Page 28 of Rejection to the Alpha King's Daughter

“He treats me as an equal, as a strong she wolf despite my size. I am one of few wolves that can best him and because of that he respects me.” I continue, a small smile growing on my face as I think about the tattooed silent wolf that always stood beside me, never behind nor in front.

“You always stood in front of me, never giving me a chance to grow. I need you to now stand behind me, to let me grow and become a strong Queen.” Turning back, I try toignore the hurt in Matrix’s eyes as I take a deep breath.

“I know my words hurt, but we can’t continue the way we have. I can’t hide behind my pack - my family - for protection.” I continue, knowing that my words will sting Matrix even more.

“You love him, don’t you.” It’s a statement, not a question.

“I do, Trix. You will always be my best friend. The wolf that protected me when I needed it. What we have is gone now because we are not the same as we once were.” I confirm, wanting to reassure my friend.

“But.” This one word is whispered and my heart breaks, seeing the pain in his eyes.

“But with Albot, he treats me as his equal. He respects me as a powerful wolf and accepts me for who I am.” I can see him mulling over my words before he closes his eyes and stands, walking towards the door. He pauses halfway reaching for the handle before turning to look at me with sad eyes.

“Thank you for talking to me, Crysta. If you don’t mind, I need some time alone.”

“Take your time, Trix. I’ll always be your friend.” With that, I watch him walk out the door before I allow the tears to fall. This conversation hurt more than I thought it would, and a distance between me and Matrix grew. I just hope I don’t lose my best friend.

Strong arms lift me from my chair and I instinctively wrap mine around the owner, taking in Albot’s scent. “It’s just us, Crystalline. You can cry.” He whispers soothingly, and cry I do.

?Chapter 21-A Hidden Spy?

Staring at the photos on my desk sent by Atticus, I sigh. It seems my hunch was right with not trusting her. Suddenly, the door to my office is thrown open and a frazzled looking Matrix walks in, his hair in disarray and his clothing crumpled. I haven’t seen him since last week when Maya and he got into a fight.

“Crysta, I need your help.” He starts, closing the door before pacing the length of the room. Putting the photos into the folder, I wait for Matrix to settle down and explain, even though I would like to yell at him for entering without knocking. He knows the rule of not barging into my office. I listen to him muttering to himself, running his fingers through his hair before plopping onto the chair in front of my desk with a pained groan.

“It’s Maya. She has been demanding I mark her for over a year, but I can’t. Something feels wrong when I am with her.” He complains. Studying his face, I see just how haggard my friend has become since last week, his eyes holding an array of emotions. With a small smile, I grab a water bottle from my mini fridge and walk around to sit beside him.

“Matrix, take a deep breath.” Placing a hand gently on his shoulder, I try my best to calm his frazzled nerves.

“I need you to start from the beginning.” With a sigh, Matrix takes the offered drink and chugs it in one go and place the empty bottle onto the desk.

“For the last year since meeting Maya, our relationship never felt right. I have tried multiple times to mark her, to claim her as mine, but something inside me stops me from doing anything.” Running his fingers through his hair again,Matrix stands and begins pacing the length of my office.

“It feels forced, like we aren’t meant to be, but I can’t deny the mate pull even if it is faint.” He stops, looking out the window with a pained growl. I want to rush to him, to give my friend a hug, but doing so may make him feel worse.

“And then I started training with Marcie and it just feels so right with her.” He continues, turning to lean against the glass and look at me with pained filled eyes.

“Help me make sense of this, please?” With a sigh, I motion for Matrix to sit again, reaching for the folder on my desk. He watches me, most likely debating on if he wants to hear what I have to say, before returning to the chair he vacated.

“Before I share what I have learned, do you think Maya is your true mate?” I ask him. I need to know if he genuinely believe Maya and him are meant to be, or if there is a chance she is playing him.

“I don’t.” He sighs. His shoulders slump in defeat and the taste of heartbreak lingers in the air.

“Then I think you should know she is a spy for Alexander. Atticus with the help of Heidi had a Rogue pretend to be a liaison for the network Coro has. Maya has been keeping tabs on me and sending information to Coro. Some we let slip through, others we take and tweak the information.” I begin, taking out the photographs one by one and handing them to Matrix. I can see the fury in his eyes, the pain and hatred for a she-wolf he thought was his mate.

“Why didn’t you tell me before?” I wince as he directs his anger to me, watching as he throws the pictures onto the desk and start pacing once more.

“I wanted to, but I had no idea how you would react or if you would believe me. I needed to wait, for the good of the pack.” Taking a deep breath, I pull out one last picture andwait for Matrix to pace past me before handing him the final picture.

“I believe this witch is the reason why you think she is your mate.” I state, sighing as I hand him the picture of Maya meeting with a witch, one I learned is a descendant of Avilla.

“Why would a witch be involved?!” His fingers grip the paper, clutching it so hard that he nearly tears the edges.

“Because this witch specializes in dark charms. Do you know if Maya wears a piece of jewelry, one that she never takes off?” My words have his pacing faltering, his brows furrowed as he thinks. Waiting patiently, I get up and take out a moonstone ring from a safe with the stone set in silver. With a smile, I carefully walk towards Matrix who’s eyes snap to mine.

“There is this ring... It’s solid gold with rubies in it.” I nod, taking his right hand and sliding the ring onto his middle finger, the smell of moonflowers filling the air.

“I have a feeling that’s a charm, like this one. Cassandra taught me how to harness my powers that I inherited from my mother to make these. What I need you to do is kiss near the ring. If it smells sweet like candy or rancid like decay, then that is why you believe she is your mate.” I explain, relief settling inside me as my fingers circle the stone in the ring.

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