The Alpha’s Bride Crowned With Shadows by Tcee Eke

CHAPTER FOUR – TWICE REJECTED

LYRA

I wiped off the stray tears that trickled down my cheeks without my consent. I shouldn’t be crying for an asshole who didn’t want me but it hurt so bad.

I tried to reach for my wolf but I couldn’t feel her. I’m already twenty-one, I’ve scented my mate, why can’t I sense my wolf? Maybe if I had my wolf people would respect me better.

Another tear trickled down my cheeks and I wiped it off just as I saw someone coming out of the long corridor.

I wiped off my cheeks hurriedly and stood up. I saw a tall, handsome guy staring intently at me. His eyes narrowed as he regarded me. He had long black hair which he pulled into a ponytail and he had deep blue eyes, making me think of the ocean.

“Who are you?” he asked in a calm voice.

He seemed calm on the outside but I saw his eyes, they were staring daggers at me and looked ready to combust me.

He stared at me like he was repulsed, it broke my heart. I wondered if there was something repulsive about me that made people stay away from me.

“My name is Lyra,” I answered in a timid voice.

“What exactly are you doing here?” he asked me.

I blinked, trying to understand if they hadn’t told him or if he just wanted me to spell it out for him.

“My uncle brought me here. I’m supposed to marry the Prince,” I answered, trying not to cringe at my words.

The guy’s eyes narrowed as he stared at me, he didn’t even think to introduce himself to me. He just kept glaring at me with his beautiful blue eyes and gave off a murderous vibe.

“Why didn’t you leave with the others?” he asked.

“The others? I just arrived,” I answered, trying and failing desperately to hide my confused expression. I didn’t want to marry the Prince obviously but I also didn’t want them to murder me so I was willing to do whatever it takes to stay alive.

“Well, the Prince doesn’t want you. He’s chosen his bride and he said you’re free to go,” the man said.

I blinked, twice. I’m free to go? This means that I’ve been released but suddenly a thought popped into my mind. Where would I go since I was thrown out of the house by my uncle and aunty? Even my mate has rejected me.

Just then the kind elderly woman from earlier came into the waiting room. She bowed at the man and he acknowledged her.

“Leeza, please tell this girl to leave, the Prince doesn’t want her,” he said, regarding me with contempt.

Leeza nodded and guided me out of the room. I was too stunned to speak as I was led outside by Leeza.

“You’re free now, you can return home or you remain in the palace as a slave,” Leeza said to me.

I felt tears rise in my eyes at the thought of the crippled Prince also rejecting me. I shook my head, staring at Leeza, anger rising in my heart.

“No!” I snapped, “I want to see the Prince.”

Leeza stared at me like I had just grown an extra pair of heads. Once again, I felt an intense rush of power flowing through me as I stared at Leeza.

“What do you mean by that, lady? Do you want to kill yourself along with me?” Leeza asked, her eyes wide with fear as she looked around us.

“I don’t give two f**ks about what happens now, I only want the Prince to tell me himself that he’s also rejecting me,” I replied.

Without wasting time, I headed back into the waiting room despite the guards trying to stop me.

“Lady, leave here. We don’t want to hurt you,” they said.

Leeza took one look at me and left me to my fate. I felt an intense rush of anger and I felt something burning inside me. I was sick and tired of people trampling on me like I was some kind of insect that had no value.

“I want to see the Prince now else all hell will break loose in this Palace!” I growled.

I noticed the guards took a step back but I heard no idea why. All I knew was that I was feeling the same type of anger I had felt in my uncle’s house when I had accepted Tyler’s rejection.

One of the guards tapped on the airpods he had in his ears and spoke quietly into it. They had all taken a few steps away from me as they seemed frightened.

I smiled, as they should. They should be scared of me, maybe I should be getting angry always so they would know I’m not to be messed with.

A few minutes later, the same guy who had told me off stepped out and sighed when he saw my furious expression. The anger I was feeling hadn’t dissipated one bit.

“What do you want?” he asked me.

“I want to see the Prince and hear him tell me himself that he doesn’t want me,” I answered.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” the man said.

I glared at him, he returned my glare but I didn’t back down. He sighed as he waved the guards off and led me into the main hall in the palace. He took me to the third floor and we entered a huge study.

I looked around the bland room and sighed. The room was so depressing with the dark brown color and the round table filled with lots of files and two chairs.

They really needed to improve their decor in this place, I mused.

“What do you want?”

I jumped at the animalistic voice I heard behind me. I saw someone sitting ina wheelchair in the dark corner of the room. I couldn’t make out much of his face except for his red, beady eyes, and his bushy beard.

“You’re truly crippled!” I stuttered.

My eyes went wide with fear as I realized what I had just said. Of all the things to say it just had to be those words that first came to my mind.

He released an animalistic growl as he clutched his wheelchair.

“Did you just want to confirm that?” he asked.

I shook my head, trying to think of a reasonable word to say but it seemed all words in my vocabulary had failed me.

The anger I had been feeling earlier had suddenly vaporized leaving me defenseless. What’s the possibility that they weren’t going to kill me and dump my b*dy at the bottom of the ocean?

“I… uh… I wanted to know why you rejected me. I’m supposed to be your mate,” I finally stuttered out.

His red eyes regarded me so intensely that I shivered. How could someone be so cold and cruel without having to say anything?

“You don’t even have your wolf, why would I take a weakling as you to give birth to weak pups for me?” he asked me.

Each word sounded like a whiplash as I tried to block out the mental image of Tyler telling me the exact same words.

“My wolf will come,” I said in a quiet voice.

“Until then, I’m sure you can find another weak wolf who would accept you as his mate,” the Prince replied.

“I’m supposed to be your second-chance mate, you can’t reject me,” I cried.

The Prince scoffed, “And that’s supposed to make me care? I don’t want you, get out and never show me your face again!”

I shuddered as his words sounded in the study. Tears clouded my vision but I wiped it off immediately.

“I don’t have anywhere to go,” I mumbled.

“That’s right, because no one would accept a weakling such as yourself. I’m ashamed of your parents on your behalf. Get out!”

I ran out of the room, tears streaming down my cheeks as my heart broke at the thought of my parents’ death. This was two rejections in one day and now I’m also reminded of how my parents died.

It was my weakness that made me remain rooted to a spot and my father took a hit for me. If I had just moved earlier we all would have escaped from the bunker alive.

The anger I had been feeling earlier which fueled my confidence had also disappeared and I was left feeling like a useless sack of potatoes.

I saw Leeza waiting for me outside and one look at my red eyes she sighed.

“I told you, Lyra, you’re not going to last long here,” Leeza said, her eyes filled with pity.