The Alpha Twins Rejection
Chapter Twenty-Two - Zac's P.O.V

Once again, I felt like a utter fucking failure. Not only had Ashley been hurt (yet again) while on my watch, but I had already failed my mate and I hadn’t even had a chance to meet her yet. Let alone lay eyes on. She had apparently realised we were mates several days ago when she arrived for the Blood Moon Ball, but never got the opportunity to broach the subject with me ollet alone approach me.

Of course, she hadn’t been able to. I had never left Ashley’s side. The thought upset my stomach and twisted it uneasily in knots, acid burning at my raw throat. Seeing Ashley in hospital again along with the pain and fear my mate must currently be feeling had my heart and soul torn into a million pieces. I didn’t want to leave Ashley’s side but knew she would not forgive me if I didn’t go after Alpha Dante and rescue my mate.

I was sitting in the conference room with Alpha Miller and my father, dazed and unhearing of the uncomfortable conversation going on around me. I couldn’t concentrate. My anxious mind was racing, trying to figure out how to save them both. In my heart, I knew I couldn’t, and it hurt so bad that I thought I would die. I didn’t want to choose.

A furious pounding on the door moments later pulled me from my thoughts and took the choice from me when the Alpha Twins strode in, not waiting for an invitation to enter. “We need to talk,” Kane said in a raised voice directed at Alpha Miller.

Alpha Rayne and Alpha Kane stood just inside the doorway, anger radiating off them. It took them two seconds to notice me sitting at the table, eyeing them up and down with disdain. They obviously didn’t like that, as, within a blink of an eye, I was ripped from my chair by Alpha Rayne and pinned against the wall.

“STAY.THE.FUCK.AWAY.FROM.OUR. MATE” He bit out in a rough tone through clenched teeth. Alpha Miller and my father stood up abruptly, a threatening growl emanating from my fathers’ chest. “PUT HIM DOWN”, Alpha Miller roared.

Alpha Rayne released me from his vice like grip, returning the savage growl. “We need to talk. Now. In private,” Alpha Kane said once more.

“Anything you have to say can be said in front of Beta McMillan and Zac. No doubt it concerns them anyway,” Alpha Miller said through gritted teeth.

“For the sake of our packs alliance, I would like to come to some sort of understanding. For my daughter’s sake also,” He replied bluntly while looking at me. I didn’t miss the hidden meaning; his daughter was their mate, not mine, and he intended to fix the rejection, no doubt. Finding my mate just complicated things.

“The rejection matter will have to wait.” Alpha Miller held up his hand to stop the imminent protests from the Alpha twins. “For now. I have been in contact with the hospital, and they assure me that even though Ashley lost much blood, she is recovering well and is awake.”

Strange, Alpha Rayne and Alpha Kane both let out a small, audible sigh like they had been holding their breaths. Curious. It even looked like they had relaxed slightly with the knowledge that Ashley was recovering and was awake. Maybe they are not complete douche canoes, I thought bitterly.

“Right now, we need to concentrate and combine our forces to replace Alpha Dante and rescue Miss Mia Summers. We don’t know much about her yet. I am waiting for Alpha Massimo from the Moon Stone pack to join me shortly. He had already commenced his journey back to his territory early this morning before the note was discovered, and he realised that one of his pack members was missing,”

Alpha Miller said gently, not shifting his eyes off of me.

I knew he was trying to determine my reaction and see if I could cope with everything presently going down. “How the fuck do you not know where all your pack members are,” I spat hotly. Even though I had never met Mia, I already felt the need to protect her and assumed that was the mate bond. It felt different to how I felt about Ashley, but it was still there.

I knew already that I would do anything to save and protect her and only hoped that my stupidity had not cost her life. If I hadn’t run away last night after I was denied entry to the hospital, maybe I would have had the opportunity to meet Mia before Alpha Dante had the chance to abduct her.

“Alpha Dante is going to pay,” Callan howled furiously from the confines of my mind. “I will make it slow and painful for what he has done to not only Ashley but also Mia. He will not take another breath once we replace him. He will not escape us again,” He roared.

I turned around and anxiously paced towards the bar, hoping that no one saw me fighting desperately to regain control of Callan. The last thing I wanted was for Alpha Rayne and Alpha Kane to see me weak. At the moment, I had the upper hand against them. I had something that they dearly desired. Something that rightly belonged to them and I wasn’t sure if I was capable of giving it up.

“We have scouts on alert in our territory and have sent several trackers out looking for Alpha Dante,” Alpha Rayne said. “The sooner we get this over and done with, the sooner we can talk about OUR MATE and our return to our territory with OUR Luna,” he continued, shooting daggers at me as he spoke.

“My daughter has rejected the mate bond. I know you are within your rights to take her still, but I warn you that she will NEVER consent to be your Luna if you push Ashley. Ever.” Alpha Miller said with narrowed eyes.

The alpha twins stood taller, balling their fists up, their nostrils flaring. I thought for sure we were in for another brawl, but they surprised me by nodding their heads and striding out of the room without another word.

“I’m sorry, Zac”, Dad said.“I know this entire meeting could not have been easy for you.” I didn’t bother replying; I didn’t know what to say nor what he wanted to hear. I felt numb. Taking a deep breath, I hurridly followed Alpha Rayne and Alpha Kane out of the conference room.

We were meeting with the rest of the security team to go over our plan of rescuing Mia. It didn’t feel real. In less than 24 hours, I had lost the love of my life when she found her mate, (mates I corrected myself) and a mate that I hadn’t even met had been kidnapped by the same sadistic bastard that tried to viciously kill Ashley. Twice.

I knew that I hadn’t lost Ashley, but I was not naive enough to think that our personal relationship would ever be the same again. I was itching to talk to her. To replace out exactly how she felt about the situation and why she contemptuously rejected her mates so suddenly and publicly as she did. I was hoping it had been from shock. I didn’t want Ashley to reject the other half of her soul on my behalf and doom herself to a life of misery. I had only ever wanted what was best for her and would continue making sure she got it. No matter how it made me feel.

I was snapped out of my thoughts by an urgent mind-link informing us that Alpha Dante’s scent had been tracked to a nearby town, approximately half an hour from our territory lines. Not bothering to accept the photo of Mia that was being handed out, I would know her scent when I was close, I thought. Besides, a small part of me wanted to see her for the first time in the flesh I thought sadly.

I raced towards my hummer and jumped in. Being so close to humans, I knew that I could not risk going in wolf form. That and the fact that if I shifted now, I thought Callan would use up too much energy with his pent-up rage. “Naturally, I fucking would, Zac,” He bellowed. “That prick has mate.” Yep, I had made the right decision, I thought quickly.

When the address of an abandoned farm come via mind-link, I didn’t hesitate to spin the tyres on the gravel, shifting through the gears like a mad man. The sooner I got his over and done with, the sooner I could get back to Ashley. The thought had Callan growling menacingly, “What about rescuing mate,” He snarled viciously. “I love Ashley and Callie, but we now have to think about and protect mate,” he spat with hatred.

“SHIT,” I exclaimed hotly, slamming my fist onto the steering wheel and punching the gas pedal harder in a fury. “Your right Callan,” I said dismally in a soft voice. Of course he was right.

I quickly typed the address I was given into the GPS. As we got closer, I decided to ditch the car several kilometres from the abandoned farmhouse, thankful that it was out of town and surrounded by dense forest.

Letting Callan come forward, allowing him to focus all his pent up fury as we raced towards where Mia was being held captive. There was a dull sound beside me, and for the first time, I noticed I wasn’t alone. From the corner of my eye, I could make Alpha Kane, Alpha Rayne, Alpha Miller, my father, and what I assumed was Alpha Massimo.

Shit is about to get real, I thought, no one, and I mean, NO ONE could survive being taken on by not one but FOUR Alphas! My hatred for Alpha Dante spurred me on. I may not be an Alpha, but the kill was mine by rights. Alpha Dante had hurt Ashley for the last time and would not have a second chance to hurt Mia if I had anything to do with it.

As the dilapidated farmhouse came into view, Alpha Miller skidded to an abrupt halt beside me, shifting swiftly back into his human form. “STOP,” he roared. Instantly we all halted and looked at Alpha Miller in surprise. “We don’t have time”, Alpha Massimo pleaded desperately.

“Don’t you smell that, Zac?“Alpha Miller said, alarm lacing his usually stoic voice? Inhaling sharply, I let out a faint breath. “Ashley,” I whispered tensely. The scent of her and blood had Callan clawing desperately to be free once more. What the fuck was she doing here. The thought scared the shit out of me. She should have been in the hospital. Safe.

Alpha Rayne and Alpha Kane’s anxious eyes swirled black, furious expressions clouding their face. I knew from the look that their wolves would be screaming MATE. Before I had a chance to consider why her scent was here, the alpha twins shifted swiftly back into their wolf forms and were racing towards the house.

“FUCK” I screamed shrilly in my head. I would not allow them the kill, I snarled. Alpha Dante was mine.