The Alpha’s Rejected And Broken Mate
Chapter 57

Amber POV

I was getting increasingly fed up, as I leaned over the toilet bowl and retched, vomiting the meagre contents of my stomach into it. Urgh it tasted disgusting and I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and then sat back on my haunches thinking to myself. I hadn't seen, nor heard from Alpha Rowan since the first date incident and it was becoming blatantly clear, that he was either hiding himself away or just plain ignoring me. Neither was making me very happy. I flushed the toilet and then rinsed my mouth with water, before brushing them profusely. I knew I needed to come clean, but it was impossible to tell the man I was pregnant if I never saw him.

I was starting to rethink this whole damn marriage thing. For starters, I never agreed to be ignored or to be shut away. With that in mind, I skipped through the bedroom and went downstairs, Laurence blocking my way to outside as I folded my arms and glared at him. "You can't go outside" he said rather nervously.

"Well, I'm not staying inside" I told him harshly, "I didn't agree to be a prisoner. If you want me confined" I added, with a spurt of confidence "then you're going to have to put me in the dungeon."

His mouth dropped open as though he hadn't been expecting that. I held out my hands and waggled my eyebrows at him. "Otherwise" I said sweetly "perhaps you could get Alpha Rowan for me? You know, the man that brought me here" I added sarcastically. "He's a little busy at the moment" Laurence hedged, and I stared at him, waiting for him to clarify what he meant. "Busy doing what?" I asked suspiciously.

"Um" Laurence said quietly, his eyes glazing over, mind-linking Alpha Rowan "fine" he exhales, his eyes going back to normal "you can go out on the grounds, but you;re not to step foot in the forest" he said with a scowl. "Where is Alpha Rowan?"

"Busy" snapped Laurence and I sighed, shaking my head and stepping around him.

"Of course he is" I muttered underneath my breath "coward."

Laurence watched me silently as I stepped past him and wandered out the front door. Outside it was beautiful, with soft green lush grass and the bluest sky, birds chirping away quite happily from their nests in the distance. Pack members smiled politely at me, curious gazes following as I walked, taking my time, with no particular direction in my mind. Then I heard the shouting and wandered towards it, coming to the training ring provided, spectators sitting on the grass, watching two men grapple and fight with one another.

"Yeah, go Jared" one man shouted from his seat, as the larger of the two men landed a punch on his opponents face.

I winced as the man clearly broke the other's nose, blood spurting out of it. A woman, sitting on the ground, looked up at me and smiled as I approached.

"Hello" she said with interest, her blue eyes twinkling "you must be new to our pack. I don't think I've seen you before."

I shook my head and smiled back. "I'm new" I admitted "my name's Amber, what's yours?"

She reached out and shook my hand, her black hair bouncing on her shoulders, a friendly look on her face "I'm Tessa" she said politely.

A shout rippled through the crowd and we glanced over to see that Jared was now down for the count, a large man stepping into the ring and checking his pulse.

"Don't worry" shouted the man "he's just unconscious."

Two other men approached Jared, picking him up and moving him to the grass where he would hopefully wake up, a little worse for wear. I stared in fascination at everything going around me.

"So how long are you here for?" asked Tessa, motioning for me to join her on the grass.

I sat down next to her cross legged. "I'm not sure" I told her honestly, frowning slightly "but at this rate, it's not going to be long at all." I added darkly.

She sighed. "That's a shame, I could really use the company. No one really tends to talk to me here, they merely tolerate me" she said quietly.

I stared at her incredulous. She was so beautiful, with a pixie cut that flowed to her shoulders, her black hair gleaming in the sunlight. Her blue eyes sparkled and she had pale pink lips curled into the friendliest of smiles. She had tanned golden skin and was toned all over, like she trained a lot but she also wasn't tall, but quite dainty looking. She reminded me a little of the fae, with the way she looked and acted. I couldn't understand why no one spoke to her. Or why we were both receiving either curious glances or cold hard stares.

"Can't you tell?" she asked me softly, her voice a hushed whisper.

I had to lean closer to hear her. I shook my head in confusion.

"I'm an undesirable" she confessed sadly, looking down at the ground "I don't have a wolf, so I'm considered to be useless in the pack. It's something I'm so ashamed of. Both my parents were shifters" she said upset "but I just never received my wolf." I laughed, I couldn't help it and then sobered quickly as she stared at me looking hurt. "I'm sorry" I apologised "I'm not laughing at you but because I too, am an undesirable" I added and watched her eyes light up, her expression thoughtful and forgiving. "Then we can both be undesirables together" she said with glee.

Then something crossed her eyes and she leant foward, slowly examining me as I fidgeted awkwardly in my chair. "Can I ask you something?" she asked.

"Sure" I said uncertainly, feeling a bit uncomfortable at the way her eyes raked over me.

"It's just that, I'm almost sure that you are pregnant" she whispered glancing down at my stomach meaningfully.

I blushed, placing a protective hand against my stomach. "I am, but please don't tell anyone. I still have to tell someone important and I can't risk it getting out just yet" I added hastily.

This time she giggled and looked around "who am I going to tell" she said drily "the trees?"

I grinned "the trees are fine, people not so much."

"Tessa" barked the man from the training ring "are you up for some sparring?"

"That's the head warrior Max" said Tessa rolling her eyes "and what he really means is am I up for getting my b**t kicked."

"You don't have to go if you don't want to" I protested but she shook her head and got up, looking back down at me with resignation in her eyes.

"Thanks, but I dont' want to give them another reason to despise me" she said sighing. "Besides, it's good for me to learn to fight like this, so that I can at least defend myself."

I wholeheartedly approved of that and watched Tessa go to Max's size, the man looking like a giant next to the dwarf sized woman. He motioned another woman forward, one with long auburn hair and brown eyes, that glared at Tessa as they shook hands and began to speak. "I want a clean fight" Max shouted, leaving the two girls alone in the ring.

I watched with keen interest as both girls glanced at Max and then at each other. I waited to see who would make the first move.

The auburn haired girl launched herself at Tessa, who managed to spring to the side just in time, her hand shooting out and blocking a roundhouse kick. Tessa then began to back away, still continuing to block the auburn girls attack. Then her own hand shot out and she managed to hit the auburn haired girl, who let out a loud hiss of anger as the punch connected with her face. Tessa looked concerned now and a bit apprehensive as they began to circle each other.

"I'm going to get you for that you little b***h" shouted the auburn haired girl.

"Kelly, language" roared Max from the sidelines.

Kelly flipped him off, flipping her long hair over her shoulder and focussing on Tessa who was looking like she wanted to bolt.

Kelly tackled Tessa to the ground, laying a flurry of punches to her sides and midsection as Tessa cried out and doubled over in an attempt to protect herself. Then Tessa kicked out, sending Kelly to the floor, with a well aimed kick to the knee, before getting back up and punching Kelly in the chest, sending her stumbling backwards several steps.

I was impressed at Tessa's fortitude. She was doing so well, considering she was up against a shifter. She had definitely downplayed her skills in fighting.

Kelly was looking pissed now, her face glaring hard at Tessa. She began to move faster, landing a flurry of punches to Tessa, who managed to block them, elbowing Kelly in the shoulder and then kicking her knee out. Before Kelly could move, Tessa landed a hard hit to her head, sending her body flying backwards, lying flat on the ground. I held my breath as Tessa stood over her, checking the girl's pulse as her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Max came striding in, looking quite pleased with Tessa, who looked more concerned about the other girl still lying there, unconscious.

"Well done Tessa" he boomed, complimenting Tessa who blushed at all the attention and stares she was receiving.

I clapped hard, startling several nearby people, who then reluctantly did the same.

Tessa smiled a little and then got out of the training ring, coming back over to me, now drenched in sweat, panting heavily as she took a gulp of her water bottle near my feet.

"You did awesome" I told her appreciatively.

"Thanks" she said a little excitedly "you won't believe this, but this is the first time I've ever won against anyone before. You must be lucky" she said sincerely.

I laughed. "I don't think I had anything to do with it" I teased "it was all you."

But she remained adament that it was me, that I had brought her luck and no amount of protesting to the contrary would sway her otherwise.

We barely paid attention to anymore of the fighting going on, instead chatting to each other about our lives and what we each liked. I learnt that Tessa had no family to speak of and had been an orphan that grew up in the pack. She now lived alone on the outskirts of the pack and was a kindergarden teacher that worked three days a week. When she asked about me, I told her all of my history, including about Darius and how I was meant to marry Alpha Rowan. She was stunned and a little in shock. "He hasn't spoken to you since the date?" Tessa asked with a glower. She seemed to be pretty angry on my behalf.

"No" I confirmed "but could it have been something I did? I mean" I pause and reflect for a moment on the date "one minute it was going so well and then the next..." I trailed off.

"Doesn't matter. He shouldn't be avoiding you" Tessa said fiercely "you know what you need to do" she added "you need to go and replace him and tell him in no uncertain terms not to treat you this way. Demand answers from him. The least he can do is tell you the truth."

She wasn't wrong. I was sick of wondering what I had done for the date to go wrong, when in actual fact I hadn't done anything. Whatever the problem was, it was to do with him. Not only that, but where did I stand? Were we still going to get married? Or had he changed his mind and was too cowardly to tell me?

"I think I'm going to go and replace him" I say decisively and she nods, looking at me expectantly, a wicked grin on her face.

"Tell me how it goes" she begs and I promise to let her know, having been given her cellphone number earlier. It was nice to have a friend to be able to talk to. One that was just like me, no less.

I approached the pack house with determination in my step. Alpha Rowan was going to have to talk to me, whether he wanted to or not. Not even Laurence's presense inside the front door, was going to be enough to stop me.

"Laurence" I said angrily "where is Alpha Rowan this time? I've had enough of these games, take me to him already"

"No need" came his voice from behind me, smooth and velvety and enough to cause shivers down my spine as I whirled around to face him. "I'm right here" he added.