Alpha Hunter novel (Rayna and Hunter)
Chapter 5

Reyna Cruz:

A month has zipped by, and I found myself cooped up in a cramped room within the servant quarters. Initially, I tried to psyche myself up, convincing myself to appreciate having a roof over my head. However, that sentiment shifted dramatically when I began experiencing a gnawing sense of isolation.

No one ever dropped by for a chat. After some time, they stationed guards to ensure I didn't venture beyond the servant quarters and catch even a fleeting glimpse of Hunter. It's quite ironic how he never made an appearance to check on me either. It felt as though my love had been a mere flip of the switch for him, something he could easily turn off.

The gleam of pregnancy had vanished from my eyes, replaced by ever-deepening shadows beneath them, which darkened with each passing night. Rising from the unforgiving mattress, I decided to take a stroll within the room, as I remained forbidden from venturing outside. It felt as if I were a captive, trapped within these four walls.

The unwavering affection I had harbored for Hunter was slowly losing its power. How could someone disregard their mate's suffering so easily? I'd posed these questions to myself repeatedly over the past month, yet found no answers.

As the door creaked open, my gaze fixed on a maid entering the room, bearing a tray in her hands. "What's this?" I inquired, wiping away my tears and offering a somewhat foolish smile when she responded, "Alpha King Hunter sent this for you."

"Did Hunter send this for me?" I eagerly seized the tray from her, a wide grin spreading across my face as I surveyed the array of delectable dishes.

This marked the first occasion he had ever sent me such mouthwatering fare. I had been utterly mistaken to assume the worst about him. Clearly, he hadn't forgotten about me. It simply took him a bit of time to realize that his earlier judgments of me were completely off the mark.

"Where is he? Why didn't he personally deliver it?" I fought back tears while conversing with the maid, who shot me disapproving glances. What troubled me most was his apparent self-consciousness, preventing him from facing me in person.

He made a mistake by not affording me a chance, but I suppose things were quite dire for me in the past. I would gladly overlook our differences and grant him an opportunity to make amends for the month he missed during my first pregnancy.

"Why would he bother visiting the servant quarters?" The maid snapped her fingers in front of my face and rudely remarked, "This is leftover from the engagement dinner. He wanted me to send some to you." My joy instantly waned upon hearing her response. The moment she explained the reason for the food's delivery, my heart shattered into pieces.

A large tear escaped from the corner of my eye as I continued to gaze into her eyes.

"His engagement dinner?" I asked, a mixture of laughter and tears in my eyes.

"Yes, he got engaged to Tara today. She looked like a real princess, not some dirty omega," she remarked, her nose turned up, a mocking laugh in her tone.

"No! He can't marry someone else," I exclaimed, dropping the tray and startling her.

"What the fuck! You have gone completely crazy," she hissed.

"I won't allow this to happen!" I shouted, forcefully pushing her aside as I exited the room for the first time in a full month.

I felt foolish for having confined myself to that room, like a prisoner, all the while imagining that he would patiently await the outcome when he had clearly made it known that he wouldn't wait for me. The brown dress I'd worn for a month now appeared soiled, and its odor could stifle anyone.

It wasn't my fault; I'd been confined to that room merely so they could commence their new life.

"Stop! Alpha King Hunter will be furious with me for allowing you to barge into his celebration and disrupt--," the maid's voice dwindled as I raced ahead of her, determined to reach the Royal hall of the mansion where the celebration was unfolding.

I came to a halt as I reached the entrance of the hall, standing close to the wall, allowing me to observe the handsome Alpha King in a white suit, exuding charm with a bright smile gracing his lips. It was a sigh I had once fallen deeply in love with, but by his side now stood his new mate, Tara, adorned in a stunning blue gown adorned with shimmering glitters, dancing with him.

The two of them conversed and laughed, moving in harmony and relishing a couple's dance. "Please, listen and go back to your room," the maid had finally caught up with me, but I couldn't bring myself to interrupt the ceremony. He looked so content with her.

It appeared that he entered this engagement willingly. It was utterly heart-wrenching to witness my mate dancing with my former best friend.

I took a deep, heavy breath before I turned on my heels and passed by the maid, heading back to my room. Every step I took towards my room was a step towards the realization of my own foolishness in contemplating embracing him with open arms, while he allowed others to mistreat me as he moved on with Tara.

There was no longer any need for me to explain myself. If he genuinely wished to discover the truth, he could have accessed my phone records to see if I had received those text messages or not.

As I stepped into the room and gazed at the bare walls, I pondered whether he had managed to find an escape from a relationship with an omega and simply didn't want to miss this opportunity.

I sank onto the mattress, tears flowing down my cheeks. My entire neck and cleavage were soaked.

No, I didn't want to fight for him any longer. He didn't deserve me. I deserved so much better.

"I don't want you anymore, Hunter! And I'll never plead with you to be the father of my child," I hissed under my breath, my lips trembling with determination.

I longed to scream and weep as loudly as I could. That night, I couldn't bring myself to sleep. How could I?

They celebrated throughout the night, the music playing in the background. That's when I made a decision.

If he didn't want to acknowledge my child, fine! It would be my gift to him.

"On this very night of your engagement, Hunter, I promise you I'll never refer to you as this child's father again. There! You are free, and I should be too," I wiped away my tears with the back of my hand and lay down. My pillow absorbed all my tears. The very next morning, I skipped breakfast and requested the maid to help me get in touch with the council.

After she left the room, I rose, washed my face, took a shower, and reluctantly put on the same dress. My foolish heart had somehow convinced me to persist in this state, believing that in four months, Hunter would ask me to return to the mansion after seeing the results.

What a fool I had been.

Now that my decision was firm, I settled on the floor and finished the food, aware that it might be the last time I enjoyed such a meal.

By the time the maid returned, I was prepared to leave.

"Elder Gale is waiting for you with the others in the foyer," she informed, stepping aside to allow me to pass.

Today, I refused to slouch or avert my gaze. I had had my fill of being pushed around. If Hunter desired a new mate, so be it. He could have that cunning little thing named Tara.

I reached the foyer, where Alpha King Hunter and Elder Gale had been patiently waiting for me. I half-expected a larger audience, but fortunately, it was just the three of us.

The moment Hunter and my eyes met, I broke the stare, maintaining an emotionless expression on my face.

"You mentioned that you wanted to speak with me," Mr. Gale recalled, casually sipping his morning Starbucks coffee.

Hunter was seated on the couch, his new ring gleaming on his finger.

"I wanted to confess," I muttered, piquing their curiosity with my words.

"If you're going to beg me to believe you or take you back, that's not happening," Hunter seized the opportunity to interject, adding a demeaning scoff.

I felt a pang of pain and humiliation for ever having loved this man.

"I hope it's not that you heard about his engagement and decided to--," Mr. Gale began, but Hunter lifted his head to gauge my reaction to his engagement.

I yearned to maintain an emotionless facade, but it wasn't easy. Even as I swallowed hard and forced a stoic expression, a tear welled up at the corner of my eye.

"I don't plan to do that. Though I was surprised by how different the rules are for an alpha and a Luna. He hadn't even rejected me before getting engaged to someone else, but who am I to call for justice, right?" I smiled through the pain, observing Hunter lean back and cross his legs, clearly disbelieving my words.

"Because you cheated and you're clinging to him. He doesn't want you anymore. He made that quite clear, so essentially, he owes you no loyalty," Mr. Gale defended his beloved Alpha King.

Of course, this was to be expected. What had I been thinking?

"Which is why I've made the decision to finally reveal the truth and stop clinging to his feet," thankfully, their harsh words and piercing gazes affirmed that I was making the right choice. "Remember how I claimed I was carrying his child? Well, I had a miscarriage last night," I fabricated, and the look on Hunter's face froze.

"What?" Mr. Gale gasped.

Hunter studied my face before releasing a mocking laugh and nodding in ridicule, "So, you thought you couldn't lie on the test reports, so you got rid of it?" His contemptuous tone and complete lack of empathy for someone he had once loved, especially someone who was claiming to have lost a baby, were astonishing. His sudden desire to be with Tara had transformed him completely. He didn't care if he had found me dead in the servant quarters; he just wanted out of this relationship.

"You are entitled to your opinions. I won't argue about anything," I responded, and I'm sure my reply was the reason Mr. Gale appeared so stern.

"The audacity!" he scoffed. "Now that you have no reason to stay here, I don't think you should. You cheated on him, and he wants to reject you. However, if you have anything to offer in your defense," Elder Gale paused, silently indicating what he meant.

Hunter's gaze darkened as he awaited my response.

I knew what I could do. All I had to do was ask them to check my phone records, which would confirm that I had been receiving texts from someone unknown, alleging that my mate was cheating on me.

"No, I would like to accept the rejection and leave," I whispered, feeling my heart shatter inside my chest.

"Very well then," Elder Gale gestured to Hunter, who rose from his seat and approached me.

As he maintained eye contact with me, I recalled the night he had accepted me. These gray eyes had once held so much love for me.

"You were nothing but a curse to me," he muttered with an upturned nose, "I, Alpha King Hunter Sparrow, reject you as my mate."

His rejection hit me like a bullet. Despite my efforts not to collapse to my knees, I ended up hunched over, clutching my chest in pain. It hurt so much.

"I--," I stammered, tears welling up in my eyes, "accept your rejection."

I closed my eyes as a torrent of heavy emotions streamed down my cheeks. He didn't deserve my tears, so why was I crying so much?

"Huh! Look at you, weak and pathetic," Hunter hissed bitterly, "I won't allow you to stay in my pack."

It seemed he wasn't finished with me yet. His anger knew no bounds. I had known that from the very beginning, but he had promised to be gentle with me. I had never imagined that one day I would be on the receiving end of his hatred.

"You can kick her out; it's not like she was ever a part of our pack," Gale remarked, casually grabbing some fancy biscuits, showing little concern for someone being cast out.

I straightened my back and turned to look at Hunter, wondering what he would do next. Then, he abruptly seized my arm and pulled me against his chest.

"Anyone who supports you or offers you shelter will be cast out along with you. You should go to hell, live as a rogue, and beg those lunatic rogues for help," Hunter hissed, forcibly leading me towards the mansion's exit.

"I can walk on my own," I protested, concerned that his harsh treatment might harm my baby. I had lied about losing my child to them, but his cruel actions frightened me. I turned my head and saw his mother and Tara standing at the top of the staircase, smirking with triumph as I was dragged away like a trash by someone I had once loved deeply.

He continued to pull me along in front of his entire pack until he cast me out at the border.

"Kick her out, and don't let her take anything. If you see her parents or anyone approaching her, expel them as well. We don't tolerate such filth as members of our pack," Hunter bellowed, instructing his guards to dispose of me. They immediately complied, each one grabbing my arms so tightly that I couldn't even voice a protest. They shoved me to the other side and sealed the black fence gate.

I watched as Hunter glared at me, then turned and walked away. I couldn't even bring myself to stand for the next two minutes, staring at the empty space where he had stood. He had cast me out today, but he had already expelled me from his life when he placed a ring on Tara's finger.

"I swear, Hunter! You will cry and beg me to let my child call you his father--," I nearly choked on my tears while making this solemn vow, "Oh, you will never see me again."

I made a promise to myself, for he had no idea that I hadn't lost the baby, his baby!

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