Rejected by Our Mates

When my sister and I found ourselves back in the moment before we were taken by the Rogues, the memories of our past lives flooded back. This time, we had a choice—to be rescued by our mates, Brantley and Kyaire, or to willingly give ourselves to the Rogues. Last time, they had saved us, only for the Rogues to capture Brantley’s young protégé, Madelyn. She had suffered terribly, and in their grief, Brantley and Kyaire turned their anger on us, branding us as omens of destruction and driving us to our deaths. Now, as we stood before the Rogues again, my sister and I exchanged a glance and made our decision.

“We will go with you,” I declared, my voice steady despite the fear gnawing at me.

The Rogues’ leader, Mekhi Richards, laughed triumphantly, his eyes glinting with malice. “Good choice,” he sneered, turning to the werewolves who had come to rescue us. “Go back to your packs, unless you want to die here. These two are ours now.”

I looked at our packmates—warriors, healers, and even some Deltas—all battered and bloodied, their auras flickering with exhaustion. Our pack, the Howard Pack, had been weakened by years without a strong Alpha, leaving us vulnerable to attacks like this. As the tension hung thick in the air, Brantley and Kyaire arrived, their presence commanding as always.

“Let them go,” Brantley growled, his Alpha tone cutting through the chaos.

Mekhi smirked, his grip tightening on Madelyn, whom one of his Rogues had dragged forward. “Oh, I don’t think so. This one seems more important to you,” he taunted, his voice dripping with mockery.

Madelyn whimpered, tears streaming down her face as she looked pleadingly at Brantley and Kyaire. “Alpha Brantley, Alpha Kyaire… please…”

Brantley’s composure shattered. “Madelyn! What are you doing here?”

Kyaire stepped forward, his eyes locked on Madelyn. “Let her go, Mekhi. If you harm her, I’ll tear you apart.”

Mekhi laughed again, clearly enjoying their desperation. “Interesting. So, this is your true priority? Then what are these two to you?” He gestured dismissively at my sister and me.

Brantley’s jaw tightened, his gaze flickering to me. “Wait,” he said coldly.

Kyaire, ever the charmer, turned to my sister, Evelynn. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you,” he said, though his focus remained on Madelyn.

My sister and I exchanged another glance, a bitter smile tugging at our lips. Madelyn had always come first for them, even when they claimed to love us. She was the daughter of Brantley’s closest friend, and her fragile nature had always drawn their protection. Over time, their bond with her had overshadowed everything else.

Mekhi, sensing the tension, unsheathed his claws, each sharp and menacing over my sister’s, Madelyn’s, and my chest. “Choose,” he said, his voice low and menacing. “Which one do you save?”

“Madelyn!” Brantley and Kyaire shouted in unison.

The claws plunged into my sister and me, pain ripping through our bodies as we coughed up blood. The pack’s healer, Timothy Vasquez, stepped forward urgently. “Alphas, you can’t do this! Mae and Evelynn are crucial to the balance of our packs. If they die, it could destabilize everything!”

Brantley hesitated, but Mekhi tightened his grip on Madelyn, making her cry out in pain. “Let her go!” Brantley roared. “I’ll do anything!”

Mekhi’s grin widened. “Anything? Then prove it. I’ve heard Mae has a scar on her side from a battle. Cut it out for me.”

The air grew heavy as Brantley turned to me, his eyes conflicted but resolute. My heart sank, but I held my head high. This was the choice we had made, and we would face the consequences.