At this point, the rejected mate would usually have no choice but to accept the rejection. But Alora wasn’t just any supernatural being, she was an Alpha Werewolf. So, she chose to do what she had decided to do, the moment she first suspected who her fated mate was.
“I, Alora Luna Heartsong, reject you, Matthew Frost Stonemaker, as my mate.” With Alora’s calmly said words, in her musical voice, another strike of lightning sounded in the sky above.
This time, there was a reaction to the bond's final snap. Matt dropped to the ground, releasing a howl of pain as he did. Matt and his wolf Ares did not have the pain tolerance that Alora and her wolf Xena have. Which meant Matt's reaction to the fiery pain, was what everyone had expected Alora’s to be. Only, Alora had remained as calm and steady as a rock sitting in a trickling stream through it all. Kain and Galen had a whole new level of respect for Alora after witnessing this.
*“She’s so strong.”* Galen said to his wolf.
*“She’s been abused.”* Amun said decisively, the growl in his voice holding suppressed anger.
Amun’s statement shocked Galen so much so, he immediately mind linked Kain, telling him what his wolf had said.
*“Horus said the same.”* Kain replied.
*“If they both say so…”* Galen’s words trailed off.
*“Then it is so.”* Kain said grimly.
*“I’m starting to think we have found an Alpha to pledge our strength to.”* Galen said to his brother.
*“I am thinking…it would be an honor to serve as an Enforcer to her.”* Kain said in response to Galen.
Sarah watched Matt drop to the ground and howl in pain and was furious. ‘Matt wasn’t supposed to be the one in pain, that whore is!’
“YOU WHORE! YOU STUPID FUCKING WHORE! HOW DARE YOU!” Sarah shrieked at the top of her lungs. Sarah ran forward and slapped Alora so hard, her head was turned to the side.
Alora’s ear rang from the blow, but she didn’t immediately react. Alora was suppressing her want, to rip Sarah’s arm from her body. Xena wanted to burst free and rip off Sarah's face with her fangs. The crowd looked on in horror, too stunned to do anything.
In their way of thinking, Alora had just got rejected by her fated mate for Sarah…because of Sarah. So, they felt Sarah had no right to be angry at Alora, for rejecting the male Sarah had obviously wanted.
Kain and Galen were also too shocked by Sarah’s sudden reaction to do anything at first. Darien snarled, his wolf Axel in his eyes. Serenity cracked the knuckles on one hand, itching to punch Sarah in the face again.
Matt remained on the ground, his body too wracked with pain to move. His confused pain filled gaze gradually cleared, his once flat eyes no longer flat. He looked almost like a kicked puppy, one that had woken up from a nightmare to a beating he was now suffering for trouble he had caused while sleep walking.
Another loud slap to Alora’s other cheek, had her head snapping in the other direction. “HOW DARE YOU REJECT HIM! YOU SHOULD HAVE JUST ACCEPTED THE REJECTION AND KEPT THE PAIN ALL TO YOURSELF!” Sarah shrieked.
Sarah’s words were not as sharp to Alora’s ears as they were to those standing around them. To the crowd, Sarah’s words sounded so very wrong. ‘Why should Alora have accepted the rejection?’ some wondered. For others though, they thought Alora was within her rights to reject a mate that had rejected her.
They all knew Matt and Sarah had been sleeping together for two years. They all also knew that Alora was Sarah’s younger sister, even though they looked very different. Many had their suspicions, especially since the two females couldn’t be any more different from each other in nearly every way.
However, those suspicions were all supposedly proven false. With a DNA test done proving Allister Frost Northmountain, as Alora’s father. The Frost and Northmountain Clans had become increasingly isolated within the Pack over the last three generations. Still, it was well known Alister and Bettina Northmountain, were not fated mates.
Making the possibility of Alora not being Allister’s daughter, a very high possibility. After all, magic and technology could both be tampered with, or used to manipulate things. Darien still thought another DNA test should be done between Alora and Allister.
While Alora’s birth mother’s identity was irrefutable, Darien still couldn’t believe Allister was her biological father. Especially, with the looks Darien and Damien, both had witnessed him giving Alora, more than once. Not able to hold back anymore, Darien, Serenity, Kain and Galen ran over to surround Alora.
Darien grabbed Sarah’s wrist, then after pulling her away from Alora, shoved her in Matt’s direction. She stumbled back, then fell to the pavement with a shriek of pain. Sarah jumped back up and shrieked in anger. “You bastard!”
Darien snarled and released his Alpha’s aura. “Say that to me again.” He said, his growled words holding both his and Axel’s voice.
It had an interesting effect on those in the crowd, almost at once, the beings all tilted their heads, barring their necks. Sarah stumbled back again, nearly falling to the ground once more. Sarah’s angry expression had changed to one of absolute terror.
Serenity looked at Alora, then started to fish around in her Pack. It had been picked up off the ground by her brother Galen, before he and Kain had tried to sneak up on Alora. Serenity pulled out a pack of wet Kleenex, she stepped up to Alora. Alora was a little startled when the shorter female popped up in front of her.
Then Alora froze completely, when the female reached up with a wet cloth and started to wipe the blood, she could taste, off the corners of her mouth. Werewolves, and most other shifter beings, are touchy feely creatures. They thrived in the touch and comfort of their family members, and Clan.
Alora was not used to being touched, not unless it was with the intent to harm. Alora, so used to blows from those closest to her, shied away from the touch of others, instinctively expecting a blow. Alora couldn’t trust any of her family’s Clan members either. Those close to Sarah, would often join Sarah in beating her up when they were all gathered together.
It took years before Darien or Damien could brush up against her accidentally, or touch her affectionately, without Alora flinching away from them or freezing up, ready to defend herself. It happened by accident, Alora’s aura seeped out a little, a warning.
Serenity felt Alora’s aura seep over her the moment she touched her. It was like she was touching a feral animal, something wild and untamed. Serenity didn’t stop what she was doing though, she finished wiping the blood off Alora's mouth.
Alora, forced herself to calm down, having Xena tell her it was okay and to remember that this female belonged to ‘Brother’, helped. Alora noted her touch was gentle, she had a sad expression on her face, but her striking eyes were open and filled with the warmth of a truly good person.
Kain and Galen watched as their sister attended Alora, like their mother would have them. Only at first it looked like their baby sister had startled a wild creature you shouldn’t touch. Alora’s aura had reached them just after it covered Serenity. It was a few tense moments before the brothers felt like they could breathe again.
A tangible amount of sweat had actually gathered on Kain and Galen’s foreheads. While this was happening, Matt had finally been able to heave himself off the ground. The expression on Matt’s face as he looked at Sarah, was one of disgust and anger. This startled Darien enough he was able to calm down. Axel suddenly started to examine Matt very closely.
Wolves could see other wolves in a way their humanoid forms could not. Axel was startled, it seemed the blockage between Matt and Ares was no longer there. Whatever it was had been broken, and Ares did not like Sarah at all.
Matt dragged Sarah away without a word. Unfortunately for them, as Sarah was being dragged away by Matt, she chose to start shrieking again. “YOU WHORE! JUST WAIT TILL MOMMY AND DADDY FIND OUT YOU TRIED TO STEAL MY BOYFRIEND FROM ME!”
Then Sarah was too far away to keep yelling at Alora, but she could be heard ranting to Matt, her words thankfully indiscernible. Darien turned in time to witness his mate finish wiping blood off Alora's mouth. Darien tensed for a moment, before realizing Alora was calmly allowing this.
He knew how hard it was for Alora to be touched by others. That Alora had allowed it, spoke in volumes to Darien how much Alora liked his mate. He felt an internal sigh of relief, especially seeing the gentle way his mate looked at Alora.
Darien pulled out his phone and sent a text to his parents. With his mom being an ER Doc and his dad being the Alpha of Alpha’s, he didn’t want to distract his parents if they were doing something important by mind linking them. His mother could be performing surgery, and his father could possibly be in an important conference.
This wasn’t an emergency, so a text message would do, they would message him back when they had time. Of course, Darien had forgotten momentarily that today was not a normal day. Today was the High School Seniors’ fight training exam day. The parents of all the Seniors were going to be there today. This included his, and they were already there.