You Rejected A Silver Wolf
She Died

Chapter Six - She Died

Chris' POV

The birthday celebration of Raymond and Rihanna was ruined because of my rejection.

As I passed by the hall, the maidens cleaning would momentarily gossip about me. I heard them. They thought I was too heartless to have rejected my mate. She was nice to them, and they believed she'd make a good Luna. She was also the Beta's daughter and could protect the pack. I thought so too, but my mother didn't.

Perhaps I was a coward who rejected his mate for his mother's sake.

I finally found Raymond by the riverbank. It was important to talk to him, to tell him I was sorry and did what I thought was best. Actually, his sister was the only appropriate werewolfess to be my mate. By rejecting her, I was horribly wrong. "I don't want to talk," Raymond said as I came closer.

I still moved forward. "But I do. This shouldn't destroy our friendship—"

"What friendship? We were friends, yet you treated my sister that way?" he snapped.

I opened my mouth to defend myself, but no words came out. It was justifiable. Rihanna was also my friend.

"Well, I wish you luck in finding a second mate." He scoffed. My eyes went to him. With his sarcastic tone, was he cursing me?

It was usually difficult for Alphas to get a second mate after their first dies.

And now I had rejected mine. Would the Moon Goddess ever forgive me?

"Raymond, I swear, I didn't think it through," I confessed.

His eyes narrowed. "You mean you regret your rejection?" he asked.

But I knew I couldn't take it back. She had accepted it, and the moon had already risen.

"Yes, I think I regret it, but it has already been said. I'm sure she'll be given a better man than I am."

Raymond took a step toward me. "Chris," he called, "if you regret it and didn't think it through, why did you ever open your mouth to say it?"

He had a look of hate and utter disgust. I disgusted myself as well. Why was rejecting my mate the first thing I thought of doing?

Because my mother wanted me to and had ingrained the importance of a powerful Luna in my mind. And I valued my mother's every wish. "I don't know."

My mother shouldn't be my excuse.

Raymond shook his head, returning to the riverbank. "You'll live to regret it, then," he mumbled.

Was he cursing me again? I looked down, feeling the weight of his words.

Someone stepped on a twig behind me. "Silence, Beta!" a harsh voice barked.

Raymond and I turned to see my mother and father. My father had a darkness in his eyes when he looked at me. I bet he'd never have rejected his mate, even if she was an Omega. "Don't you dare curse your Alpha! He won't regret rejecting your useless sister!" my mother barked again.

"No, he will!" Raymond shot back, making my father and I turn to him.

"You rejected an innocent girl as your mate, she killed herself and returned to the Moon Goddess, and you think he won't regret it?"

My ears perked up as Raymond spoke. "He will!" Raymond barked again, pointing at me.

My heart sank, and I rushed to the riverbank where Raymond had been standing. Had his sister really committed suicide?

I saw floating atop the river, a scarf that belonged to her. Indeed, she killed herself. My knees weakened, and I fell to the ground. "Rih killed herself?" I asked, needing confirmation.

He ignored me and began to walk away, but my father held him back. "Answer him." Shockingly, Raymond shoved my father's hand away. "Don't touch me," he said lowly.

My father narrowed his eyes at him, but Raymond didn't back down. He kept ranting.

"What do you think? Shouldn't an Alpha feel for his pack members? Don't you feel empty after her death? Or did you never care?" My mother wanted to hit him, but her mate stopped her.

"Her spirit will haunt you-all of you," Raymond said before walking away.

I gazed at him. His shoulders were slumped, and every word was laced with the pain of losing a loved one.

But my brain couldn't fathom why she'd kill herself. She accepted the rejection, so shouldn't she have hoped for a better mate than me? Why end it?

A strong arm held my hand and pulled me to my feet. It was my mother. She eyed the scarf and sighed.

"If being rejected made her kill herself, then she'd have made a lousy Luna."

Truly, this woman had no heart to mock the dead.

"I'll ask the hunters to find where her body washed up and give her a proper burial. For now, the Beta family is excused from all duties, and they will be borne by you, Chris," my father declared. My head lowered.

"Are you punishing him? Rihanna's death isn't his fault," my mother protested.

Her mate yanked her by the arm. "Yes, it should be yours," he pushed her back.

My father might not have wanted me to reject my mate, but he never stopped me. He had also called her a curse and never encouraged us.

Heart-wrenched, I stomped off to the house, hoping to lock myself in my room and bawl my eyes out.

I needed to surrender to the emptiness I was feeling and let it ruin me.

Slamming my room door shut, I fell against it, slowly sliding to the ground.

I noticed movement beside me and snapped my head in its direction.

It was my little sister, Vanessa, toying with the scented candle I had prepared for Rih's birthday.

I turned away from her. She hated Rihanna and would not share my grief.

"I sent the sword gift you prepared to Raymond, but the candle is expensive. I don't think that lady was worthy of it."

I gave her no response. She dropped the candle on my bed and sat close. Seeing the redness of my eyes, she dragged my face toward hers.

"I never expected an Alpha to cry over rejecting a useless mate," she said, sounding so much like my mother. It terrified me.

"Can an Alpha cry over the loss of a pack member, then?" I shot back.

"What? Did Rihanna go rogue? Did she denounce our pack? That bitch had guts, didn't she?" she huffed.

I shook my head. It would have been better if Rihanna had gone rogue. With the confidence she had when rejecting me, she'd easily survive as a rogue.

Or I would have allowed her to defect to another pack if my presence irked her, but she died, and it was more painful than it should be.

"Rihanna committed suicide, Vanessa. Just leave her alone," I mumbled, folding my arms over my legs.

Vanessa had a blank expression before uncertainty flashed across her face. She left my room.

Finally alone, I forced my shaky legs to rise, and I sauntered to my bed. I fell onto it, memories of Rihanna playing in my head.

I may have liked her only because of the mate bond, but it was still a valid feeling.

I was nearly asleep, sinking into the emptiness, when Vanessa tore my door open and patted me.

"Chris, Raymond is denouncing being your Beta!" My eyes shot open. All traces of sleep fled my mind, replaced by panic and worry.

"You have to stop him! The Beta and his wife are saying nothing," Vanessa wailed.

"Why should I? Vanessa, would you be loyal to a man who killed your twin sister?" I didn't know where I found the strength to yell.

Vanessa flinched, frowning. "A useless twin sister! How dare she cost you your Beta!

I also heard that a maid from their household ran to tell the Black Rose Alpha about this, bringing more trouble."

My ears perked up.

The Black Rose Pack had voted Rihanna as my Beta, if they learnt she was also my mate but I rejected her, leading her to suicide, it'd really cause trouble.

"This is all your mother's..." I stopped, there was no need to push blames. The mistake had already been made.

"Raymond is mourning, as well as the Beta and his wife, let every wolf give them space." I ordered Vanessa.

She sighed, before nodding, then left again to carry my order.