The Alpha Twins Rejection
Chapter Twenty-Three - Ashley's P.O.V

Chapter Twenty-Three – Ashley’s P.O.V

“Ashley”

“Ashley”

“ASHLEY”

“ASHLEY WAKE THE HELL UP”

Swiping a heavy hand over my face I grumble at Callie, the words have finally shaken me from my deep sleep and they finally register. “What do you want Callie” I growl hoarsely at her. “Shhhh, listen Ashley” She hisses at me, clearly pissed off that I didn’t wake up immediately. I shift slightly in the bed, wincing at the pain. Once again, I am in hospital and surrounded by a sterile smell and machines that beep constantly, monitoring me. I let out an exasperated sigh and shuffle higher in the bed to a sitting position and allow myself to yawn and stretch, as well as I can anyway as the drip on my hand constricts my movement somewhat. “Ok, Ok, I am listening Callie” I reply with a tired and scratchy voice wondering what could be so urgent that she won’t let me sleep.

“Not to me Ashley! Outside! They are talking about Zac replaceing his mate” Callie hissed with impatience. “What did you just say” I splutter, Callie’s words have taken me by surprise, and I can’t seem to register their meaning. “Shhhhh, listen” she replied hotly. I don’t bother replying, instead I hold my breath and strain my ears. Callie is right, there is someone just outside my room talking in hushed tones. “NO, YOU WILL NOT TELL HER. ONCE SHE IS AWAKE AND WE HAVE MIA SAFLEY BACK INTO OUT TERRITORY LINES I WILL BREAK IT TO HER GENTLY” A voice hisses. Mia? The name sounded foreign. The voice however, belonged to my father. “She needs to know. I know you think you are protecting her but how do you think she is going to feel when she replaces out that not only has Zac, her partner, found his mate but that is mate has also been kidnapped by Alpha Dante” A small voice replies. My mother. What the hell were they talking about. The voices move away but I catch little bits of the conversation. “Being held……Abandoned farm……Lake Road…….Half hour from here…..Zac……Alpha Rayne and Kane….” My fathers voice fades as they leave the hospital.

I pull the I.V line from my hand and swing my bare feet over the side of the hospital bed. “What are you doing Ash” Callie asks with astonishment. “You can’t deny you didn’t have a reason for waking me Callie” I shot back. She had the grace to stay silent as I hurried across the room to where my clothes were folded neatly in the cupboard. I quickly tugged on a pair of comfortable sweatpants and a tank top and pulled my messy bed hair into a loose bun on top of my head. I didn’t bother looking at myself in the mirror. I had a feeling what I would see. A fucking train wreck. The last 24 hours flooded back. The Blood Moon Ball. Dancing the night away in the arms of the man I loved. The rogue attacks. Meeting Alpha Kane and Alpha Rayne. Rejecting them. I still didn’t understand the last part.

The moment I laid eyes on them, standing across the field with their mouths slightly open and their pupils dilated I knew I was in trouble. They were stunning. Lush black hair, deep chocolate brown eyes, sharp jawlines, tanned and oh so toned. Their bodies were mirror images, each carved out of perfection with the right amount of tattoos. And they were huge! They had to be at least 6’4, their appearance and good looks commanded attention. No wonder all the ladies had been swooning the last few days. I was almost embarrassed by my train of thought when I seen them. I knew they could smell my arousal and it fuelled something in me. If I had to put a word to it I would say hate. I hated that I had waited 6 years for them. SIX FUCKING YEARS. I hated that replaceing my mate would tear Zac’s heart out. I hated that it was their pack that had fucked up and let the rogues into our territory. And I hated that just seeing them had my insides melt. So I did the first thing that came to mind, I rejected them.

I will never forget the look in their eyes when I approached them. It was one of love and longing, one of complete awe. It tugged on my heart strings that they both seemed genuinely happy that I was their mate. A second later the look went from love to shock and then absolute horror when I rejected them. As soon as the words left my mouth I felt my heart break. It hurt so much that I almost turned around to beg their forgiveness but then I seen Zac and I knew I couldn’t do it. Breaking his heart was something that I would never do. Ever. I would walk the earth for that man. After that everything went blank and the next thing I knew I was hospital again. Apparently my stiches had popped open during the attack and I had split the fresh wound open again, bleeding out slowly as I fought. Being a Blood Moon beta though I showed no mercy and fought until I was exhausted.

Pulling myself from my thoughts I checked the hallway quickly and then sprinted as fast as I could towards the front door. It was still early morning and I knew what I had to do. They would not go in without a plan so I hoped that I would get there first. There was no way I would allow anyone to fight my battles nor would anyone stand in the way of Zac’s happiness. The last thought had a lump forming in my throat. Zac has a mate. I felt hot tears prickling at my eyes, threatening to spill over. Quickly swiping them away I pushed the front door open as fast as I could and shifted quickly, pain coursed through me from shifting while being wounded but In knew Callie with lend me her strength to get through this. She too knew what we needed to do. We need to end Alpha Dante for once and for all. He had hurt me and my family too many times and there was no way that I would sit back and allow him to harm, or kill, Zac’s mate.

Callie thundered through the forest as fast as her legs would allow her. I didn’t have a plan or even a full address so we ran in the general direction and hoped to hell that we would be able to pick up Alpha Dante’s scent. The sickly aroma of lavender was not one I would ever forget. The thought of him touching another woman the way he had touched me has bile rising in my throuat and I coax Callie to run harder, desperation seeping through our paws. I would not fail this time. Not when so many lives depended on it. “What if we don’t save Mia. What if we let Alpha Dante kill her”. Shit. What was I thinking. “We can’t do that Ashley and you know it” Callie said sadly. She knew as well as I did that Zac and Callan’s happiness was paramount and all we wanted. My heart felt like it was shattering but I knew what we were doing was right, No matter how much it hurt.

After running for twenty minutes flat out we slowed to a sedate lope, Callie dropped her head close to the ground to take in the scents around us. She ran like that for a couple of kilometres before she started screaming “Lavender Ashley. Lacender. I can scent Alpha Dante” She squeeled with joy at her success of replaceing him. “Good job Callie”” I replied breathless. It wasn’t long before a large delapidated farm house came into view. “Do you have a plan Ashley” Callie enquired. “Yep. Go in. Fuck shit up. Kill Alpha Dante. Rescue the girl” I reply, mush to her disgust. “That’s not a plan Ashley. That’s a suicide mission” She growls. “I would die for Zac” I reply immediately “Would you”? Callie doesn’t reply, she takes off across the small clearing that separates us from the forest and the farmhouse. Before we reach the house I can hear snarls coming from behind us and chance a look over my shoulder, three dirty rogues are racing towards us. Drool dripping from their rabid mouths. Any other female would be terrified by their sight but not me. The years of training have me focusing on any possible weaknesses they may have. Spinning on my fore legs and coming to a quick stop in front of them Callie lets out a ferocious warning growl. The three rogues start to circle us, snapping and snarling. Good I think, now I can take in each of them properly and note that they are not very big wolves and all underfed with ribs showing. I can almost fell Callie’s smirk, she knows even though we are weak that we can take all three. And easily. The smallest of them lunges first and Callie surprises them by running full force into their attack, she makes quick work of them by latching onto their filthy dirty neck and ripping their throat out in one swift movement.

Tossing the lifeless body to the side she doesn’t hesitate rushing the closest wolf to us which again takes them by surprise, no doubt they falsely believe that because I am female that I won’t know how to defend myself. How wrong they are. Dead wrong. They won’t even have time to process it I think with a harsh laugh. Callie once again makes quick work of the second rogue, disposing his od his body just as quickly. Stepping towards the third wolf with our head lowered, growling in a show of dominance. They are momentarily transfixed, unable to process what had just happened. Unable to make their feet move. I almost felt sorry for them the moment Callie coiled her muscles and lurched towards them with frightening speed. Almost.

Panting heavy we quickly scanned the area, checking to make sure the coast was clear before we carried on towards the house. It was evident that Alpha Dante was even more deluded than I had first thought. The man had kidnapped a high ranking wolfs mate and then only had a handful of guards. The man was slipping. As we inched closer to the side of the building the sickening smell had me gagging. “You can do this Ashley” Callie said gently, squaring her strong shoulders and taking in a deep, calming breath. “You are not alone this time” she continued. Calmness washed over me and all I could think about was Zac’s mate and how terrified she must be. Pushing through the mounting fear we made our way to the back door and pushed it open gently, instantly regretting it when it squeaked loudly making me recoil.

SHIT. I scolded myself. Taking another deep breath to steady my racing heart beat. “Come on in Ashley. I have been waiting for you” Alpha Dante’s smooth voice echoes through the abandoned building. Letting out a ragged breath I swiftly shift back to my human form, Looking down at my stomach I noticed the wound is still unhealed and a slow trickle of blood has started to race down my smoot stomach. I run my hand along it, trying to remove some of the blood. “Are you scared little kitten” Alpha Dante’s laugh reverberates off the walls and along the hallway. I let out a snort and follow the sound of his voice. If only he really knew. It was my fear that was driving me to be here. It was my fear that was driving me to end this. To end him. It was my fear for Zac’s future and happiness driving me. There was only two people leaving this building today and he was not one of them.

The closer I got to the back of the house the clearer I could hear the muffled sobs of someone. There could only be one person that they came from. Zac’s mate. Mia. The sound had my feet moving faster and with more purpose. The cries were all too familiar. Reaching a door that had dim light seeping out from under it I gave it a hard yank and realised quickly that they lead down into a basement. Reaching for the railing to steady myself I took the stairs two at a time, willing my eyes to adjust to the darkness quicker. All my senses were straining, the darkness and overpowering smell of lavender had me feeling like I would choke on the thick air. A deep, rumbling laughter suddenly filled the room making me jump back a step. “Has the little kitten lost her nerve” Alpha Dante all but whispered. I didn’t have to look at him to know he would be grinning at his own words. Slowly scanning the room my eyes landed on his hulking figure standing menacingly over the body of a tiny female. Shit, she couldn’t be taller than 5’4 I thought in wonder. Suddenly feeling the intense desire to protect his woman I moved slowly towards them. “This is between us Dante” I growl in warning. Not using his proper title had the desired effect as I watched the muscle in his jaw go tight and start to twitch. Good, a mad fighter was a sloppy fighter I thought. “What do you want his time” I continue “Haven’t you worked out by now that you cant have me” I tease, feeling braver than I feel “And you certainly can’t kill me” I mock hitting the nerve I was looking for. “If I truly wanted you dead you would be by now” he spits in fury. “Do you think for one fucking minute that you are alive because you are better than me Ashley” he roars.

I can tell he is furious when he no longer calls me endearing names, preferring to use my actual name. Gone is the cocky, mocking Alpha. He is just Dante now, a furious broken man. “Soon to be dead man” Callie says furiously. Dante stalks towards me, hands clenching at his sides. His eyes swirling to black, I know I don’t have long until he allows his wolf to take over. This much I know. If he shifts I don’t know if I will stand a chance so I lower myself into a defensive stance and wait for his approach. Dante’s nostrils flare as he takes in my scent, his eyes clouding over momentarily as he fights for control. While he is lost in his own battle I don’t waste another second and run at him like a bull. Dante has size on his side but I have speed and determination.

Seeing the crying and injured woman on the floor has adrenaline pumping through my veins. I can’t lose. Not this time. There is too much at steak. I curl my fist, ducking low and putting all my force into my upper cut. Dante’s head is whipped to the side, blooding shooting from his nose. The sickening crunch telling me that I have broken his nose. Good I think momentarily before I realise that the force has also broken my hand. Fighting through the pain I spin on my heel just as Dante’s hands fly out and painfully grab a handful of my hair, bringing painful tears to my eyes. Ignoring the pain and allowing my hair to come lose from its bun I use the extension of his grip to whip around and jump onto his back. He tries desperately to pull me off by my hair, pulling out handfuls as he does. Ignoring the sharp, stinging pain to my scalp I quickly wrap one arm around his throat and hold it in place with the other, putting him in a choke hold.

Dante drops the hold he has on my hair and claws frantically at my arms, trying to pry them off. He almost succeeds until I see the crumpled form on the ground before us. “Not today mother fucker” I roar squeezing tighter and tighter. Time passes slowly and I don’t know how long I am on Dante’s back, squeezing the oxygen from his putrid body. After what feels like an eternity his large body starts to sway and then without warning he topples over backwards, taking me with him and crushing me beneath his body, breaking ribs as I make contact with the hard cement floor. I don’t move though. I don’t loosen my grip. I want to make sure he is dead and that he can never hurt anyone ever again.

“Ashley”

“Ashley”

“ASHLEY”

“Callie” I ask in a small voice. “Yes, it’s me. It is ok to let go now” she replies. “He is dead”. Opening my eyes I blink several times and realise she is right. I can feel the stiffness of his large body on mine and feel the coldness of it seeming into my bones. A small yelp escapes my mouth and I scramble out from under him as quickly as possible. My entire body aches. I don’t have time to think about it though as I remember what I was here for. I turn around and take in the small woman still cowering on the floor and slowly approach her. She is still crying and as I get closer, I notice that she is holding her leg funny. “Did he hurt you” I ask softly. It takes her a few moments to catch her breath between sobs before she nods “My leg is broken” she barely whispers. “Its going to be ok” I say soothingly. Reaching down I scoop her tiny frame into my arms, ignoring the searing pain from my broken ribs and hand.

It feels awkward carrying a female while naked I think with a snort as I exit the farmhouse. It takes a few moments to adjust my eyes in the blinding sunlight once we are outside and that is when I notice them. SHIT. I am going to be in huge trouble I think when I take in the furious faces of my father, Beta McMillan, Alpha Kane, Alpha Rayne, Alpha Massimo and finally Zac. SHIT. “Ummm Hi” I blurt out. Not knowing what to say and suddenly feeling very naked and exposed.