Chapter 10
1314words
"I've told you many times, Oliver. The answer is no."
I put my phone on speaker and tossed it on the bed, letting out an exasperated sigh. As I lay where Della once did, gazing out the tiny window of her bedroom, I felt a deep sense of regret. I was still frozen in time, stuck in the memory of that day I rejected her.
I chose Flora over her, expecting my decision to upset her. Instead, she was so cold, casually accepting my choice as if it didn’t faze her in the slightest. Then, she disappeared, breaking my heart in the process.
As I relived that memory over and over again, as I lay alone, letting the pain of my aching heart spread across my chest, I realized how stupid I was. I never should have let her go.
Realizing I had lost myself once again in my sorrows, I finally spoke up to answer Oliver.
"I'm not going to the Lycan King's dinner. In fact, I don’t have it in me to be cordial with anyone at the moment. There wouldn’t be any point in attending. I’d be rude to the Lycan King and make a fool of myself."
Oliver was a close friend of mine, an Alpha from one of the packs to the west of the mainland. He was a hopeless romantic, though he came off as frivolous and had a bit of an adulterous air about him. I knew that he was doing what he could to endure, to refrain from making fun of me when I was so vulnerable. Nevertheless, I could imagine his teasing smile from his tone.
"But your Luna and sweetheart are both here. Why don't you come over?"
Hearing that Della was also present, my breath slowed and my heart skipped a beat.
"What are you talking about? Who did you see?"
"Your sweetheart Flora’s here. I just saw her."
I wondered if the buffoon had actually misunderstood me or if he found joy in teasing me like this.
"What about Della?” I pushed. “Did you see her there?"
"I did. I even kissed her hand. You should’ve seen the odd look she gave me. I suppose that means she didn’t recognize me at all. I have to say, the picture of her you showed me earlier was terrible. She looks stunning tonight!"
Hearing another man compliment my mate so openly was far from pleasant, but having more important matters to concern myself with, I wouldn’t dwell on Oliver’s tactless behavior. I frowned and continued to question him.
"Did she go with Flora?"
"No, she was with a girl I don't recognize. The two were accompanied by more guards than I could count. Is that to say you didn’t send them?"
Damn it all. Of course I didn’t!
Despite sending men to search for her, I received virtually no information on where she could have been. And now, she had somehow made an appearance at the Lycan King's dinner party, followed by warriors of unknown allegiance.
I wondered if she had found a new man so quickly, but I dispelled the thought. Even if that was the case, I would never accept it. She was mine since the day I chose her.
"Wait for me. I'll be there later," I quickly replied before hanging up. Then, I dialed my Beta, Henry.
"Henry, get the car ready. We will be visiting the Lycan King's domain."
"But the dinner have already started,” he replied in a panic, almost embarrassed to mention it. “We will arrive quite late, Alpha. And—"
"And what?" I frowned, searching through my wardrobe for a suit to wear. I had little time to waste now that I knew Della was at the banquet. I would come back to my Luna and claim her as my own. In this very bed that I had laid on, I would pin her down and give her such pleasure that she would regret ever having left my side. And all the while, her moans and pleas would fill the room.
"Margot and Flora took your invitation," Henry finally admitted.
"What? In what world would they be permitted to do such a thing? That invitation was addressed to me, the Alpha!"
"My apologies, but Flora claimed that they were your orders."
"And my Beta was such a fool that he didn’t even bother to verify with me first?!" I roared, crushing the glass of water in my hand. I threw the pieces at the window, watching the shards scatter to the floor.
"All of the Alphas were invited, surely, so my Alpha aura will be proof enough. Prepare the car. We depart in five minutes."
"Yes, sir." Henry sighed and hung up.
After some time, my limousine pulled up to the front gates of the Lycan King’s manor. I immediately opened the door and hastily stepped out to be met with Oliver. He was flirting with a woman by the flower bed, who was dressed quite provocatively for the occasion, using her as a bit of entertainment while he waited for me. Leaning against the lowered railing of the garden, he wrapped one arm around her waist, and in his other hand was a glass of champagne.
"Oliver," I called out to him. "Keep your hand where it is. If you start groping her chest, you’ll lose your damned mind and our conversation will be as good as done before it ever started."
Oliver spread his hands innocently and motioned for the girl to leave as he walked toward me. As he approached, he said, "Let me guess, you’re looking for Flora or Margot."
"Where's Della?" I asked.
"Della? Are you crazy? Since when did you care so much about that Omega? Did she finally learn the secret to seducing you? She good in bed?" Oliver asked with a coy smirk. He could be so infuriating at times.
"No, I rejected her," I blurted out, which was enough to stop his mockery for a few precious seconds.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up as if he had realized something. It was practically written all over his expression as he knowingly said, "No wonder."
"What?" I asked.
"She was just taken away, and by Prince Jackson of all people."
"Prince Jackson? Crown prince to the Lycan King?" I couldn't suppress my anxiety any longer, and my wolf could begin to feel my nerves unraveling as well. I stepped forward and grabbed his shoulders tightly, wrinkling his suit. "How did she meet the Lycan King's son? She's just a lowly Omega!"
Unsettled by my sudden outburst, Oliver threw up his hands as if in surrender.
"Calm down, Kylian! I didn't do anything to your mate, okay? And I don’t want to be the one to bring it up again, but you rejected her, correct? I can find you another Omega if you’d like."
"I don't need another Omega! My Luna has run off with another man, and I will find her no matter what!" I roared, whipping my head in the direction of the banquet hall.
Suddenly my phone vibrates in my pocket, slowing me down. I took out my phone and found that I had received a strange text message, it was a photo-
My Luna Della is cuddling with a man, intimately.
So soon she found another man? Does she want that man to fuck her?
Anger builds up roaring in my chest, I start walking again. With long strides and a quickened pace, I walked down the path to the double doors leading inside. Bright light slipped out from the cracks in the doorway, accompanied by lively jazz and a scent that I had become very familiar with. It beckoned me to chase after it even faster.
I may have rejected Della as my mate, but she was still mine. I will take her back.
