Meg's POV
He never did hit me, but I guess he still wants the pack members to think this way. I remain tranquil, but something inside me dies. He prefers the pack to think he beat me into submission, rather than what he actually did. What sort of injuries did they think he gave me that required me to stay away for weeks? Werewolves heal fast; even if my bones were broken, I would recover in a week, whereas a regular werewolf- mere hours.
Unless they thought- a sickening emotion comes over me. Red acknowledges it as well. The pack was under the impression that the alpha punished me daily- no weekly because I am omega. And they were okay with it? And even dared to poke fun at me just now?
When the door closes behind the beta, he hisses quietly, "What the f*ck do you want? This?" He grabs at the front of his pants- the zipper area.
This fool.
Since I am used to his snake patterns by now, I grate out, "You despicable leach. You are so ashamed of me that you want them to think you abuse me, instead of being your mate?"
My wolf is taken aback by my sudden bravery and gets to her paws, whereas she'd been lying down since I decided earlier to come over here to share the news with our alpha. She's even shut Blue off as well because she was not in a friendly mood.
The Alpha's facial features flickered. "Shut your filthy mouth. I lied, okay? You're not my mate," he continues in his hissed tone, the scorn written all over his face. "That is Beth's father in there, my beta. What are you trying to do here? What is your angle? To mess things up for me?"
A flash of them in bed together as she gasps and he growls fills my mind.
And just as quickly, my shame fades away, and I feel- a numbing sort of emotion to the situation. "Whatever *sshole. I just wanted you to know I'm pregnant."
His stunned face is almost priceless, but ten seconds later, he lets out in a near-peaceful tone, "It's not mine." A furrow between his eyebrows now, his amber-brown eyes piercing into mine, causing a hurt feeling to spread inside me.
"It is." I release a short, irritated breath, folding my hands across my swollen chest. Inwardly, I flinch from the pain, but I do not show it. My mind played the sweet lies he told me, repeating inside my head, his voice, 'You're not my mate.'
I vow to remember it forever.
"Can't be," he shakes his head, laughing cynically, stepping to the side and giving me a side glance from there. "Try the delta if you're looking for the father. His scent is all over you."
My jaw slackens with the cruelty behind his careless words as a newfound rage builds inside me. Maybe I should have taken Jax up on his offer to accompany me this evening. He would of course, be saving the alpha from me.
Jax? He had the audacity to accuse me of screwing him and Jax at the same time? Jax wasn't even here when I found out this- this- terrible news. A sinking feeling enters my being.
My wolf listens in, and I can feel her sorrow for me, but she does not say anything. She dislikes our alpha a great deal, but nevertheless, she knows he is the father and thought he would have taken responsibility. Against all odds, we both hoped this, even though we both knew this would have been the outcome.
Somehow, we just knew.
Does Alpha believe that? Or is he just saying it to hurt me more because my status is revolting to him? How could a lowly omega even dare to confront him? Let alone make claims to be carrying his whelp...
But something inside me grows numb.
Dejected, I backed away slowly, nodding my head as I did so, not needing any words from him anymore. "Listen to me, Alpha- who only wants me to use his name when he's between my legs-" My face is beetroot red, I am sure from the hurtful words he has thrown at me, to my heightened emotions, at the moment.
The automated outside nightlight comes on then, and I can hear the buzzing of insects surrounding us. He backs away a bit from me, and I shiver. It's not because I am wearing an armless top, nor because of the sudden cold breeze.
I am beyond mad, and Red is tipping over, but I can easily ignore her. Jax says it was because she is weak. He told me it was the total opposite with Blue. He disclosed to me that sometimes when he is mad, Blue takes over, and there is no controlling him at times.
But he was quick to add that it only happens when the wild side is triggered and becomes a near-feral emotion. Any wolf would sense it, and it can practically trigger their brutal side to take over the human part.
It's their way of protecting us.
And right now, I could not see any emotions on display in the alpha's facial features except one. His stare is cold, almost lethal.
I feel- dirty by his accusation...just as the words were intended for me to feel. How could Jax have wanted me to tell him? I should have just gone to a clinic without saying a word. I do not want this in my stomach any more than he did- but it is what it is, innit?
Turning away from his gaze for a few seconds, I raise my chin, meeting his eyes once more. Red and I felt a switch coming off inside us. An emotional detachment. "I want you to please remember your words and adhere to them in future, dear Alpha, for I will recite them to you when need be."
He sucks in his teeth. "I reject you, and you say this? Why am I even entertaining you?" he looks back to his house, then at me, almost with a wildness in his eyes.
Reject... another blow to the gut-sinking emotion growing inside me. And I was told, again by Jax, that it is the worst pain imaginable.
The hurtful truth grows, and I feel another switch coming off again.
Backing away some more, I must have had a crazy appearance in my eyes, for he suddenly grows serious, and his hand reaches out to me, pointing, but he does not touch me. "Ay, what are you doing?"
As if reading his mind- I know it's Beth there- I say, "Don't worry, Alpha, I will not upset your perfectly planned life with your beta's daughter. We will vanish from your life."
"Good. I never want to see you again." His words were simple yet held so much meaning.
"You won't, Alpha, I promise you," I say, feeling the emptiness inside me growing.
"I'm serious-"
"Or else, I'll be in a cage?" I say dully, my eyes going to the back of the house where the shed is located. Beneath the shed is the real prison. Nobody is locked away for more than a year as punishment- the aim is to teach discipline to its occupiers. That's not the worrisome thing- the torture cages are, and both are located there.
The one time I had ventured in, I had seen the despair on a man's face who had been locked away and he begged me to release him. He said he could take no more of the gore he had been forced to witness. But I was helpless and just ran out, throwing up as soon as I reached home. It has haunted me since because the guy was Epsilon- the human-borne that shapeshifted to a werewolf. Zack has since forgotten his torment and has accepted this way of life now. He had been with the sweaty men that disappeared into the alpha's house, just now.
"Don't tempt me," the baleful tone of the alpha whose babe I carried added another sinking feeling inside me.
One last time, I searched his face- eyes, lips, breathing but nothing showed he regretted what he said to me. Slowly, I back away more from him, nodding and accepting my fate and turning and run out of the large clearing that we- they usually use for gatherings- parties, mate bonding when a wolf is new. Sometimes, they invite other packs to join in to expand the search for mates.
Soon, I am lost. The trees and paths do not seem familiar to me, but rational thinking has long left me as pain clouds my mind.
Tears sting my eyes, running down my face as I quicken my speed, heading instead towards the very dark forest instead of the sanctuary of the village.
"Shut up," I scream to Red, and she scurries away. Red loves the forest and begs me to come out every chance she gets now, and she admires the trees through my eyes. The leafy scent, the dew in the air, the fresh dirt even when it's muddied out after a rainfall- she loves that too. When I run, she is happiest, but alas, I am too weak to let her out, which is what she truly wants. I have her in a very similar situation to the werewolf from the prison cage.
Soon, she would wither away, and I would be alone. Red would die, and it's all my fault.
As if sensing my dampened mood, rain starts pouring.
Great. Just what I need. At least the rain will hide the hot tears that are rolling down my cheeks, I think to myself.
What feels like an eternity later, I am suddenly washed with a slow sensation, and I lie flat on my back, on the wet earthen floor, uncaring for insects and such. My eyes become heavy, and the pleasure intensifies as if in my blood- excitement.
And just like that- everything started making sense.
My eyes widened when I recalled Jax's words to me earlier when I finally comprehended the reason why I sometimes got this feeling of- uh...I moan and suck in a deep breath, my legs opening wide. My teeth bite into my bottom lip, and I hear a moan escape my mouth.
Yeah, that.
Whenever I felt this way was when my mate was in pleasure- that's why even when I saw him with Beth, I was disgusted to my core, yet a feeling of bliss passed through me... The sweet ecstasy that washes over me now is my mate's pleasure moment. The alpha is f*cking Beth as I lay on the cold dirt floor staring up at the moon...
Turning over to my side, I throw up.