The Alpha’s Rejected And Broken Mate
Chapter 48

Rowan POV

"Here's the cash you requested" Laurence said, pushing the briefcase over to me. I frowned at him and opened it, scowling at the vast amount of cash inside of it. The billion dollars that had been requested. It was nauseating to look at. Surprising that it fit inside a briefcase, but to be fair, I had only a million dollars inside of it. The rest had been transferred to that bastard, Beta Mathew's bank account.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" asked my own Beta, stretching out in the armchair and folding his arms as he gazed steadily at me with those big brown eyes of his.

"I don't really have a choice" I countered, "I've already paid the majority of the money and she is my mate, Laurence. I can't just abandon her to that family of hers. She'll end up married to someone else if I don't go through with it and she deserves better than that." She deserved better than to be with me, I thought to myself.

Laurence gave me a smug smile. "She deserves you, you know. If you stopped being so temperamental all the time, then people would think you were a nice person."

I glared at him. "Well I'm not", I said tetchily, "and maybe its good that she knows that. Then she won't be so disappointed in me."

Laurence gave me a dark look. "You are a great man, she'll come to realize that. If you just let her in a little, instead of putting your walls up all the time."

"Like I let in Stacey" I said, my voice heavy with sarcasm. "look how well that turned out. She cheated on me in this house for crying out loud."

I closed the briefcase as Laurence sighed heavily. "Stacey wasn't right for you. I saw that, your father saw that. You just didn't want to see it. But this girl, Amber, seems to be a really nice person. Sweet, even. Not the usual type of girl you would go for and that's a good thing. Besides, the mate bond isn't something to take lightly. You should cherish it," he added, a little forlorn.

I felt bad for him. I knew how badly Laurence wanted to replace his own mate and had yet to replace her. It was why he was always so happy to visit other packs on my behalf, in the hopes his mate might be there.But he was young still and had plenty of time.

I glanced down at my watch. It was almost time. "I have to go", I told Laurence. "Remember to keep a careful watch out for those rogues and make sure everything is ready for when I get back."

"Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, she might be expecting to share a room with you" he asks.

I gave him a dirty look. "She's being forced to marry me. I think the last thing she's going to want is to share a bed with me and I'm not about to put her in that situation." I could at least be a gentleman, considering the strange situation I was in. Besides, it wasn't my nature to force a woman to do anything she didn't want to do and I certainly didn't condone it.

He shrugs. "Suit yourself" he mutters underneath his breath.

I grabbed the suitcase and headed out of the study, casting him one last searching look over my shoulder. Then it was onwards, stopping at my car. This one was a large SUV, built for comfort rather than style. I wanted my new bride to be comfortable in her seat and have plenty of room for her bags. I turned the stereo on and glanced up, seeing Laurence's face in the study window as he gave me a small smile and wave. I ignored him and pulled out of the driveway, going along the main roads towards the Silver Wolves' Pack, able to remember the route from memory alone. My mind drifted towards my mate and how she must be feeling.

I hoped that Amber was alright and not too distraught. I can't imagine being told that she was marrying me had gone down too well. I frowned suddenly as a thought came to me. I dont' think I ever told her my name, not even when we were dancing. My heart sinks a little. That can only mean that she knows me by my reputation, something that is most likely frightening her to death. Way to go, Rowan, I thought to myself sourly, could you have been more of an i***t? She was going to hate me, I was certain of it. That made even my wolf a little sad, whining a little in my mind. It couldn't be helped though, this was the only way to make sure that she wasn't married off to another man, until I decided whether to fully accept her or not.

Even now, getting married, didn't mean that I wouldn't reject her. If she hated me or couldn't stand the sight of me, or demanded a rejection, there was every reason I was most likely to give it to her. As it was, I felt like a coward, marrying her in this way, instead of the traditional way. Her parents were a real piece of work, that was for sure. My hands clenched on the steering wheel as I remembered the smug look on Beta Mathew's face as he offered me his daughter in exchange for the billion dollars. It hadn't phased him at all that I'd been angry at him, as though he instinctively knew that I would give it to him. I must not have hidden my emotions properly when it came to dancing with Amber or he had sensed the attraction between us and used it to his advantage. How I wish I could strangle that man to death, but that would only anger the elders and incite a war, something that I did not want to do, for it would mean innocent lives would be lost. I had no doubt that I would win the war, but it would come at far too great a cost. The Silver Wolve's Pack is up ahead and I pull in, my heart thudding wildly in my chest. This was it. The big moment. There was no coming back from what I was about to do. My wolf encouraged me to continue, eager to see our mate again. But my hands shook slightly as they gripped the briefcase, my eyes darting each and every direction as I began to walk, towards the large marquee at the back of the grounds. Pack members shot me a curious look, but no one tried to intervene. It was almost laughable, the security they had. Sure, the patrol knew to expect me, but I would have expected more people to be on their guard. Especially other pack members. Then again, how many of them liked Beta Mathew?

Beta Mathew is standing outside the marquee, looking casual, his hands in his pockets. I struggled not to show my distaste for the man as I handed him the briefcase, a broad smile appearing on his face. He actually has the nerve to open it and check the money in front of me. "I received your transfer already" he purrs, "thank you for that. Just so you know, if you change your mind, there are no refunds if you decide you don't want her anymore" he says slyly.

Something sinister must have appeared on my face because he hurriedly shut the briefcase again and motioned towards the marquee. "She's just in there, waiting for you" he said thickly, holding tightly to the briefcase and waiting for me to go inside.

I push my way past him and go inside, making my way towards the figures in the back, seeing that her mother is with her. I breathe in deeply, smelling the weirdest scent in my life. It smells familiar to me though, like honeysuckle and roses mixed in, but it seems off somehow, like the two scents are not meant to be mixed in together. My eyes widen as the scent drifts towards me and my feet plant themselves on the ground, as a memory, unbidden, comes to me.

I'm coming home from a long day at work, and Stacey is standing by the front door, waiting for me, her arms folded across her chest, a wicked grin on her face. I'm tired, drained, wanting nothing more than to eat and go to bed, but she takes hold of my arm and leans up, kissing me on the lips passionately and I respond, kissing her back roughly, gripping her tightly to me. I feel tingles running down my arms.

"Turn around" she murmurs and I hesitate, looking deep into her eyes and then sighing, turning so that my back is faced towards her. I trusted her completely, enough to put myself in such a vulnerable position.

I felt a scrap of fabric against my face, blinding me. Stacey's hands turn me back towards the front door and her smooth hand grabs hold of mine, squeezing them. I can smell her perfume, feel her hands on mine. My senses are on overload. "Follow me" she said excitedly, leading me inside the pack house and towards the back. Judging by the footsteps, she's aiming for the kitchen.

I wonder what on earth she is doing. But she says nothing, making me sit down at the table. I can smell her perfume as she leans over, a sickly sweet overpowering scent that seems to overwhelm the room a little bit. I sense her mosing around the rable and watt, the blindfold still over my eyes.

"You can take it off now" she whispers from behind me and I rip the blindfold off in one smooth movement, looking up into her beaming eyes before I glance down at the rable, my mouth watering. All my favorite dishes were there. Cashew chicken, stirfried rice and vegetables and even a large meat pie. She must have gotten the cook to make them all while I was working. My mouth curls into a large smile.

She had gone into a huge effort, with a large white tablecloth covering the rable, flowers in the center of it in a vase and candles all over it. It was romantic and very thoughtful. She sits down beside me and grins.

"What do you want to eat, Rowan?" she asks, beginning to push some of the dishes beside me.

I feel a twinge of excitement as she leans back over towards me and murmurs in my ear "if you're good, then there's dessert after, but that's for the bedroom" she whispers, my c**k twitching at the seductive look she gives me.

I reached over and began to help myself to the food, serving her plates up first. Every look, every glance, sets my body on fire.

That night was very memorable and involved a lot of s*x with whipped cream.

I came crashing back down to earth. For a moment, as I stared at Amber I got confused, seeing Stacey's face instead of hers. Then, just as quickly, it's gone and I see Amber's green eyes widen for a moment before her body begins to sway. I react, throwing myself forward as she begins to fall down towards the ground. I catch her in mid air, taking in her pale pallor as her mother lets out a strangled cry, looking shocked.

"Oh dear" her mother cried out, fanning her hands over Amber's face as she lay there limply in my arms, cradled against my chest.

"What on earth" shouts her father, coming up from the back, "wake up Amber for heaven's sake. If you think this ploy is going to work, you have another thing coming." He looks down at her with anger in his eyes. His voice is loud and reverberates through the marquee.

God, my hands are itching to throw a punch at this despicable man. Amber's eyelids begin to flutter though and she lets out a small gasp as she looks up at me.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, feeling protective with her in my arms. I don't want to let her go.

Why is her face changing to Stacey's whenever I look at her? Why now? Why am I even thinking of the woman who betrayed me? I was over her. But my mind was telling me otherwise. My body feels aflame where I'm holding Amber, and when she wriggles slightly, my c**k twitches. I try to hold back a groan as she tries to shimmy down my arms and get herself back on her feet.

"I'm so sorry" she whispers apologetically, her lower lip trembling, as I reluctantly let go of her "I fainted from the excitement, that's all."

"You've ruined the ceremony" snarls her father, unmoved by the tears forming in the corner of his daughter's eyes.

I glance down at her pale face and the dark circles under her eyes. Though she still looks beautiful, there's an edge of frailty around her. She looks absolutely terrified as she stares at her father, who's hands are clenched into fists. I glanced at him and then back at her, making a quick and hasty decision. I addressed the father, as Amber went as pale as a sheet "there will not be a ceremony today. I will take her back to the pack, but we will not be getting married." Not like this, I thought to myself grimly.

Her father's jaw drops open and the mother sways on her feet, a hand to her mouth. Amber looks like she's about to faint again and I move to be right beside her, taking hold of her hand and smiling gently at her. "Don't worry, I won't make you marry me today, you're not ready."

She blinks back tears, her whole body trembling as she stares over at her father.

Her father moved in front of me and folded his arms. "We had an agreement", he blurted out and I shook my head at him, feeling enraged.

"Look at her" I said evenly, indicating poor Amber "she's pale, tired and just fainted. She matters more than a ceremony at the end of the day."

He looks unimpressed. "I can't have you just take her without marriage. What will people think? We have our reputation to worry about," he snarls.

"You weren't thinking about your reputation when you asked for a billion dollars for her hand in marriage" I growled lowly, "but if it matters that much to you, then how about another billion dollars? I expect it in writing though and signed by you and a lawyer as witness."

His eyes gleam as he stares greedily at Amber, who swallows hard. "Another billion dollars" he exclaims, and turns to his wife, who looks positively ashen and a little stricken. "Can you believe it? She's good for something after all" he scoffs.

Wham. My hand shoots out and hits him and he falls to the floor, unconscious.

The minister wisely decides to remain where he's standing and not utter a sound.