CHAPTER 2 Rejection

Amelia's POV

No! My fate couldn't be this worse!

My mate is my biggest enemy who along with his parents has been after my life. Mates are regarded as gifts but for me, this was worse than a curse. I had my face covered with the tattered scarf that I was wearing. My grip over the scarf tightened and my eyes passed a shaky glance at Elijah.

I was just praying to the Moon Goddess to have pity on me and not let Elijah discover me. I would be the first she-wolf who might be praying not to be discovered by their mate.

Elijah was getting desperate as he walked across the queue. A spring of joy could be seen all over his face. The way he walked frantically following my scent showed how desperate he was to find his mate. When he was just a few werewolves away to reach me, I knew that was it. I couldn't escape and I was just hoping that he would not recognize me.

"Mate!" Elijah's impatient voice cut through the air, and I instinctively lowered my head, desperate to hide my trembling and maintain a facade of normalcy. My heart leaped in my chest as Elijah abruptly halted in front of me. Tears welled up in my eyes, yet I fought to project an illusion of strength. Without hesitation, he took hold of my hand, yanking me out of the queue. Concern spilled into his voice as he questioned, "Mate, why are you dressed like this?"

His hands roamed over my body, causing an unsettling jitteriness to course through me. The once-quiet werewolves in the queue began to whisper, their words condemning and judgemental, aimed at my tattered clothes. I expected Elijah to join in, to criticize me, but instead, I was met with genuine concern.

The silence that greeted his inquiry seemed to unnerve him, and suspicion crept into his voice as he asked, "Why are you hiding your face?"

My fingers clung tightly to the scarf, knowing it was my only shield against the world. Yet Elijah extended his hand, forcefully gripping the fabric. I resisted, my resistance fueling his growing suspicion. With a harsh tug, he tore the scarf away, exposing my face to the world.

As the scarf fell to the ground, he reached forward, shoving strands of my hair behind my earlobes, his hands tenderly cupping my face. In that moment, I caught a glimpse of the happiness radiating from him, but it all shattered in a single heartbeat. His once-soft expression hardened, his gaze transformed into an icy glare, and through gritted teeth, he uttered, "Amelia?!"

He was angry and at the same time shocked to discover me, his enemy as his mate. My mind went numb, I didn't know what I should do. All I could see ahead of me was darkness and no hope called life. Yes, I felt this was my end.

Elijah, whose touch had been tender moments ago, turned into a monstrous figure, forcefully grabbing a fistful of my hair, as if trying to exert control and dominance. His words pierced through me like daggers as he spat venomously, "How the fuck could you come to this sacred ceremony, huh? Are you really here to curse and bring harm upon me, too?"

In that moment, a wave of excruciating pain washed over me, both physically and emotionally. My vision became blurred, obscured by an overwhelming rush of tears streaming down my face, a torrent of despair and anguish. Elijah's grip tightened, causing me unbearable agony, as he callously twisted my body towards the crowd and growled, "Look, everyone! This wretched creature has the audacity to grace my ceremony with her presence, aiming to curse and taint this sacred occasion!"

Helplessly, I shook my head and clasped my trembling hands together, desperately pleading for mercy. Yet, all I received in return were the contemptuous gazes of those around me, their eyes filled with repulsion and disgust. Elijah, relentless in his cruelty, yanked my hair even harder, his scowl deepening, as he barked, "She roams freely, unpunished, after taking the life of my beloved sister."

Despite the overwhelming fear and pain, I summoned the strength to find my voice, to defend myself against the unjust accusations hurled at me. Trembling, I mustered the courage to speak, my words quivering with raw emotion, "I didn't kill Skylar... I didn't..."

My voice, filled with genuine anguish and desperation, unsettled Elijah momentarily. In a fit of anger, he forcefully pushed me away, the intensity of his actions mirroring the storm raging within him, and he erupted, "How can we possibly trust a sinner like you?"

Turning his head toward the crowd, he announced, "This bitch was able to escape from conviction because we didn't have any evidence against her but now I have decided that she will be executed in one week. Till then, she would be locked in the dungeon that is located amidst the woods. I can't let her sin affect my packhouse in any way, so she wouldn't be locked up in the packhouse dungeon! Guards!"

I saw some guards coming and he ordered, "Take this bitch away!"

No. This was unfair!

They couldn't kill me for the crime I did not commit. I crawled toward Elijah and grabbed his feet and begged for mercy but he fiercely pushed me away and the guards were about to take me away but that was when he growled, "Wait!"

Looking toward me in the most gruesome way, Elijah scoffed, "A she-wolf who killed my sister can never be my mate,"

My chest heaved as I kind of figured out what was coming from his mouth next.

"I, Elijah Hernandez, Future Alpha of the Blue Moon Pack, reject you, Amelia Green of the Blue Moon Pack!"

That rejection ached my heart and I ran out of breath for a second. Though he was my enemy, he was also my mate, and sensing the mate bond breaking from his end broke my heart as well.

He stomped his foot over my backhand and I screeched in pain. His booming voice overshadowed my scream, "Accept this rejection, or else…"