Chapter 2

Lexi.

“Conri…?” I whisper and stop as the words choke in my throat. How could he do this to our bond? He looks at me in shock–as if just realizing I’m there. It seems the haze of the sex he’s having has washed over him that he can’t even perceive my scent, though I’m in the same room with him. But that look of shock leaves immediately as disgust takes over his expression.

“What is she doing here, Conri?” An annoyed female voice sounds and I look at her. I stagger backwards as Penelope scowls at me. “In case you didn’t notice, you are disturbing our fun. Now if you will, get out and give us the privacy we need.”

A ringing noise fills my ears and I’m so angry I think I’m going to explode. I clench my hands to fists behind me, trying to calm myself down. It wouldn’t do me any good to go haywire on the both of them right now.

Even though I’m pretty confident I can knock Penelope on her ass anytime, anyday, I’m wary of the new powers she got today due to the Alpha title and powers that got transferred to her during the ceremony.

And Conri is the Beta’s son so he has been training all his life like me, maybe even longer. I try to get my wolf to see reason and she calms.

I notice Penelope gets out of the bed and approaches me naked, her face stony. “I don’t think you heard me, Lexi. I said you should get out of here now.”

I look over at Conri who doesn’t even bother hiding his irritation at me. It is clear that he also wants me to get out but I need answers. After all, he’s my mate. I need to know if he has been doing this for long, or if something has changed between us.

“And what the hell are you still waiting for?” Penelope growls. She is just one step away from using her Alpha voice on me, and I don’t want her to. It’ll be very humiliating for me.

So I turn to the door, every step I take cutting through my heart like a knife. I’m almost out of the bedroom when Penelope talks again.

“You know I watched you as you trained to become the Alpha. Oh it was hard not to tell you that you shouldn’t bother sacrificing your happiness for something that was never yours. I doubt you would have listened anyway.”

I can hear her footsteps drawing closer as she steps up directly behind me and I shiver with the need to shift farther away from her.

“Do you know how annoying it is to always be compared to you by the pack members whenever they think I’m not listening?” She laughs dryly and I can tell she’s pained.

“You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this ceremony–to see the look on your face when you find out that the title you have been working hard to get was mine. But even then, you still bewitched the pack members into thinking you will be a better Alpha than me. They were telling Daddy after the ceremony. Do you know how that makes me feel, you witch?” She lashes out with her hand but I quickly dodge it, my body already in tune with the environment.

I spin around to face her, fire burning in my eyes. I wanted to leave her alone before but now, she was going to pay. I move forward, letting my anger fuel me.

“You are just a scared little girl, Penelope, who doesn’t even know the first thing about being an Alpha. And you should be scared of me. You know why?” I taunt as I move around, keeping her within my eyesight. Conri doesn’t bother leaving the bed, he just watches us but his whole body is alert for a fight.

I continue as I assess both of them. “Because the pack members are right and you know it. You will never be half the Alpha I am, even though you are the one with the title. You don’t even know your people, Penelope and if I were the pack members, I would hide my sons and mates from you because that is the only thing you know how to do. Do you know the name your people will call you behind your back? Philandering Alpha…”

Penelope growled as she swiped at me but I blocked the blow, a taunting grin on my face. After several attempts without landing a single blow, she called. “Conri.”

He immediately stripped the cover cloth off him and came to stand beside her. He heart ached as I yearned to touch him but I was paralyzed to the spot by the poisoned look he gave me.

“Do it now,” Penelope commanded. Before I could make sense of what she wanted him to do, Conri began reciting the rejection oath.

“I, Conri Hamilton, Beta of Dynamite pack reject you, Lexi Adawolf…” At this point, it dawns on me that Conri is about to break our mate bond.

“NO!” I scream as I go down on my knees, my heart beating widely in my chest. It feels like someone is stabbing me continuously. Conri doesn’t stop though and when he is done, I look up at him from the floor with tears in my eyes.

“Why are you doing this?” I ask bitterly. “Please just tell me why, Conri. Please.” A flash of pity and remorse flashes through his gaze but it is gone in a second as he hardens his face at me.

“I never loved you, Lexi. You were always principled, boring and always wanting to put your people first–as you called it. You never had time for me in your busy schedule. The only reason I stuck around was because of the Alpha title I thought you were going to get. Imagine my surprise and happiness when the title was finally given to the love of my life.” He pulls Penelope closer to him as he kisses her in front of me.

My wolf can no longer bear it as she comes out, forcing me to forcefully transform. I watch in helplessness as she takes full control of my body and rushes at Penelope.

But before she could get to her, Penelope lifts a hand and says in her Alpha voice. “Change back, you dirty mutt.”

My wolf whimpers as she lands on the ground mid stride. She tries to go against the order but the effort is futile so she goes back in. I’m naked as I sob on the floor, my humiliation reaching its peak.

“Do you see how easy it is to force you to do something now, wannabe Alpha?” Penelope mocks me as she circles me on the floor. I try to stand and walk away with the rest of my dignity but my ankle is twisted due to the bad landing made by my wolf.

“Now listen here, Lexi. I don’t want to see you on my land anymore. It doesn’t matter if mother and father want to keep taking care of you like they’ve been doing all these years, I am now the Alpha and believe me, if I see you on my land by dawn, you will not live to plead your case. Do you understand me?” She bends to study my face and I nod, dreading what the days to come will bring.