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Chapter 7

Ashley

I sat on my bed in my room, lost in thought. The dream I had last night kept hunting me

"I reject you as my mate Ashley" his voice harsh no softness in them he looked at me with disgust in his eyes.

Why do I have to get rejected every time? The lycan king was my mate, and then he rejected me. Till now, all I could feel was pain digging right inside my heart. It felt like my heart had been stabbed by a knife with the thought of it.

It made me remember when my stepmother maltreated me so badly. She only saw me as a slave, nothing more, and my dad did absolutely nothing about it—in fact, he sided with his wife. Something boiled inside me, like anger. I badly wanted to be stronger and show all of them that I'm not the weakling they think I am.

I stood up from my bed and walked to the window. I opened it, staring at the moon. "I wonder how you are doing up there, Mom," I mumbled, looking at the stars. Maybe if my mom was still alive, things might be different.

A heavy knock landed on my door, bringing me back to reality. "It's open," I said as the tall man walked into my room. Conan, his hair now freely touching his shoulders, studied my body before looking straight at me.

"You haven't come outside since yesterday. I thought maybe we should go on a hunt," he said. I nodded my head in approval. I was tired of being inside all day.

"Yes, I'd be happy to," I muttered as he nodded his head.

"Meet me downstairs," he said, then left. I couldn't ignore it, but there was a look in Conan's eyes whenever he looked at me—with so much softness and want. There was no disgust in them, and he talked calmly to his men.

I immediately changed my clothes, stripping off my previous outfit and putting on a pair of short jeans and a crop top. Gritting my teeth, I remembered he had said "hunting." I had never hunted in my life. I rushed downstairs to tell him this was my first time going into the woods to hunt.

Conan faced away from me, slipping one of his hands into his black pants while his right hand held a watch. He had changed his clothes, now wearing black pants and a black T-shirt.

He studied me for a while before walking up to me, his hand still in his pocket. "You look beautiful, Ashley," he said, and I felt my cheeks heat up. Something inside me wanted the compliment to come from King Zade, but deep down I knew it would never happen. He wouldn't dare compliment a weakling like me.

"Thank you, Alpha," I muttered, biting my lip tenderly. He grinned at me and said, "Please, call me Conan."

"How can I possibly call you just Conan? You are the Alpha of this pack, and calling you by your name seems disrespectful," I replied.

"Let's go," he said, avoiding my question as he resumed walking.


My legs were sore from walking for hours, only goddess knows how long. "Conan, I can't do this"My legs are shaking from the long walk,"

"Let's rest over there," he said, pointing at a huge stone opposite his direction. I ran fast with the little strength left in me, my stomach making different noises as Conan burst out laughing.

"Don't tell me you skipped breakfast," he said, and I rolled my eyes at him.

"I've been meaning to ask, why did you help me and take me in without further questions?" I asked.

"In my pack, we have great respect for our females. We treat them with love and care, so you can't blame me if you think I'm being too soft on you," he replied, and I admired his nice personality.

"I won't lie to you, I've been wondering what you were doing wandering in that deep forest in the middle of the night. If we hadn't come in time, only the heavens know what would have happened to you," he said, and I felt the worry in his voice as he spoke.

Before I could reply, he pushed me down, bending my head as I sat behind the rock. He brought out his arrow, focused on a leopard, and aimed. "Do not make a sound," he whispered. He let go of the arrow, and it struck the leopard, causing it to fall flat on the ground.

He laughed loudly, victorious, as he ran to check if the animal was still alive. I didn't move from my hiding spot. Watching him from afar "Come," he shouted, as I stand up from where I was hiding and I ran towards him.

"Just one shot and it's dead," he said, praising himself. I rolled my eyes at him.

"I bet I can do that," I said, though deep down I knew I couldn't even kill a cockroach. I started laughing at my own words.

"When there's enough time, I can teach you how to hunt," he said.

"Well, there's something I'd like to learn," I replied.

"What's that?" he asked, bringing his hand to the leopard's nose to check if it was still breathing.

"I'd like for you to train me," I said, capturing his full attention as he raised an eyebrow.

"Why?" he asked.

"People think I'm weak because I am an omega. My mate even rejected me because I didn't meet his standards. He looks at me as a weak omega," I said, trying not to let the tears that had gathered in my eyes fall. I immediately wiped away the few tears that escaped, bending my head down so Conan wouldn't see how weak I felt.

He brought his hand to my face, wiping away my tears. His hand was warm and soft on my skin. He lifted my chin to face him.

"Do not ever assume you are weak. You have a kind and good heart, and that's what I admire about you, Ashley," he said. I couldn't help it and burst into tears as he pulled me into his chest, stroking my hair and allowing me to cry in his arms.

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