Chasing the rejected Luna

05: Upper hand

Sophia's POV

"Come here, don't you know you have to wash these dishes?" The head maid barked at me. I flinched from the tone of the voice used on me. I had woken up late again. That seemed to be new for me. I didn't know what was wrong as I clutched the hem of my worn-out gown and stared at the floor.

"I'm sorry ma'am," I whispered while avoiding the gaze of other maids in the kitchen. I knew this was some work of Dianne to make the head maid more strict with me but she could do nothing like always.

The head maid gave me one last look and stormed out of the kitchen without saying another word. And I released the breath I didn't know I had been holding. My nerves were frayed as I took shaky steps to the sink. And that was when my eyes caught up on something at the far end of the room.

"It's yours," one of the maids said when she noticed my gaze.

"Mine?" I asked and looked at the maid to be sure she was talking to me. The maid only gave me a blank look underneath which was hidden in jealousy. That couldn't be what I thought it was, was it? I asked myself and moved over to the thing that had caught my attention.

It was a bouquet and a little letter. Noticing the owner of the things had gone to where it was, all the other maids stopped what they were doing and gathered at my back to get a peek at what was in the big white nylon beside the bouquet.

I was stunned when I picked up the little paper. On it was boldly written 'Sophia'. The person couldn't be mistaken, I was the only one named Sophia who worked in the pack house.

My curiosity got the better of me as I took up the white nylon and peeked inside. It was so the other girls wouldn't know what was contained in it. They never liked me to begin with, so what's with all the curiosity?

My breath caught in my throat as my heart pounded thunderously. There must be a mistake somewhere. That was the only word that kept ringing in my head while I stared at the box of expensive chocolates. While my hand unconsciously brought it out to get a clearer view of it. I put down the box of chocolates, drowning out the whispering of the girls behind me.

And picked up the small note. The note was neatly folded into two and was handwritten.

'Hey Sophia, we didn't get to talk yesterday. So I just bought this as a little gift for our newfound friendship. I hope you like them.

From your friend and secret admirer, Ryven.'

I read the note over again trying to remember any friend that was named Ryven. But no matter how much I tried, I came up blank. My eyes caught on the bracelet on my wrists and that was when I remembered the Alpha I met the day before. It couldn't be him, right? Deep within me, I knew it was him. But why? I was just a lowly slave in the pack whom no one wanted to make friends with. I gulped down and put down the paper.

I didn't know some girls had gotten so close to me to the point they could read what was contained in the letter until I bumped into one of them.

"Sorry," the girl said sheepishly and moved away from me. Turning around, I noticed all the maids looking at me with… was that jealousy and hatred? I couldn't decipher. But one thing was sure. They hated me. But now, it seemed like they all wanted to smoothen me out with their eyes.

The bang of the door against the entrance brought my eyes to meet up with that of Alexander's blazing orbs. Not today, not now. I lamented and looked away, baring my neck in submission.

Wasn't rejecting me enough for him? Why does he have to be in the same space as me? My heart began to hurt when I remembered the rejection. I wanted to accept the rejection and move on but something always held me back. Maybe it was a form of sign that he wanted me back.

But he had already made it plain that I would never be his mate and future Luna. To make matters worse, he wanted to make me his mistress. The thought made my blood boil in anger.

Alexander strode into the room and grabbed the letter that was in front of me. Standing close to me, his smell overwhelmed my senses. I wanted to lean into him and breathe in all of him. I didn't know if I was having the same effect on Alexander because he knew how to mask his emotions well.

The noise of shredded papers brought me out of my trance as I watched in horror while Alexander pieced the letter.

"What are you doing?!" I asked and touched his hand while trying to stop him. But that made it worse as I felt the familiar tingles.

"Riding him off you. Now come with me. You have a lot of explanation to offer," Alexander said, not at all affected by the tone of voice I used on him.

Maybe he was too consumed by his anger to notice it or he didn't want to go down the lane. And what does he mean by explanation? I don't belong to him and would do as well as I pleased.

"I don't have anything to say to you," I said in a weak tone which was a sharp contrast to how I envisioned it in my head.

And also, I moved steps away from him. His eyes left mine and went to my legs while I moved. I wanted to get away from him. As far as possible from him. He was making it hard for me to think well. Let alone talk coherently.

At the last minute, Alexander's hand reached out and took hold of mine. He dragged me not so gentlemanly and the next thing, bloody placed me on his shoulders like a sack of potatoes.

The tingles were all over, running amok. I could not think. I could only inhale all of him like I was home where I belonged. I was too far gone in my world when I realized Alexander had stopped in front of his room.

I twisted out of his grasp but he was way stronger than me. He didn't bulge and opened the door. He placed me on the floor and I landed with a painful thud.

Looking up at him, I still met the same fury dancing in the eyes which I lied to herself multiple times about. I lied that I didn't want to drown in it when I had fantasies about doing so.

"What was that about?" Alexander barked at me and moved closer while I moved farther.

"I don't understand," I said with a shaky voice. At that moment, Alexander looked scary with the color of his wolf's eyes which meant his wolf was just as mad as him. For what exactly?

"Don't bloody tell me that! Why did you receive gifts from Alpha Ryven now? Are you guys a thing now?" He asked but my head only caught one word - Alpha Ryven.

Alpha Ryven was rumored to be a beast in the warfield. He had slain many enemies and had never lost a battle. His name put fear into the hearts of many. And I was included.

"Alpha Ryven?" I didn't know I had spoken that out loud until I noticed Alexander had stopped walking towards me.

I looked up and found him looking at me with something more like suspicion.

"Yes, Alpha Ryven. Don't you know how dangerous it is for you to be with him?" He asked me and I smirked.

"What do you care about now? He seems like a nice person and even nicer than you. He would never hurt one of your maids. If that's what you are worried about," I said and stood up from the floor. The pain I experienced while I was being thrown on the floor was still there but not as much.

"You belong to me!" Alexander snapped and I fisted my hands and glared at the floor.

"I do not belong to you," I said each word slowly to let it sink into Alexander.

"Oh yes, you belong to me, girl. And I would be damned to let another man take you away from me, Alpha or not." he smiled and walked closer to me.

I moved back, scared by the crazed look in his eyes while I gulped audibly. Alexander in front of me looked crazed with jealousy. He didn't want me but didn't want me to be happy either. Damn him

and the mate bond that wanted to make me run into his arms.

"You rejected me. And you don't want me to be happy with someone else. I will never be your mistress. I may be a maid but I deserve more than being a slave. I deserve-"

"Then be my Luna. Be my mate. I take you back as mine. I will renounce the rejection now. Isn't that what you've always wanted?" He stroked the side of my face when my legs came in contact with his bed. There was nowhere else to run except to look up at his eyes and the smile that stretched his lips like he had won a trophy.

"No," I said as the smile wiped off his face.

"No?" He asked me and it was my turn to smile now.

"No. I don't want that. I'm not some garbage that you can toss around. I'm a human being with feelings and emotions." Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

"Then say it. What do you want? Clothes? Shoes? Chocolates? Dates? For heaven's sake, spill it! Tell me what you want for you to take me back!" He moved away from me and punched the wall. He

was breathing hard. This was probably the first time something was not working his way which made him angry.

"Be my prince charming and I'll be yours," I said and he stopped to look at me. For a split second, I saw a ghost of a smile on his lips before it was quickly replaced by resolve.