The Alpha's Rejected Mate
Chapter 8

I scream out as the wolf jumps at me. Closing my eyes, I readied myself for the impact of his blow. The feel of his claws digging into my chest and ripping out my heart. The feel of sudden loss of life. Of love.

I scream once again, but when I don't feel any pain I open one eye slightly before opening another, to see that that the wolf had shifted into human form and was now standing a few breaths away from me.

His eyes stared at me with a newfound curiosity and I found myself taking him in. He had blonde hair and blues eyes and he seemed to be around my mothers' age. A few years younger, maybe.

“RJ?” His and my own eyes became wide as my mother’s name left his parted lips.

“Um...” I paused, not quite sure how to answer. “Do you mean Radiance?” I ask, cautiously.

“Yeah. My sister. RJ.” He confirms in a soft, gentle voice.

“You--You’re Benny?” I asked, shock present in my voice.

“I go by Ben, now. But yeah, I’m Benny.” He said with a small smirk on his face. “How do you know my sister?”

“Your sister...” I paused once again. “She’s... Well, she’s my mother.” I told him a small smile forming on my face at finally replaceing the uncle I’ve always wanted to meet and the brother my mother has always been longing to replace.

“That explains why you look so much like her. Apart from the hair color, anyway.” He smiled back a half-smile, a dimple appearing on his left cheek.

“Do you...” I began unsurely. “Do you want to see her?” I asked with a soft smile.

“You’ll let me see her?” He asks, his smile growing wider by the second. When I nodded he ran up to me and spun me around like my father used to when I was a little girl. “Thank you so much.” He kept repeating into my hair while spinning me around. When we parted he places a soft kiss on my cheek and takes my hand, urging me to lead him towards my mother and his sister. The touch and kiss earn a growl from Cade. I had actually forgotten that he was there.

“Who’s this?” Ben asks, finally taking notice of Cade.

Before I could say that he was ‘no-one’, Cade said the two words I dreaded more than anything in an overly happy voice.

“We’re mates!” He says smiling brightly.

“We’re not,” I mutter to no one in particular.

“We are.” Cade nods, assuring Ben.

“Pretty poor excuse of one,” Ben says and I laugh.

Cade growls again.

“What if I had tried to attack her. You did nothing to stop me just then.”

“I would have,” Cade growls glaring at him.

Ben puts his hands up in mock surrender.

Cade storms over to me, grabs my hand in a death grip and pulls me over behind a tree.

“What do you think you’re doing?” I shout at him, trying to pull my hand out of his grip. It was hurting me.

“Me?! What do you think you’re doing?!” He yells back at me. “You don’t know who that lunatic is!”

“He’s my mothers' brother you fucking dipshit!”

“You don't know that!” Cade retorts.

“I can’t believe you cant see the resemblance. Then again, you wouldn't.” I smirk, my eyes twinkling with a newfound confidence.

“I hate you.” He mutters with no feeling.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. “I said patting his head. Hard. “The feeling is totally mutual,” I say with a huge Cheshire grin. With that said, I walk out from behind the tree, grabbing Ben’s hand--in a grip, might I say, that was not, in any way, rough--and pulling him towards the pack house.

“So... what are you doing here?” I ask him, wondering why he was in the woods in the first place, especially with all these Rogue attacks happening.

“I was actually looking for your mother. It’s only taken me fifteen or so years, but I’m finally going to see her again.” He says shaking his head like he doesn't believe it’s actually happening.

“My mum said that she was kicked out of her pack. She never told my brother and me what for though.” I say, almost to myself.

Ben looks at me, his eyes full of contained sadness. “When it happened, all those years ago, I was pretty young, so I didn’t really understand what was happening. All I remember was one day seeing RJ packing her bags and saying that she was leaving. She told me to stay strong and to never let anyone tell me what to do or how to live my life. She told me to cherish every moment like it was my last.”

“That sounds like my mum.” I smile.

“When I was old enough to know, my father said that RJ slept with another woman’s mate. The second he told me, I didn’t believe him. RJ wasn’t like that. She was nice and caring and she would never do anything to hurt anyone unless they were a bitch to her. Even then, she could never fully kill someone and live with the guilt.” He pauses. “When I was fifteen I started to rebel against my father, so I could replace my sister and live with her if she wasn't already dead. My father caught wind of what I was doing and started beating me. I became his bitch.” Ben spits out with a hiss. “For twelves years I was his personal punching bag and it wasn't until my best friend became Alpha that I could finally get out of that hell hole.” He smiled. “And now, three years, I’m going to see her once again. I never thought I would. I guess I was just... hoping for the best, you know? Hoping that things would turn out alright in the end, you know what I mean?” He asks.

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” I say, looking down at the grass beneath my feet. “Your story is amazing. I would have never been able to stay hopeful after twenty plus years.” I say looking up at him through my lashes.

“Thanks. But, I think you could. You seem really strong.” He smiled back at me as we reach the pack house.

“Doe your mother live here?” Ben asks staring at the pack house with awe.

“No, my father--well, brothers--pack house is better than this one. Much better.” I smirk and Ben laughs.

A growl sounds from behind us and once again I am reminded that Cade is with us. Ignoring Cade I lead Ben towards the cabin I was staying at so I could change into some more suitable clothes. The sun was just beginning to rise and the sky was a beautiful orange and purple.

As the cabin came into view, I saw Kaiden stumble out in only a pair of boxers, rubbing his eyes.

“Hey, baby.” I smiled as I ran up to him.

He caught me in his arms and held me close, placing several soft kisses on my lips. “Hey, Scar. I missed you in bed this morning. When I woke up and saw you weren’t there, I started to freak out.”

Once again, Cade was growling his ass off.

“Oh for the love of God, would you please shut the hell up, Cade.” I shouted as Cade glared.

I turned to face Ben and saw the confused look on his face as he stared between Kaiden and me, and then between Cade and I. He quickly masked his confused expression when he saw me watching him.

“Ben, I’d like you to meet my boyfriend, Kaiden.” I smiled. “Kaiden, this is my mother’s brother, Ben.” I introduced them.

Kaiden set me down on the ground and walked over to Ben, doing one of those stupid man greetings.

I roll my eyes and mutter under my breath, “Typical boys.”

“Love you, too, babe,” Kaiden calls up to me and I roll my eyes once again.

“Once I change we’ll go see Radiance, okay?” I ask Ben. He nods at me before turning and starting a conversation with Kaiden.

I run into the Cabin and change into some washed out blue skinny jeans, a pastel pink tank top, and brown leather jacket and some brown ankle boots. I walk out of the cabin to see the three boys talking to each other civilly.

“The world has officially ended.” I joke to myself, though I smile. “Come on guys, I’m driving,” I call to Ben and Kaiden. “Bye, Cade.”

“Nuh, uh. I’m coming.” Cade tells me, walking towards his car.

I roll my eyes. “Fine, but I’m driving.” Daddy would give him hell. I smile.

“Okay.” He says, not seeing the evil look in my eyes, he chucks me the keys to his car and I catch them with ease.

“I call shotgun!” Ben says jumping into the front passenger seat. I laugh as Cade and Kaiden both pout and I sit in the driver's seat.

“Hop in, guys.”

It was amazing how quickly we got to my brothers' pack house. Although, I did go a teensy weensy bit over the speed limit. Only a teensy weensy bit thought I swear!

As soon as I stopped the car Cade was on the ground kissing the dirt beneath his palms.

“I’m ALIVE!” He yelled like I purposely tried to scare him. Okay, maybe I was, but that’s not the point.

When I turned Ben was already running up the steps and knocking on the front door waiting patiently for a reply. I ran up the steps behind him with Kaiden just as the door opened to reveal my very shocked mother.

In that Milli second as I reached Ben, my mother squealed and then fainted, her eyes rolling back into her head.

“Radiance!” My father yelled as he ran to her and picked her up, my brother trailing behind them.

“Who are you?” My brother asks Ben.

“I’m--”

“He’s Benny. You know, mum’s brother that she had to leave behind all those years ago?” I interrupt Ben.

“For real?” Alex exclaims a smile forming on his face.

“For real.” I nod my head.

We fist bump each other and then bump hips, making an explosion sound at the end.

“We cool.” I say in a gangster voice.

“Letti, don’t ever speak in that voice again.” Alex says with a creeped-out look.

I laugh then look at dad who is watching the both of us with amusement.

“Come on, let’s put mum on the couch.” I tell dad as I follow him into the living room.

He sets her on the couch with care and brushes her hair softly as she slowly comes to.

When she does she looks at us all with wide eyes before they rest on Ben again and she squeals again.

“JuJu?” She asks in a soft voice. JuJu? I think to myself, confused.

“It’s me, Radiance.” He smiles at her and goes over to hug her.

Tears prick my eyes as I watch my mother and Ben together. My mum tells Ben how much she’s missed him and asks him how he’s been and how he got here.

Ben relays the story to her, mum getting angry in some parts--the beatings and Ben being her fathers bitch--more than others.

“I’m just so glad you’re here. I’ve missed you so, so much.” She tells him, her voice cracking.

Kaiden wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me close and just that single touch makes me feel safe. I wipe the tears away from my eyes and look at him. He’s staring at me with so much love and adoration that I can’t help but kiss his lips softly.

He mouths an ‘I love you’ and I mouth one back.

I turn to Ben to see him looking at me once again.

“Thank you. For bringing me back to my sister.” He says in a soft whisper as he hugs me.

“Your welcome.”