The Alpha Twins Rejection
Chapter Twenty-Five _ Alpha Twin's P.O.V (Rayne)

Instantly hearing those words escape Alpha Miller’s mouth had blood rushing to my head, my heart rate spiked. Zac’s mate? Something odd started building inside me. Hope? I wasn’t certain, but all I could think about was the fact that Zac had a mate and the thought made me hopeful. Hopeful that Ashley might come to her senses and take back her rejection of Kane and me.

The idea floored me as I had never desired anything or anyone more in my life, but since laying eyes on Ashley the very first time, I knew that I had to have her. Claim her. She was my every thought, and the idea of her rejection being permanent was a pain I wasn’t completely certain I could live with.

Rayne and I had been walking around lost since the rejection. We both agreed that it felt like a heavyweight had been placed on our hearts, weighing them down. It felt like I was drowning, and the only life raft able to save us was Ashley. But she had willingly chosen Zac over us. Of that, we were certain. And it fucking hurt. It cut deep.

The only thoughts we had were of how to fix the non-existent relationship we had with her. We had stayed up almost the entire night talking earnestly about how we would win her affection. Kane and I were genuinely excited about the prospect of turning things around, but there was a nagging, black feeling in the back of our minds. What if she didn’t want us. Truly didn’t want us. The terrible thought caused a violent shiver to run over my body.

Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I turned back to Alpha Miller, and without talking to Kane, I agreed to help him replace Alpha Dante.

I was not being neighbourly. Nor did I want to help Zac. I had my selfish agenda. Alpha Dante was ours, and no one would take the kill from us. He would suffer cruelly for what he had put Ashley through. For what he did to our mate. No one would ever lay their hands on her ever again for as long as I lived.

Helping Alpha Miller and Alpha Massimo served a dual purpose, I thought bitterly. If we rescued Zac’s mate, he would be reluctantly forced to end his complex relationship with Ashley. The wicked thought cheered me somewhat, and I knew that Kane felt the same as me by looking at over at him.

Kill the Alpha. Claim the girl. But she wasn’t just any girl. No, she was Ashley fucking Miller. The hottest and toughest Beta and fighter werewolves had ever seen, I thought fondly, a huge grin spreading across my face.

“I don’t think now is the time to be grinning, brother,” Kane said gruffly via mind-link. “I was thinking how proud I am to be mated to someone like Ashley”, I replied hotly. Moments later, it was like looking into a mirror as a wide grin spread across my brother’s face. I couldn’t help letting out a small knowing chuckle, making the members of the room scowl at us. Fuck them. We were allowed to be happy, I thought. And even though we had been rejected, all hope was not lost, at least I hoped not.

Half an hour later, we were on our way to the location that Alpha Dante had been tracked to. “I hope this is over and done with swiftly,” I said through gritted teeth. Kane and I were itching to be formally introduced to Ashley by her father later that day. Alpha Miller was not hopeful about changing her mind but had agreed to organise the introductions and mediate a meeting between us. The thought had my stomach-churning.

“I am anxious also, brother,” Kane said, instantly bringing me out of my wayward thoughts. I couldn’t seem to concentrate today. “Huh” was all I could scarcely manage in reply.“Meeting Ashley today. I am also anxious. I have never wanted something so bad in my life, and it genuinely scares me,” he admitted before focusing his attention back to the road before us.

A few minutes later, the vehicles in front of us pulled into a densely wooded area, so we followed suit. Parking our SUV beside Zac’s hummer, we knew the game plan, so we hit the ground running, quickly shifting into our wolf forms. We didn’t want to waste any more time on this mission than necessary.

There was no chance Alpha Dante would be leaving here alive. I just hoped that we were not too late. I didn’t think a lesser she-wolf could stand the cruelness that was Alpha Dante. If the stories were true, then Ashley was the only survivor of his deranged mental illness. The unpleasant thought made a deep shudder run through my body, spurring me on with a fury. Today was going to be a good day.

Just as a broken-down, abandoned farmhouse came into view, Alpha Miller came to an abrupt stop, taking us all by surprise, aggressively demanding that we all halt and shift back to our human form. He glanced cautiously at Zac, his eyes suddenly widening. “Do you smell that, Zac?” he promptly asked in a gritted-out whisper. The dreaded words that left Zac’s mouth had the hairs on the back of my neck standing on the edge, “Ashley.” “Fuck,” Kane said via mind-link. “Fuck,”

A million terrible thoughts raced through my mind, no clear one to explain her scent being here.

Inhaling sharply, I confirmed their suspicions. I could smell her intoxicating vanilla scent coming from the direction of the abandoned house. Looking over at Kane, I could see his tense body mirrored my own, down to the muscle ticking in his jaw, the white-knuckled clenching of fists and the swirling darkness that had clouded his eyes.

We were both on edge, not grasping what was going on or why our mates’ scent was here. “Ashley is here,” I say grimly to my brother via mind -link, barely concealing my inner rage. “What the fuck are you doing still standing here” Hunter spat.“Mate needs us. She is here without our protection. With a man that has tried to kill her several times,” With each word he spoke, his uncontrollable rage took over mine. Consuming me, burning furiously through my veins like white-hot lava.

All six of us take off towards the building, murderous thoughts filling my mind. “I am going to skin him alive”, Hunter roars in my head.“No one touches mate.” The idea has me smiling inwards, for once in the last few days. Hunter and I can agree on something.

Meters from the ruined farmhouse, we all stop to listen tensely to the side door squeak on its broken and rusted hinges. “Ready, brother,” Kane says impatiently from beside me. “Ready,” I reply tersely, crouching my body into a defensive position, ready to kill whatever exits that door.

It takes us all moments to register that the person exiting the derelict building is none other than Ashley. Confusion develops inside of me and I realise that Ashley is carrying a small she-wolf in her arms. “Shit, did she rescue Zac’s mate,” Kane says via mind-link, a look of utter awe engulfing his face. “It looks that way”, I reply in surprise. “This kitten is badass and has claws”, his voice whistles back. Holy fuck, Ashley would be the death of me if she didn’t stop brutally killing people and walking around naked, sexy as hell.

Fuck she had an aura of extraordinary confidence surrounding her, and fucking hell, that aura did wicked things to me. I wasn’t ashamed of my growing erection. Apparently, Zac took offence to it as he let out a low warning growl when he undoubtedly noticed the considerable attention Kane and I were paying Ashley.

Fucking pup, I thought contemptuously, challenging us over OUR mate when his was desperately looking at him with sad eyes. How pathetic. His father must have sensed the little she-wolfs distress as he stepped forward, reluctantly taking her small frame from Ashley’s arms, giving Kane and me an even better view of her tight, athletic body. Fuck were her curves dangerous; I would ruthlessly kill for them.

I didn’t get too long to properly appreciate the sight before me as I registered Ashley’s overwhelming fatigue a moment later when she began to sway, her legs giving out from under her. Without thinking, I raced forward and wrapped my arms around her lithe body, placing her feet carefully back on solid ground. Fuck was that a critical mistake, the overwhelming sensations that ripped through my body by force was like nothing I had ever felt.

Burning desire coursed through my veins; the odd feeling was exquisite but almost painful. Made painful no doubt by the memory of the rejection raw in my mind. I had never seen such exquisite eyes before; they were an unusual shade of lilac. The sight of her beautiful face up close stole the breath from my lungs. I couldn’t breathe. I thought her extraordinary beauty would suffocate me until I felt her body push away from mine.

Ashley carefully turned to Zac, asking him to take her home. At that moment, I wanted to brutally kill him. It took all my will power to stop Hunter from coming forward when Ashley gently placed her hand in Zacs, and they walked off leaving us fuming in their wake.

Kane and I were ready to butcher him until I felt an iron grip clamping down on my shoulder, forcing me to turn away from Ashley’s retreating form.

“Get your fucking hand off me”, I spit contemptuously the moment Alpha Miller’s hand clamps down on my shoulder.“I will organise a meeting with Ashley tomorrow morning, Alpha Rayne, Alpha Kane,” Alpha Miller says in a tense voice.

It looks as if he wants to say more, but he forcibly closes his mouth when he takes in the sight of Kane and me. We are beyond furious. Once again, our mate has chosen Zac over us. Once again, she has humiliated us publicly.

My heart was beating wildly in my chest. Hunter was howling in rage and pent-up frustration. “We could have killed him. We still can,” Hunter bellows. “He is just a fucking pup who continues to touch OUR MATE,” he screams shrilly.

“Let’s go, brother”, Kane spits.“It seems we are no longer needed here.” Kane is correct. There is nothing here for us.

Before we leave, Kane and I decide to check out of the abandoned farmhouse and note the three deceased rogues out the back, and when we search the house, we replace the body of Alpha Dante. Knowing that Ashley has executed all these people makes me hard again, much to my disgust. At the moment, I didn’t want to think about her nor the fact that she continues to reject us. It fucking hurts.

Even with the rejection, I can’t help but feel the pride that courses through me and I can’t wait to tell the Betas how badass she is. If we ever make things right with her, it will be a story that I will relish telling our children. Whoa, back up, I think instantly. I am getting ahead of myself. Ashley doesn’t want us. I unpleasantly remind myself.

Looking over at Kane, I watch as he viciously kicks Alpha Dantes lifeless body and then spits on him. “You are so fucking lucky Ashley found you first,” he says bitterly in disgust. “Amen, brother,” I reply as we both turn to exit the building.

Kane and I decide to decline the offer to have dinner at the packhouse with Alpha Miller and his wife. We are both feeling deflated after today and want to be alone with our thoughts. However, we agree to have breakfast with them as Alpha Miller has promised us a meeting with Ashley to discuss our mate bond and a future alliance. I don’t even bother replying. I nod as I don’t think any meeting will be helpful. It seems Ashley has made up her mind.

A small part of me is thrilled at the prospect of being formally introduced to her though, I want to study her face and hear her voice. I want to be able to drink in every inch of her and commit it to memory.

Sitting on the verandah, swirling a glass of scotch in my hands, I turn to Kane. “I wish we had never accepted the invitation,” I say bitterly. “No matter how much it hurts, I am glad we did” Kane replies, with a eistful look on his face. “Oh really, whys that,” I ask. “I wouldn’t trade the moment of meeting Ashley for the world,” he says in a low-pitched voice. “No matter how much it fucking hurts,” he continues grimly.

I don’t have to look at my brother, I know he is just as crushed as I am. We had never really wanted to be tied down to a mate, but now that we had met her, it seems it was all we could think of. Her divine presence consumed us. I would watch the world burn to the fucking ground if she were by my side. No, I instantly thought, our side. I naturally loved my brother fiercely, and as much as I despised the idea of sharing a mate, it just felt right that such a she-wolf would be fated to the both of us.

Ashley wasn’t just the other half of my soul, she was the other half of his also, and I wouldn’t fight him over that. Not this time, I would have to learn to share. If Ashley ever accepted us anyway.

Sometime after midnight, Kane and I woke with a start, jumping out of bed. “My skins on fire,” he yells frantically in my direction. “Mine too,” I yell back. The pain is almost unbearable. It takes me a few minutes to recognise what it is. “Ashley is fucking Zac,” I say through gritted teeth. The thought has Hunter in a murderous rage, and for a split second, I almost let him come forward. Instead, I start tearing the place to pieces. Smashing the TV, lounge, desk, bookcase, pictures, etc., nothing is left unturned or on the wall. Kane joins me, together we tear the place apart.

While the pain doesn’t dissipate, the anger coursing through me takes the edge off. Kane grabs the car keys from his duffle bag and chucks them to me. “Fuck this shit. Fuck Ashley. Let’s go,“Kane growls dangerously. Kane knows that if we stay any longer, we will not be responsible for our actions, and right now, I could kill.

Leaving Blood Moon territory seems the safest thing to do, so we jump in our SUV and floor it, not bothering to tell anyone we are leaving. It was going to be a long fucking night with Hunter’s rage only growing inside me, fuelling mine. Looking over at Kane’s white knuckles on the steering wheel, I knew Jax was doing the same. I can’t say I blame them. Ashley had fucked up. Big time.