The Alpha’s Rejected And Broken Mate
Chapter 19

Rowan POV

"Rowan, Rowan, are you even listening to me" Stacey complained, crinkling her nose up and staring at me rather haughtily.

I blink confused, lost in my thoughts, I had barely paid any attention when she had entered the study, and now I found myself wondering what it was she wanted. I could guess, though, that it was likely she wanted my credit card again. "I'm sorry, could you maybe say it again," I ask apologetically "my mind kind of wandered away from me."

Stacey frowned. "What is with you lately" she whined, making my body stiffen "lately you've been so out of it. Like there's something on your mind but you don't want to tell me."

She was right. All I could think about lately was that girl in the bookstore. I'd been discreet and asked around, replaceing out that her name was Amber Henderson and that she was part of the Silver Wolves Pack. Since then, I'd been trailing her, and it was damn lucky I had. She had almost been killed by a rogue for heaven's sake! If I hadn't gotten there in time, she would have been dead. Part of me wondered though, where the patrol was, considering how close she had been to her pack's border. Surely they should have been able to sense there was a rogue close to their territory?

"I'm sorry," I told Stacey, exhaling deeply "I just have a lot of work going on, especially business-wise, not to mention with father."

She gives a sudden nod in understanding. "I don't mean to upset you."

"Oh Rowan, it's okay" she exclaims, biting her lip and looking chagrined "I should have realized what was occupying your mind. Please forgive me."

There was nothing to forgive. Thank christ she hadn't picked up on my lying. As it was, I was replaceing myself more and more annoyed at Stacey and wondering what it was I saw in her. She was sexy, there was no doubt about that, but lately, I found her wanting and her personality lacking.

"Anyway," Stacey drawls, leaning over the desk and showing off her rather large bosom, clad in a skin-tight red dress designed to show off her lean body and curves. "I was hoping to go shopping if that's alright with you?" She gives me a winning smile.

I try not to sigh. I was right, she was after the card, but this time I withdrew my wallet from my trouser pocket, rifling through it and selecting the credit card. I held it out to her silently, watching as she plucked it from my fingers, beaming widely at me. "Thank you honey" she crooned. "I promise to be back by this afternoon to help you with business stuff" she promises as well.

I just give a tight nod.

She straightens up and walks around my desk, bending down and giving me a quick peck on the lips.

"I'll see you later," she says and then saunters out the door, her long hair swaying with every step.

Two minutes later and my Beta, Laurence, knocks on the door, a frown on his face, his shoulder-length blonde hair left loosely hanging. "Come in," I say gruffly and he walks in and takes a seat opposite me, leaning back in the chair, looking at ease. He's my best friend and confidant, so I merely wait, raising an eyebrow at him, not phased at how he puts his feet up on the desk.

"I see that Stacey doesn't know a thing about your run-in with the rogue" he comments lightly.

I shake my head. "She wasn't here when I got back. Which was lucky, because it took a little while for the wounds to heal. Thank god it was only one rogue" I say with a grin.

Laurence just sighs. "What is it about this girl man? This one that you've been stalking?"

"Hey" I protest "I'm not stalking her."

"How else would you have known she was in trouble? Following her without her knowledge, makes you a stalker" Laurence argues good-naturedly.

I deflate. "Fine, then I'm stalking her. I don't know what it is about this girl Laurence, she's just drawing me in without even trying."

"Maybe it's time to get rid of Stacey then," Laurence says, glancing at me pointedly.

He's never liked Stacey, always feeling like she's using me for my money. The feeling is mutual between them both though, because Stacey can't stand Laurence and always leaves when he comes to talk pack business. It's difficult being in the middle of them both. "I can't, we've been dating for a year" I argue back, but my voice is weak, something he immediately notices.

"Just because you've been dating, doesn't mean you've promised her anything, does it" he tosses back. leaning forward now, his gaze intent.

"But it's the intention. I can't break it off now, not when I've been thinking of making her Luna" I say dejectedly "besides I do love Stacey" I add, but it doesn't quite ring true this time.

"Anyway, what can you tell me about this girl? Did you have time to look into her and her family?" I ask Laurence eagerly.

He smirks, looking insanely confident, his brown eyes now twinkling. "Of course I did. I'm one of the best at getting information from people and people from her small town were only too happy to talk to me."

"Let me guess, you spoke to several young girls," I say with a snort.

He laughs out loud, the sound booming through the air. "I can't help it if they are attracted to me Rowan, besides it made the assignment that you gave me a lot easier to fulfill."

I roll my eyes at him. Then lean forward, eager to hear what he has to say, the door closed behind us. Stacey is long gone, so I don't have to worry about her hearing anything she shouldn't.

"Her name is Amber Rianne Henderson and she is eighteen years old."

"I thought she was younger than me" I comment. He just grins.

"She's a twin, but not identical. Her sister is called Sophie and the two of them hate each other, apparently, Sophie is the perfect child and Amber is the difficult one."

I was replaceing that difficult to believe. The girl I had met had been exceedingly polite in the bookstore. Not to mention the fact she was working, when her family was wealthy.

"Amber is an undesirable, so her parents consider her to be an embarrassment to their family. They believe she's ruined their bloodline by not having a wolf."

"That's not her fault though" I snap "it's not like she could help not getting a wolf. Geez, her family sounds like a real piece of work."

"Oh they are," Laurence said easily, "but Amber's father is the Beta of the Silver Wolve's pack and a close friend to the Alpha. From what I've heard, once they discovered that Amber had no wolf, they pretty much abandoned her to her own devices, not wanting anything to do with her. They hate that she has red hair because it means she doesn't look like the rest of her family as well."

Poor Amber. My heart felt such grief for her. My fingers clench into fists, as I wished that I could beat her father to a pulp for his treatment of his own daughter.

"That's horrible," I say, grim-faced.

Laurence nods. "The more I learn, the sorrier I feel for this girl Alpha Rowan. She's been abandoned by the whole pack, shunned for her undesirable status. They treat her like a leper. It's so different from our own pack, where we still welcome undesirable's and we don't call them that, to us, they are still pack members and contribute towards the pack the best they can."

Laurence gives a heavy sigh. "But I do give the girl some credit. To all reports, she's a hell of a fighter in human form. She still attends training, gets good grades, and until recently was in love with the Alpha's son Darius."

I feel jealousy spark within me. "What happened with the Alpha's son?" I growl.

"He slept with her sister and now Sophie and Darius are getting married. Talk about a bitchy thing to do to your own sister" Laurence shakes his head in disgust.

The jealousy settles down. That was downright disgusting, though, as a sister. It made me question just how the parents could be so blind when it came to their daughters. Amber was a credit to them and they didn't even realize it.

"I feel sorry for this girl. She would be better off in a pack that gave a damn about her. Heck, her fighting skills alone" Laurence is full of admiration "I found some Sherrif reports where she beat some bikers up for trying to lay a finger on her."

I feel smug. My mate is something else, that's for sure. My wolf is also full of admiration for her. He'd been frantic when it came to trying to save her from the rogue. He'd wanted to remain by her side afterward, but I'd had to force him to turn back, but not before the traitor let her snuggle against him and pat him. He'd been full of ecstasy as we trotted back and then annoyed when Stacey came into the study.

"Maybe we could offer her a place in our pack?" Laurence suggests tentatively.

I growl at him and he holds his hands up in surrender. "My bad, it was just a suggestion" he coughs.

Then he begins to fidget. "I'm not sure if I should be telling you this, considering that you still feel loyal to Stacey and that this will no doubt upset you..." he trails off.

Of course, I'm intrigued by the way he's avoiding my gaze. It's not like him to be so indirect. Something warns me that the news, however, isn't good. Not with the way he's fidgeting.

"Tell me" I demand, needing to know what he's holding back from me.

"Fine, if you desperately want to know," Laurence says evenly, his lips now turned up in contempt "Amber's family don't want her around any longer. Especially now that Darius is no longer interested in her and marrying her sister. Rumour has it, they are setting her up on dates and trying to persuade anyone from another pack to marry her and take her away."

My wolf goes berserk at the notion of our mate being married off. I stand upright and send the desk flying, Laurence using his quick reflexes to duck as it crashes into the wall behind him, leaving behind a huge hole in the wall.

"How dare they" I thunder "f*****g despicable" I vent, my hands clenched into fists.

Laurence looks apprehensive now. "I knew I shouldn't have told you," he says shaking his head "besides what are you going to do? I'm not stupid Rowan, I know she's your mate. You only have two options. Reject her and let her go or" he pauses for a moment and then stares directly at me, challengingly, "accept her and marry her yourself. But I would make that decision quickly" he adds "because her parents are determined and if you wait too long, you might replace that it's too late."

He dodges around the broken desk and then opens the study door, looking back at me "for what it's worth, I think you and her would suit very well, but that's just my opinion. She sure as hell would be an improvement over Stacey" he shoots out over his shoulder, before hastily leaving through the door.

I throw a punch at the wall, angry beyond belief. I had no idea what I was going to do, but I didn't want Amber to be forced into marriage. It bugged me that her parents could do that to their own daughter. But as I pondered Laurence's words, I realized, no matter how I looked at it, that he was right. I did only have two choices. Rejection, which my wolf refused to even consider, or accept her and make her mine. But there was Stacey to consider as well. Whatever I chose, would have to be done quickly. I storm out of the room and head to the forest, my mind whirling with all sorts of ideas. I needed to go for a run and clear my mind.