Rejection on the Alpha #1

09. Challenge Accepted

(New and edited)
CHAPTER 9: Challenge Accepted

I stared into a deep abyss, it felt familiar in a way. Lips indented a kiss against my inner wrist, decorating my skin with light. They could have been considered to be butterfly pecks that he thought were attractive, if I wasn't so sure he'd hit or attack me later.

I eyed Martin, we were both healed in a matter of minutes, but that didn't change the fact I could feel him in my veins now. It terrified me the most, that I could enter his thoughts as if walking through a doorway, like it was easy now, and that he could do the same. His wolf purred, it was soft and quiet, but very much a presence in my own mind. It felt sickly like spiders, cobwebs, fangs and blood. Everything horrifying all coloured in my mind.

"We need to alter the clan systems, Alpha." Vulcan initiated, turning around the bend of the library table. I didn't think he had much of a rank, yet he spoke freely to Martin, but while I wasn't invisible, I didn't claim a rank here. I'm only a bloody prized, breeding cow for the leader beside me. No matter his caressing touches or side-glances, I was never, ever an equal, wherever I stood. Wherever I was now. He brushed his fingers over my mark, the mark he left on me. It stained like blood without the crippling red mess. The scar tissue formulated an invisible connection, if it hadn't, then the scar would have healed and there wouldn't be evidence of anything there in the first place. He wouldn't have forcefully bonded to me. The scar was a permanent reminder now.

"We'll deal with it later." Martin's tone of voice was flat, as stale as moldy bread.

We'll deal with it without present company.

I pulled my hand out from his, "I'm finished with my meal anyway." I muttered, leaving him without a spare glance in the direction of any member who eyed me with disdain, because they believed I was the cold-hearted villain who never gave Martin a chance. I never gave the bond a single thought. For that, I was painted as the enemy here.

I couldn't care about their thoughts on that, I cared about whether I would be assaulted in my sleep, whether he'd shove me in his demonic cage again for retaliation of stabbing him and henceforth me. The bond had snapped into place like a puzzle piece on a board. The image had been so blurry, so unclear, but memorizing...to them at least. Because they thought this was an honour and a privilege.

I couldn't connect to the abusive son of a bitch watching me from behind.

He could insert a bond.

He could bite and order, demand and force all he wants.

I would never not stop, and I would find the truth behind the binding. The tricky thing was, I couldn't remember what was shared in that library, the one I stepped into now as if I'm sneaking in again. I stared at the chair I recalled sitting on. The book I had, the information I was reading about, but when he came in, when he sat down, when he told a story I can't even remember now...something happened.

The bite, but I don't remember how it happened. I know why it did, but the 'how' was an image in my mind, a memory I couldn't locate. My computerised brain, it locked the file, an outside hacked it. That outsider—Martin Julius.

When I said his name, it feels wrong though.

Julius, I knew he overtook the first leader, 'how' was a simplified version of a duel, a challenge and then a terrific death of the vile Alpha, overthrown by Martin. Witnesses secluded to those who lived here, it was supposedly considered a fair fight. No fight, however, was ever fair.

He wasn't thrusted into the spotlight for winning the challenge, instead, his decorative, dangerous reputation proceeded itself over the years and soon he just became a global supernatural figure, and that was it. It was declared, accepted and understood. Accepted by the council. Declared by his clan, this clan. And understood by everyone outside of those two groups. I hadn't cared about him, until now.