Page 61 of Rejected By the Alpha

“So, what does this have to do with my parents then?” Kaylee asks, getting a sad smile from Kurt.

“It’s because Lidia told your mother that she saw you and Lucas as fated mates when she held you for the first time. Ramos was there and at first, they all seemed happy to know Lucas would mate with a she-wolf with a strong bloodline. Then the incident with Blood Oath happened a few years later.” Throughout Kurt’s explanation, Kaylee kept her gaze on me. It seems the incident with Blood Oath is the reason for everything going wrong.

“Lidia was against Lucas going to the peace talks with Ramos, stating he was too young. Ramos argued with her, to the point things turned violent. He sent her to the infirmary, and left while she was struggling to live from the wounds he gave her. She told me then that she saw what would happen, and didn’t want Lucas to enter an arranged marriage like she was forced to. I knew she had seen the future of those peace talks, and that it would end up being the thing that changed everything. When you returned, Lidia became even more overprotective of you and Kaylee, wanting you two to form a close bond, hoping and praying to the goddess that when Kaylee turned eighteen, the bond between you two would be so tight that you would mark her immediately.”

“But I didn’t,” I state with shame, looking apologetically at Kaylee.

“The threat of Blood Oath was still at the back of my mind, after eleven years of Ramos hanging it over my head. I hesitated in marking her, and I regret it every day.” I see tears well in Kaylee’s eyes, feeling the gaze of the other three wolves watching her and me.

“You didn’t. Lidia knew there was that possibility, and so she gathered evidence from the time you were ten to the time you were fifteen, and then I continued after her death. She made me swear to not tell you or Kaylee anything about the past she and I shared, until you left Oak Fur. She knew you would, if it was for Kaylee. It’s why I couldn’t say anything until now, nor share any more details of how she and Kaylee’s parents were murdered.” Kaylee’s gaze leaves mine as she stares at Kurt, but I keep watching her. The death of her parents was one of the times I regret not being there for her. I stood beside my father, orderedto stay at his side while Simon and my aunt consoled her on the rainy day of their funeral.

“When Lucas turned fifteen, Lidia caught Ramos with an omega. Furious, she told him she was sending all the evidence she had collected to the council. In a fit of rage, Ramos took a silver dagger he had and stabbed her in the heart. I felt it, felt the pain she had felt, while I was with Kaylee’s dad. The pain had been so unbearable that he rushed me to the pack hospital, where he was told my mate most likely had died. It was just after that that we heard a commotion coming from the hallways, as Ramos roared that Lidia wasn’t breathing. The hospital was in chaos trying to save Lidia and without realizing it, Ramos dragged the doctor in charge into my room. He threatened the doctor, saying he would kill his family if he ruled Lidia’s death as anything but a heart attack. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that he killed her, and after using some morphine on the doctor, I got told the truth—that a dagger pierced her heart.

Her funeral was the next day, and I watched as you consoled Lucas. I could tell the mate bond was strong between you two, and so could Ramos and your parents, Kaylee. In the end, your parents asked Ramos to allow Lucas to live with the three of you, so you two could grow closer and form a better bond, but Ramos forbade it. Only Lidia, Ramos, Lucas, and I knew about the arranged marriage between Lucas and Marylin, but your parents became a thorn in Ramos’ side when they kept insisting that you and Lucas needed to spend time together, and Lucas had to give up Marilyn.” Tears fall from Kurt’s eyes.

“After the funeral, Ramos went and attacked Harvest Willow, stating that Lidia betrayed him by threatening to reveal everything he had done to the council. It was his way of gettingrevenge, and showing her parents that they meant nothing to Ramos now that Lidia was just a discarded pawn in his eyes.” His voice cracks as he talks about his former pack being destroyed by Ramos. I want to say something, want to comfort the man that has become a friend of mine, but he holds his hand up as I go to comfort him.

“Four years later, Ramos had enough with Joan and Easton stating that Lucas shouldn’t be with Marilyn, and that he needed to spend more time with you. Like I said, they were a thorn in Ramos’ side, and he had to get rid of you and your parents, Kaylee.” Tears are falling from Kaylee’s eyes and without hesitation, I move to her side and wipe them away. She flinches at first, but accepts my touch as she takes my hand in hers and squeezes it.

“The rogues weren’t a coincidence, were they?” my aunt asks, her voice filled with emotion.

“No. Ramos hired them to cause havoc in the pack. The goal was to kill Kaylee and her parents, but Simon and Lucas were with her that day and the three fought tooth and nail to survive. So, Ramos had them attack Lucas and himself. Lucas ended up leading the rogues attacking him away from Kaylee and Simon to protect them, while Ramos led them towards Lucas. It was Kaylee telling her parents what happened that had them rushing to find Ramos and Lucas. In the end, they died thinking they were fighting to protect Ramos and Lucas – the wolf that was the future mate to their daughter.” The room is silent after the explanation. I remember that day all too well. Remembered Kaylee, Simon and I relaxing by the pond we always went to, when the scent of rogues filled our noses. They attacked us without warning, and we fought to survive. Something thenchanged in their attack—after thirty minutes of the three of us killing many of the rogues, they focused their attacks on me. I ordered Simon and Kaylee to go get help, and while I led the rogues away, my father asked me where I was. I thought it had been just out of worry, but knowing now that he had had a hand in why Joan and Easton Kingsley were killed, he likely asked for my location so that the two of them could rush in to our aid, and die at the hands of his plot.

Kaylee looks at me, a mix of pain and helplessness in her eyes, and without thinking, I pull her into my arms. I can feel through the bond that she doesn’t blame me, as we both are victims of Ramos and for that, I am glad. I have already hurt her enough times, and regret my past.

She surprises me and buries her face into my shoulder as she silently cries. I feel the bond reaching out between the two of us as I hold her, and the relief she feels that I am finally there for her, holding her while she grieves her parents’ deaths all over again. I whisper that everything will be fine, that Ramos will pay for what he did. Kaylee nods against me, her fingers clinging to my shoulder, and I sigh. If Ramos was this ruthless to his betas as well as his chosen mate, who’s to say he won’t come after Kaylee and me, since I am still the heir to Oak Fur.

“Kaylee, there is more we need to talk about,” my aunt sighs. Kaylee stiffens at her words, clinging to me further as she gently pulls away to look at her.

“What else is there?” she asks quietly, the heartbreak in her voice causing my own heart to clench. I wish I could take this pain from her.

“It’s about Jordan. Unfortunately, this also includes Ramos, because him kidnapping you wasn’t just a spur-of-the-moment thing.”

66

Kaylee

“What do you mean it wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment thing?” I demand, feeling fear creep in. I find myself clinging tighter to Lucas and thankfully, he doesn’t push me away. Instead, he pulls me closer, his hand rubbing my back in soothing circles.

“What Amelia means, is that she and Titus found emails between Ramos and Jordan,” David answers, giving me a sad smile. It takes a moment for his words to register, but when they do, I realize that Ramos planned a whole scheme against me.

“Ramos knew that Jordan was looking for a Luna, be that his goddess-given mate, or someone he chose. He used this as an advantage, and told Jordan about you. How he had Lucas reject you, and that you needed a mate,” Amelia takes over explaining, her eyes growing hard as hatred seeps from her. I know she cares for me like her own child, so me being kidnapped must have set her off.

“He already knew about you before coming to Ivory Fangs. He was just shocked that you were the beta, as he thought he would have to find you.”

“So, when he realized I was here, he set a plan in motion to kidnap me when he left for his own pack,” I finish, connecting the pieces together.

“Why did Ramos goad him into doing this?” I demand, feeling Lucas stiffen before he lets out another sigh.

“He did it so that I would have no way of being with you.” His voice is filled with guilt and anger, his body shaking beneath my hands.

“He knew I was wavering with the betrothal, knew I was just one push away from leaving to find you. So, he made a plan that would get rid of you one way or another,” he continues, our gaze meeting as his words fill the room.

“You are my weakness, Kaylee, and to Ramos, that makes the pack weak. He would do anything to get rid of you, if it meant I married Marilyn. That was before I caught the two of them in his office. Now I have a feeling he will do anything to kill us both, and get rid of us for good.” His eyes light with anger and for a moment, the broken bond flickers brighter than ever. I can feel his love and possessiveness towards me. Feel his fear of losing me to someone else. But most importantly, I can feel the resolve to protect me before the light flickers. The bond has mended itself once more, getting closer to forming a completed bond, and it worries me. I am not sure I am ready to take him back.

“What will we do if he learns Amelia and I run Ivory Fangs?” I ask, my worry for the mate bond continuously mending turninginto worry for my pack. We have been slowly growing stronger since taking over. Slowly growing stronger bonds with the wolves that were once known as Silver Paw, and building the bonds between them and the ones that came from Oak Fur.

“We will have to prepare for war. Ramos will stop at nothing, so long as those that threaten his pursuit of power are still alive,” Kurt answers instead, a sad look in his eyes.

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