The Almighty Alpha Wins Back His Rejected Mate

Chapter 1 Father's Wedding Debra's POV: I stood in a corner, looking at the grand wedding in front of me, the crowd coming and going. However, instead of feeling festive, my heart was full of unwillingness and grievance. Today was my father's second wedding, and the Silver Ridge Pack was holding a grand wedding ceremony for him since he was the Alpha. Although this wasn't his first marriage, my father still attached great importance to it. He made sure that the wedding venue was decorated lavishly, and I overheard some people saying that it was even more beautiful than that of his wedding with my mother. He had also invited many Alphas here, which showed how much he loved and respected his new bride. But what he failed to realize was that today was also the death anniversary of my mother. The wedding progressed smoothly, and everyone looked so happy. My mother's grave, on the other hand, was desolate and lonesome, without anyone there to visit her. I didn't want to be at this stupid wedding. I just wanted to visit my mother now. "Debra, where are you going?" A sharp female voice sounded from not far away, interrupting my conversation with Vicky Todd, my maid. I turned to look in the direction of the voice and saw my stepmother, Marley Clarkson, and her servants walking to us. Marley was much younger than my father. In fact, she was only four years older than me. She was the daughter of the Alpha of the Frosty River Pack and exceedingly beautiful. Her white wedding dress billowed in the breeze and her wavy blonde hair framed her face perfectly. Not wanting to talk to her, I turned my head away. "Are you planning to miss an occasion as important as this and embarrass your father's Luna?" Marley demanded. "Of course not!" Vicky hurriedly stepped in to mediate. "Debra's tired and wants to have a rest, that's all." "Is that so?" Marley narrowed her eyes at me and suddenly cracked a smile. "Good. I want to talk to you about something." "Why?" I asked, staring at her vigilantly. I never got along with Marley, but for the sake of my father's happiness, I tried to stay out of her way as much as possible. And she never came to me on her own accord. Now, she wanted to speak with me. My intuition told me that something bad was about to happen. "Relax." Marley's grin widened. "I just want to borrow the necklace you're wearing. It'll go perfectly with my wedding dress." "Sorry, but no." I refused without hesitation. "This was my mother's." The necklace I was wearing was the only thing my mother had left me, and I treasured it dearly. It was my only connection to my mother. Whenever I was wearing it, I felt that she was close and had never left me. Of course, I would never lend it to anyone, let alone my stepmother. Marley seemed to read my mind. She softened her tone and said gently, "Why are you so cold to me? It's our first day together as a family." If Marley treated me as a family like she claimed, she wouldn't have tried to take away my mother's last belonging. "Sorry, but I can't lend it to you." I narrowed my eyes at her coldly. "Then don't blame me. I need it!" Marley's gentle smile was instantly replaced by a sneer. She then signaled to her servants. The two servants immediately sprang into action. They grabbed my arms and made me kneel. Wincing in pain, I raised my head and saw Marley standing before me. Her beautiful face was tainted with mockery. She stretched out her slender hand and yanked the necklace off my neck. "What are you doing?" I never thought this woman would be so shameless. "Give me back my necklace!" Even Vicky was aghast. "You can't do this! That necklace was given to Debra by her mother!" As she spoke, Vicky hurried forward to block Marley from leaving. One of the servants who were holding me kicked her away. Vicky stumbled and fell, her forehead slamming into the stone pillar. Vicky was my mother's best friend. After my mother passed away, she stayed in the pack for my sake and remained single all her life. She practically raised me. How dare Marley hurt her like this! My wolf, Ivy, became restless. I, too, was driven mad with anger. Ivy growled in my mind, "Rip them to shreds, Debra!" But before I could do anything reckless, Vicky struggled to stand on her feet. Leaning on the stone pillar for support, she managed to cry out, "Debra, don't do anything rash!" I knew she was right. Because Marley was now married to my father, she was officially the Luna of our pack. If I laid a finger on her, my father and all the members of our pack would sense it immediately. Seeing her painful wound made my heart ache so much. I rushed over to help her. "Eww, this necklace is so cheap." A playful smile appeared on Marley's face as she took a closer look at the necklace. "How could your mother leave you such a cheap thing? Pathetic!" As she spoke, she fiddled with my necklace casually. "Don't worry. I'll give it back to you. It's just a necklace. I'll have countless better necklaces now that I'm the Luna." With that, Marley threw my necklace to the ground as hard as she could. The chain instantly broke, and the gems clattered to the ground one by one. The only thing my mother had left to me was ruined. For a split second, I felt as though my heart was being squeezed by an invisible, oppressive force. Ears buzzing, I knelt down to pick up the stray gems in a daze. Suddenly, a pain shot up from the back of my hand. Marley had stepped on my hand. "You are the daughter of a noble Alpha. How could you touch dirty trash? Let go, my sweetheart." I slowly raised my head to look up at her, my eyes filled with hatred and anger. Ivy was so angry that she wanted to rip Marley to shreds. "Move your foot away!" Of course, Marley didn't budge. She had nothing to fear after all. She smiled at me scornfully and warned, "Debra, you'd better learn how to respect your new Luna." Just then, the wedding music started to play. Marley slowly removed her foot, straightened her dress, and walked away haughtily, followed by her servants. Ignoring the pain in my hand, I continued to pick up the stray gems on the ground. Now I understood why Marley wanted the necklace in the first place. It turned out she just wanted to give me a warning shot. Up until this point, Marley had only avoided me because she hadn't married my father yet and wasn't officially the Luna. Today was her wedding. Now that she had the power, she wanted to teach her rebellious stepdaughter a lesson. She wanted to show me who the pack's real matriarch was. "Oh, you poor thing..." Vicky sighed and helped me up. "Don't worry. I'll fix the necklace. I promise it'll look exactly like it used to." "Thanks, Vicky." I forced a smile at her, trying my best to swallow my sadness. The wedding of my father and Marley officially began. Under the dazzling lights, the new couple celebrated their love, whereas the werewolves celebrated and welcomed their new Luna. No one noticed me, the pitiful, disheveled she-wolf in the corner, and no one remembered my dead mother. Depressed and angry, I grabbed a whole bottle of wine and downed its contents in an effort to numb the pain. I wasn't good at holding my alcohol. It didn't take long before my vision started to blur and my mind began to whirl. But no matter how much I drank, I couldn't forget that disgusting smile on Marley's face, which made me want to puke. I couldn't stand it and needed to get out of here. Just as I turned around to leave, I inadvertently ran into the person standing behind me. Chapter 2 A Wonderful Night Debra's POV: I raised my head and looked at the man in front of me in a trance. His blond hair shone like sunshine in the winter, casting a warm and soothing glow. His handsome face seemed to have been chiseled by God himself, resembling an exquisite sculpture. For some reason, Ivy became restless. She longed to get close to this mysterious man. "Honey, get closer to him!" she shouted at me with unconcealed excitement. I was confused, but I ignored her urging because I noticed the red wine stain on the man's clothes. "Oh, God, I'm so sorry." I apologized to him immediately and staggered to the table, trying to find some tissue to wipe it for him. "Don't worry about it." The man waved his hand dismissively. "The wedding is awful anyway." "What? What makes you say that?" The man's words and frank attitude instantly aroused my curiosity. Everyone was cheering for the happy couple, yet this man had the audacity to say that it was awful. Well, such harsh criticism was really surprising. "Eduardo has bad taste," the man explained matter-of-factly. He looked at Marley, who was smiling brightly amidst the crowd. He took a sip of wine and continued, "He picked the wrong woman. Marley won't be a good Luna." The roving spotlight briefly shone on the man, illuminating his Adam's apple. As he swallowed the red wine, his Adam's apple bobbed, and I couldn't help but stare at his collarbone peeking from the collar of his shirt. My heart started to race, and I couldn't think straight. "How do you know that and why are you speaking ill of her?" I stared at him, trying to gauge him. "Did you ask her hand in marriage but she said no?" The man chuckled and glanced at me with a hint of scorn. "How'd you manage to draw that conclusion? If I hadn't turned her down, she wouldn't have settled for Eduardo. If I said yes to her now, she'd drop everything and run away with me." This man had turned Marley down? Things were getting even more interesting. Winning him over was kind of like defeating Marley. Driven by alcohol, I became bolder. I looked him up and down and wrinkled my nose in feigned scrutiny. "Why? You're not that charming." With his ego on the line, he narrowed his eyes at me and whispered, "Is that so?" The next second, he leaned over and kissed me. Time seemed to freeze at that moment. With him so close to me, his intoxicating scent overwhelmed me. Now I understood why Ivy was so restless. It was because this handsome stranger was intensely attractive. There was no doubt that he was my destined mate. I couldn't help but respond to the man's kiss. But he suddenly stopped kissing me. He seemed to be surprised by my ardent response. I didn't know if he felt the same way I did about him. But I didn't think too much about it because the bittersweet aftertaste of the kiss was making me dizzy. I couldn't even remember when he took me back to the room. The room wasn't lit, but the moonlight streamed in from the windows, illuminating his face. "You’ll never forget tonight," he whispered in my ear while kissing me. I didn't hear him clearly, but I nodded out of instinct. Led by him, I felt like a small boat in the sea, being tossed by the huge waves. Chapter 3 Shocking News The following morning, when I woke up, the sunlight streamed in from the window, temporarily blinding me. "What the— What's going on?" I struggled to get up from the bed and lifted the quilt. Fragments of memories from last night's encounter flooded into my mind. Wait a second. Who was that man? Stunned, I slowly turned my head, only to see the sleeping face of a man beside me. Geeze! I spent a night with a stranger? "What do you mean a stranger?" Ivy protested. "He's your mate." "My mate? Oh, thank God." Ivy's ridiculing words made me feel a lot less guilty. "Aren't you going to check him out?" Ivy asked. "Yes, of course." I leaned over curiously, trying to get a better look at my so-called mate. Indeed, he was handsome—very handsome. He was probably the most handsome man I had ever seen in my life. His clothes and belongings were strewn all over the floor. A stray ID card in the corner caught my eye. When I saw the name on it, my heart leaped to my throat. "Oh, my God, Ivy. I'm doomed!" I smacked my forehead and felt instant regret. This man was none other than Caleb Wright! He was the infamous Alpha of the Thorn Edge Pack, notorious for his terrible reputation. No girl in her right mind would approach him. It was rumored that even Moon Goddess detested him, which was why he didn't have any mate assigned to him. Even worse was the fact that the children in his pack always died at an early age for mysterious reasons. Many she-wolves had to watch their children die. If word got out that I had spent a night with him, not only my father would be furious, but the whole Silver Ridge Pack would ostracize me. Even my dead mother would probably roll over in her grave. I couldn't even begin to imagine the horrible consequences. I had to run away before anyone found me with him. "How could this be?" Ivy snorted in dissatisfaction. "He's your mate! You're destined to be together!" "shut up! I don't want my life to be ruined by this man!" Ignoring Ivy's protests, I quickly put on my clothes and snuck out. Everything was going well. Everyone seemed to be talking about yesterday's wedding, and no one noticed me. I was relieved. When I got home, I found that my father and Marley were not there. They were probably on their honeymoon. At this moment, a concerned voice sounded from behind me. "Honey, where have you been? I was looking for you all night. I was so worried!" Vicky looked me up and down worriedly. I felt terribly guilty, but I didn't dare to tell her the truth. "Sorry, Vicky. I was so drunk that I fell asleep outside." "Is that so?" Vicky asked with a skeptical look. "Did you try to take revenge on your stepmother last night?" "What? Of course not!" I pretended to be angry and changed the topic. "And even if I did, so what? She went too far last night. If you didn't stop me, I would've taught that woman a lesson." Vicky shook her head helplessly. She couldn't do anything to me. "Well, she's the Luna of our pack now. Try not to stir up any trouble." "Fine." Truth be told, I didn't intend to mess with Marley. I did love my father and I didn't want to put him in a dilemma. Unfortunately, Marley didn't feel the same way. As soon as she became the Luna of our pack, she began to make trouble for me. She tried to manipulate my father into thinking that a partnership between the Silver Ridge Pack and the Frosty River Pack was a good idea. However, this partnership wasn't just unbeneficial, but from what I could tell, we might even suffer losses. I could tell that something was off, so I asked if I could review the proposed projects, but Marley didn't allow me to interfere. In fact, Marley refused to let me get involved in any of the pack affairs, which made her look even more suspicious. So I had to convince my father to let me participate in these projects. During this period, I managed to find out that the Frosty River Pack had some financial problems. However, Marley had tampered with the relevant reports, concealing this fact. Considering how my father always believed in whatever she said, it was risky for me to say anything rashly, so I decided to secretly investigate the matter. Unfortunately, my investigation did not go smoothly. Marley seemed to have found me out. Not only did she try and stop me from attending meetings, but she even gave orders to the Frosty River Pack to keep me in the dark. I wasn't able to obtain any more information. One day, I was attending a pack meeting, trying to pinpoint the flaws in Marley's plans when my father suddenly sent someone to call me over. On the way to see him, I suddenly felt nauseous and wanted to vomit. "Are you feeling sick again?" Vicky stretched out her hand and rubbed my back for me. "What's going on with you? Haven't you gotten a result from the doctor yet? It's been days." "No, not yet. I'm also confused. I've been feeling sick for a while now, but I don't know what's going on." Unexpectedly, as soon as I entered my father's study, he threw the examination report at me angrily. "Debra, you're really something!" Fury and disappointment were written all over my father's face. "Look at what you have done!" I had never seen my father look so angry before, and it scared me. After mustering some courage, I took a deep breath and looked at the examination report. The next second, my eyes went as wide as saucers. The report said that I was expecting a child. Upon reading the verdict, I nearly fainted on the spot. Chapter 4 Horrible Imprisonment Debra's POV: "Tell me, Debra. What on earth happened?" Blue veins stood out on my father's forehead, and they looked like they were going to pop at any moment. "Who's the father?" I bit my lip, not knowing what to say. I was too shocked to think straight. Marley added fuel to the flames. "Debra, you really let us down. You are Alpha's daughter. How could you be expecting before your mate has been assigned? It's unheard of! Such a scandal will definitely affect the reputation of the pack." Left with no choice, I came clean. "I've only spent the night with one man—Caleb Wright, the Alpha of the Thorn Edge Pack. He's my mate." "What? Are you sure it's him?" My father's face suddenly froze. His expression changed several times. But he gradually calmed down and murmured, "You'd better be telling me the truth." Although Caleb had a bad reputation in terms of his personal life, it was well known that he was an outstanding Alpha and the Thorn Edge Pack was prosperous under his reign. Obviously, my father was more willing to accept the fact that Caleb was my mate. If that were the case, the reputation of the pack would remain intact. "I'll look into it," he said gruffly, though his tone was a lot gentler than earlier. "I'll send someone to ask him about this. If I find out you're lying, I'll punish you severely." Then my father made arrangements for me to be put behind bars in the meantime. Unbeknownst to him, Marley had instructed the prison guards to lock me up in their worst cell—the one specially used to imprison traitors and the lowest of criminals. The cell was dark, dank, and smelly. The only quilt in the cell was ripped and shabby, even worse than the clothes of a street beggar. As soon as I was pushed inside the cell, I couldn't help but retch. My stomach ached so much from vomiting, and I could only curl up on the floor to ease the pain, twitching from time to time. At night, the cell was extremely cold. I felt like I would freeze to death. "Hey, wake up. Breakfast is ready," the guard spat at me harshly. He tossed me a piece of moldy bread and kicked a bowl of water toward me. The water smelled like sewage. I only smelled it from afar, but it was enough to make me retch again. The guard sneered, "You're quite picky with food, huh?" I swallowed the urge to vomit and retorted, "This isn't food at all!" The guard kicked the water over. "If you don't want to eat, then starve! Luna Marley ordered us to make sure that you suffer here." Marley? It was that mean woman again! She hated me more than I had thought. The only thing she hadn't done was kill me. Gritting my teeth angrily, I vowed to make her pay for this. I swore as soon as my father found out the truth and proved my innocence, I would gather all the evidence I could to terminate the cooperation between the Silver Ridge Pack and the Frosty River Pack. Then I'd expose Marley's plot, letting my father see her true colors. Hatred gave me the will to live. I endured the pain, reached out, and picked up that moldy bread. ****** The terrible suffering lasted for three whole days. When Vicky came to visit me, I was curled into a ball in the corner of the cell. She rushed to my side, but I noticed that she was walking strangely. "Vicky, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" I asked worriedly. Vicky didn't want to talk about that. She just set down the lunch box and hugged me tightly. "Debra, my child, you have suffered a lot." Heartbroken, she looked at me and stroked my face. "How could they do this to you? You're still the Alpha's daughter! You've only been locked up for a few days, but you've lost so much weight." Sobbing, Vicky helped me sit up. Then she opened the lunch box and fed me carefully. But when she raised her hand, I caught a glimpse of the wound under her sleeve. It was a long and deep gash that ran from her wrist to her shoulder. At a glance, I could tell that it was from a whip. The wound was so deep that her skin was ripped open. Whoever did the lashing had used all their strength. I was so shocked that I forcefully lifted up Vicky's blouse. Countless wounds littered her skin. No wonder she couldn't come to see me sooner. Perhaps she didn't even have the strength to get out of bed. I could only imagine how much pain she was in. A terrible rage consumed my heart, causing me to tremble all over. Seeing this, Vicky hurriedly comforted me, saying, "I'm fine. Don't worry." "Vicky, what happened?" I begged her for answers. "Tell me!" Vicky sighed and gave in. "After you were locked up, I tried to prove your innocence, knowing that Marley wouldn't let you go so easily. I tried to look for a witness who could prove that Caleb had taken you away that night, but Marley found me..." "She was the one who lashed you, wasn't she?" I ground my teeth, seething with rage. Vicky didn't deny it. She just smiled and said gently, "It doesn't matter. It doesn't hurt at all. Don't worry about me." I shook my head, feeling terribly guilty. I had lied to Vicky, but she only thought about how to save me. She never thought of blaming me for lying to her. Since my mother passed away, Vicky had stepped in and raised me. She was like a second mother to me. "Vicky, I promise I'll be good once I'm released." With tears in my eyes, I held her hands and squeezed them reassuringly. "I swear I'll listen to you from now on." "Okay." Like my mother, she smiled at me dotingly. She touched my cheek and whispered, "Don't cry. You're a grown woman." Even though she tried her best to look relaxed, I could still see the worry in her eyes. After all, this was no trifle matter. Now that the news of my pregnancy had spread throughout the pack, it was absolutely crucial that my claim be verified so that the reputation of the pack wouldn't be ruined. Otherwise, my father would not let me go. "Vicky, don't worry. I wasn't lying to my father. The baby's father is Caleb." Caleb was my mate—my one and only man. "That's good." Vicky let out a sigh of relief. "This place is heavily guarded. Only when he confirms it will you be released." Only Caleb could save me now. I couldn't wait for him to corroborate my claim. However, the next day, my father delivered some heartbreaking news. Chapter 5 Proof of Her Innocence Debra's POV: In the dim and damp cell, my father and Marley stood in front of me. Marley's eyes were full of disgust. She covered her nose with a silk scarf and squinted at me. "Debra, Caleb said that he didn't find his mate at the wedding." There was an unmistakable gloating tone in her voice. I looked at my father, who was standing behind her. From his livid face, I knew that Marley wasn't lying. "What? That can't be right!" I was shocked and confused. The attraction between us was unmistakable. Why did he deny it? Was it possible that he still had feelings for Marley and helped her hurt me? Or was it because he had messed around with too many she-wolves that he didn't remember me at all? When I was about to ask, my father suddenly came over and slapped me hard across the face. The crisp sound of the slap echoed in the dark cell. Stunned, I fell to the floor and winced in pain. "How dare you deny it until now?" My father was so mad that he scolded me ruthlessly. "You're just like your mother, bringing discredit on me!" The slap hurt, but to hear my father discredit my mother hurt even more. "No!" Shocked and angry, I raised my voice and defended my mother. "I'm not lying. And Mom never brought discredit on you!" It didn't make sense. Why was my father suddenly so angry about my mother? Although he seldom mentioned her after she passed away, he never slandered her like this before. I wanted to argue with him, but Marley interrupted us. She patted my father on the shoulder and said in a soft voice, "Honey, don't be angry. Debra's young. She doesn't know that what she did tends to tarnish her reputation. As long as she's willing to end a pregnancy, she can live a normal life in the future." Then, Marley looked at me, feigning a considerate expression. "It's normal for girls to rebel at this age. Since the reputation of our pack is at stake, we should help her cover it up." It sounded like she was trying to solve the problem, but her words held venom. She was trying to make me look bad. Sure enough, my father flew into another fit of rage and raised his hand to slap me a second time. Fortunately, I saw it coming and dodged his attack just in time. "I won't do it." I locked eyes with him firmly. "I'm going to give birth to the baby and prove to you that this is Caleb's child. Then we'll know whether I'm lying or not." My father's face turned livid with anger. "You stupid, rebellious child! Don't you feel ashamed enough? Stay here and reflect on your actions! Only when you're willing to admit to your mistakes will I let you out!" Then he turned around and stormed off, followed by Marley. Neither of the two looked back. Watching them leave, I felt deflated. "Ivy, what's going on? Why did Caleb say that I was not his mate?" I asked dejectedly. "I don't know..." Ivy was also very frustrated. "You're mates, I'm sure of it. I can't forget how strong the attraction was between the two of you." Pain and confusion overwhelmed me. Ivy and I didn't mistake that feeling of attraction. Then what went wrong? I simply couldn't figure it out. Perhaps Moon Goddess played a cruel prank on me. ****** That night, another visitor came to my cell. Thinking that my father had changed his mind, I looked up expectantly. Unfortunately, my visitor wasn't my father, but his confidant, Leonel Ruiz. He also brought a doctor. Leonel told me coldly that the Alpha had ordered to take me to the hospital to end a pregnancy. Standing behind Leonel was my maid, Vicky. "My poor child." Vicky rushed in and hugged me, crying. "You've suffered too much!" I hugged her back and cried even harder than her. "Stop stalling. Let's go," Leonel urged impatiently. I backed into the corner and shook my head adamantly. "No, I'm not coming with you!" It was not that I didn't want to have the abortion, but that I couldn't. The second that the pregnancy was ended, my crime would be set in stone and I would never be able to prove my innocence. &7&