Betrayed from Birth – Alpha’s Unvalued Daughter
Chapter 151

Cheryl's

POV

I was happy to see Anton show up. I tried to check him out through my lashes without getting caught, but it was tough with Blake sitting right next to me. I was happy when Kevin made everyone next to him shift down, so Anton could sit next to me and not at the end of the table where the free chair was. Kevin and I have had a lot of talks recently. He is very observant and last week he finally said, "Mom, when are you going to tell Anton that you like him."

I was stunned because I have been trying to hide it, as Anton has not approached me like that. I don't know if he likes me still as he didn't come here for a few months, and he is nothing but polite and respectful to me. He hasn't even tried to kiss me yet, so I don't know if he is interested in me, or not. "What are you talking about, Kevin? We don't like each other like that" I stuttered out.

"Mom, we all know it. It is just you and Anton that think you are fooling people with it. You are always looking at each other, and away. You two are like teenagers, just not cool. I am OK with it. Even Blake knows you like Anton. That is why he hates him and tries to keep you apart. It is the reason that he comes twice a month, instead of once a month. Blake knows that the longer you are around Anton, the bigger the likelihood that he will end up getting the same pain he caused you for months" Kevin told me. I am shocked, as I didn't teach him that yet. I was going to wait until he was 16 to have that talk with him.

"Where did you learn that?" I asked him. He seemed very sure of what he was saying, and he was probably totally correct. That was something out of Blake's playbook. He would want me more, to keep me away from other men.

"School," Kevin said and shrugged like it was no big deal. "Look Mom, you deserve to be happy. Anton makes you happy. You smile at me because you love me. You light up when you see Anton coming. Anyone present can see it, including Blake. I think you need to think about honestly being happy, all the time. Where you get to be loved and appreciated. I like Anton too, he is a great guy, and he is a hell of a fighter. I know I could grow to love him, given more of a chance to be around him, but you don't need to do this for me. You have done enough for me, you need to do this for yourself because you deserve to be happy. What is the point of living a miserable life? Maybe you can get Blake to finally accept the rejection at that point. He may just need a taste of his own medicine. Because there is no purpose in continuing this charade any longer. Just think about it, ok? I want you to think about what you want. Not what Blake wants. But what you want to see the rest of your life look like" Kevin told me.

How in the heck is he so smart? I know that he had to grow up fast, but he is wise well beyond his years. So, I did think about it. I was actually thinking about him while Blake went on and on about some pack problem at Black Moon. I was bored out of my mind. When I sensed Anton and looked up. His smile melts a piece of my frozen heart every time I see it. I wanted to get up and run over to him, hug him, and tell him that I would like us to see where this goes. I have wasted years pining away over Blake. I have told him repeatedly that we won't be getting back together like he wants us to. He refuses to listen to me, or what I have to say. It was like unless I said something that he wanted to hear, he just didn't want to hear anything from me at all. Maybe Kevin was right, maybe after Blake gets a taste of his own medicine, maybe he will accept the rejection, and move on.

I was bolder today, and I knew that Anton was just as bored with what Blake was droning on about, as I was. So I reached out and took his hand in mine. It was a small act, but I saw that beautiful smile come out again, and it was like the sun came out after a week of rain. When his eyes rose to mine, I could see that he felt the same thing I did. We had both been scared to pursue it, because of what others might say about us. I wasn't worried about it anymore. When he asked me out, I wanted to scream out my answer, but before I could open my mouth, Blake had to try to ruin the moment between us and attempted to answer Anton for me. I hated that he still tries to control me. Over and over again he still tries to force me to bend to his will. It hits me that this has been how our relationship has been from the very start.

He flattered me, and then he spent our whole relationship doing what he wanted, and then apologizing to me for it after the fact. I didn't realize what was going on at the time because I loved him. I would do anything for him to make him happy, so I always forgave him. I was his perfect mate, even if he wasn't my perfect mate. Always with an excuse, or reason for why he did it. I am staggered by how totally different they are. Anton was quick to rise to my defense and put me protectively behind him. Showing me that he will keep me safe. He was immediate in his reaction to Blake's aggression, and not scared of Blake at all. I know that this is going to end in a fight. I am worried about Anton as I have never seen him fight. In that incident last year, he was immediately stabbed in his heart with a silver blade before he could even protect us. I do not want him to get hurt. Just remembering what Draven did to him hurts my heart. Blake trains, a lot, he is proud of his body and enjoys showing it off.

It didn't bother me that he did that until the cheating started, then it did. Because he grew a harem out of the women approaching him, and wanting to help him "teach me a lesson," because of my cheating. I want to warn Anton about Blake being a pretty good fighter, but when I leaned forward to whisper it in his ear, he just grabbed for my hand again, and said "Lead the way, Blake."

Raven is the only person who seems excited to see this. Brandon looks worried, we passed my brother, Leander, and Truett on the way into the entry hall to exit the packhouse. I see Stella heading towards us quickly and heading straight for Raven. They are besties and tell each other everything. I heard, "Showdown?" from Stella, and Raven nodded at her with a smile. They are both excited, but I am worried about Anton. Blake seems very confident, and I do not want Anton to get hurt. He had finally asked me out, and I wanted our relationship to progress now, not completely stop. We were at the back of the group with Blake right behind Brandon as he led the way to the training area for the fight to take place.

"Anton, I want to go out with you. I like you, you don't have to do this. Blake is a strong fighter. I have never seen you fight, and I am worried about you" I told him and Anton stopped walking and and turned to look into my eyes. It seemed like he was searching for something. A slow smile grew across his face and before I could say anything he gently placed his hands on my face with his thumbs in front of my ears and cupped my jaw in his palms as his fingers dug into my hair and he gives me the hottest kiss of my life. His thumbs gently stroked my cheeks as his tongue worked its magic inside my mouth. I slid closer into him and wrapped my arms around his neck and gave his shoulder-length hair a tug and he moaned into my mouth. I smiled into the kiss, as I liked him letting me know that he liked that.

Our kiss ended too quickly as a loud roar wrapped around us and when we broke apart, I see that Blake is furious. The whole group was staring at us, some were surprised, and others were clearly happy about it. Raven and Stella couldn't be grinning any bigger than they already were and certainly the most pleased out of everyone. My brother seemed embarrassed to meet my eyes as if the sight of me kissing was too personal for him to have witnessed, and Truett said, "Calm down, Blake. You had your chance and you blew it, looks like she has made a new choice." Blake got even madder at hearing that sarcastic comment and Truett shrugged at Brandon while he glared at him. Truett had been known to say the wrong thing, at the wrong time. But he wasn't wrong this time. I could not stop smiling myself, and as we continued walking towards the training area. Another growl came from Blake as he smelled my arousal. The way Anton was grinning, I am pretty sure he smelled it too.

Our kiss ended too quickly as a loud roar wrapped around us and when we broke apart, I see that Blake is furious. The whole group was staring at us, some were surprised, and others were clearly happy about it. Raven and Stella couldn't be grinning any bigger than they already were and certainly the most pleased out of everyone. My brother seemed embarrassed to meet my eyes as if the sight of me kissing was too personal for him to have witnessed, and Truett said, "Calm down, Blake. You had your chance and you blew it, looks like she has made a new choice." Blake got even madder at hearing that sarcastic comment and Truett shrugged at Brandon while he glared at him. Truett had been known to say the wrong thing, at the wrong time. But he wasn't wrong this time. I could not stop smiling myself, and as we continued walking towards the training area. Another growl came from Blake as he smelled my arousal. The way Anton was grinning, I am pretty sure he smelled it too.

Blake went to the circle, and immediately took his shirt off. His impressive physique showed for everyone to look at, but my eyes were on Anton. I know that Blake took his shirt off because he wanted to force Anton to do it too and get his skin burned. I will admit that Blake is still a very attractive man, his 6-pack is well-defined, with his v-cut running into his jeans, and he looked good. He did, but after having time away from him, I am no longer interested in him anymore. Blake is no longer the total package for me. I watched as Anton took his time unbuttoning his shirt, with his eyes staying on me, which was the sexiest thing that I have ever seen. He watched me intently as he undid each button, and I was getting worked up. He seemed very pleased at my reaction as he took his shirt off, then slid it off his shoulders and walked up to me to have me hold it for him while he fought. Blake's growl of anger didn't seem to worry Anton at all. He kept his back to him, which was a huge sign of disrespect in our world. It was like a slap in the face, and Anton is not starting off well in this. Blake was spoiling to hurt him, and I was praying that he wouldn't be hurt.

I had to stop myself from bringing Anton's shirt to my nose to take in his scent. It was doing things to me, and I didn't want this feeling to ever stop. Anton was standing in front of me, and he didn't seem to be in any hurry to get into the ring. He seemed to be waiting on something, and I didn't care what it was. I was content with standing here and looking at his handsome face as long as he wanted me to. I could help myself, I had to check him out. I couldn't control my eyes as they dropped down to take his body in. He was strong, but about 40 lbs. lighter than Blake. His strong shoulders narrowed down at his tapered waist, and he was gorgeous. He had a strong swimmer's body, as opposed to the bulky muscles that Blake had. I wanted to run my hand across his chest, and I reached out, but thankfully Raven cleared her throat from next to me, and I realized that our kids were heading this way.

I heard vehicles approaching and the first one was Blake's SUV with three warriors in it, followed by another SUV. The doors opened up and I saw that Dmitriy had been driving and Alexei was in the passenger seat. Kira and Nadia emerged from the back seat and Ivan and Adrik came out of the back. Adrik and Ivan quickly put up a pop-up tent as the women grabbed 6 chairs from the back of the SUV. They had everything done in about three minutes. They were really efficient. Anton must have linked them as soon as the fight came up in the dining room.

"It has been a minute since I have seen you fight, so we came to watch. Plus, if either of you gets hurt, we can fix it for you" I heard Alexei's smooth voice ring out as they all got comfortable in their chairs. They had set up where there was a gap in the people to watch the fight. Blake's warriors were behind him, and Casey was too. She seemed a little anxious, but this was what he father wanted to do. It wasn't on Anton. I bit my lip in guilt thinking that she was probably going to blame me for this as well. Just like the allowance being lowered to $300 a month. Who needs that much money at 11 years old? It is too much. She needs to save it, not keep spending it. Blake gives her, and Forest whatever they ask for. Thankfully, Robert is content with what he has. "She shouldn't blame you at all, this was what he wanted. He thinks that because I am smaller than him, he has the upper hand. Do not worry about me, my love. I will be fine" Anton told me as he turned to finally face Blake, and enter the ring. I am still worried about him, but I enjoyed watching him walk confidently into the circle for the fight to be started. Blake was looking at me, and he is even angrier. I realized that I am holding Anton's shirt up to my face and breathing in his scent to try to calm myself down. When did this happen? How is everything about Anton suddenly seeming so perfect to me? It was like a blanket I have been under for so long had been ripped off of me, and I can see everything clearly for the first time. I have been interested in him since he winked at me over a year ago. I marked him off as being a flirt at first, but I have never seen him wink at anyone else since then. It has only been for me. I have to say that it brings me joy to know that he cares for me. I worry now that the fury on Blake's face will lead to Anton being hurt. It will all be my fault if that happens.

I look up to see Alexei looking down at me with a smile. I have no idea when he walked up to me and I was a little startled by his sudden appearance next to me. Alexei's smile grew even bigger and he said, "Do not worry about Anton. He knew you were still scared for him in this fight, don't be. I can assure you that your former mate will be the one who will lose, not my little brother. Anton can be vicious, he was wanting to tell you that he can handle himself on the way over here. But it seems like you stopped for something else, rather than to talk. He wanted me to tell you that it will all be fine soon, and to close your eyes if you get scared."

"Thank you for telling me that, I was actually very worried about him. I have seen Blake fight before, and he takes it seriously. Plus, he is bigger than Anton, and I do not want him to be hurt on my account. I care for him a lot" I told Alexei with my eyes fixed on Anton. He looks over at me and gives me a wink, and I could not stop the smile from covering my face. Blake saw it and decided that it was time to fight, and ran straight at Anton before the fight officially started. My eyes filled with horror as I see that Blake's intent here, is to try to kill Anton. I will not allow it. I went to step forward as I was going to phase and take care of this myself. I felt an arm reach out in front of me to stop me. I looked up at Alexei, and he shook his head. Then nodded at the sparring circle. Blake is lying on the ground, and Anton was looking down at him from the other side of the ring.

That was smart to distance himself from Blake. If Blake can't win by his own merit, he is good with throwing dirt, or sand in his opponent's eyes to get the upper hand. I held onto Anton's shirt and before I knew it, I was sniffing it again. His scent calms me, and as Blake hopped up and ran at Anton again, I heard Alexei say, "I am glad it is you."

I looked up at him confused for a moment, before looking back at the circle. "What do you mean?" I asked as I watched them land punches, and blows on each other. Anton was much lighter on his feet and he was doing a great job. He was wearing Blake down, as he was mindful of the telegraphing that Blake was doing. Blake was so mad, at just the thought of Anton wanting to go out with me, that he is not focusing on this fight at all. He needs to because we both learned that Anton was no pushover, he was just a kind man who didn't bully others. But he was not going to allow Blake to keep controlling me. I am glad that he stepped up and let me know. I have a feeling that we will have a very good night.

Anton literally froze in place in the circle and seemed to be a little dazed for a moment. I realized that he was probably reading my mind, and knew that I wanted to have s*x with him. Blake knew that something had happened to him, and decided that he was going to use it to his advantage and attack Anton. I didn't even hesitate. I threw myself towards the ring and phased into Akayla as my clothes shredded around me. Blake slid to a stop as I stood in front of Anton, and let out a growl that let everyone present know that I meant business. As the daughter of a Gamma, I was strong, just like other ranked wolves. I was larger than an average wolf. My head came up to Anton's chest. I stared fiercely at Blake and let him know that the fight was over. They both had bruises, and cuts all over them, from Blake using his claws to hurt Anton, and Anton using his sharp nails to hurt Blake as well. Neither of them wanted it to end, I think they both fancied the thought of killing the other, but that was not going to be happening today.

I can see the disappointment, and sadness on Blake's face as his shoulders slumped. He knew that this was my answer before he threatened Anton. He tried to force my decision, and I was done with allowing him to have any further control. I had told him time after time, that it was done, that I was done. He kept thinking that if he kept the pressure up on me, that I would bend to his will again like I used to do. But I don't have to anymore. I am safe here, as is my son. I don't have to keep having to accept a love that has conditions, and requirements on it. I want one that is constant, and permanent. With no stipulations put on me for it to continue. Just a love that I can depend on, no matter what happens. Blake said, "Please, do not do this, Cheryl. I love you, and I want us to be able to get past this. You do not need to go out with him. You know I have been waiting for you to come home for over a year. I need you to come back. I miss you every day. Please do not make a rash decision, that could tear us apart."

I felt Anton's fingers stroke through my fur and I closed my eyes as it felt wonderful. More intimate to me, than anything that Blake and I did in our 15 years of being mated. Everything was different, and more special now to me because it was Anton. Raven walked up and I phased back and slid Anton's shirt on to cover myself. I watched as Blake's lips thinned out, but he didn't yell or fuss at me like I thought he was going to. He would rather that I am covered, even if he hated the man to whom the shirt belonged. "Blake, You act like it is my actions that tore us apart. You were the one to do it, not me. It was your own actions that ended us, not mine. I have told you over and over again, that we are through. Just because you don't want to accept it, doesn't make it any less true. I think it is hilarious that you say please don't do this, and tell me not to make a rash decision that would tear us apart. Those words seem familiar to me, like something I had said to you before. I am done. There is no need to visit. Robert can come and stay to keep in touch with Kevin, but Forest doesn't want to come, and neither does Casey. I wish you would accept my rejection. Don't hold onto me because of stubbornness. Just let me go, Blake. You know that we are through, you know that I will be with Anton, sooner or later, I would suggest you accept it now, so we can finish this here before you leave" I told him. His anger is all over his face and the hateful look on his face tells me that he will not be accepting it at all.

"I will not release you, Cheryl. You are mine and always will be. You will come back to your senses, once you realize that he is not a man, but a monster. The fact that you would even consider a leech as a boyfriend, disgusts me. You cannot be serious about it. I will be at Black Moon once you come to common sense again. I just can't see this working out, for either of you. His fellow parasites won't accept it, and neither will the wolves. If you thought that you were an outcast before, just wait, because you haven't seen anything yet. I cannot believe that you don't want me anymore. I guess this is just your being hurt and acting out. I will wait for you but do not test my patience, Cheryl. I will take two she-wolves into my bed, and see what kind of pain I can give you before I would let you go. I would rather kill you than lose you to this" Blake said and motioned to Anton who snarls and stepped forward to kill Blake. I could see it in his eyes.

I placed my hand on Anton's bare chest and he stilled under my touch and looked down at me. I shook my head at him to tell him we didn't need to do anything else with Blake. I watched as Blake gave a smirk at us like I was scared he was going to kill Anton. I didn't stop him because I was scared for Anton. I wanted Blake to think he had won. I will be enjoying this night much more than I originally thought I would. "You look good in my shirt, Cheryl. Are you still good with going out with me tonight?" Anton asked me. "Yes, I would love to go out with you," I told him as I started making plans in my head for tonight. I agreed to go out, but I knew Blake. If we left the safety of Black Adder, we would be stopped. I would probably be kidnaped and taken back to Black Moon, and Anton probably killed by the men he would be bringing with him. I am not on board with that. It is not going to be happening. But I believe that we can have a nice dinner in my apartment. That would work out fine for us because I know for a fact that tonight will be the night that Blake learns what it feels like for your mate to betray you with another. I have a feeling that I was going to have a very good night.