Twice Rejected
Chapter 20

Koko’s POV

As I laid patiently waiting for the verdict from Gad, I blocked myself from all their noises. I didn’t want to hear anything. I wanted to die listening to my inner self.

I looked at my mother. She threw a glare at me as if she would kill me instantly. I wondered why she would hate me to that extent. What did I really do to deserve their hatred?

“Mother….” I whispered softly.

I just wish I could hear her call me her child just this once. I would gladly accept the death that was coming my way. But all I received was an intense hateful glare.

What was my crime? Was it just because I was ugly? Why would a woman hate her child so much?

As I was deep in thought, drowning in my own sorrows, I felt strong hands holding me up roughly. I looked up to see two stern looking guards holding me up.

Was it time for my execution? Was he that impatient to clear me out of the world? I accepted my fate and did not struggle with the guards or even say anything.

“Miss Koko Magnus. For conspiring in the death of your twin sister due to negligence to comply with the agreed contract of saving her heart with an exchange of yours. I hereby banish you from this Pack. You are not to be found anywhere near this Pack, ever again.” Gad declared.

There was total silence after his declaration. No one said anything for a few seconds before the place burst into various murmurs.

I saw Gad walking close to me. He grabbed my chin so tightly that his fingers dug deep into my flesh. I could feel the tearing of my skin accompanied by a piercing pain.

“I told you I would make you wish you had dead in that accident. Banishment. You shall be known as a rogue and hunted down all your life, if you can survive three months outside. In either way, you would be dead! I won’t stain my hands with your b***d. At least that was your sister’s dying request.”

“If not, I would have loved to rip your body into different shreds. But, I had to fulfill your sister’s dying wish.”

“My sister’s…wish…?” I asked, feeling emotional.

“Yes, but hold it… don’t be too quick to be emotional and appreciative. Don’t you want to know her last wish?”

“What…what do you mean?”

“Let me explain. Your sister wants you to stay alive for three months so you can become a rogue… and live your life in fear.” He replied with a smirk.

I felt a pang in my heart. It can’t be true. My sister would never wish that for me. I know she disliked me, but she would never wish for me to become a rogue! That was a lie!

“Lies! Liar! You are lying to me!”

“Lies? Why would I lie to you? What do I stand to gain? Do you think I am happy letting you off like that? But I have to grant her wish.”

“That’s a lie! I won’t become a rogue! I will never become a rogue! I will kill myself!”

“You are free to kill yourself. I don’t care!” Gad responded.

I was so weak in the knees that I almost fell if not for the two guards holding me tightly. I couldn’t believe it. Hanola wouldn’t wish for something like this for me no matter how much she hated me!

Who would wish for their family member to become a rogue?

For once, I was so filled with rage. I looked at all the people around me. I felt their hateful stares… I heard their mean words.

“Why don’t you just kill her already? That’s what she deserves for killing Hanola! I won’t be happy knowing she is alive somewhere when my Hanola was dead!” My mother tried to convince Gad.

“Trust me mother. This is the worst punishment ever. She would wish she was dead. I would make sure she is being tortured by my people outside the Pack, as I keep her alive till she turns to a rogue wolf.” Gad explained to my mother.

“Are you sure about this? What if she escapes from your men?”

“She won’t survive outside the Pack alone compared to her weak wolf. Even people with stronger wolves replace it difficult to survive.” Gad explained again.

I watched as my mother argued with Gad, my mate to put me to death. My own money advocating for my death.

The world’s best mother. At this time I would love to give her an award, because she was fighting for the exact thing I wanted.

I wanted to be dead.

“Guards take her out of the palace and throw her out of the Pack. Make sure she is thrown outside the border.” Gad instructed.

And like a wooden statue I followed the guards without making a fuss. I watched as the members sneered at me. Some even spat at me and called me all sorts of names.

But I didn’t utter a word to them. I didn’t say a word to them. I just followed the guards quietly into the thick forest leading to our Pack’s boundary.

When we got to the border, the guards pushed me roughly out of the huge gate to serve as the border gate. I turned to look back at the place that was once my home.

That was when my tears found their way back. That was when my heart felt the pain. That was when I realized I had been abandoned.

Kicked out. Banished. Rejected.

I was alone in this world.

How would I survive this world alone?

“It was not like any of them shared my world with me in the first place. It took me long to realize that I had always been alone since that night my father died.” I mumbled to myself.

Turning around, I walked into the opposite forest. I don’t know where I was going, but I won’t let Gad’s men get hold of me.

I won’t let them control my life again.

………………….

It’s been more than two weeks of wandering in the thick forest. Everytime I wanted to go to a neighbouring pack, the men sent by Gad would be on my trail.

Afraid of the torture they might give me, I had no choice but to run back into the forest. I would spend days hiding from them and eventually I won’t see them.

But they always appear whenever I wanted to cross to another pack. I remembered the punishment Prince Gad had promised to give me. He wanted to make me a rogue.

He didn’t want me to be a lone wolf, but he wanted me to be a rogue hunted by all packs and wanted by hunters.

Why couldn’t they understand that it wasn’t my fault that Hanola died? What if I wasn’t a worthy donor? Besides, it’s my life! I had the right to refuse!

But I didn’t refuse, I wanted to save her. It wasn’t my fault that I had an accident. If they had allowed me to follow them to the hospital that day, the accident wouldn’t have happened. Are they not to blame too?

I was the one sacrificing myself not them. I wonder if they would have agreed if I was the one that needed a heart.

My mind wandered to my father. I missed him. I knew he wouldn’t have allowed it if he were alive. Sadly, he left me too. That wasn’t enough, they even labelled me as my father’s killer!

I wasn’t the one that started the fire in the first place. It was the mistake of my mother. She caused the fire due to her quarrel with my father. But she never once mentioned it. Rather, she poured all the accusations on me! Afterall, I was already known as the Black Eyed Curse.

They believed I bring sorrow everywhere I go. So when the incident happened and claimed my father’s life, they were certain I was indeed a curse.

I sighed and pushed back those hurtful memories from my mind. I walked towards the huge mango tree and tried to pluck some ripe ones for dinner.

I had been feeding on wild fruits and pond water to stay alive. Once in a while, I might be lucky to come across traps that held rabbits. I usually took them and roasted them. Those were the only times I got to eat meat.

I was really feeling exhausted from all the wandering, but I had no choice. I had to try and get away from Prince Gad’s men. I couldn’t afford to let them catch me.

I had been dodging them successfully with little luck. Perhaps for once the goddess was on my side. I couldn’t believe I had been lucky so far. How I could escape from them was miraculous.

But something told me that they weren’t interested in catching me just yet. I hoped to replace a way to leave this forest soon.

I finished my mango dinner and started heading towards the direction leading to another Pack. I was determined to replace a way out.

As I got nearer to the boundary, my heart sank. I heard footsteps coming from behind and I knew they were very close to me. I couldn’t let them catch me.

So I fled with all the strength left in me. I ran like never before and just as I wanted to cross the border, I was flung to the ground with a mighty force.

“Here you are, b!tch! Do you really think you can escape us?” I heard a furious voice behind me.

“Just look at how wobbly she is. How could you think of escaping us?”

“I don’t know why the Prince doesn’t want her killed. She is just a nuisance.”

“Letting her live as a rogue is the worst punishment ever, buddy. Our Prince is surely brutal.”

“Of course, he has to be. After all, she caused the death of his future Luna.”

As every one of their words sounded in my ears, I couldn’t help but shiver. My heart leapt out of my chest. I felt my legs wobbling in fear. I knew I couldn’t escape whatever they wanted to do to me.

“Please…please spare me! I promise to stay far away…please…” I started pleading.

The men burst into laughter as they looked at me as if they were looking at a flea. I wondered what kind of torture they had in store for me.

“Spare you? Did you spare your twin sister? Did you spare your father! You are a curse! And we will treat you as such!” One of the men said as he spat at me.

I looked for any escape route, but they had surrendered me. There was no way I could leave. I fell on my knees pleading, but I was met with dangerous glares from them.

I made up my mind to die trying to escape from them instead of watching them torture me. I knew I couldn’t shift to my wolf because it was too weak and helpless.

So I charged towards one of the men. I wanted to hit him and escape but the next day I felt a sharp pang in my stomach. The man had ruthlessly kicked me.

“Stupid monster! Do you think you are strong enough to go against us? Just because you escaped these past few weeks didn’t mean you are smart! You were just lucky but guess what? Lady luck just left you, b!tch!”

“Argh! Argh! It…hurts…please.”

“You haven’t seen anything yet. Watch as we torture you till the point of death! But the good news is… you are not going to die! You are going to suffer!”

As the man spoke, he began kicking me. As if that wasn’t enough, they gathered together and took turns to punch me. Some resorted to slaps on my face. The kicks and punches were becoming more painful.

I was starting to lose consciousness as b***d trickled down my face. My nose was broken and my arms were dislocated. My face was filled with bruises and I was hurting badly.

I watched as I drifted into unconsciousness. I just hope I die….