The Rejected Mate (Elaine and Michael) novel Chapter 57

Back in his office, Michael sat behind his broad oak desk, papers stacked neatly in front of him. The scent of ink and parchment mixed with the faint smell of coffee, and the weight of responsibility pressed against his shoulders. Calvin, his loyal beta, stood at his side, reviewing reports of patrol schedules and recent rogue activity. The atmosphere was quiet but heavy with the urgency of their work.

The office door swung open without so much as a knock. Michael looked up, his brows furrowing the instant he saw who had entered. His father.

“What do you need, Father?” Michael asked evenly, though his voice carried a faint edge of annoyance.

Efrein didn’t bother sitting down. His presence filled the room, his eyes sharp with disapproval. “I was informed you called Alpha Darius here. To train our warriors.” His tone dripped with accusation. “Why would you do that? Have you already forgotten what he did? How he threatened us with the council when he practically kidnapped Elaine?”

Calvin stiffened, but Michael raised a hand to still him, keeping his gaze locked on his father.

“Even now,” Efrein continued, his voice rising, “Elaine’s parents cannot get any word about their daughter. Do you know how many phone calls and letters they’ve sent, unanswered? How many nights they’ve spent in tears, ignored? The sheer disrespect that Crescent Moon has shown us is unacceptable!” His words rang against the office walls, his face flushed with fury.

Michael inhaled deeply, holding his father’s gaze without flinching. “First of all, Father,” he began, voice calm but firm, “Alpha Darius did not kidnap Elaine. She asked to be transferred to his pack, and he honored her request. Second, Darius didn’t threaten us with the council out of malice–he did it out of concern for Elaine’s wellbeing, when none of us were protecting her. And third…” Michael’s eyes hardened. “I am the Alpha now. And right now, you are speaking to me with blatant disrespect.”

Efrein’s jaw clenched, but Michael pressed on, his tone sharpening.

“I called Alpha Darius here because our northern borders are being torn apart by rogue attacks. Our warriors are brave, yes, but bravery is not enough. We need skill, discipline, and training. Crescent Moon is unmatched in those things. This isn’t about pride or grudges. This is about survival.”

“But why him?” Efrein shot back, his voice rising again. “Why bring him here for longer than a few days? The mating ball is already enough of an ordeal. Haven’t you noticed how uneasy the pack becomes whenever he’s near? They remember what happened. They remember how he looked at us like we were beneath him. Keeping him here for weeks will only stir unrest. Don’t you care about your pack’s peace of mind?”

Michael’s hands flattened against the desk, his patience thinning. “Of course I care for my pack. That’s why I’m doing this. Crescent Moon is a warrior pack. Calling for help from anyone else would be a waste of time and resources. We need to be ready, Father, and they are the only ones who can prepare us.”

Efrein’s eyes narrowed, a spark of bitterness flickering there. “And what about Richard and Lucille? What will they feel, seeing Alpha Darius walking our halls, commanding our warriors, while their daughter remains silent? While they ache every day for word of her? Don’t you think this is cruelty to them?”

Michael leaned back in his chair, his voice dropping into steel. “Father, I don’t care what they feel. And I don’t care if you don’t like it either. My decision is made. I am the Alpha of this pack–not you. You no longer have the right to question my decisions.”

“You don’t care?” Efrein’s voice broke with disbelief, his hands slamming against the desk as he leaned forward. “How can you say that? Don’t you understand how Richard and Lucille have suffered since Elaine left? How they grieve every day? Their hearts break for their daughter, and still they long to see her. And yet, you would stand here and dismiss that pain so coldly?”

Michael’s restraint snapped. He slammed his palm against the desk, the sharp sound making Calvin flinch. His aura flared, filling the room with the oppressive force of his Alpha dominance.

“And whose fault is that?” Michael roared, his voice shaking the air. “Who was Alpha when all of this began? Who ordered us to disregard Elaine’s feelings the moment we discovered she was my fated mate? Who insisted that the needs of the pack outweighed the needs of a single girl? Who told me–again and again–that her pain was nothing compared to our future?”

His chest heaved with fury, his eyes burning as years of guilt and rage spilled out. “And through all her suffering, what did Richard and Lucille do? Did they comfort her? Did they fight for her? Did they so much as speak a word of kindness when she needed it most? No!” His fist struck the desk again, papers scattering to the floor. “They turned their backs on her, just like the rest of us. And now they want her love, her forgiveness, as though they earned it? No, Father. Elaine gave them nothing because that’s what this pack gave her. Nothing.”

The silence that followed was suffocating. Efrein’s face was pale, his lips pressed into a thin line, but his eyes still burned with defiance. Calvin stood stiffly in the corner, wisely keeping silent, though the tension in his stance betrayed the storm raging inside him.

Michael straightened, his voice colder now, measured but still edged with fury. “I will not debate this with you again. The decision stands. Alpha Darius and his warriors will come, and our pack will be stronger for it. That is final.”

For a long moment, father and son stared at each other–one clinging to the old ways, the other blazing with new authority. And though Efrein’s silence spoke of disapproval, there was no mistaking the truth: Michael’s word was law now.