Chapter 5: REJECTED

FOUR

They all stared at me, the wine dripping all over my dress while the mess remained on the floor.

I remained there, completely transfixed, unsure of what to say or do.

My body trembled and my lips quivered.

It was at that moment that Leo finally looked up and our eyes met.

I saw the guilt written all over his face.

He picked up his glass of wine and gulped it down before staring at the empty glass in his hand.

Then he turned away.

I looked at Peaches, my step-sister, who was seated beside him with a devious smile on her face.

She was relishing every second of this.

How could he do this to me?

How could he?

And out of everyone, why my own step-sister?

My knees buckled.

I felt like they were going to give way any moment.

"Leo."

I had no idea when I found the voice to speak.

"How can you do this to me?"

They all looked at me like I was crazy.

Then Luna Elizabeth’s voice cut through the silence, sharp as a slap.

"You clumsy, worthless girl."

She rose halfway from her seat.

I didn’t care what she had to say.

My eyes remained fixed on Leo.

"Leo, how could you do this to me?!"

This time, my voice was much louder.

A murmur went through the crowd.

Then came the gasps.

Leo looked like he was about to sweat.

His parents glared at me.

"Guards!" Trent snapped his fingers.

I saw two guards immediately start walking toward me.

"Leo, you promised me!"

That was all I could say.

"You promised me that you would choose me as your mate."

The room went completely quiet.

If a pin dropped, everyone would have heard it.

Then the room burst into laughter.

I stood there in shock.

They were all laughing.

At me.

Even the guards who had been sent to take me out joined in.

"I don’t know why you bother," Leo’s mother said, waving her hand dismissively at Luna Elizabeth. "Having a human around is already a disgrace. Look at her. She’s so delusional that she thinks my own son wanted to mate with her."

She looked me over with disgust.

"Who would want to mate with a thing like that?"

The entire room erupted into laughter again.

I felt like an utter fool.

Tears began to fill my eyes again.

For the second time that day, I felt like my entire world was falling apart.

I turned to Leo.

I expected him to stand up.

To defend me.

To tell everyone that we were in love.

That he was going to make me his mate.

That all of this was some horrible mistake.

I hoped and prayed that he would.

But none of that happened.

He remained seated.

His eyes scanned the room, looking everywhere except at me.

And for the first time, I started to wonder if everything between us had only existed in my head.

The precious moments we’d shared.

All the times he’d held me close and promised me the world.

The times he’d told me he would even fight his family for me.

How he’d promised me that what happened to my parents would never happen to us.

Had all of it been a lie?

"Clean up that mess and get out of here!" Trent hissed at me.

I stared at him.

I was so dazed and confused that I didn’t even know when I bent down and picked up the tray.

I suddenly flung it toward their table.

"You bitch!"

I heard someone scream.

I ran.

I ran out of the hall with tears streaming down my face.

I ran past everyone, ignoring their stares, and headed straight for the garden.

Then I kept running.

I didn’t stop until I reached the woods.

The moment I was far enough away from the pack house, I fell to the ground and wept.

I wept my heart out.

My chest heaved heavily as I struggled to catch my breath.

I wanted to scream.

Rip my hair out.

Slash something.

Anything.

I just wanted to wake up from this horrible dream.

I hugged myself as I cried.

What had I done to deserve all of this?

I cried until there was nothing left in me.

Then I suddenly turned.

And froze.

Two golden eyes were staring at me through the darkness.