Chapter 28
Chapter 28
I felt sick as I watched my father and Xavier begin to fight, circling each other in their wolf forms. My father’s wolf was grey and white, while Xavier’s was a large black alpha wolf. Xavier’s was much larger, which was not surprising considering what his title was to be. I could feel myself trembling, unable to deny that I felt concerned for the Alpha twin, even if I tried my best to hide it
“Remember what I told you to do, or you’ll find out what real pain is… my father’s threat rang in my ears as I stared straight ahead, the wolves lunging towards each other, attacking, with vidous growls coming from both of their throats.
This was horrible. I didn’t understand the logic behind all of this Why would Xavier and Xander fight in order to keep me as their mate when I had made it clear that I didn’t want either of them? Was this some sort of ploy to show me they had changed? Or that they were willing to change? I nibbled on my lower lip, blinking back tears of frustration, the makeup covering my face, hiding the bruises beneath it, while I tried not to move too much, my movements stiff and filled with pain.
I saw my father’s wolf go flying, sprawling on the ground. I heard 15urp intake of breath and saw Heather console
eye. Both of them looked worried as the fight her with an arm wrapped around her shoulder out of the corner of my continued around us.
“He can’t lose” Isabelle muttered, before shooting me a dirty look “If he does, I’ll never forgive him. I won’t be able to show my face around the pack ever again” she wailed.
“Don’t fret my dear, your father has this all under control” Heather murmured, trying her best to calm Isabelle down.
“Stepfather” Isabelle snapped, while Heather simply shook her head at her, “and at this rate, I might just pretend he’s not even that. This is an embarrassment” she hissed, as Xavier sent my father sprawling again, her brow creasing across her forehead, “he said that it would be easy to beat Xavier Dominion and Xavier is kicking his ass right now.”
I tried not to smirk. When my father had claimed it would be easy, I had instantly known that it would not be. Xavier far was stronger than my father and it was obvious, not just to me, but the entire pack watching. My father attempted to tackle Xavier’s wolf to the ground and Xavier sidestepped with ease, lashing out with his paw and gouging his flesh as my father howled in pain. It was almost like music to my ears. As shameful as it was, I was enjoying my father’s humiliation as he was embarrassed in front of everyone. For once, he would know what it was like to be in pain as he was injured, over and over again, Xavier was ruthless in his many attacks. I winced as Xavier kicked out with his hind leg, sending my father into the nearest tree trunk, my father’s back hitting it with a heavy thud. There was blood splattered over my father’s fur and on Xavier’s, but in Xavier’s case, I suspected the majority of it was my father’s blood.
“You bitch, you better do as father….” Isabelle trailed off as somebody pressed themselves into the small gap between me and her, her eyes widening as she looked at them, her mouth instantly pressing shut.
“Regan” Xander’s voice was remarkably cheerful as he stared down at me, “I thought that I would come and keep you company during the fight. I think it’s blatantly obvious by now that Xavier is going to come out as the victor, don’t you?” he said, eyeing me carefully and ignoring Heather and Isabelle completely.
It did look obvious and that was a problem. Because if my fatherlost, I was supposed to reject the Alpha twins again, right in front of the pack who would bear witness to their humiliation. I didn’t…well father’s threats would continue to ring in my mind and I knew it was only a matter of time until he or Isabelle managed to do something to me. I hesitated and saw Xander’s eyes sharpen some more as he glanced from me to Isabelle and Heather. Was he sensing that something was amiss between the three of us, or was he simply being observant?
A loud shout as Beta Johnathon’s body fell to the ground again. This time, I instinctively knew that it was all over. Xavier Dominion stood over my father’s body, his jaws clamped around my father’s neck, biting down, hard enough to draw blood. as it began to pool down around him. My father struggled but he was weak and unable to defend himself against the hold that Xavier had on him. Xavier clamped down harder, signaling that he was prepared to kill if my father did not submit and admit that he had lost. He needed to admit defeat. My father looked on the verge of collapsing as he went limp, signaling
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that the fight was finally over, Xavier carelessly dropped him to the ground and I heard Xander inhale sharply.
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“That’s the end of the fight” Xander murmured “and as expected Xavier won. Bad luck” he added, sounding insincere as he addressed a stunned-looking Isabelle and my stepmother.
Xavier turned his back on my father and began to walk away, leaving my father to shift back into his human form, the pack silent as they watched. Xavier shifted, grabbing his clothes, while Xander grabbed my hand, yanking me to the front of the crowd and putting me in everybody’s line of sight.
Shit. My father was beaten and bloody as he pulled his clothes or Xander wouldn’t let go of my hand as he led me to Xavier. I blushed, avoiding his gaze as he finished dressing. Alpha Jackson stood with his hands in the air.
“My son, Xavier, is the victor of the fight and has won the right to take his fated mate as Luna.”
Silence. The crowd glanced at a beet-red Isabelle and Beta Johnson who was glaring hatefully at me. I bite the inside of my lip as my father stares meaningfully at me. I know what he’s expecting from me. He looks mutinous. I see Alpha Jackson turn to face me, his gaze fixated on me. I swallow hard.
“Regan Lourdes, do you accept Xavier and Xander Dominion as your mates?” he asked loudly, turning the crowd’s attention
to me.
I couldn’t do this. It was one thing to reject them in private where they wouldn’t be humiliated but in front of the entire pack? As much as I hated them, hated what they had done to me I couldn’t bring myself to be that cruel, and yet, I could not bring myself to accept them either. I was stuck in the middle with no way out. Or was there?, Xander letting go of my hand. as he sensed my rising angst.
“Regan?” he asked quietly.
I could see Xavier’s face, along with the crowds. All of them, had spent so long abusing me, torturing me and now they expected me to forgive and forget about it? Like it never happened? I coughed, my anger rising. I should never have been. put in this position in the first place, let alone be expected to just go along with what everybody else wanted. I saw my father’s expression turn furious, instinctively flinching as I knew that I would face the consequences later for what I was about to do.
“I choose neither” I answered, turning to the stunned crowd, the twins going slack-jawed. “All of you expect me to become Luna, to accept these twins as my mates when none of you have shown me even an inkling of kindness. The expectation that I will simply forget that I will do what’s best for the pack and not for myself…” I trailed off and shook my head. “You forget that you confined me to this pack forever and took away my freedom with a single signature” I glanced at the sileng twins and the pack.
“I do not accept you as my mates, but nor do I reject you. If you want me as your mate, as your Luna” I told Xander and Xavier Dominion, my voice rising high in the air “then prove it. Show me that you’re willing to change. That you’re willing to make this pack change and those who are in it. Show me that you deserve me as your mate; and I will accept you. But until then, I will retain the right to reject you and carry on with my life the way that I choose to.”
The crowd went berserk.