Chapter 224- Rejected

Chapter 224: 224- Rejected

Arabella’s POV:

When I stepped out of Elder John’s office, I glanced down at the file in my hand.

Strange!

The same file had felt so heavy when I’d walked into that office, as though I were carrying the weight of everything my mother had suffered. But now, it felt almost weightless.

My heart, however, was a different story.

I had finally done it. After all the planning, the sleepless nights, and the countless times I’d wondered whether I was making a terrible mistake, I had finally achieved what I’d come here for.

I was the Alpha of Blackthorn Pack.

I should have been jumping with joy, or at least smiling like an idiot. Instead, there was this strange heaviness in my chest that I couldn’t explain. I wanted to cry, but the tears wouldn’t come.

Maybe I was still trying to believe it myself.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I almost walked past Toby, who was pacing outside the office with his arms folded tightly across his chest. He looked like a nervous parent waiting outside the principal’s office, wondering what trouble his child had gotten into.

The moment he spotted me, he stopped pacing and hurried over.

"Ara! What happened?" he asked, searching my face for some clue. "You’ve been in there for so long. Is everything okay?"

He had no idea why I’d gone inside, yet he hadn’t asked a single question. All he seemed to care about was whether I’d succeeded in whatever I’d come here to do.

"Nothing." I shrugged, giving him a blank look because I genuinely didn’t know what else to say.

Toby studied me for another moment. I could tell he had a hundred questions, but thankfully, he didn’t start throwing them at me.

"Well, whatever you went in there for, did you get it done?" he asked, his voice much gentler this time.

I nodded without saying a word.

That seemed to be enough for him. He gave my shoulder a reassuring pat before slipping an arm around me and pulling me against his side. "Come on, then. Let’s get you out of here."

I let him guide me toward the exit, grateful that he wasn’t demanding an explanation. Toby could be annoyingly curious when he wanted to be, but he also knew when to leave me alone.

And for some odd reason, I suddenly thought of Maya. Shouldn’t she have been here too?

Not that I was complaining about Toby being here. In fact, I hadn’t expected him to wait outside the office at all, like some overprotective mother hen waiting for her chick to come out with its report card.

The thought almost made me smile.

But whenever I’d imagined this day, I always pictured Maya beside me.

Maya, who would have screamed loud enough for the entire council building to hear. Who would have hugged me until I couldn’t breathe and probably insisted we celebrate with something ridiculously expensive, even if neither of us could afford it.

She was the person I’d always imagined sharing my happiest moments with. And now that one of the biggest moments of my life had finally arrived, I found myself wishing she were here.

***

By the time we reached the Alpha’s residence, Dante and Ava had already left with Vanessa to take her to the hospital. Apparently, they’d started panicking when her condition didn’t improve and decided she needed proper medical attention.

I wasn’t worried, though. By now, Vanessa’s condition should have stabilized. The medicine Chloe had given her was only meant to cause temporary discomfort, nothing that could harm her or the baby. We’d made sure of that beforehand.

I was about to knock when the door opened, revealing Chloe standing on the other side. Still dressed in an Omega uniform, she immediately searched my face, hoping to find some clue about what had happened at the council office.

But I wasn’t ready to tell her. Not yet.

I slipped past her and hurried upstairs, heading straight for the bathroom. There was someone else I wanted to share the news with first.

Maya.

She was my best friend, and after everything we’d been through together, I couldn’t imagine telling anyone else before her. I wanted her to be the first person to know.

Once inside the bathroom, I closed the door and quickly pulled my phone out of my purse. I dialed her number, but the call kept ringing until it disconnected. I tried again, and still no response.

Maybe she was busy at the café. I opened our chat and typed a message.

"Can you please answer my call? It’s something important. Really, really important, and I can’t wait to share it with you."

I sent it and waited, checking the screen every few seconds.

A minute passed before someone knocked on the bathroom door. "Ara, are you alright?" Toby called from outside.

"I’m fine, Toby. I’ll be out in a minute," I assured him, keeping my attention on my phone screen. Just then, three little dots appeared beneath my message.

Maya was typing.

I was sure she’d call me now, especially after reading how important this was. But instead, another message appeared.

"Hey, sweetheart! I’m in the middle of a meeting. Can we talk this evening? Things have been crazy here without you. The café’s getting more customers every day, and I’m seriously thinking about taking your advice and hiring a manager. I think it’s time we both sit back a little and enjoy the money we’re making."

I read her message twice.

Any other day, I would have been thrilled to hear that our café was doing so well. We’d worked hard for it, and the thought of finally being able to enjoy our earnings without running around all day was wonderful.

But today, I could barely concentrate on what she’d written. My eyes began to sting, and I blinked a few times before typing another message.

"Maya, please. Just one minute. I promise it won’t take long. I only need to tell you one thing. One sentence, that’s all. After that, we can talk this evening, or tonight, or tomorrow, or even the day after tomorrow. Whenever you want. But please, just give me one minute."

I hit send and immediately called her again. This time, she rejected the call.