Page 98 of Rejected By the Alpha

Maybe if I understood him, I’d understand why he acted like this. Maybe I could accept it.

She shrugged. “I don’t remember her. She died shortly after she gave birth to me, and then Davix was forced to become the alpha of our pack because our dad couldn’t handle the loss of his mate. He was barely five.”

“Barely five?” I whispered, pain clawing at my heart. “That young?”

“We had a lot of people attack us during that time,” she said, breaking off another piece, but not eating it. “The elders in our pack protected him because he was so young, until he was able to fight for us. Since then, he’s vowed to protect them.”

My gaze fell to the table again, and I frowned. So selfish. I am so selfish.

All this time, I thought that I could be selfish, that I could do whatever I wanted, live my life however I wanted, take whoever I wanted because I was dying. But I … I didn’t even get a chance to learn about Davix at all.

At such a young age, so much power had been forced upon him.

He had to do whatever he could to survive and to keep his pack alive.

And here I was … trying to get him to give it all away, trying to get him to break, trying to get him to choose me, when people relied on him, when people counted on him, when people turned to him after they lost their mates.

I pushed away a couple of tears before Hazel could see them. “I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?” she said, not looking up. “It’s not your fault.”

“Davix is … I …”

Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to say or how to say it. I was feeling all these things for him, and somehow, I was even more attracted to him than I had been this morning, despite him refusing to claim me, despite me being absolutely pissed at him.

He was so strong, and he didn’t lead his life for him.

Which made me pity him.

“I’m sorry your mate died,” I said. “I’m sorry there is a curse on your pack.”

“It’s not your fault,” she said, eating the last of her bread. “I should get going.”

After cleaning up the table, I followed her out of Java and in the direction of my home. She had promised to bring me home because I couldn’t adventure through the forest by myself anymore. Cade would kill me.

“Why do you want me to be with your brother so badly?” I asked, breaking the silence.

The forest was quieter than usual today, and I didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing. Did that mean that danger was near again? Did that mean someone was too good at watching, at scaring away prey?

Her shoulders relaxed. “Because you make him happy.”

“Happy?” I repeated. “He hates me.”

For the first time since we had gotten to Java, she smiled. “No, he doesn’t.”

“It seems like it.”

“Remember, he’s a dick, but I see the way he looks at you when he thinks nobody is watching. He’s softer with you, kinder to you when he’s not trying to hold himself back, and I’ve never seen him so possessive before.”

Too bad it would never lead to anything. Too bad we could never be together.

“But isn’t the curse the reason why your mate is dead?” I asked. “Shouldn’t you want me dead? Shouldn’t you want me gone, far, far away from here, so that Davix isn’t tempted to … to do anything with me?”

If I was understanding this all correctly, she shouldn’t want me anywhere near her pack.

“No,” she said, brushing some hair out of her face. “I don’t.”

“Other people in your pack though?”