The Rejected Alpha Mate

They glared at each other, ready to attack as they grunted heatedly. Elise pounced towards her nemesis but unluckily, she missed and got pinned to the ground. Her nemesis groaned, retelling her who the boss was. She heaved a sigh of defeat.

“Okay, fine, you win, Mom. I give up,” she said, declaring defeat. Azzura chuckled softly and pushed Elise’s head even harder to the ground, making her wince in pain. “And?”

“And you’re the best Linda the Alpha could ever get… and you’re unbeatable… can you please unpin me now? You’re crushing my head,” Elise mumbled as she grimaced in pain. Azzura scoffed happily and got off her daughter. She sighed instantly when her mother released her.

She got to her feet, arising back to her human form. Her mother did the same. “Great fight, Elise. I have to admit, your reflexes are getting better, but they can never pass the one and only Linda of the Scuris pack.”

Elise rolled her eyes just as she chuckled. “Yeah, yeah wait till I start running my own pack,” she declared and Azzura heaved a sigh, hugging her closer. “I hope so too, Elise. But don’t forget your father’s…”

“Yes, mother. I have not forgotten; you’ll have to find your mate and build your own pack before you can be declared a Linda, I have not forgotten that ridiculous policy father made.” She could feel the rage surging in her. She was irritated, so angry that she couldn’t do as she wanted because she was the daughter of the Alpha and there were some boundaries to that—also because she was a female werewolf!

It was exasperating how female werewolves get relegated whenever it comes to wars or hunting or leading. They are regarded as weak and expected to stay indoors and give birth, and raise the children, and cook.

Elise wanted to have children but she wouldn’t want to be a stay-at-home mom like her mother, Linda Azzura. She wanted to also come out and lead a pack, go hunting, fight their nemeses.

She despises how they were always ordered to stay in and hide whenever there was chaos. Only Linda was allowed to come out and fight, and that was very rare in their pack. The Alpha and his pack warriors were always the ones that do the fun stuff—as Elise declared. She saw fighting as a fun activity.

“I have to start working on dinner, sweetie. Are you coming to help out?”

Elise slightly shook her head. “I have to catch up with Miley and Daniel by the waterfall.”

“Okay, sweetie. Don’t stay out too long like you did last night.” Azzura kissed her goodbye and they parted ways.

She strolled passed the pack of omegas chattering away and enjoying their evening. They suddenly went silent when they spotted her. She hated how almost everyone was afraid of her. No one dared to come close to her, not after knowing who her father was and what he’s capable of doing over his only heir.

The last werewolf that picked on Elise and hit her was Alex, and he got sent out of the pack, a few days later his body was found in the bushes. He must’ve trespassed another pack’s territory and they dealt with him.

She heaved a sigh and walked past them to the waterfall, where her two friends Miley and Daniel were waiting for her.

Miley is six months younger than Elise. She’s the daughter of the Alpha’s beta. Her father is the second strongest werewolf in the pack, after Elise’s father. They’ve been best friends since they were a year old, till date.

Daniel comes from a decent omega family. He’s older than the both of them. He’s like a father figure to the two of them. He never gets in trouble even though Elise and Miley were always looking for one. He knew they’d be let off with a warning but he might not get that grace. He’d put his family in danger or even get kicked out of the pack.

“What took you so long? Or have you already built your territory and moved out of Alpha Anakin’s pack?” Miley said flippantly but Elise didn’t find it funny. Daniel suppressed his laugh and cleared his throat. “That is not funny, Miley. Give some respect to our future Linda…”

“Thank you, Daniel.” Elise joined them by the edge of the waterfall. “That’s if she manages to find a Mate…” Daniel clasped his palm over his hand when Elise glared at him. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled while Miley laughed out without caring that she’d annoy Elise.

“You guys aren’t helping matters,” she lamented and slumped her head onto Daniel’s shoulder. He heaved a sigh as he wrapped his strong arm around her petite body. She snuggled in and hugged his torso.

“Don’t push it, Elise. Sometimes, you just have to stop worrying, wondering and doubting. Have faith that things will work out, maybe not how you planned, but just how it’s meant to be.”

Elise had her eyes closed as she smiled at the words Daniel said—this was one of the reasons why she’d never trade him for anything. He was good with words and he knew exactly what to say to make her feel at ease.

“Yes, and you should be lucky that no female werewolf in this pack or any other pack would have the guts to compete against you. You two would have to fight till one’s dead or you have to get lashed until one of you gives up. Your only quest is to find a mate, that’s all. And you’ll be the Linda of your own pack.”

Elise sat up and looked over to Miley. She was right, her pursuit was so easy. She only needed to find a Mate to be her Alpha. She never thought it was going to be hard until every single werewolf in their pack tried to pursue her into accepting him just because they wanted to be Alpha, not because they loved her.

She heaved a sigh of frustration. “What if I don’t find my mate?” She blurts out and Miley immediately hits her head. “Ouch! What was that for?” Elise glared at her.

“You will! Because you’re beautiful, intelligent, wise… you’re so independent that you don’t even need a Mate to run a pack but you can’t do that because the Alpha would kill you and kill us because he’d obviously find out we talked you into it and we told you that you’re independent…” Miley spoke breathlessly.

Elise stares at her in awe. She has never met a person that overthinks and speaks impossibilities like Miley.

“We? Hey don’t pin this on me. I have never said she was independent… no I mean you are, Elise. But I’d never talk you into running your own pack even though you’re capable of doing so on your own. But please don’t…”

“I am not running my own pack alone… no one would follow me and believe I’d be able to protect them.”

Miley and Daniel heaved a sigh of relief.

“Now…” Elise got to her feet and took off her shirt. They knew what she was about to do. “Enough with this dampening pep talks and join me.” She slipped out of her jeans and dived into the crystal-clear water. It was so cold but Elise didn’t care. She loved the water and she found swimming relaxing—especially with her only two friends.

Miley took off her clothes and squealed as she joined Elise in the water. Daniel didn’t like the idea at first but just like every other day, they always end up convincing him to join them.

He did. And it was always fun splashing water on each other’s faces and laughing about it until it gets dark or they got tired.

An hour later, they got dressed and left the waterfall. The sun was already down and it was getting dark. Elise looked at the sky as she heaved a sigh. She wanted to stay out with her friends but these days, it was impossible—not with the way the Alpha was being more protective of her. Maybe because she announced that she wanted to be a Linda when she turned eighteen in six months?

“Hey, why don’t we go by the cliff to watch the full moon before we head home?” Miley suggested. Elise and Daniel weren’t convinced. “Can’t, I have to head home before my father does. Can’t skip dinner like yesterday.”

“Yeah, me too. I have some chores to do. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” Daniel waved before parting ways with the girls.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Miley.” Elise gave her a brief hug and hurried on toward home.

Her heart beat fast as she approached their house. She could see the pack warriors and also new faces she wasn’t familiar with by the entrance. She knew it meant only two things; The Alpha was home and he had visitors from a neighboring pack.

It was rare—they hardly got along with other packs as they were in so much competition. They all wanted to be better and ahead. So, they rarely visit another pack or have them over.

For Elise, she has never been to any other pack’s territory. She only knew her pack and that was it. She always looks forward to when the Alpha visits a neighboring pack but he never takes her with him. He always told her how dangerous it was and how things might go south with the other pack.

The Alpha was always being dramatic and overreacting—she mused to herself, strolling through the entrance.

Her mother’s garnished roasted beef hits her nostrils, reminding her of how hungry she was. She smiled and hurriedly approached their eating area. “Hey, mom…” she paused at the sight of the new face.

He looked up and bored his light brown eyes at her. He was handsome from the depth of his eyes to the calm expressions of his voice. He had the kind of face that stopped you in your tracks. She had never in her countered years seen a man as handsome as the one sitting before her and also admiring her.

She let out a shaky breath and broke eye contact. She might faint if she sees his werewolf form. It must be ten times better than his form now.

Her father smiled, pleased with their first eyesight. It gave him hope for what he had in mind. He’d get what he wants and also fulfill his daughter’s wishes.

“Hunter, meet my daughter, Elise.”

Elise looked at her father as he introduced her to the man he called Hunter. She felt the urge to roll her eyes or giggle or even blush. She wasn’t sure of how to react.

Hunter gently got to his feet and Elise looked up. It was at that moment Elise noticed how tall he was. He was somewhat too tall for his build; if he was a few inches shorter, he wouldn’t be that handsome. It was as if he stopped growing only to be stretched on one of those medieval racks a half-foot more. His face was mostly obscured by a dark silky beard that clung to his skin like winter-ravaged ivy tendrils.

He meets her gaze again, not with shyness but with a blunt refusal to avert his gaze first. How odd to see those half-familiar features devoid of warmth, like they were stolen.

“Pleased to meet you, Elise.” She heard his booming voice over her head. He stretched out his hand and she briskly looked at her father. He smiled as he nodded at her.

Her mother also pushed out a smile toward her. She wasn’t at all convinced with her husband’s idea, especially knowing how their daughter was stubborn and wouldn’t budge on what she didn’t have in mind. She only hoped for the best and prayed Elise would welcome the idea.

Elise took in his hand and he kissed her knuckles. She felt the shock pulsing through her veins and how soft his lips were on her skin. It was her first time experiencing that type of feeling. It felt good. And she would trade anything to feel it again—on her lips.

Her heart felt like flying and the world seemed to stop. She managed to smile and nod her head at him. She was awe-structed by how calm he was though she could feel something off about him.

He offered her a seat before returning to his own seat.

They had dinner together and chatted while eating. The whole time Elise had her head ducked and didn’t say a word until she was asked to. She felt uneasy and her mother noticed—she grabbed Elise’s hand and squeezed it lightly. She looked up at her mother and smiled. It made her feel relieved by how her mother never ceases to hear her sorrow amid chaos.

She could never trade her mother for anything.

The Alpha cleared his throat to get their attention. Elise’s heart skipped a beat as she set her eyes on her father. She knew there was something edgy that was going to follow. She couldn’t tell what it was but she was ready for it.

“Hunter is an Alpha from a next-door pack, The Umbris Pack. He suddenly lost his wife not long ago. He is a well-respected man who has done so many great things. Out of my pack, he is the only werewolf I can say that I trust. Which is why when he asked for you to be his Mate, I agreed.”

Her brain stutters for a moment and her eyes widen as she stares back at her father. Every part of her goes on pause while her thoughts catch up.

Hunter was here because he wanted her to be his Mate, he wanted a strong female werewolf to replace his dead Linda so he chose her? Out of all the female-werewolves he could’ve chosen from his pack. He chose to shine his eyes beyond his limits and choose the only heir of the Scuris Pack Alpha’s daughter. How egotistic and heedless.

“You wanted to be a Linda, Elise and you haven’t presented a mate…”

“No! I don’t need anyone to choose my Mate. And I most certainly wouldn’t want my mate to be from another Pack… at least not his pack,” she spoke out of anger and disbelief.

“I will not have you cutting me off as I speak or talk back at me, young lady.” She could feel the heat in her father’s voice. She didn’t care. She wasn’t going to mate with someone she was not pleased with.

“My pack is filled with great citizens and I assure you…”

“Do I have to repeat myself? I said no! And you or my father or anyone else is not in the place to decide for me. I have proclaimed and that’s final…”

“Then you will never become a Linda as long as I live!” Her father yelled as he drove his fist on the table, causing her to jolt in terror. She stares at him for a moment before getting to her feet and storming out of the place.

“Elise,” her mother called out but she had already stormed into her room and locked the door.

He gently cupped her cheeks and kissed her sweetly on the forehead, eyes, nose, cheeks—lips. His lips lingered on hers as he emotionally declared his love for her. “How is it possible that I love you more today than yesterday? I’m sure tomorrow, I will love you even more."

Elise rolled her eyes and giggled at his saccharine words that never ceases to make her tummy churn with butterflies.

He didn’t stop. “My sweet Elise, you are my everything. If I lose you…” He paused as his orbs darkened with distress. He embraced her tightly as if afraid someone might snatch her away from his arms.

His eyes suddenly glowed eerily, ready to commit a bloody massacre. “If I lose you, I will bring this entire world to an eternal termination.”

He meant his words; she saw it in his eyes. It was funny to her. “Silly you, I am not going anywhere. I am yours and yours alone. Now kiss me like you’ve never done before.”

As if he was waiting, he cupped her cheeks again and joined their lips together in a tender yet frizzling kiss.

“Elise! Wake up already!”

She felt the harsh pain in her arm when her body encountered the wooden floor. She mumbled a curse as she tried to register what was happening around her.

She had just realized it was all a dream that Miley absurdly interjected and made her fall off her bed. She looked up, rubbing her sore arm and grunted. “Why are you in my room? How did you get in?”

“No one was home and your door was unlocked, so I let myself in.” She shrugged it off and settled on Elise’s bed.

Elise heaved a sigh as she slumped back on her bed, her head throbbing and threatening to split in two. Thanks to her parents—her father, rather. She spent the whole night overthinking last night’s event and God knows when she finally managed to fall asleep after hours of brainstorming over Hunter and his imprudent proposal.

“We heard the great news, congrats the new Linda of Umbris.”

Elise snapped her head toward Miley and glared at her, her orbs immediately changing from their usual blue color to blood red.

“Whoa… hey take it easy there. I… I just thought you…”

“I don’t know how or who told you guys already but I am sure it’s the Alpha. But just so you know, I rejected him. I don’t need to be a Linda for another Pack.”

Miley looked at her intensely as she sat up. Elise faced her before she continued, “I don’t need my father to choose a mate for me. I don’t need anyone to. I’m not a small kid, Miley. I deserve to choose my happy ending and who I want to mate with not… him.”

Miley was mute for a moment—it wasn’t because she was reasoning. She was shocked that Elise rejected Hunter. Everyone knew him and who he was. His pack is ten times bigger than theirs’ and he could feed them for a year without going poverty-stricken.

“You are my best friend and I love you, but you are out of your mind for rejecting Alpha Hunter. Do you know how powerful that man is? Do you know the good things that’d fall in Scuris if you accept him? Do you know what he might do if you keep on rejecting him?”

Elise shrugged and got off her bed. “I don’t have all day for this.”

**

The waterways of the woods, the blues and white lace amid the earthy hues, amid the dance of green, come together as a visual form of poetry, one read by the naked soul.

She hugged her knees to her chest as she gazed down at the lake from the moderate rock she was perched on. It felt serene to be out here despite knowing her father would be angry if he knew she comes out into the woods, close to the humans they’ve been warned about.

She has never encountered with one of them before, but from what she has heard, they were bad news. They’ve killed many of her kind.

She didn’t care…

She loved being out here, all by herself. Especially in her bad days. She needed to be alone and clear her mind from the chaos it has been for the past twenty-four hours.

She had another fight with her father before running out here. She was having a pep-talk with her mother when he overheard her bad-mouthing about Hunter and the idea of being his mate.

They exchanged words that they didn’t mean to, to each other. She hates fighting with her father… but he was sometimes a pain in the neck with his policies and overprotectiveness. It was one of the many reasons why she wanted to become the leader of herself.

She was tired of being under the rule of Alpha Anakin, her father. She loves him so dearly but most of the time she hated how he was too domineering. It sometimes made her feel as if she wasn’t going to escape from his dungeon—as she called it.

She crossed her legs and took the worn-out book she came along with. It was given to her by her grandmother before she passed away. It was a diary about their descendants and how they evolved over time.

Whenever she read it, she always wondered how they managed to survive every day, as they lived so close to the humans and they always get attacked, barely surviving after that.

She opened to the last few pages, her favorite part—where her grandmother met her grandad, the old Alpha of their pack, before her father was even born. Her grandmother’s pack was attacked and killed, leaving only her. He saved her and took her into his pack. He made her his Linda and together they became strong and undefeatable.

She would want to have someone like her grandfather. He was loving and caring. He was the definition of a dream husband. He loved her grandmother so dearly before he left for a war when she was pregnant with her father, Alpha Anakin. He never came back… he was killed by humans.

“Hey there.”

She snapped her head up and hugged the book to her chest. Terror sucked the very breath from her mouth as she stared back at the boy standing before her.

“I am so sorry to startle you like that. But I’ve been… standing here for almost a minute but you seemed distracted.”

Her eyes were still wide open and alerted. She tried to steady her breath and try to calm the panic but it was to avail. Her heart was pounding in her ears, blocking any other sound.

She has been out here so many times before but she has never encountered a human until now. A male human. He looked familiar.

She stayed in her spot and alerted. Maybe if she didn’t move. Maybe if her eye color didn’t change, he’d never suspect a thing.

He stared at her quizzically for a moment at how terrified she looked. It was unusual. “I’m Ethan. I just moved here with my parents and sister a couple of months ago.” He stretched out his hand to her but she never budged. She looked at his hand—it looked soft and welcoming but she wasn’t going to buy it.

What if she took it and he hurt her?

He cleared his throat as he shoved his hands into his pocket. She was weird, he could sense that.

“Do you live around here?” He asked, looking around. He didn’t feel like giving up yet.

She felt his voice in her stomach. That’s not good. Voices should stop at the ears but sometimes—not very often at all, actually—a voice would penetrate past her ears and reverberate straight down through her body. He has one of those voices. Deep, confident, and a little like butter.

She stood still without saying a word back. She only needed him to turn and she’d get the chance to run. Five seconds was enough for her to vanish from his sight.

She looked over his shoulder, skimming to see if he was with someone. Possibly they were waiting for her to make a move and they’d attack her. She didn’t expect to die this way. She hadn’t even said goodbye to her parents… her best friends, Miley and Daniel. Their waterfall…

“Oh, don’t worry, I came out here alone. I mean… I’m not supposed to be out here… we’re not… are you allowed out here? This is actually the first time I’ve walked further into the woods. I always stayed by the edges.” He spoke breathlessly. He was nervous by how she has been staring at him without blinking and he could swear her orbs changed whenever he blinked. Or maybe it was him going insane over how beautiful she was.

She had the appearance of soul fire sparking against the ice. In the sunset, her silver hair long and loose, reflected the sunlight as well as the bonny lake wave. It made him wonder if she dyed it to that specific color or her hair was naturally silver.

Either way, it suited her and he would do anything to touch it and feel how soft and silky it was.

“Please leave,” she finally managed to speak. At first, she needn’t to say anything. But she was afraid if she took off, he might come after her and find out where she lives, revealing her factual self.

She wouldn’t want to risk her life or her family’s.

“Your voice…” he blurted out. Her voice felt like water in the air, for it both quenched and cleansed the soul. “Sorry, I mean… I’m so sorry for making you feel uncomfortable…”

“Ethan? Ethan…”

He closed his eyes and heaved a sigh out of annoyance. It was his fifteen-year-old sister. He knew she was going to eventually come after him even after he had warned her not to come wandering into the woods.

“That’s my…” He halted when he noticed that she was gone. “F*ck…” he cursed under his breath. Just when he was about to get her name was the time his sister managed to show up and ruin it.

“What, Lily? I thought I told you not to follow me out here. It’s too dangerous…”

“Well, you shouldn’t be out here too,” she cuts in, giving him a critical look. “I am old enough and I can protect myself. But you are still afraid of monsters under your bed.”

She pinched his torso as she grunted. “They exist,” she affirmed.

“Ouch… that’s not nice. And you scared my new friend away.”

“Who? You saw a dog? A cat? Oh, oh, a bunny?”” Lily spoke gleefully, waiting for an answer but never got one. He spotted a book lying on the dead leaves, beside the rock Elise was sitting on. He took it and observed it.

“What’s that?” Lily asked but he still never gave her an answer.

“Let’s head home, Lily.” He clasped their hands together and find their way back to the farmhouse.

Elise watched them from afar. They seemed unharmful to her. Possibly because she looked exactly like them and they have no clue she was half werewolf.

She watched as they disappeared out of the woods with Ethan holding her book and checking it out.

She hopes he doesn’t find anything suspicious about her and have the thought that it was only a fantasy book. She sighed softly and also headed home.

That night, Ethan spent the night reading the book Elise had left. He read how wolves were the largest members of the dog family. Adaptable gray is by far the most common and were once found all over the Northern Hemisphere. Wolves almost never attack humans without a reason but they are always considered one of the world’s most fearsome natural villains.

What he read was so much different from what he was told and learned about them. They seem harmless unless you trespass on their territory or try to harm them.

He spent half of the night reading and pouncing over the rumors that the werewolf pack was rampant somewhere in the woods and though he thought it was nonsense, he kept a modified cricket bat next to his bed always.

The next evening, Ethan went back to the same spot, waiting to see if she’d show up so he’d return her journal like he made his mind to believe. But deep down, he only wanted to see her again, maybe this time she’d tell him more to leave her alone. Maybe she’d tell him her name and where she lives.

He had met so many girls, interacted with them. But never in his twenty years of life has he ever met a girl like her. There was something about her, something thrilling and enigmatic. She looked alarmed yet robust. He knew she was frightened probably as of the tales about the werewolves lurking somewhere in the woods.

He hopped onto the rock and rested on the spot she sat yesterday. He slowly exhaled, looking around the beautiful yet spine-chilling nature that was before him. He felt as though someone was watching him from afar—as if they were planning a death trap for him to fall into.

**

“Is he tall? Is he handsome? Does he look like us? Does he speak like us? Did you touch him…”

“Shh, Miley!” Elise hushed her as she looked around. “Keep it down. You might never know who’s watching and listening to us.” Miley rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms to her chest. “You’re overreacting, Elise. It’s just the two of us here.”

“Yes, I know that. And yes, he’s tall, handsome, he is a human so, yes, he looks and speaks like us. Did I mention that he’s handsome? I mean so attractive.”

Miley squealed as she stumped her feet out of excitement. “This is so wrong yet so right. You must go see him again. I mean, we have to go see him.”

“No, Miley. We are not doing that. I’m not going out there ever again either, because we don’t know what those human beings are capable of. And do not under any circumstances tell anyone about this—not even Daniel.”

“But,” Miley mumbled as she pursed her lips.

“No, Miley. You should understand that I trust you enough to tell you one of the most dangerous and darkest secrets, and I expect you to respect that and keep it to yourself.”

Miley nodded as she pressed her lips together.

“Whenever I’m ready to tell Daniel, you’ll be the one to break it to him, I promise.” She gave her a side hug as they walked toward home.

If Daniel found out that she had gone out into the woods and met an actual human being, and they even spoke, he’d flip. He might not tell the Alpha but he’d scold her and keep an eye on her from going back into the woods.

She would.

She would go back out there again—she was afraid but it wasn’t going to stop her from getting back her journal again… and she feasibly wanted to see him again.

He seemed nothing like what the journal her grandmother wrote. He seemed kind, soft and composed.