Chapter 4

Staring at Chase as he leads the meeting, my heartbeat pulsates. For some reason, I was nervous without knowing why. This has never happened before. When it comes to Chase I am very scared to do anything with him but this was too much, the anxiety was too much. This was my first time joining a pack meeting. When I was still with my stepfather, I never had to join any meetings as well because no one would let me in just as they wouldn't let me in Chase pack. 

When I locked eyes with Quinn, he smirked at me listening to Chase talking with some of his pack members. They were still exchanging pleasantries as he settled some urgent matters, something I couldn't ever have, not in my home nor here in Chase pack. No wonder my father didn't waste time to have me given away to him.

"Today a lot of you must be wondering why Layla Foster joined us for our meeting today considering the fact she was just given to appease me for the damage done by her pack on us"

I was embarrassed but there was nothing that I could do, he was my husband now and I belong to him. Chase was the only one who can decide what happens to my life now.

"I just something so amusing and foolish recently about her"

Sweat covers my palms my heartbeat pulsates, and anxiety dwells in my heart. I glanced at Quinn once again and saw her smirking, she was someone with a wicked heart so I didn't bother getting concerned over how she was looking at him. She was always up to something with her friend. There was nothing that I could do to fight them so I had to live with it every day. I couldn't fight anyone not even an omega could I fight, All I wanted was to be loved and cared for just as my father loved my mother before he died and she got married to another man. The one who I thought was going to love me just as my father and mother, however, our relationship wasn't always like that. 

Realizing that he was still talking about me pushed the thought out of my head, what I needed to hear was what he was trying to say. 

"She happened to be my mate but an Alpha Chase of Dark Moon Pack cannot and will not accept Layla Foster as my mate and so in front of everyone in the pack, I reject her today, tomorrow, and for the rest of my life" Chase stated matter of factly as his blatant stare didn't waver. Right there, I felt my heart rip apart but there was nothing that I could do, how can he do this to me? I wasn't expecting a happily ever after with him but he was rejecting me, how can he do that to me? 

The thought never even crossed my mind that he was going to do this when I perceived his inner scent. That day I perceived his inner scent, I realized that he was my mate but what I thought was that everything was going to change and perhaps he was going to look at me with love instead of with the cold and dangerous stare that he passed to me almost every time that we met. 

The pack member murmured as they glared at me while others looked at me with contempt. The pain surges through my heart and I know by now that a spur of wet heat was already forming at the corner of my eyes. Quinn was laughing at me but what she didn't hurt as much as what Chase was going to me, he cut my chest wide and was ripping my heart right out of it. 

"Chase" I whispered as the tears that I was fighting so hard to stop finally dropped on my cheeks and 

"How dare you refer to him in that manner?" Quinn was furious that I had just addressed her brother by his first name. She hated me so much that sometimes I wondered if it was because I shared the same name with my father or because I was married to her brother. I know that and would rather choose another woman from her pack to get married to Chase than I.

"Just let her be Quinn" He was defending me or was he not? He smirks as we lock eyes together. 

"I'm very sorry Alpha"

"You are nothing here and now that I have rejected you, you should know your place, is not here with us, you are just to be seen and not to be heard alright?"

I nodded my head, Of course, I had no place in his pack or life, I had no place anywhere. That word stuck in my head, I couldn't think about any other thing to do except to remember the words he said to me that way I could know my place. But I haven't overstepped my boundaries since I got to the pack, even when Quinn bullies me, I keep quiet and don't know what to say since I was here to calm that ruthless Alpha from coming after my pack and slaughtering them.

"Yes I understand Alpha, I will only speak when I am asked to and will only stand If am asked to"

"Can you do it?" Quinn smirked 

"Of course I can" I don't know where this newly found courage to speak up came from but it had just to. Quinn was always stepping on my nerves and I was enduring since there was nothing that I could do. This isn't my house and I have no place in this pack or Chase life.

When the words left my mouth, I noticed that everyone's gaze was now on me looking at me, especially Chase. He never expected me to talk back to his sister. He loved her, I saw that from the corner of her eyes. There was nothing that I could do to make him look at me that way, Right there I wished that I had someone who would look at me the manner that he was looking at me. 

The intense gaze that fell on her pushed me to rise from my seat since I couldn't take it anymore so I turned around and fled from the pack house hoping to get away from all of them. The fresh breeze sank through my soul as I stepped outside. This was what I needed freedom to run so far up to the mountains and somewhere I could get away from everyone. I wanted to breathe, felt suffocated, my heart was heavy, and the tears that I thought had stopped starting to pour down, brimming down my cheeks uncontrollably. 

I ran as far as my legs could carry me dashing into the woods, Solace was all I sought but that feeling was soon overpowered by a strange feeling that captured my soul, My vision began to blur, and the woods began to close up on me that I couldn't control it anymore. The darkness overpowered me sweeping me off my feet and I was almost falling to the ground when a strong arm held me from falling.

……

"Are you alright?" That was the last thing I heard before finally losing consciousness.

"How is she?" 

"She is weak and tired, Alpha, she needs rest so you must let her have her rest"

That voice was familiar yet I couldnt tell where I have heard it from. Anxiety dwelled in my heart as fear engulfed me, I didn't want to open my eyes and face the ugly reality of that I was back to face Quinn and all the others in Dark Moon Park. However, when the familiar scent lingered in my nose, knew that I had to open my eyes and face the one who saved me. Though a part of me wished that he never did. Perhaps if I had met my Denise then I wouldn't have to face anyone but the only problem was my pack would suffer and another innocent girl would be given to the Alpha. I am certain he will not even remember me at all when all of this happens.

Opening my eyes, I locked eyes with the pack doctor, he shot a smile at me and I had no choice but to smile back at him. At least his smile was genuine and I wished everyone else had the same smile glued on their face.

"Are you alright?" He asked and I nodded my head. That was just a lie because I wasn't alright, I felt funny having to deal with all of this but then I couldn't tell that to a man that I barely knew anything about.

"Yes I am sir"

"Call me Lewis, I am the pack doctor"

"Which pack?" I brought myself to ask. "Where am I?"

"Is that necessary?" When the familiar scent lingered in my nose, that was when it hit me that I was back with him. That was Chase and no one else. This was the same man who rejected me in front of the pack. That was the worse kind of humiliation any mate would ever pass through yet my mate didn't blink an eye as he rejected me. He stabbed me right in the heart without blinking an eye. 

Realizing that I was back in his room, I attempted to jump up when a sudden dizziness overpowers me again and I fell back to the bed.

"You should rest Layla, is it?" 

There was calmness in his voice but I couldn't trust him, he must be just like the others who hate me and want nothing more to do with me so I had to be careful.

"Yes it is but I have to get back to my room now, is strange that I am here," I said almost a whisper, noticing Chase's gaze on me, I quickly looked away which made Lewis smile. 

"Can I head back to my room now?"

"If you stand up you will fall, if the Alpha hadn't found you on time you would have been in danger. You are stressed and weak, what you need now is to rest at least for two days"

That was what I needed but that was impossible for someone like me to achieve, how can I ever rest when I am being humiliated every day? How can I rest when I am suffering too much? Neither my house nor Chase's house is the place of rest for me.

"I don't mind being in danger" I whispered but I was aware that Chase heard me as well. He was only pretending while trying to keep up with an act, I had a feeling that he was not calm at all, he was just waiting for the pack doctor to leave or probably thinking of another wicked thing to do to me.

"What are you talking about Layla? You can't wish to be in danger, I have already prescribed some medication for you, you just have to take them and I will come check on you tomorrow. Is there something you need?"

Staring at him, I wanted to tell him that I wanted so many things but Chase has already warned me not to speak except I am asked to do so. I wouldn't want to disobey him and face his wrath.

"No, I don't want anything"

"Why did she pass out Lewis?"

"I assume her body is wearing out, she must have been stressed with everything that has been going on in the pack"

Lewis was talking about my rejection and so I turned around sobbing silently. I wouldn't want anyone especially Chase to realize that I was crying and my heart was still in pain.

"You may leave us now Lewis"

Lewis was surprised by his words but nodded his head and left the room, his cold gaze fell on me and I swallowed the lump in my throat, my heart beat pulsates.