Free Web NovelChapter 51: Chapter 51 Rejection Cuts Deep
Derek’s POV
The words hit me like a physical blow, and I stared at her in complete disbelief.
"What did you just say?" My voice came out rougher than intended. I needed to hear it again, needed confirmation that I hadn’t misunderstood.
"Derek, I don’t want anyone to discover this," Bella repeated, her voice steady but cold enough to freeze my blood.
The words settled between us like shards of broken glass.
"You’re ashamed that I’m your mate?" The question tore from my throat before I could stop it. Each word felt like swallowing razors.
"You’re missing the point completely," she snapped, her eyes flashing with frustration. "I don’t want people gossiping about us. I don’t want the complications that come with—"
She stopped abruptly, her gaze sliding away from mine.
"Finish what you were going to say," I demanded, stepping closer. My heart hammered against my ribs so hard I wondered if she could hear it. "You don’t want me. That’s what you were going to say, isn’t it?"
The silence stretched between us, suffocating and bitter.
"Believe whatever helps you sleep at night," she finally said, her tone dismissive. "But we both know this situation needs to end before it spirals completely out of control." Her hand flew to her forehead suddenly, her eyes widening. "God, what is your wife going to think when she finds out?"
"That’s what’s eating at you? Serena?" I searched her face for any hint of jealousy, any sign that she cared more than she was letting on.
"It’s not just about her, Derek." Bella’s voice took on an edge of desperation. "I have a husband waiting for me at home too."
I nearly laughed at the absurdity of it. She was still clinging to that ridiculous lie about being married. I knew the truth - she was raising those children alone, fighting every battle by herself. But why was she so determined to push me away?
The irony wasn’t lost on me. Years ago, she’d waited for me with the kind of desperate hope that could break a person. She’d wanted me to choose her, to fight for what we could have been. And I’d failed her completely.
I’d had my reasons then, excuses that seemed important at the time. But there had been moments when I could have reached out, could have shown her she mattered to me. Instead, I’d let silence speak for me.
Maybe that’s what this was - years of resentment finally surfacing. Maybe she’d simply stopped loving me altogether.
I couldn’t really blame her for wanting nothing to do with me now. But the rejection still cut deeper than any physical wound ever could.
"Look, can you just go handle the reporters?" Her exhaustion was written across every line of her face. "Tell them we’re not available for interviews right now. I need to get back to my room, change out of these clothes, and figure out what the hell happens next."
She moved toward the bathroom without waiting for my response, leaving me standing there feeling completely hollowed out.
This must have been exactly how she felt when we told her we didn’t want the babies. The crushing weight of being unwanted, of having someone you cared about treat you like an inconvenience.
My phone erupted with an incoming call, and Serena’s name on the screen felt like salt in an open wound.
"What?" I answered, already bracing myself for the storm.
"Don’t you dare ’what’ me!" Her voice was shrill with fury. "You’re not at the neighboring pack like you said, are you? You lied so you could run off with that slut!"
Her words sent rage coursing through my veins. "Watch your mouth, Serena. I’ve warned you about calling her that."
"I want you home immediately! Do you hear me? Right now!"
In the background, I could hear my father’s voice raised in argument with Mr. Foster, demanding explanations for my whereabouts. But Foster couldn’t have known my destination - I’d been deliberately vague about which pack I was visiting. ƒгeewebnovёl.com
"I’m not coming back until my business here is finished," I said through gritted teeth. "And I’m done with you trying to control every move I make."
The stunned silence on her end was almost satisfying.
Bella emerged from the bathroom just then, her damp hair clinging to her neck, and I ended the call immediately.
"Who was that?" she asked, though her tone suggested she already suspected.
"Nobody important," I replied, which was becoming more true by the minute. "Stay here while I deal with the reporters."
I stepped outside and firmly explained to the media crew that their ambush was completely inappropriate. They needed to respect our privacy and wait until we returned home to conduct any interviews. Bella had children to check on, responsibilities that took precedence over their story.
They offered apologies and retreated, but I doubted they truly understood the damage they’d potentially caused.
My stomach churned thinking about what Serena might have seen on the live broadcast. Whatever footage had aired was clearly enough to send her into a jealous rage, which meant it could cause even bigger problems for Bella. frёeωebɳovel.com
Once I was certain the reporters had genuinely left, I escorted Bella to my car. The feeling that we were being watched, that more cameras and questions would soon follow us, made me urge her to move quickly.
My phone buzzed relentlessly during the drive back to her hotel - more calls from Serena, angry texts from my father threatening consequences if I didn’t respond immediately.
But I was Alpha now. After five years of marriage, Serena still hadn’t provided the heir my father demanded. That gave me grounds to take another mate, someone who could give him what he wanted.
The cruel irony was that he’d never explicitly forbidden me from choosing Bella. In all his careful planning, he’d never thought to add her name to his list of unacceptable options.
The real obstacle was Bella herself. She seemed determined to reject everything between us, and that rejection was slowly tearing me apart.
Still, she’d cared for me once. Maybe, with time, those feelings could resurface.
As we pulled up to the hotel, I spotted several warriors positioned near the entrance. Hugo’s doing, no doubt, in case any of the children’s conditions had worsened.
We walked through the doors together, and Bella immediately rushed past a clearly agitated Hugo to check on her children. That left me facing him alone, and his expression promised an unpleasant conversation.
