's sake and not mine.
“Declan?” She said surprised almost like she had completely forgotten that I even existed. Then again she probably had. Everyone knew now that Connor was alive, as the oldest he would take over as Alpha, even silly little Sam was smart enough to piece that puzzle together. Of course, she would forget about me, I wasn’t the most powerful wolf of the pick anymore.
“I’m sorry Declan. I’m sure you understand, but Connor. Well, he’s my mate. Go on tell them, Connor.” She didn’t sound even the least bit empathetic when she dumped me in the middle of the crowd.
“That’s not true.” My mother denied it, and the crowd gasped in surprise.
“Actually Mother it is,” Connor said stepping away from my mother and toward Samantha.
Again the crowd gasped. Did they know how to do anything else?
“I Alpha of crescent moon, Connor Jackson Smith. Reject you Samantha Huntress as my Mate and Luna. A whore isn’t fit to lead.” He spat.
“Connor no. Please, if I had known, I never would have gone near Declan.” Samantha pleaded pathetically.
Hahaha, stupid b..itch. Grayson chuckled.
At least I wasn’t the only one publicly dumped today.
“You may not have known that I was your mate. Or that I was even alive. But you were aware that you had a mate out there. But you didn't wait for him. I wonder why that was. Was it because you wanted power more than love and decided that you’d reject him whoever he was for a chance to be Luna.” He sneered.
“That’s not true.” Samantha pleaded.
“Then why did you choose Declan? Because it was either for status or you just wanted to root your sisters mate. Jealousy and spitefulness. Is just as ugly as greed.”
Only a few pack members gasped this time.
I guess everyone, well almost everyone had figured out the truth by now. Not that I’m surprised. Secrets don’t stay secrets for long in this pack.
“Can we please talk about this in private?” Samantha pleaded, her head giving a small nod towards the crowd.
“There is nothing to talk about now accept the rejection.” Connor hissed.
“Never. I’ll never accept.” Samantha sobbed like the pathetic trash she was.
I didn’t feel the least bit sorry for her.
As soon as the words left her lips she screamed in pain.
No one else understood what was happening, but I did immediately. I had seen what Connor was capable of already today.
“Accept the rejection or I’ll kill you.” Connor threatened her. She would be smart to accept it and quickly because it was clear he was serious. Rejected was better than dead.
“No, please.” Samantha shrieked in pain and fear.
“Accept it,” Connor growled.
Her body began to fit and her bones began to snap.
I was horrified along with everyone else. This was a little too much.
“Now” he bellowed.
“Okay… okay… just please stop.” Samantha managed to cry out in between her screams of agony.
Truthfully I’m glad that Heather was still out of it and Mitchell was in the hospital with Faith. It would have killed them to see her like this.
Slowly her screams stopped. She couldn’t stand on her broken legs, so she just lay there in the grass panting.
I thought about going to her and helping, it was obvious that she needed it but no one else did so I just stood by.
“I Samantha Huntress accept your Rejection Alpha Connor Jackson Smith of crescent moon.” She hiccuped and blubbered.
“For complying I will spare you your life. You may have until sundown to rest and heal your broken bones as much as possible, and that’s it. As current Alpha I herby banish you Samantha Huntress from my pack. If I ever see you lurking around here again. I’ll kill you.” He warned her and walked off leaving my mother and the rest of the pack standing on the lawns in shock.
“What does he mean by Alpha?” My mother turned to me after a few minutes and Connor's words finally had the chance to sink into her.
“You must have felt it, Mother.” I looked at her, pleading as much as I could without words that she wouldn’t make me say it.
“It’s not true.” My mother denied it, but the tears that rimmed her eyes said she knew it was true.
“Come on Mom.” Our relationship was strained, complicated and all over the place. I don’t feel like it’s fair that I have to be the one to tell her. To make it harder for her to look at me. Why should it be up to me to tell her that Dad was dead? I didn’t kill him. Maybe I should have asked Kyle to bring the body back, for Mom's sake.
“It was quick Mom.” I hoped that would be of some comfort to her. “So quick he didn’t even see it coming. Connor snapped his neck, there wasn’t any pain. He was simply here one minute and gone the next.” I whispered. It wasn’t that I was sorry that he was gone. He and I were never really that close. It was just hard to be the one to tell my mother that my father was dead and my dead but not really dead brother was the one that killed him.
“But why would he do that ?” My mother wrapped her arms around me and sobbed into my shoulder.
“Can everyone give us some f.. ucking space please?.” I shouted at the crowd. I was sick of them ogling at my family like our pain was their entertainment.
I felt satisfied when I watched them all scurry off. Good. I may not be in charge anymore, but I could still make ‘em clear a room.
“Mom. Dad did some terrible things. Things I don’t think you are aware of..” I rubbed my mother's back hoping it was of some comfort.
There was no way my mom would have stayed had she known of his true past. At least I would like to believe she wouldn’t have.
“Whatever it was. I doubt it warranted his death.” My mother wept.
I wonder if she would still feel the same when she learns the truth.
“I’m not sticking up for Connor. Honestly, he doesn’t seem any better than Dad was.
But Dad was given a choice. He could either go rogue or fight to the death. He didn’t want to go rogue.” I don’t know if I should be telling her this, especially since Connor didn’t fight fair.
“Let’s go inside, Mom. I’ll tell you everything. But this isn’t the place.” I took my mother's hand and began to lead her away.
“Hey, you,” I said the first person I come across.
“Sam’s still laying out there in the grass. Take her to the hospital, get her fixed up. And tell Mitchell what happened, after that, you can just let him deal with her.” It was more than Sam deserved. But I promised myself that after everything I did to Faith, that I was going to try and be a better man. I hated her but I don’t want her to die and being a rogue was pretty much a death sentence. Those who did survive lost all sense of self and went crazy, which to me was worse than dying.
I doubt Kyle will take her, but maybe Mitchell could find a way to help her.
“Yes sir.” The wolf nodded and ran out the door.
“Come on Mom.” I continued to lead her back to her room.
My heart filled with dread. I was going to have to tell her about dads past, and that Samantha wasn’t the only one, Connor planned on turning rogue.