BIANCA’S POV

“Accept my rejection this instant, or I will put an end to your miserable existence!” Alessandro’s voice cracked like a whip. The certainty in his tone finally mirrored the disgust in his eyes, a familiar ache twisting my guts.

My lips quivered, and I groaned in pain as I forced myself into a kneeling position. A sharp pain in my left knee made me wince; a shard of glass was deeply embedded in my flesh, but I paid it no attention because the pain in my chest was more overwhelming.

Looking up at Alessandro, I saw his fists clenched, ready to strike, but who wouldn’t? I was undesirable and unpleasant to the eyes. Suppressing my sob, I murmured, “My name is Bianca Saldana… The rejection won’t work if you don’t say my full name.”

For a brief moment, a flicker of something unreadable flashed across Alessandro’s face before his mask snapped back in place. “I, Alpha Alessandro Giovanni, reject you, Bianca Saldana, as my mate.”

With each word, a fresh wave of agony crashed over me, the air turning toxic as the pain tore through me. “I, Bianca Saldana, accept your rejection,” I replied with a bowed head. Tears freely rolled down my cheeks, my vision turning black as stifled sobs escaped my lips.

The pain from the severing—most of the time, the rejected one feels it more than the rejecter. I knew Alessandro was also in pain, but being an alpha, he could endure it. I crumpled to the floor, barely able to hold myself, fists against my chest. The world spun around me, and all I could see was the alpha who put me in this condition.

Though in a daze, I heard his voice, harsh and dismissive—ordering the crowd. “This banquet is over! Everyone out! And that beast with you, I wish not to see her.” I couldn’t hear properly, but his final humiliation hit me hard. I was the beast he so mentioned.

The ground shook with the movements of people’s feet, and then two rough hands yanked mine and began to drag me away. I shut my eyes against the tears welling up. Opening them, I looked at my mate one last time; I found his back turned. At that moment, I shut my eyes, letting my mind succumb to the pain attempting to take my consciousness.

When I woke up, I found myself in front of the pack house gates. Struggling to rise, I knew I had to leave; I felt the condescending and mocking gazes of the guards behind me. I didn’t dare to look back, afraid that I wouldn’t be able to hold back tears. A strange twist of guilt and empathy curled in my chest.

That day marked the beginning of a fresh start for my oppressors. I became an even bigger laughing stock than before, ridiculed by all. Every time I met people, I avoided them, but they intentionally came after me, especially the girls who wished they were Alessandro’s mate instead of me.

Today, like the others, I exited the farmhouse, smelling as bad as the goats, clothes stained with mud from battling with the pigs. As I walked past Emma and her friends, I ground my jaws, expecting insults. Surprisingly, they were more interested in their conversation to pay attention to me.

“It seems the alpha is sick,” Jane mused.

“Yes, and I heard it is the mate bond torturing him for rejecting that fat pig,” Ella sneered.

“But why did the goddess punish him by tying his fate to someone he can never love? Now she is slowly draining out his life,” Karen, another member of the gossip group, remarked.

My heart skipped a beat, and I subconsciously halted. It alerted the girls. “By the goddess’ bones! That fatso was listening to our conversation; let’s get her!” Before they could finish speaking, I took heed, running as fast as my legs could take me.

Surprisingly, they didn’t chase after me. I didn’t stop running until I reached the gates of the pack house. Huffing and puffing, I pounded my fists on the gates. The guards angrily opened the pigeon hole. His look of anger shifted to narrowed eyes. “State your business,” he ordered.

I was still gasping for air, trying to catch my breath; my lungs were yet to recover from the forced race. I knew if I didn’t speak up, the guard would get angry and lock me out. I spoke between breaths. “I need to see the alpha… I have something that can help with his illness…”

The guard’s eyes widened, but he didn’t say anything; he passed the message to his higher-ups. After waiting for a long time, I wanted to turn and leave when the gates suddenly burst open. “Come with me,” the guard wolf said, and I followed him wordlessly.

Alessandro wasn’t the frail wraith the rumors described. He stood tall, his gaze a storm cloud, yet a hint of vulnerability flickered in his dimmed eyes. His rejection still echoed in the air, a bitter taste on my tongue. But beneath the anger, I saw a man drowning in pain, a mirror image of my own shattered self.

“What do you want?” he rasped, his voice betraying his façade of strength.

My heart ached for him, for the man who held the key to my freedom yet remained chained to my misery. Taking a deep breath, I spoke, my voice surprisingly steady. “I have a proposal. We can lessen the effect of the bond… if we allow ourselves to be close.”

His brows shot up, disbelief battling with curiosity in his eyes. “Close how?” he challenged, suspicion lacing his tone.

“Not as mates,” I clarified, the sting of his earlier rejection still fresh. “But as… personal maid and master.”

For a moment, silence hung heavy in the air, thick with unspoken possibilities. Then, a faint flicker of something softened his gaze.