Page 4 of The Alpha's Bullied Rejected Mate
Chapter 2 - Athena
Athena stepped onto the curb with her bag slung over her shoulder. The magic of her Glamour shimmered faintly under the streetlights, perfectly disguising the bright forest green of her eyes and her blonde hair, which cloaked her in a mask of dull ordinariness. Right now, she was just another plain face in the streets.
Just the way she needed to be.
The evening was quiet, yet she never heard the car coming.
One moment, she was gripping her coat tighter to shield herself from the blooming wind; the next, the screech of tires against asphalt tore through the quiet air as a speeding car barreled toward her, its blinding headlights searing her vision.
Adrenaline spiked through her veins like wildfire. For a moment, time seemed to slow down, and her breath was snatched with shock before she felt an impact.
Something hit her—yes. But not the car.
A force had lunged into her from the side, hard and fast, knocking her out of harm’s way.
Her heart hammered against her rib cage.
They tumbled onto the sidewalk as she was pinned under the weight of…
Muscle?
She blinked, gasped, and tried to orient herself as loose gravel bit into her palms.
“Are you okay?” the masculine voice above her asked, low, slightly out of breath, and a little bit familiar.
Why do I know that voice?
She lifted her gaze to respond and thank the stranger, but time stopped again.
The air fled her lungs, and the world around her vanished until it was just the face hovering above hers.
Amber eyes stared right into hers, concern etched into his features.
Impossible.
Her heart stuttered violently in her chest. Her mouth opened, but no words came. Just shock.
It was unmistakably him.
Athena’s instincts screamed at her to run, but she remained frozen as her mind spiraled with memories that threatened to resurface. Six years of memories she had tried to bury.
Marcus Vale.
Her first love. Her first heartbreak.
***
Six Years Ago
“You’re a witch, Athena. And you know what we call people like you?” A finger jabbed at her shoulder. “Ugly. Ugly witch!”
The girls burst into laughter. Athena clenched her fists, fighting the sting in her eyes.
“I don’t see it,” A cold voice snapped from behind her.
She froze, but she didn’t need to turn around to know who it belonged to.
Marcus.
