Alpha’s Virgin Stripper
Chapter 84

Lake:

It was safe to say two days had passed since the news of Jojo's mother arrived. Bentley had not been very pleased to hear that she was on another paid leave, but it was my company, I could do with it whatever I liked.

I stayed in my house, as I always did on Wednesday afternoons. Time for my evening studio session, when I could complete the painting I had been working on, was near and I was paying apt attention to my antique clock at the top of my room door.

The knock on my door interrupted the blissful silence of my room. Even though I was not expecting any visitors, I knew it would Neil. An important document probably needed my signature.

"Come in!" I called out, before I placed my phone in between my legs which were folded on my bed.

The door creaked open and Neil stepped in, just as I had expected. He had a brown envelope in his hands. I narrowed my eyes on his hands after I noticed they were trembling. I found myself sitting upright, with my legs placed on the floor, ready to pounce on him. Whatever he had done, he had better found a way to fix it.

He closed the door behind him and took slow steps towards me. I did not speak, I allowed him stand in front of me and watched as he bowed, rooted to the ground with trembling feet. I was partly curious, but more worried than curious. "Greetings, alpha Lake."

"What is it?" I had to skip the routine pleasantries and hit the nail on the fucking head. Why was he fidgeting? Why was he scared. He swallowed hard and stretched the brown envelope to me.

"I recently got a message for the alpha, your father. But, I believe you would be more interested in seeing this, than he would be."

I stared down at the paper in his hands, before I looked up at his face. His lips quivered in what seemed like fear and I shrugged. Since it was a message for my father, I was certain it had nothing to do with my business. He was safe, for now. I tore open the brown envelope and drew out the paper that sat in it. I was filled with anticipation and my curiosity could almost consume me. When I pulled the picture out fully, all I could see was the face of a woman, a woman I could swear I had seen before.

She was the owner of the restaurant Kenji liked to eat in. I could recognize that blonde hair and peaceful ocean blue eyes anywhere. She stared at something absentmindedly.

I looked up at Neil, only to replace him staring down at me.

"Who is she? The wife of the leader of the rogues?" I asked, fully interested. Neil would not show me a photo of her if she wasn't in anyway important to me.

He shook his head gently, still staring at the picture in my hands.

"This is Mrs. Emerald Smith. She runs a restaurant in the middle of the city. She was formerly..." He paused. I arched my left brow, anticipating the rest of his sentence.

"... formerly Mrs. Emerald Rush. Wife of your father, Cole Rush, and mother of his only child, you, Alpha Lake Rush."

His words fell on my ears like a thunderstorm. First came the cold shock, then the chilling of my bones, before the dampness of my heart. The picture slipped from my hands and fell to the ground.

"Are... are you sure of what you're saying?" I asked again. Neil nodded, I knew he was certain. He could not be joking about something like this, he just could not.

"I am very positive, alpha."

I couldn't speak, couldn't bring myself to utter a single sentence.

"Leave." Was all I could mutter. He picked the picture from the ground and scurried out of my room without question. My heart shrunk in my chest, I felt numb, painfully numb.

It all made sense now. I now understood why Kenji always insisted we ate there, his sudden mention of family and a woman who sought to unite with hers. It was her, all her.

After abandoning me for what? More than two decades? She was here! She still had the guts to show her face in my pack? My land?

I stretched my hand towards my phone and pulled it to myself. I dialed Kenji's number immediately.

I could hear the sound of my heart pounding against my chest, I could feel the pain in my muscles.

My head was spinning, my heart felt as though it would split into two.

I dialed Kenji's number, he picked up after the first ring.

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"Lake, my man!" His voice was as enthusiastic and friendly as usual. But all I could hear now was the voice of a traitor.

"Meet me at the restaurant... the one you introduced me too. I'll be there in twenty minutes." I spoke, fighting hard to keep my voice from shaking. Before he could retort, I ended the call. I was not sure how many more seconds I could go without screaming at him.

I rose from my bed and walked to my closet. I pulled out a pair of black trousers and looked over it. One thing was certain, I was done with women, the female gender, the female specie of everything.

All they ever did was hurt, scar, and return to open the injuries. I did not want more pain in my life. I was done with them.

Once I had my trouser and shirt on, I heard a knock on my door again.

"Come in!" I screamed. It was either Neil or Kenji, but I hoped to the goddess that it would be the former instead.

I buttoned my shirt with shaking fingers and turned to the door after I heard the door close.

My eyes met a pair of familiar green eyes and red hair tucked in a tight bun. I stood, frozen to the ground for a split second. She was the last person I had expected to see, and at this time of my life.

She had to show up at the point I was tired, the point I was weak. She was a woman, wasn't she? They all had inadequately appropriate timing.

I found myself frowning as I stared down at her. The room continued to spin around me, but I was doing my best to remain as sane as I could be.

"What do you want?"

She seemed stricken with fear, the satisfaction clawed at my chest. That was how it should be, they all had to fear me, reverence me. She opened her mouth to speak, but I was faster. I was far from interested in listening to whatever she had to say, she was not supposed to be here, she had no right to come in here or even knock on my door.

"I do not remember calling you," I said again, she swallowed hard.

"Yes... yes... I... I wanted to speak to you... but I..."

"About what?" I snarled.

Her eyes widened, green orbs laden with confusion.

"I..."

Every second she spent here irritated me to the last hair on my skin, to the core of my bones. I couldn't stand seeing her, I hated myself for just looking at her.

It was finally time that I did what I should have done a long time ago. Without speaking, I took slow steps towards her, closing the distance between us as I spoke.

"I, alpha Lake Rush of Rush pack, reject you, Jojo Wyatt, as my mate." I spat out. The words were out of my lips now, and there was no taking them back.

She blinked twice, jaw dropped in shock. I could tell she had not seen it coming. Frankly, neither had I.

When she finally managed to seal her lips, they shivered violently. I scoffed in disgust, all her sorry acts of pity were not enough to make me reconsider. "Accept it," I growled.

She nodded in fear.

"I... I accept." She closed her eyes shut.

The pain that slashed through my chest was instant. I intertwined my fingers behind me, while I stepped away from her.

"You would tender your resignation through email. I would let Bentley know of your need to leave. You can no longer work here." I felt my chest being engulfed by unseen forces, I talked without giving myself time to breathe. I picked up my phone from my bed and walked to her.

"Find your way out." I spat out. I saw her shudder violently, before I pushed past her, heading straight towards the door.

I was never going to turn back, never.