Page 6 of Rejected By the Alpha

“Alphas Jasper and Nile send their best regards,” I began. “They offered to accompany me today, but I thought it would be best to keep the focus on Leah. It is her big day, after all.”

“It’s no matter. The guest list was limited, and the ceremony shouldn’t take long,” Lex replied.

“Of course,” I replied, unsure what to say.

There was something odd about how they were discussing the event, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Most women looked forward to their mating ceremony and wanted to have as many pack members as possible in attendance. Aside from a werewolf’s first change, finding a mate was the most important day of our lives.

“Once you and our daughter are settled, my mate and I can’t wait to meet your pack,” Leah’s mother said to me.

“Um, yes, of course,” I replied, faltering uncomfortably as she laced her arm through mine. “It may take us some time to be ready for visitors, but I’m sure Leah will be looking forward to it. And myself, of course.”

“You’re so right, Alpha. There’s so much work to be done in the first few months of marriage. Especially during an arranged marriage like this one,” Leah’s father said.

“But we know you will be very pleased with our Leah,” her mother added. “She’s such a hard worker.”

I delicately untangled myself from her and moved closer to Lex’s desk. As much as I realized the importance of getting to know Leah’s family, there were more important things at the moment.

“Before the ceremony, I want to make sure that nothing has changed in regards to your alliances within Pinedale,” I said to Lex. “Although I am no longer a member of the Dark Moon Pack, I retain an alliance with Alpha Jasper, which I am honor-bound to maintain.”

“They remain unchanged,” Lex assured me. “And as long as you marry Leah today, then you will have an alliance with us as well, Alpha Killian.”

I heard Lex’s slight stress on my new title. When we had spoken about my intention to marry Leah, he’d seemed surprised that I would leave Jasper’s pack behind. Only promises that I was intent on marrying the Sparkle Hollow female to bolster the peace between the packs had been enough to convince him I wasn’t hellbent on a regional power grab. Based on his tone, it seemed that he still had some reservations on that score.

“It’s not often that a new alpha comes out of an established pack without a political rift or bloodshed,” Lex pointed out. “Our allies and I will be making sure it remains that way.”

I bowed my head to indicate my awareness of his veiled threat. It wasn’t necessary, as my main goal in becoming alpha was to win Leah as my mate, but the power of being an alpha meant I would have to be political now as well.

“I think it’s time we got this contract completed,” Leah’s father said.

I glanced at Leah and noticed she was still fuming at the idea of binding herself to me. But there was nothing I could do to back out of it now. I was an alpha now, and the peace between Sparkle Hollow and the three packs of Pinedale now hinged on me going through with the marriage ceremony—no matter how much my future mate detested me.

As I followed Leah’s parents and Alpha Lex out of the office and toward the courtyard with Leah on my arm, I knew that I wouldn’t back out even if there was nothing on the line. Leah was everything I had ever dreamed of. Somehow, I would find a way to break through her rough exterior and make her remember her love for me.

“You realize they haven’t even used your name once, right?” Leah asked quietly as we left the pack house, the sunlight shining down on us.

I hadn’t realized it. I had been too busy focusing on not making a fool of myself in front of her and heard only half of what her parents were saying.

“What have they been calling me?” I asked.

“Alpha,” she replied. “That’s the only reason we’re here, you know. They didn’t want a mate for me. They wanted power for themselves.”

“Too bad for them that they won’t be getting any,” I muttered.

I didn’t know the whole story of what had transpired between Leah and her parents, but I could tell that they didn’t care for her the way she deserved. After seeing how they ignored her wishes and bargained her off to any alpha they could find, I was even more determined to do the right thing. She deserved love, and I would make sure she got it.

In the courtyard were a handful of Sparkle Hollow wolves. When we entered, Leah’s parents were greeted with warm smiles and kind conversations as they joined the crowd while Lex walked to the arbor at the end of the garden. The wooden trellis was overgrown with blue morning glories that let off a faint fragrance.

Leah continued to ignore my glances as we joined Lex there and prepared to say our vows to each other. I wished she would look at me the way she had before, but I knew I had a lot of work to do before she would open her heart to me again.

“Thank you for gathering here today for the mating ceremony of Alpha Killian, formerly of the Dark Moon Pack, and Leah Smith,” Lex began.

The crowd halted their conversations as he started the ceremony, but they continued shifting on their feet. It was clear that none of them were excited about Leah’s marriage. I wondered why they were here instead of her close friends. Now that I thought of it, I couldn’t remember if she had ever mentioned any friends. Perhaps there had been one, but I couldn’t remember her name.

“Killian, you may say your vow,” Lex said.

“I, Alpha Killian Stone, take you, Leah Smith, to be my mate,” I said.

I felt a faint thread of energy leave my body as I said the words. It wasn’t overpowering, but noticeable. I wondered if the mate bond would strengthen over time or if this feeling was what everyone spoke of when they told me about it.

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