Page 2 of Betrayed By the Alpha Wolf

Kit was my adoptive sister, after all, and my dumb teenage self had blamed her for my parent’s death. It was stupid, especially for a kid who didn’t believe in magic, but few things teenagers do are logical.

She was there with Kaiden right now, and as I glanced over my shoulder, she smiled at me encouragingly. I was happy to bury the hatchet with her, and it was okay with me that she was with Kaiden. I couldn’t think of any other wolf I’d trust with my sister.

“With this, we open your mind to communicate your soul’s call.” Aspen stepped around to the front of the table, picking up a blade that was as thin as a needle. “And with this, your true match will be revealed.”

I held my hand out, knowing what came next, and Aspen took it in his bony grip, dragging the point of the knife across my palm. I flinched only slightly at the pain, and blood welled to the surface.

“Hold an image of your ideal mate in your mind, Grayson. Let that which your soul seeks fill your thoughts.”

Seriously, can we please get this over with?

I didn’t intend to keep a mate once I’d been chosen as Alpha. If I failed in the trials, I would be even less likely to agree to stay “mated.” Whoever this woman was—because if I had a mate, it would be a woman—she was in for a treat.

Part of me cringed at the thought. I knew that being rejected by your mate could be painful, downright excruciating,going off what Senna looked like. But I also knew you had to accept them as your mate on some level for that to happen.

If you didn’t believe it, or if you cut yourself off from that part of you, it wasn’t supposed to be as bad. At least, that’s what I hoped, considering…

Well, considering the fact that I already knew who this ceremony was going to name, and I’d already rejected her.

As Aspen took the dagger and dipped it into the urn, I couldn’t stop myself from looking toward the back of the room. My palm burned, but it was nothing compared to the nauseating ache that set up shop behind my ribs each day—each day that I woke up knowing I’d turned her away.

MacKenzie.

Her gorgeous, deep blue eyes met mine, and I could see the well of sorrow and fury she harbored for me as it sunk into the invisible depths.

She’d cut her hair. I wasn’t sure when because it had been several weeks since I’d seen her. The long swath of bouncy red curls I was used to seeing was now sitting just above her shoulders. It wasn’t unflattering by any means, but I missed the long curls and how they stretched down her back.

Get a-fucking-hold of yourself, Grayson. You don’t have time for this.

Even from here, though, I could smell that familiar fragrance of ocean and old paper. My stomach felt sick, and I swallowed hard as she glared at me. It was obvious how pissed she was, and I couldn’t blame her.

“With this joining of the flesh and the ethereal, reveal to us the mate of one Grayson Edwards!”

The knife swirled through the urn of water, and a strange glow swam up from the bottom of the vessel. It was a roiling mass of cerulean light, and as it began to hover over the urn, my jaw actually dropped. How in the hell was this possible?

Before I could think anything else, however, the blue light glided through the air until it hovered over me. It shifted down—almost like it had a mind of its own—until it was level with my heart.

Something was yanking me toward the back of the room, and I knew. I just fucking knew what this meant. And it wasn’t good.

That ache expanded, suffocating me as it pulsed stronger and stronger. I’d only felt this level of discomfort once before, and I hated that I recognized it so instantly. In a sweeping flash, the light shot out from my chest straight to the far row of chairs. Without even needing to look, I knew it landed on Kenzie.

But I couldn’t keep my eyes closed forever.

When I opened them, I saw that blue speared through Kenzie’s chest and looking as painful as I expected. She grimaced, her features screwed up tight as whatever the fuck that light was, seemed to pull her up out of her chair.

The rest of the room looked on with what I had to assume was a delighted surprise. So many faces smiled at me, even Kaiden and Jet. I would have thought that Kaiden would be a bit turned off by the idea, but considering his mate was sort of my sister, I guess he couldn’t be that upset with me.

Yet.

The light encompassing Kenzie turned a deep brownish-red and then zinged back in my direction. After nailing me in the ribs with what felt like a kick from a horse, it faded away,leaving me with nothing but the remaining sting and an even more furious glare from Kenzie.

“MacKenzie Edwards of the Edward Pack is Grayson’s preordained mate!” Aspen called out, and the room burst into cheers. “We shall arrange for a formal mating ceremony in the coming days. Until then, ready yourself for the trials Grayson. We will all see you when we reconvene for your mating.”

I was sure things could possibly get worse, but sure enough, whatever had it out for me decided to add another layer to the shit sandwich.

Kenzie shook her head before fleeing the room, and Senna noticed. Jet’s mate turned back toward me after watching the healer—my fucking mate—leave, and the disdain in her eyes was thick, grating on me like sandpaper.

Wonderful. Let’s see just how many people end up hating me after this.

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