Reigns pov
The double door opened.
Zeke stepped in "Reign. We have a problem." His expression,grim.
"Then fix it." I said not looking up from the border report I was looking at.
"This one is different." Zeke said, crossing over to join him at the table. "It requires your presence." He placed a sealed envelope with the seal of the New Haven's pack on it.
I broke the seal and read the content of the envelope. I held back a growl.
"He is calling a gathering." Zeke said in disbelief. "Alpha Gerald announced it's time to appoint a new alpha."
I crumbled the paper in my fist. "Without me?"
"That's part of what should interest you," Zeke said. "It seems Gerald feels your absence means he is in full control now."
"Is he?" I smirked.
"I think we both know the answer to that."
I tossed the crumbled letter aside, my eyes glowing red."The last time a pack thought I was irrelevant their Alpha disappeared without a trace."
"Do you want me to send a word on your arrival?" Zeke asked.
"No." My voice was quiet but dangerous. "Let them think they are in control for now. Let them keep making arrangements for their ceremony." I smirked. "I will remind them who chooses an Alpha."
Zeke's lips curved; he was going to love the thrill. "SUVs or the jet."
"SUV." I said while standing and putting on my coat. "We keep a low profile. Two vehicles and the usual team. We will leave in a few days."
"Understood." Zeke said while walking towards the double door.
After he left, I stood by the window staring over the city lights.
Alpha Gerald has grown comfortable in my absence.
And the absence has brought arrogance.
Arrogance is what I won't take.
To them I might have been gone for a long time. But time meant nothing to me.
The years felt like months to me because the wolves I ruled, aged, weakened and they died. But as a pure blood Lycan I remain.That is my advantage and my curse.
Every Lycan owned a territory. Mine was the New Haven pack. I have guarded it for decades and I have shaped its history yet most of them had not set their eyes on me. That is how I preferred it to be.
The last time I was seen was when Gerald was appointed Alpha. He was strong then, loyal, fierce and capable to lead the pack.
But the power has been left unchecked for a long time now.
_________
Katherine's pov.
It's been three days since Kenneth rejected me.
I have been trying to be strong and pretending I don't care.
Kenneth and Judith paraded themselves around the pack. It was like they both wanted to flaunt whatever they had in my face no matter how I tried to avoid them.
It's been three days. I thought it was going to get better but it kept getting worse. I had seen her kissing him, when she saw me looking she laughed. My wolf curled in on herself like she didn't want to see what he was doing.
I watched. I refused to hide because I wanted to see it and convince myself of the reason why I should forget and heal.
I was heading towards the training ground when Felicia saw me. "Kathy." she said standing beside me now. "You are pushing yourself way too hard."
"I'm fine." I said too quickly and it felt like a lie.
"You have been running drills like your life depends on it. Ignoring the members of the park." Felicia said.
"I just want to clear my head. I'm not ignoring the pack, I don't know what to say when they bring it up."
Felicia exhaled,as we passed a group of gossiping she wolves. I ignored them, she rolled her eyes at them.
Felicia joined me in taking rounds. We laid on the floor trying to catch our breath. "You don't have to pretend to be strong around me. He is a bastard and she is worse, let them dig their own grave."
We both looked at each other and burst into laughter.
By nightfall the packhouse felt so suffocating. Everywhere I looked they were there being all loveydovey. Judith smirked at me at any given chance she got, Kenneth watching me suffer like he was enjoying it.
I couldn't breathe.
I sneaked out from the pack house and went into town.
I found myself in a drinking spot.The air smelled of polish and whiskey. They had a hallway filled with rooms in case there were people who couldn't go home after drinking.
Perfect.
I took a seat. The bartender asked me what I wanted.
"Whiskey."
The bartender poured in a glass and I drank it all at once. The burn hit my chest but that is what I wanted. I wanted it to scrape away the pain I have been feeling for days.
I had put a wall between myself and my wolf. She was being irrational. I couldn't take her whimpers and her begging echoing in my mind to feel a mate bond I was trying so hard to forget.
Tonight I didn't want to think or feel, I just wanted to drown.
One glass became two.
Two became four and then I lost count.
It was peaceful. They didn't join anyone in conversation. She just drank to quiet everything out.
When the bartender asked if I wanted more. I could barely keep my eyes open, my head was spinning but I still nodded my head. I knew I was going to need one of those rooms tonight.
Tonight I wasn't Katherine the omega.
Neither was a mate who got rejected.
I was no one for now.
I asked the bartender for the key to one of the rooms and he gave me.
I made my way to the hallway.Head spinning, eyes heavy. I inserted the key into the keyhole and a room opened. I was surprised I didn't even turn the key.
I entered.
I was too drunk.
I needed to lay my head.