Chapter 30 Acceptance or Rejection

"No!" Catherine interjected, rushing between Alpha Devon and me, her voice filled with desperation. "You can't have her! Have you forgotten your vows?"

Alpha Devon stood his ground, his expression firm. "Catherine, I haven't forgotten my vows."

"Reject her!" Catherine pointed at me, her voice demanding. "Do it now!"

"Catherine, I need a moment," Alpha Devon spoke in a measured tone. "We will discuss this later."

Catherine refused to back down. "Don't you see? On our wedding day, you swore to the moon god that you would marry me alone. Even if you meet your mate in the future, you would reject her. Devon, she is here now."

Alpha Devon hesitated, torn between his wife and his undeniable connection with me. But Catherine didn't allow him much time for contemplation. She pressed on, her tone becoming increasingly threatening.

"She's just a slave, and you are not meant to be together for the rest of your lives. No Alpha would choose a slave as his mate, and you know it. Do you want to risk losing your pack for a mere slave?"

Alpha Devon's emotions were in turmoil, and his gaze remained fixed on me over Catherine's shoulder. Slowly, he began walking towards me, his face filled with pain.

"Aray, I am so sorry," he spoke to me with the saddest tone I had ever heard. "I will make it up to you as best as I can, I promise."

Don't, Aray! Do not accept his rejection.

I need him. Melissa mournfully pleaded.

"Please, don't ask..." I pleaded with Alpha Devon, my voice filled with desperation. "Melissa will die."

"I know it's painful," Alpha Devon replied, his gaze fixed on me. "But you're not the only one suffering, and neither am I. I cannot break my promise."

Tears welled up in my eyes, and as my wolf finally emerged, I braced myself for the heartache of losing my Mate.

Melissa was crying, her prayers echoing within me.

It will not work, Melissa. Deep down, we both knew it was futile. He is the alpha, and I am just a slave. We couldn't be mates, and sooner or later, we have to accept that truth.

"Tell your wolf that Andrew loves her," Alpha Devon whispered, wiping the tears from my face with his hand. "Don't cry, the pain will eventually fade."

I wanted to say no to him, to protest, but no words escaped my throat. Melissa wailed in despair, never even getting the chance to meet Devon's wolf.

"Devon, don't waste your time here," Catherine's voice cut through the air, icy and commanding. "If you reject her now, not only will I not divorce you, but I will also consider allowing her to remain in the pack. That is my final offer."

Alpha Devon hung his head in frustration, and after a few agonizing minutes of internal struggle, he slowly lifted his gaze to meet my eyes.

"I, Alpha Devon, reject to accept Aray Boleyn as my mate."

As those words left his lips, I heard my wolf emit a mournful howl, as though a thousand knives mercilessly sliced through her body. The merciless blades tore her apart, piece by piece, piercing her tender heart.

The same knives seemed to pierce my own heart, leaving me breathless and shattered. I crumbled to the ground, my world engulfed in darkness, devoid of any semblance of light.

"The ceremony isn't finished!" Catherine yelled, her voice filled with anger. "You need to accept Mate's rejection, you damn slave! Just say yes."

"Daisy, fetch a basin of water to revive her," she commanded.

"Shut up, Catherine," Alpha Devon hissed, his patience wearing thin. "She's too fragile to handle Mate's rejection. She could die."

"Then let her die!" Catherine growled, attempting to kick me, but Alpha Devon intervened, stopping her.

"That's enough!" he insisted. "You know what happens when you defy me. I'm not joking."

An invisible wave of rage rippled through the room, and the aura of the Alpha Wolf filled the space, commanding authority.

My wolf, still trembling from the pain of the rejection, subsided. However, she remained anxious, always on edge, never knowing when Alpha Devon's rejection would come.

We all sensed that something ominous was looming, yet we clung to hope and prayed for a miracle.

"Luna, I believe you should listen to Alpha," Daisy, the butler, spoke up, breaking the silence. Like Catherine's trusted advisor, she always spoke her mind when the stakes were high.

"If this girl dies, Alpha will be affected too," Daisy whispered to Catherine. "After all, the mate bond that exists between them will implicate Alpha until it completely fades away. You did it not for the sake of the slave, but for Alpha."

"Daisy, for once you've said what needed to be said," Alpha Devon acknowledged. "Take your Luna away from here, now."

"No," Catherine protested. "The ceremony can continue after this, but this girl, she needs to leave!"

"Where do you want to take her?" he asked.

"Go where she needs to go," Catherine asserted. "She's a slave, and she doesn't deserve to sleep in her master's bed, nor will she ever."

"Catherine, don't push your luck," Alpha Devon warned her.

"I agreed to your terms. Shouldn't you agree with mine?" Catherine retorted. "The slave will remain where she belongs until we reach a unity agreement."

"She can only stay here."

"I would like to leave," I mustered the strength to speak, bracing myself on the ground as I addressed both Catherine and Alpha Devon. "I accept Luna's decision."

"Aray, what do you want?" Alpha Devon huffed. "Step aside and refrain from speaking."

"I believe it's best for Melissa if I leave," I asserted, standing up to Alpha Devon for the first time. "She is hurt, and it will only hurt her more if she stays with you."

She cannot bear to be near you, and she fears rejection. Alpha Devon, we both know there will always be an insurmountable barrier between us. If you have any care for me, let me leave your side, even if only temporarily.

I telepathically conveyed my thoughts to him, and when he accepted, I saw a look of profound despair on his face, as if something he cherished was slipping away before his eyes.

"Fine," Alpha Devon relented, turning to Catherine. "If you dare harm her, I will never forgive you."

"I assure you, she will be returned to you in the exact same condition," Catherine responded, motioning to Daisy with her eyes. "Get her out of here."

Daisy approached to assist me, but I shook off her hand. She gave me a cold look as I forced myself to my feet.

"Come with me," I said, looking back at Alpha Devon one last time before turning away.

I followed Daisy out of the room, deliberately avoiding any glance back at Alpha Devon. Melissa whimpered as we left, but I resolutely ignored her pleas.

"Come in."Daisy led me into a small room, and with a push, she opened the door, plunging me into darkness. I stumbled and fell, losing consciousness momentarily. The sound of a lock clicking echoed from outside the door, and I realized Daisy was securing it with her key.

Gathering myself, I rose from the floor and searched for a source of light. Finally, my fingers found a light switch in a corner of the wall. The room was illuminated by a dim chandelier, but the feeble light failed to dispel the pervasive darkness.

I curled up on the edge of the bed, tears streaming down the neckline of my dress. Emotions overwhelmed me, and I struggled to find solace in this bleak situation.

Why did you leave him, Aray? Melissa blamed me. And you should have stayed with him.

Stay with him and hope like a vulnerable pup that he won't reject me? I retorted bitterly.

Melissa, he had also been entangled in the trials of the Crescent Pack. It was Alpha Devon who had signed the papers, consenting to the death sentence.

No, that's not possible. Melissa wanted to defend him. Perhaps there's more to the situation than meets the eye.

Melissa, let go of him. He was an alpha, and his primary concern was always his own interests and maintaining his alpha status. He needed me as a surrogate, and it was supposed to be a transactional arrangement. So why did he reject me first?

It was my own foolishness, my misplaced trust, my longing for his protection that led me astray. I shouldn't have allowed myself to love him.

I couldn't forget the moment when he chose to reject me, when I saw no love left in his eyes for me. Perhaps that was the moment I finally saw him for who he truly was.

Anything he promised, whether it was to be his lover or to set me free, could have been a lie!

Melissa, we are completely lost in this turmoil!

Just as I drowned in the depths of my sorrow, the door was violently kicked open from the outside, and I hastily rose to my feet.

A sinister figure emerged from the darkness, glaring at me with intensity.

"I told you this isn't over!"