Chapter 10

Knox's POV

"I, Melissa Gregory, reject you, Alpha Knox, as my mate."Melissa stared at me coldly.

"What?" I blurted out.

I was completely stunned and unable to process what I had just heard.

The world seemed to bend on its side, and I stared at her with obvious shock on my face.

Did she just reject me? When I was willing to give her a second chance?

My inner wolf, Hector, suddenly whined in pain. He was feeling the sting of her rejection as hotly as I did.

Melissa didn't flinch. Instead, she repeated her words more slowly and more loudly for me to hear.

"I, Melissa Gregory, reject you, Alpha Knox, as my mate."

I could only stare at her in disbelief as I tried hard to wrap my head around the idea that she was truly rejecting me. How could this be happening? My mind raced, trying to find some explanation, some way to fix what was broken between us.

Melissa rolled her eyes at my silence, her impatience was evident. "It's your turn, Knox. Accept the rejection," she said in firm and firm and uncompromising tone.

"What? Why?" I asked confused.

Why would she want this? Why was she so eager to destroy the bond between us?

Melissa looked at me like I had lost my mind. She looked at me with of disbelief and confusion, like I should have already known what she was thinking.

"You're married, Knox. You have a son with my sister. If you don't care about that, I do. Because I'm getting married."

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. Married? She was going to marry another man?

She raised her hand to my face and I glanced at it. I was surprised to see for the first time, the large diamond ring shining on her finger. How had I missed that before?

"You're marrying their father?" I asked.

"Yes," she replied in a cool and detached tone. "But it's none of your business. Even if I weren't getting married, I would never marry a man like you. I refused to be with you six years ago, and I damn well don't want to be with you now. So hurry up and accept the rejection." She spat.

Her words were like salt on my open wound. How dare she dismiss our bond like it was something disgusting?

I felt hot anger rise inside me. I didn't want to admit it, but I could also feel jealousy and frustration boiling over.

How could she be so eager to reject me? How could she flaunt the ring from another man with such pride?

Hector, my wolf, growled inside my head, he whined about how we could buy her a bigger diamond if that was what she wanted.

Melissa's voice pulled me back to the moment. "Hurry upalready, Knox. Accept my rejection," she urged impatiently.

I glared at her in annoyance. My pride was wounded from how easily she dismissed the idea of being with me.

"No," I said finally said.

Melissa's eyes widened in shock. "No? What do you mean no? Why not?"

"Because I can," I replied with a smirk on my lips. "Or have you already forgotten what I told you six years ago. I am the Alpha, and I can do whatever I want, Melissa."

Melissa suddenly let out a bitter laugh that echoed off the walls. "Oh Alpha. Don't tell me you're still obsessed with me after six years, Knox. I won't accept you, not even if you were the last man on this earth."

Her words really stung me now. My anger flared as my wolf felt the pain of her insensitive words.

I didn't want to look weak and I didn't want to seem like I was still hung up on her after all these years, so I snarled at her.

"I don't want to be with you either," I shot back with a sharp voice. "And trust me, I will personally reject you too, but only after you treat and heal my son. Until then, you and I are destined for each other.

"Are you blackmailing me?" she accused and her eyes narrowed.

A smirk crept across my lips. "Yes Melissa, I am blackmailing you. But what can you do about it? You either have to heal my son, or you're bound to me for life."

I watched with satisfaction as horror flickered across her face. Her expression was a mix of disbelief and anger.

"Fine," she finally snapped in a clipped and cold tone. "I'll do it."

Before I could respond, my Beta, Andrew, came to stand beside us. "Doctor Melissa, The guest house has been prepared for you," he said in a respectful yet firm tone.

Melissa looked at him and a look of confusion colored her face. "What do you mean? I thought we were staying in the pack house with the Alpha and his son." She shot me a questioning look and i sighed.

Melissa had always stayed in the pack house while she worked with me before, but things were different now.

I ran a hand through my hair before speaking. "Sorry Melissa, but Susie wouldn't like that," I explained. "As my wife, she's the woman of the house, so what she says goes."

Melissa looked thoroughly disappointed in me. "I understand," she said in an icy tone.

Melissa walked over to her children and picked up Dylan, cradling him with practiced ease.

I watched as she moved with love and gentleness, to soothe the sleeping child.

Then, as if on cue, the twin called Tyler's eyes met mine, and I lifted him into my arms.

He didn't protest but stayed surprisingly calm despite being in the arms of a stranger—a stranger who had practically kidnapped him from his mother.

Melissa glanced at me with a look of annoyance in her eyes. She obviously didn't want me to carry her son but she didn't want to seem petty, so she bit her tongue and held back whatever words she might have wanted to say.

We made our way to the car, and the chauffeur drove us to the guest house. I found found myself continuously glancing at Melissa but she didn't look at me once.

When we reached the guest house, Andrew led Melissa to her bedroom, and I followed.

She entered and gently placed Dylan in bed, then she turned to me, and quickly took Tyler from my arms with a direct glare.

"Get out.," she said in a steady and commanding voice.

I blinked at her in surprise, I was shocked by the sudden dismissal. "What?"

Melissa glared at me. "As long as I'm here, this is my bedroom, and you're not welcome here," she reminded me.

I bit my tongue and swallowed the reply that almost came out.

Without another word, I stepped out of the room, and immediately heard the sound of the door slamming behind me. I stood there for a moment, wrestling with the swirl of feelings and thoughts I had.

Just why did Melissa hate me so much? I knew our past wasn't perfect, but did it deserve such hatred?

Andrew's voice suddenly broke through my thoughts, bringing me back to the present.

"Alpha, we have to leave now if we are to attend the council meeting. The Elders summoned have summoned you three times already."

I sighed because the elders where the last people I wanted to see, but I had no other option.

"Let's get this over with," I muttered, heading toward the car.

But as I walked, I cast one last glance at the guest house, and my mind recalled her words earlier.

She was planning to get married. To another man.

I laughed loudly. "We'll see about that."