Chasing the rejected Luna

49: Painful remainder

Alexander's POV

Seeing Sophia again made my heart race so fast. She had always been beautiful but damn, she looked like a goddess. I wanted to wrap my hands around her and tell her how much she meant to me. And how much I missed her.

I missed everything about her - her laugh, her eyes, her smile, her walk, just everything. I wanted to go to her. Looking at her from across the room was so much torture for me especially when I found the mark on her.

The emotions clogged at the back of my throat. I had been a fool. I had been so afraid. I guess I was scared of what she would do to me if I let her love me just the way her eyes promised. I let my father get to me.

How much of a fool I had been. I let the love of my life leave me for another man. The part that hurt the most was knowing she had been happy in his pack while I had been miserable all the days without her here.

The pack had gone into ruins because I couldn't concentrate while she was gone. Everything reminded me of her. She was always scrubbing the floors when I walked out. Her absence hit me

like a brick wall I imagined I was dead for days.

I clenched my fists while I thought about how her eyes sparkled when I asked her to leave. I didn't want to be a selfish bastard. Even if I didn't want to be, who was I deceiving? I was every bit selfish.

But I told her to go. I scoffed as a smirk worked its way to the side of my lips. I would never let her go again. Never. It wouldn't be happening not while I was alive whether she was mated to that sick Alpha or not. I couldn't and I wouldn't let her out of my sight.

Only heavens know how I was able to keep it together when she was gone. It pained me greatly that I hadn't been there for her. The look in her eyes…

They were broken. I never wanted to see them. But then, I had been irrational when she came smelling like other males and not me.

I sighed again as frustration built up inside me. Why was I getting jealous? I was the one who watched while she was bullied all because I was being a coward and couldn't let myself be with her.

A stupid small voice inside of me told me she deserved someone better than me who would love her for her. And I scoffed again because I knew I would treat her better than anyone. I would treat her like the true Luna that she was.

As much as I tried to push off the knowledge that she wasn't mine and was never mine, I couldn't do it. She belonged to me regardless of the mate mark I found on her neck.

Anger burned in my veins as I thought about it. But I couldn't dwell on it as the door to my office opened. I stiffened until I smelt the familiar smell of Orion and I hissed in anger.

"I need some time alone," I said to him and I still could hear him come in and close the door much to my disappointment.

That wasn't what I wanted to say to him. But my pride was as big as the entire pack house. I couldn't bring myself to ask about Sophia.

Orion snorted and I heard the chair shift before I knew he had settled himself on it.

"What do you want?" I asked with irritation dripping from my voice.

"I know what you want but you don't know what I want. Such heartbreak. If only you would care half as much as I cared about you," I didn't have to turn around to know he had a smirk on his face.

Orion had been the only person who had been able to come close to me in the past few days. I had been quite irritable and dangerous and I secretly applauded his bravery. Not everyone would be able to do that especially when my wolf and I fought.

"Don't flatter yourself," I snorted and placed my hands in my pockets. They were warm and I imagined how warm Sophia's hands were. Closing my eyes, I forced her image out of my mind.

"They're not mated," Orion said after a long silence stretched between us. I knew he came because he had some information about Sophia but that wasn't what I expected to hear.

And what did he mean by they're not mated when I could see the bite mark on her neck? But I guess it didn't matter if she was mated to Ryven or not given I wouldn't have let her go.

I turned to him, my eyes instantly finding him in the darkness. I tried to tell myself he was playing a joke on me while my heart pounded away in my chest but all I saw was dead seriousness in his eyes.

"If you wish to say something, say it for understanding," I growled and locked my eyes with him. And he smiled like he could very well read me and I feared he could.

Orion was the only other person who could read me after Rudolph. I winced at the memory of Rudolph. He had been my best friend. I think that is partly the reason I was so unwilling to accept Sophia as my mate and future Luna.

Hell, I was mad at myself because I knew what I wanted but I couldn't because I felt like I would be betraying Rudolph in his grave.

Orion sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "Apparently, the mating process between Sophia and Ryven wasn't complete because she didn't mark him. The mark you saw on her neck was only that of Rudolph's," he stopped and smirked while amusement danced in his eyes and I knew whatever he had to say next wouldn't be funny. And I wasn't wrong. "So you have nothing to fear."

I glared hard at him while my stupid heart skipped a beat at the information. That was great news to me but my face was kept stoic. I didn't want Orion to make fun of me. It wasn't funny whenever he did that.

And I could no longer ignore the pounding in the wall I created against my wolf. It was getting too much. I knew he was super excited to get Sophia back especially now that she had her wolf which made me wonder what kind of wolf she had.

She smelt different from other Werewolves. It wasn't just because she wasn't part of my pack but it was something I couldn't place a finger on. And I couldn't deny how slightly turned on I was. She was braver and bolder, the kind of woman I had always fantasized about as a child. NôvelDrama.Org holds © this.

"Where's Sophia?" I heard myself asking before I could stop it. I wanted to know where she was even if my head warned me against it. This time, I would follow my heart as long as it was where Sophia was.

Orion smiled and I so wanted to wipe it off his face. "She's in the room you prepared for her. It shouldn't come as a surprise that she is incredibly mad at you. If you want to go see her, I suggest you wear a double layer of clothing."

"I scoffed, and a small smile appeared on my lips, "What could she possibly do to me?"

"Rape you," Orion said with a grin on his face and my lips stretched wider. I never realized how much I missed our little banter until that moment. Maybe I was back to myself, I didn't know. But what I did know was that I wanted to go meet Sophia. Now.

I took two steps before Orion's voice halted me.

"Do you know why she's like that?" He asked and I looked at him again. I never realized he had gotten up to get himself a glass of drink which was being held in his right hand.

"Like what?" I asked him although I had a feeling I knew exactly what he was talking about.

"She's different. And I don't mean by her looks. There's this thing about her. Maybe it's her wolf."

I paused and thought about what he said. I also thought about it and it was an attractive part of her. But I also noticed how quiet my wolf had gone. He always did that shit. And I hated it but I couldn't lash out at him because I was too absorbed by the question Orion threw my way.

"I noticed. She wouldn't tell me even if I asked her. Did you get any more information regarding her stay in Ryven's pack and the reason she didn't mark him?"

He shook his head a no, "The information had been tightly secured. It's as if no one wants the information to get out. And I'm sure they are hiding something important since Ryven hasn't sent a

letter regarding Sophia's return."

"Are you sure you asked well? You could be slacking off," I couldn't help but tease him which he returned with a playful glare. "Find out more. I want to know exactly what happened while she was there. And why she was sad when she came into my office."

Orion widened his eyes in surprise, "She was sad?"

I gave Orion a deadpan look. "I just told you she was sad and you still went ahead to ask me about it. Find out who she met when she came into the pack."

"Do you think it's Dianne?" Orion asked and I stiffened. How come I had completely forgotten about Dianne? We had always been a thing and it would be normal if Sophia's reaction was due to setting eyes on Dianne. Which wasn't because Dianne wasn't the girl she used to be.

I doubted she could even hurt a fly now. This begs the question of who Sophia had seen.

"Dianne might be…" Orion stopped when the door was pushed open and I hissed from anger because of the audacity of the person.

"What about Dianne?" Susan, Dianne's mother asked as she strolled into the room like she owned it and I resisted the urge to sink my claws into her and rip her heart from her. I had never hated anyone as much as I had come to hate her.

Orion looked between the both of us and I could see the hate in his eyes. But like always, he kept quiet and left the room to the both of us.

The quiet click of the door made my blood boil not because I wouldn't be able to see Sophia like I had planned but because Susan walked up to my drink shelf, opened a bottle of Scotch, and drowned it, her actions reeking of disrespect.

"What do you want?" I seethed and she walked up to me slowly. How come I only saw her true colors when it was almost too late?

"That's no way to talk to your future Luna." She said and I was reminded of the fact that I was about to lose my position as Alpha.