Humiliated

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CHAPTER 3

Raven never felt less powerful in all her existence. Even with her werewolf powers, she couldn't do anything though they deserved their heads being cut off or worse.

First, it was a mixed world with werewolves, Lycans and humans. And attacking humans without cause was greatly frowned upon. 

Standing outside Dina Hotel and Suites, Raven found it hard to come to terms with her disownment but what puzzled her most was the scandal. 

Who was that man?

If she had the mate mark overnight then that should mean the one whom she slept with was her mate.

'Why didn't I feel it?' She shook her head and glanced at the top of the building. 'It all went down here. To recover and expose them, I must first find the man who did this to me.'

She held her phone tightly and made her way into the hotel still dressed in her green gown while her auburn hair fluttered behind her.

As Raven entered the hotel, her wolf suddenly stirred, her presence bursting into Raven's consciousness. 

Ava's excitement was intense, her energy coursing through Raven's veins like electricity. Raven's heart raced and her senses heightened, as Ava's instincts took over.

Raven steeled where she stood, trying to make sense of her situation. 

Now wasn't the right time for a shift, Raven thought.

"Ava?"

Ava's thoughts were a jumbled mix of excitement, curiosity, and longing, her emotions echoing in Raven's mind. 

"Close... so close... must find..."

The scent of their mate wafted through Raven's nostrils, enticing and irresistible. Ava's pull was strong, guiding Raven towards the conference room.

As Raven approached the room, the scent grew stronger, Ava's excitement built. Raven was confused with Ava's thoughts swirling all over the place. 

She couldn't understand why her wolf was reacting this way, but she couldn't deny the primal urge to follow the scent.

The moment Raven entered the room, she was by a wild room with several men and women each dressed formally. 

She knew she shouldn't be here. No one needed to tell her it was a high end conference but just as she pivoted to leave, her eyes locked onto him. 

Badum! Badum!!

Piercing sapphire eyes locked on her amber ones, holding her gaze. 

Memories of the previous night flooded her mind, the taste of his lips, the touch of his skin. The connection was instantaneous.

As their gazes met, Ava's voice resonated in Raven's mind, "MATE." 

The word echoed through her consciousness. The man's lips moved in sync with Raven's, "MATE."

Raven's world tilted, her mind reeling with the realization. This was what her wolf was restless about — this stranger, the one she had slept with, was her mate. 

Her lips hung as the truth hit her like a ton of bricks, leaving her breathless and bewildered.

Before she could get herself back, one of the guests present called out to him, "Alpha Storm," as he walked up to him.

As much as Raven knew she should leave, she could not help the pull neither could she let go of her curiosity and rage. 

If he was her mate, how dare he ruin her that way? 

Was he in the whole ploy with her family?

Like an enchanted soul, she walked straight up to him, ignoring the curious and startling eyes accompanying her till she came to stand before him. 

The man by his side gave a disapproving glance and cleared his throat to pull Storm's attention to Raven. 

Raven couldn't care what the other man thought. Her focus was on him — Alpha Storm.

Before Raven could utter any word, Storm's voice resonated in the room but sounded louder in Raven's head. "I reject you as my mate."

It felt like the air was sucked out of Raven's lungs as his words echoed in her mind.

"What?!"

"In case you didn't hear me before, I'll say it again. I, Alpha Storm Xavier, reject you, whoever you are, as my mate."

Hearing it a second time felt like dying, getting resurrected only to be killed again.

Ava growled at the sudden and unexpected rejection. It felt like a massive hole was dug out of her, leaving behind a hollow space in its place.

"What… what was that for? Why did he reject us just like that?" Ava's voice filled Raven's mind but that was almost the least of her problem.

Maybe not the least but… first, there was something else.

POW!

Storm's face tilted to the side from the force of Raven's palm.

The whole room was shocked, several gasps renting the air at the audacity of the young lady. She just slapped Alpha Storm, Alpha King of the Western Region.

"You reject me?" Raven asked in disbelief, a scoff escaping her lip followed by a dry chuckle. "You are funny."

"What insolence! Who the hell are you?!" One of Alpha Storm's bodyguard asked, stepping in but was held back when Storm raised his hand.

"But sir…"

Just one look from Storm and the guard bowed his head in reference, moving back but still glaring at Raven.

"What's the meaning of this?"

"I should be asking you the same thing, Mister." Raven fired back, pulling the strap of her gown to show the mark on her neck.

"If you knew you were going to reject me, then why mark me?" 

Storm's jaw clenched at Raven's outburst. Trying to take control of the situation, he reached out to Raven, hoping to pull her away from the hundreds of eyes watching them.

"Oh no," Raven tsked, yanking her hand free from his grip. "What's the meaning of what you pulled off last night?"

Storm's brows creased a little from Raven's scowl. 

"You want to play ignorant?" She continued, flashing her phone in front of him with the scandal on her screen.

"You ruined my life with this scandal. How could you do this to your mate?" Raven's voice broke slightly as the tears threatened to fall.

"Oh my God. She's the fake heiress in the scandal all over the internet?"

"Alpha Storm's mate is a fraud?"

Ignoring the comments in the background, Storm glanced at her phone and narrowed his eyes on the screen. Raven stared at him, briefly noticing the dark glint in his eyes.

A moment of silence passed and Raven didn't even know what to expect. He had an unreadable expression which did nothing but irritate her further.

Unable to bear the silence from him any longer, Raven spoke, "I asked y…"

"I heard you the first time." Storm interjected with a scoff. "You asked why I rejected you, right? I can't have a whore as a Luna. Moreso, I'm innocent of your accusations. So kindly leave with the last shred of dignity you still have."

Raven had been holding back the tears but try as she may, they came rolling down her cheeks in waves.

Another humiliation.

Me, a whore?

"Our mate just called us a whore in front of everyone."

Raven's whole world was on the verge of collapsing. What hurts the most, she couldn't tell — the scandal; losing her mother's company; being tagged a fake heiress, now a whore; or the rejection.

"Someone get this whore out of here," Raven heard someone say from behind her. 

Turning around, her gaze met the speaker. Though her vision was blurred from the tears, she could still make out the blonde hair, and her face twisted in a scowl of disgust.

Two pair of hands grabbed her from both sides, dragging her out of the conference room.

The mix of emotions swirling in Raven's mind left her speechless, that and Storm's rejection rendered her wolf weak, she couldn't even resist.

As she was dragged out, her eyes landed on Storm's for the last time. 'You'll pay for this… you, father, Belle, Scarlet, all of you.' 

She gritted and looked away, her head hanging low as she gave in to the tears.