The Rejected Mate (Elaine and Michael) novel Chapter 58

Efrein lost all the fight in his body and sank heavily into the chair across from Michael’s desk. His shoulders, once proud and broad from years of command, seemed to sag under the invisible weight of guilt and age. For a long moment, he said nothing, his eyes distant as if haunted by ghosts of choices past. Finally, his voice broke the silence, rough and weary.

“I did what I did for the greater good of the pack,” he muttered, almost as though repeating a prayer he had told himself countless times. “You chose Kathy as your Luna, and she was already carrying your pup. Your heir. You know how unpredictable our wolves can be. If you had accepted and marked Elaine, there was a high chance her wolf would have turned possessive, dangerous even. She might have attacked Kathy. You know that.” His words carried the tone of justification, but beneath it was a fragile edge, as though he no longer fully believed them himself.

Michael leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing as he studied his father. “I understand why you did what you did, Father,” he admitted quietly. “But understanding does not erase what we did to Elaine. You cannot deny the pain we caused her. You may have thought you were protecting the pack, but you destroyed her in the process. And Alpha Darius–he saw all of it. He’s protective of his pack members, yes, but he doesn’t dictate their choices. That’s why we don’t get any news of Elaine. Not because of him, but because Elaine doesn’t want us to know. And we have to respect that.”

Efrein’s lips tightened, his fists clenching on his knees. “Michael, Richard and Lucille lost more than you realize. They lost Elaine. They lost Kathy, and even Calvin here. Kathy and Calvin won’t even visit their parents anymore. You’re the Alpha now. You should do something about that–restore that bond, force some reconciliation.” His tone carried the old authority of an Alpha, a man used to giving commands and expecting obedience.

Michael’s gaze hardened, his voice flat but resolute. “Unlike you, Father, I don’t make a habit of forcing pack members to do what they don’t want to do. Kathy is my chosen mate, and I respect her enough to know she has her own mind. If she chooses to keep her distance from her parents, that’s her decision, not mine. I won’t control her, not the way you once controlled everyone around you.”

The room was quiet for a heartbeat, until Calvin finally stepped forward, his voice steady but heavy with old hurt. “And as for me, former Alpha, I remember well the pain my sister endured while she was here. I remember her silent cries, the way her eyes dulled day after day. I couldn’t comfort her, not once, because I couldn’t defy your orders. You made sure of that. I had no choice but to step back, to watch helplessly while she broke. And that, Alpha Efrein, is something I cannot forget or forgive.”

Efrein’s head snapped toward Calvin, guilt flashing in his eyes before his expression hardened again. Yet there was no anger, only sorrow. He looked at his son and his beta, and the weight of their judgment pressed against him like chains. “I did what I thought was good. What was necessary. The survival of the pack depends on unity, on sacrifice. The pack needed an heir. We had to prioritize that above everything else.” His voice cracked, the words falling flat as though even he couldn’t summon the conviction to believe them anymore.

Michael slammed his palm down on the desk, making the papers scatter. “As if repeating that makes it right, Father! The decisions you made caused nothing but pain. If you had allowed us to talk to Elaine, even once, we might have prevented all of this. She might not have suffered as she did. You keep telling yourself it was for the greater good, but the truth is, we failed her. You failed her.” His eyes burned with fury, but beneath it was sorrow. “I know my own mistakes. I don’t deny them. But you-” he pointed sharply at his father “-you need to own yours. And Richard and Lucille need to accept the truth. They lost their right to Elaine the moment they abandoned her to follow your orders. That was their choice. And choices have consequences.”

Efrein looked at his son, his mouth opening as if to argue, but no words came. The fire that had once burned so fiercely in him sputtered, leaving only exhaustion. He had once been Alpha, once carried the unshakable belief that every decision he made was for the good of his people. But here, now, faced with the raw truth from his son and his beta, he couldn’t deny the pain his choices had left behind. His gaze fell to the floor, his voice soft and frail.

“I wanted…” His throat tightened. “I wanted to make amends. To Elaine. To you. To Kathy. I know I caused pain. I know it. But I was Alpha–I had to think of the pack. Always the pack.”

Michael’s jaw clenched, but when he spoke, his voice carried the iron of a true Alpha. “Then you should understand why I don’t care how Richard and Lucille feel about Alpha Darius being here. My concern is the pack. Nothing else. Elaine made her choice, and whether we like it or not, we must respect her wishes not to have any connection with us. If we truly owe her anything, it’s that–we respect her decision, and we stop trying to force ourselves back into her life.”

For the first time in years, silence fell between father and son–not the silence of dominance or rebellion, but the silence of truth, heavy and undeniable. Efrein’s eyes glistened faintly, but he quickly blinked it away, unwilling to show weakness. He had lived with the weight of his decision every day, and he would continue to carry it until his last breath.

Michael’s gaze softened just slightly, though his authority never wavered. “You once told me an Alpha must bear the consequences of his choices. Now you must bear yours. As for me, I will lead this pack in a different way.”

And for the first time, Efrein realized that his son was no longer the boy who once followed orders. He was Alpha–truly Alpha–and there would be no turning back.