Chapter 120 - Unreject Me

Kaya’s pov

I gawked at Helena.

Her? He chose Helena as his mate? Then why was he having an unhealthy obsession with my mom?

Helena chuckled when she saw my reaction. I couldn’t blame her. I probably looked stupid. It wasn’t the first time I had seen and dealt with man whores, but it was the first time I had heard about a male wolf choosing one wolf and having an obsession with another wolf. Perhaps that was why he never became Alpha. Maybe that was why Helena chose William and why Pete finally left the pack.

“You are the girl he chose as his mate?” Theo sounded just as shocked as I was.

“Yes, unfortunately. I thought he was being serious when he started to hit on me. I was a trainee in the army. Actually, both Kate and I were recruits and when the heir to the pack started to hit on me, I didn’t want to turn him down. Kate was so happy for me. She used to tease me about becoming the Luna and her having to submit to her best friend,” Helena laughed. “At first, I dated him out of respect. He was the heir, after all. I ignored all the rumors and every female wolf who warned me against him. Back then, they didn’t have recorded phone calls or screenshots to show me as evidence. I thought they were just jealous, and to be honest, I was young and stupid. I believed in falling in love, although we weren’t fated together. He was lying the whole time. When he introduced me to the Alpha as his chosen mate, I was ecstatic. I didn’t ask him a lot of questions. I just agreed to be his Luna, but the ceremony had to wait until I completed the training. A luna can’t be untrained, right? Now when I think about it, that delay was a massive blessing in disguise. Because the night we graduated, Pete started to hit on Kate too. She was hesitant to tell me everything, and she kept everything to herself for some time until she no longer could. I didn’t believe her at first. I was hurt, thinking she was also jealous of me. We kind of drifted apart after that, but that made me think. Too many women were warning me against him. Maybe that was why I couldn’t sleep with him even after being in a relationship with him for a year.”

“You were with him for a year? I should have visited the pack sooner. I would have found my mate if I hadn’t avoided all those invitations Alpha Thomas sent out,” William said.

Helena offered a smile. “Maybe, but I probably would have rejected you for him. I was adamant on making it work until I overheard him trying to talk Kate into sleeping with him during an event.”

“What?” I wanted to puke. I loved hearing about my parents and Helena’s youth, but this was an exception.

“Yeah. It was Pete’s birthday, and Alpha Thomas invited a lot of wolves to a special event. Everyone was having a great time. I lost him somewhere and went to look for him. That’s when I heard his voice coming from the kitchen. He must have followed Kate when he saw her going there. That pervert was desperate. He was saying that I wouldn’t sleep with him and that he should have asked her to be his mate. Kate kept pushing him away, begging him to leave her alone. At least Pete didn’t try to force himself on her. I was so pissed. I was angry at Pete for betraying me and at myself for not believing my best friend when she tried to tell me the truth. I confronted him in the kitchen and broke the engagement off. I guess Alpha Thomas and Benedict heard the commotion. The next thing I knew was Ben was at the entrance of the kitchen, staring at Kate and bellowing the word mate repeatedly until she ran into his arms.”

She smiled at me. “That is how your parents met, Kaya. I was devastated, but still happy that she found the one fated for her.”

A sad smile curled on her lips. “I was so grateful when she forgave me. I didn’t deserve to be forgiven, but she wanted to be my friend despite everything.” She looked at William, her eyes reflecting sadness. However, as soon as their gazes met, some of that sorrow melted away. “And then I met him at the same event. He arrived late. I bet he was trying to miss it, but his dad probably threw a fit because he was missing an important event.”

William snickered. "Dang, I can still hear him. He was screaming like a madman that night. It was the third invitation from Golden Crescent I was ignoring. I loved him so much, and I didn’t want him to be angry with me despite being the Alpha of the pack. So I begrudgingly went to that party. I still miss my old man,” he said, a sad smile curling on his lips. “Reminiscing on the past is making me emotional.”

Chuckling, Helena laced her fingers with him. “Me too. I am so glad you came that night. I was a broken mess, and you healed me.”

William kissed the back of her hand. I smiled. Witnessing a couple grow old together was the sweetest thing. I let out a deep breath. Talking about the past was enlightening and emotional at the same time. Everything made so much sense after they explained it. Pete was a pervert. That was why he couldn’t become the next Alpha. My grandfather didn’t see him as a fit leader.

“So you went with William?” I asked.

She scoffed. “Hell yeah, I did. Especially when Alpha Thomas gave me his blessings. He was pretty pissed at Pete after hearing about what he did.”

I found myself snickering to myself. That was so embarrassing. “That ought to teach him a lesson.” I said.

“I don’t know. He tried to contact me after I moved to Opal Moon, but I wasn’t interested. Kate and Ben were the ones facing the most trouble, especially after Alpha Thomas died. When I heard that Ben and Pete got into a fight and Pete lost, I called Kate. She told me that Pete was asked to leave the pack. His presence was toxic for everyone and since he lost the fight, he had to leave.”

“Wow. That is not what he told us. He said that he left because he didn’t want to challenge my dad,” I told them.

Helena laughed. “When they mated and marked, he was furious. The day they announced their pregnancy, he threw a fit. Even after you were born, he tried to lure your mom into his room. That is what made your father so mad about him. He challenged Pete to duel with him and the loser had to leave the pack forever.”

“Pete lost, so he had to leave,” I muttered.

“Yup,” Helena said. “I dodged a bullet with that one. I wish I had said no the first day. I could have said that I was waiting for my soulmate.”

“But things worked out, right?” Theo said.

“Yeah, it did,” Helena said.

“Actually, there is one more thing,” I said. “Was he close to Silver Claw?”

Helena frowned. “Not that I know of.”

I looked at William. If they were close during their training, perhaps he would know if they had any sort of connection.

“I don’t know. I went no contact with him after that night. Ben became the Alpha, so I didn’t have to deal with Pete formally or informally. I couldn’t care less what he did with life. When I heard he was forced to leave Golden Crescent, I was overjoyed. He was such a headache,” William said.

My lips pursed. “When did the Silver Claw started to attack the other packs?”

“I don’t know. They randomly attack small packs. When they launched their attack on Opal Moon, I was pregnant. I told you. Do you remember? I was attacked, but thankfully William managed to save me and the pack.”

“My mom arrived at Opal Moon with me to help you get better,” I mumbled. “So was that after he was exiled?”

She looked at William. “Uh, yes. I think so.”

I didn’t say anything, but Helena seemed to have noticed something.

“What? Do you think he is behind the attacks?”

“I am not saying he is. But when he walked about going for a run today, he was eagerly asking about Fin. I mean, I understand him wanting to visit the place he once lived in, but why would he ask if I was sure that Fin was dead? And he also made a strange comment about my dad when he met the pups. He said something about Archie looking more like Theo and that Ben would have ruined everything. Something along the lines of that.”

“Wait, he is here!” William exclaimed, jerking up from his seat.

“Yeah. I forgot to mention that. He arrived this morning at the pack. We knew nothing that happened, and we invited him in. I guess he returned after learning both my parents were gone.”

“Where is he now?” William asked.

“He went out for a run. He said something about going to the Golden Crescent pack.”

William’s face darkened. “He is back! That fucker is back!” William started to pace around the room. “I don’t trust him even a little bit. Does he know we are here?”

I offered an anxious smile. “Yes. unfortunately. He knows.”

“It’s okay. You didn’t know what he had done, but now that you do, I don’t want him anywhere around Helena or our pack house. I understand he is your uncle, but he cannot be trusted,” William said.

“We know that now. Do you think he would form a connection with Silver Claw? Just to get back at you?” I asked.

William looked worried. I bet he was concerned that he wouldn’t be able to protect his mate if Pete tried to attack her. He was now wolfless and hence weaker than he used to be.

“I didn’t notice that in him before. He was just a man whore. But would he go as far as betraying his own pack for revenge? That I am not sure.”

“Well, from the minute he was exiled that wasn’t his pack. Maybe he was angry enough to leak secrets to the Silver Claw and assist them in the infiltration,” I said.

A heavy silence fell across the room. If that was true, he had to bear the price of unaliving an entire pack, but how could we know?

“Maybe you are right,” Helena broke the silence with a breathy whisper. “Maybe the attacks were deliberate. I was pregnant, and that attack made me lose my pup and stripped me of the ability to conceive. Golden Crescent was attacked most viciously. They killed every breathing soul except you. If they found you, they would have killed you too. I know they attacked random packs occasionally. But that was the first time they attacked so violently. Maybe that was deliberate.”

“How could we know?” I asked.

“There is only one way. We will have to hear it from him,” William said.