Page 72 of A Female Alpha for the Lycan Prince

The Fallout

*MARIUS*

Liam’saskedmetocome to his office, and I just know that shit is about to go down. It’s the morning after the party, and I’m not sure when and how Jun and Dave told the news to the others, but I know they did.

With a deep sigh, I open the door to Liam’s office, closing it behind me as I lean against it. Dante is here too, looking at a few folders and maps. Liam nods shortly at him, and Dante walks into the adjacent meeting room, leaving us alone.

Liam looks at me for a long while without saying anything at all, but there are so many emotions swirling in his eyes. He looks shocked, disappointed, pissed… and maybe a little worried.

“Is Celine Anderson your mate?” he finally asks. “Is it true that she’s your mate, yet you keep disrespecting her? Because I can’t quite believe my brother would treat a woman that way. Mate or not.”

What am I supposed to say now? I can’t deny it, can I? No, I can’t fucking deny it, and I hate that he knows. I hate that he will be disappointed, and I hate that I feel affected by his disappointment. “It’s true,” I admit quietly.

“You lied to me,” he huffs, his eyes are a shade darker than usual. “I trusted you, and you lied. You told me over and over again that you were sick. But the reason your wolf is weakened is because you’re ignoring the mate bond!”

“But she isn’t affected,” I try to defend myself. “Her wolf is still going strong!”

“How ignorant are you?” he spats out. “Do you hear yourself talking? Of course, she isn’t affected! She and her wolf accepted the mate bond for what it is. You are the one who doesn’t want them. Why would they get punished for not being wanted!? They’ve done nothing wrong. They didn’t go out of their way to hurt you.”

Wait… it’s my fault that Cyrus is so weak? I… what….

“Why didn’t you reject her if you didn’t want her?” Liam inquires further. “She would have gotten a second chance mate, for sure.”

I know I’m coming over really bad in this, and now, on top of being a jerk, I look like a coward too. I didn’t want a mate, yet I couldn’t let go of her either. In a way, I desperately clung to her. “She could have rejected me,” I say defensively, mainly to diffuse my own confusing thoughts.

He glares at me. “In a world dominated by men? She’s a female alpha leading a pack, she already gets judged left and right, and every step she takes is watched and scrutinized. Rejecting her fated mate after she’s just taken over the pack could have meant her political downfall.”

I stare at him in shock. I wasn’t aware of how difficult things were for her. “What?”

“She knows all that, which is why she’s at least tried to keep her head high while you’ve hurt her over and over again. Do you even know what being silently rejected does to your mate?”

I want him to shut up, just shut up. “Do you?” I dare him.

He looks at me coolly. “No,” he says evenly. “Are you aware that letting go of your mate like this will mean there might be no second chance for you?”

I flinch slightly, before I keep chanting my mantra in my head. I don’t want a mate… I don’t want a mate… I don’t want a mate… “I don’t want a mate.”

“You don’t want a mate, yet you’ve intentionally made her suffer for months instead of setting her free.” He furrows his brows. “Not to mention, you have been awful to everyone around you. Why do you hate Celine so much?”

“I don’t hate her!” I say with emphasis. She’s the most beautiful and graceful woman out there. She’s tough yet kind to her friends. I have nothing against her personally.

“What’s wrong with having a mate? I know how strong the mate bond is, and I’m not surprised fighting it weakened your wolf,” he frowns.

“You wouldn’t understand.”

Liam is quiet for a moment before looking at me again. “Try me.”

His words take me by surprise. “What?”

“I said, explain it to me. I’m here. I’ll listen,” he says earnestly. Although he still looks pissed—with capital letters—he seems to will his emotions down.

I was not prepared for this. I thought Liam would blow up in my face, yell at me and kick me out of his office, but definitely not ask for my reasons. I open my mouth. A part of me wants to tell him everything. I just want to let it go, I want it to be finally out there so that I can get rid of the suffocating feeling inside me. But then the usual feeling of fear and shame fills me. I close my mouth again, turning away from him. I hate how awful I am to everyone at the moment and how I keep hurting everyone around me. But I can’t seem to stop myself. “I just don’t want her.”

“You really have no reason?” he looks at me in disbelief. “Do you know how many offers she is receiving now that she is an established Alpha, and everyone’s realized she is actually capable?”

“Offers?”

“Of wolves who want to become her chosen mate,” he points out. “Now that she’s established her position, it’s become acceptable for her to reject you.”