The Alpha's Fated Mate Is an Outcast-Chapter 97

Althea slowly closed the door of her room and dropped her back against it. Her lips trembled and so did her body as she gradually slid down till she was sat on the floor.

Keelion really was messing around with her. She’d heard them. If the bitch wasn’t with Lyndon and Augustus, there was just one place she would be and that was with Keelion.

But she wasn’t just with Keelion. They—

She gripped her hair and pulled her legs to her chest. The bubbles of tears that had welled up in her eyes broke and streamed down her face.

He said he didn’t love. He said he wasn’t a man who did love, yet he was willing to love her? Despite her being an outcast?

Any alpha would have rejected an outcast without a second thought. But not keelion. No, he chose an outcast over her, finally gave his heart out but not to her.

There was no one who deserved his love, his heart, not even if that person was his fucking mate. She was the one who’d been here for a year and counting. Alexis had no right coming here and taking a man that had already belonged to her, trying to steal her spot right next to Keelion.

She should be the one cuddled up to him in that room. She should be the one who got those sounds out of him—the one who got to touch him in a way no other would ever.

It wasn’t fair. Keelion wasn’t being fair doing this to her. Treating her like she meant nothing—as if she were some trash that could be used and disposed of.

He had nor right choosing that beta over her right after he’d chosen her to be his Luna.

A shaky breath fled her nose and she buried her teary face in her knees. "Keelion, you don’t understand how far you push me. It’s all your fault I keep doing all these horrible things and this time around, you’re just going to make me take from you this thing you seem to cherish."

She smiled to herself despite her tears.

"You love her, don’t you? You would do anything for her, wouldn’t you? I wonder if you would be willing to kill her yourself if you were put on the spot."

A crazy chuckle bubbled out of her and she threw her head back against the door of her room, eyes squeezed shut.

"I’m going to break your heart to pieces this once, Keelion, my love, and then I’ll pick them up for you. You will love me. You are capable of love, so you will and it doesn’t matter if you want it or not."

———

Alexis peeked from left to right before stepping into the foyer where Kaelis stood, back turned to her. His attention was focused on the phone he had in his grip.

She popped up in front of him, startling him so much that he staggered back, the phone almost slipped to the floor.

"Sorry..." She smiled apologetically.

Kaelis caught his breath and looked at her. He straightened up and cleared his throat as he shoved his phone into the pocket of his slacks.

Alexis bit into her bottom lip.

She knew confronting him wasn’t going to be easy. What if he hated her? I mean, if she’d just told him something was going on between her and Keelion, no matter how rocky it was, he wouldn’t have kissed her.

Everything else she had expected, but not Kaelis’s fingers digging into her hair and patting her head.

She shot her gaze up to him. "Kaelis?"

"It’s okay, I know why you’re here. You don’t have to apologize, if anyone should, it should be me. Also, no need to worry about me, I’m perfectly fine. Well, thanks to Augustus."

"You’re not...angry with me?" she asked, unwilling to believe it. He got hurt because of her—because she just didn’t tell the truth.

Kaelis chuckled softly and shook his head. "Angry? Why would I be? I’m the one that came onto you. Besides, if anything, I was more worried."

"Why?"

His gaze shifted to the rest of her exposed neck. "That’s one hell of a bruising hickey. You might want to try a turtleneck."

Alexis’s palms quickly came to her neck and she snapped her gaze to the floor, her entire face burning a scorching red. "I-it’s not what you think."

"Sure, if you say so." Kaelis burst into laughter and walked over to throw his arm over her shoulder.

She relaxed, but she still felt conscious of the fact, the hickey was exposed. As if the man noticed, he moved to stand in front of her, and grabbed her shirt collar, unfurling it and keeping it up to hide it.

"There you go, much better."

She met his eyes and a soft smile emerged on her lips. "So...you do like me?"

"Yes. I do like you, I’ve always did even when I didn’t know you were a woman."

Kaelis didn’t deny, but added, "Though I would rather keep my life, so it’s best we forget I do like you."

Alexis cackled. "Is he that scary?"

He shot his brow up at her. "You’re not seriously asking me that question, right? Right, Alexis?"

Alexis shrugged. "He’s not mean to me, so I can’t tell."

"How lucky you are. Any woman would die to be in your shoes." He smiled absentmindedly to himself and threw an arm over her shoulder. "Tomorrow is the society gala, are you ready?"

"As ready as ever."

"Think you’ll be able to keep up with your disguise?"

Alexis cocked a brow at him. "I’ve been doing it my whole life, Kaelis. If I was able to fool Augustus, I can fool just about anyone that I’m a man and a beta."

"How do you do it though?" he asked. "Pretending to be what you’re not? I mean, it must have been tough trying to do what we do when you’re not even a quarter of our strength."

"I just had to try harder." She shrugged. "It was hard at first, but I learned to tolerate pain if it could keep me alive. You may not understand, since you—"

"No, no, I do. You may be surprised, but I do, more than you think." Kaelis paused and lowered his gaze to her shorter frame. "I’m impressed."

She asked, "Impressed with what?"

"Your resilience and will to live," he said. "I don’t think a lot of people would have been able to do what you’ve done. Not to mention having to fool more than a hundred people in here. Although I know someone who’s going to be really disappointed when they find out what you really are."

"Who?" She regarded him curiously.

Kaelis flashed her a smile. "Noemi."

"Last I recall, she was head over heels for you," he added.

Alexis’s lashes batted rapidly.

"Oh goddess... You’re right."

"This is a disaster." Kaelis burst into cackles. "You’re going to be breaking lots of hearts."