Not His Type Of Mate
Chapter 112

Alpha Leo's POV

I felt my heartbeat cease in my chest as she declared her words to me. Yes, I knew she was pregnant, but her words just made me realize that I was truly losing her.

"Don't agree to it," Ethan pleaded, but I ignored him and said the most painful words I could ever say. "That's nice, so I think we should get down to the rejection process," I said, observing her eyes flutter in shock as she processed my words. Obviously, she wasn't expecting such a response from me.

"Reject me, Nora, and I'll do the same," I declared, ignoring the pain in my chest. Nora held my gaze with mixed emotions in her eyes-pain, anger, and hatred, all directed at me.

"You..." She sucked in a deep breath and tightly shut her eyes for a moment before slowly opening them, maintaining her gaze with an unreadable expression. "I'm going to reject you, but not today," she said, and I gulped. "I'm pregnant and can't endanger the life of this baby," she announced. "I'll reject you after my delivery, but until then, Alpha Leo, I don't want to see you ever in my life," she spat, and I gulped, swallowing the pain in my heart. "Please leave," she said and walked into the bathroom attached to the room. I held the gaze of Maddison, who had an unreadable expression on his face. It was obvious he didn't know what to feel. With a deep breath, I walked over to him and flashed a weak smile before speaking. "Congrats, bro. You have her now. Promise me you will take care of her," I said, and Maddison just stared at me. "If you need any help in the future, don't hesitate to call me," I added. I turned to leave, but his words stopped me. "Why, Leo? Why are you doing this?" he asked, causing me to turn and hold his gaze. "Because I love Nora so much that I'm willing to give her up just so she will be happy and not distressed..." I paused and took a step closer. "And because you are my brother, and I want you to be happy," I smiled weakly. I turned to leave, and this time he didn't stop me. With a heavy heart, I descended the stairs, left the apartment, and got into the back seat of the car. Heartbroken and in pain, I leaned my head on the headrest and slowly closed my eyes.

As I rested my head on the headrest of the car, tears welled up in my eyes, streaming down my cheeks. The pain in my chest became unbearable, and I couldn't hold back my emotions any longer. The weight of losing Nora, and the realization that I would never be a part of her life again, crushed me.

Uncontrollable sobs wracked my body, and my shoulders shook with each wave of grief. The tears fell relentlessly, mingling with the turmoil of emotions coursing through me. It felt as if a part of me was being torn apart, ripped away without any hope of repair. Every breath I took was accompanied by a painful ache. I clutched my chest, trying to ease the throbbing pain, but it only intensified. The tears continued to flow, blurring my vision and causing my whole body to tremble.

"Are you okay, Alpha?" Jackson, my personal driver, asked in a worried tone, but I ignored his questions and took out a handkerchief to wipe the tears away. I'm Alpha Leo, and I shouldn't be seen crying.

With a deep breath, I composed myself and remained numb until the car pulled up to the mansion. I got out of the car and made my way inside without responding to the greetings of the servants and men.

As I walked into the sitting room, I found Ava seated on the couch, having a drink with my mother. The moment she noticed my presence, she quickly stood up and respectfully bowed her head.

"Son, you're back..." Mother paused and shot me a worried gaze. "What happened?" she asked through the mind link, but I didn't respond. Instead, I looked at Ava and said, "Come with me." I told her and started walking away. She followed behind me as we entered my study room. I walked in, and she closed the door behind her.

"Have a seat," I gestured, and she took the seat while I sat across from her. We both remained silent for a moment until she spoke. "Are you okay, Alpha Leo? You don't look good," she said, and I sighed, bracing myself.

"I'm fine, Ava. You don't have to worry," I said, but she still went on to ask, "Is it about her?" she inquired, but I didn't answer. "I can help if you..."

"Ava," I interrupted. "Stop. I'm fine, and that's not why I called you here," I said, and I saw her nod.

We both fell silent again until I spoke. "You helped us a lot in rescuing Nora, and now I want to give you anything you want to show my appreciation. Tell me what you want, land, money, just mention it," I said, waiting for her to respond. But she remained silent for a moment. Finally, she spoke in a calm yet determined tone.

"Alpha Leo, I appreciate your gratitude and your willingness to offer me anything I desire. However, there's nothing material that I seek from you. My purpose has always been to serve and protect the pack, to assist in any way I can," her words made me hold her gaze with curiosity. "Surely, you will need something," I said, and she weakly smiled before saying, "When we met at the club, I told you I'm from this pack but left due to some reason." She said, and I nodded.

She continued, her voice quivering. "You see, when I was just a child, my father passed away unexpectedly. It was a devastating blow for my mother and me. My mother eventually remarried, but little did we know that our lives would take a turn for the worse," she said, and I raised a brow.

"My stepfather, who was one of your father's gammas, seemed kind and caring at first. But a few years into their marriage, he found his true mate-who despised my mother's presence. She saw my mother as a threat, a rival for my stepfather's affections." "Things escalated quickly. One fateful night, my stepfather's mate confronted my mother, threatening her with violence and even death. In a moment of desperation, my mother vowed to protect herself and said she would kill her before she had a chance to harm her."

"Tragically, the next morning, my stepfather's mate was found dead. The circumstances surrounding her death were mysterious, and suspicion fell upon my mother. Despite her protests of innocence, all fingers pointed at her. The pack accused her of murder, and your father, the alpha, believed the accusations without question," she said, and I sighed.

"The aftermath was brutal. Both my mother and I were subjected to beatings, not just physical but emotional as well."

She sniffed, and I couldn't help but feel a pang of empathy for her. "I and my mother were banished from this pack, but I do come here often because of my abilities, and it seems everyone has forgotten about us, including you," she said, and I raised a brow. "Alpha Leo?" she called out to me. "Don't you remember me?" she asked, while I furrowed my brow, confused by her words. "It's me, Ava, the tiny little thing," she said with a chuckle, and I became even more confused.

"Do I know you?" I asked, and she nodded. "Yes, we've met once, but I was just eleven," she responded with a smile. "I'm the girl you saved from being bullied on a Saturday morning. I was running an errand for my mother when a group of boys cornered me and began throwing insults at me, calling me a fatherless child. Fortunately, you were out jogging, and you stopped and commanded the three boys to let me be. When they refused, you kicked their asses, and they ran away," she chuckled and continued, "After they ran away, you turned to leave, but then you turned back to me and said, 'Tiny little thing, go home.' She smiled. "Those words always ring in my head, no matter how hard I try to forget them."

Memories slowly resurfaced in my mind. The incident she described seemed familiar, but it had been so long ago. I was probably fourteen, so I hadn't recognized her at first. The girl I called a "tiny little thing" looked small and fragile, but the girl seated before me was a completely transformed person.

"I didn't recognize you, but now that you've reminded me, I do remember that day. I'm glad I could help you back then."

Ava smiled, her eyes shimmering with gratitude. "Thank you, Alpha Leo. Your act of kindness meant the world to me. And now I want to repay that kindness by being by your side and working for you. Please, Alpha Leo, make me one of your faithful," she pleaded, and I heaved a deep breath. "You said your mother was innocent?" I asked, and she nodded.

"Very well then, not only will you work with me, but I will uncover the truth behind the death of your stepfather's mate. If it is discovered that someone else was responsible and that person is still alive, I will grant you the privilege to decide their punishment." I stated, observing as Ava collapsed to the ground and lowered her head to the floor.

"Thank you, Alpha. Thank you."