Bound by Contract to the Alpha Chapter 7

Rebecca's POV

My blood turned to ice. I quickly pulled on the robe hanging on the bathroom door and stepped into the hallway. Sofia stood near the entrance, her face pale.

"He's here," she whispered unnecessarily.

"I'll handle him," I said, surprising myself with how steady my voice sounded. "I have to start handling my own problems, like I did before I met him."

Sofia touched my arm. "Be careful. He's in a state."

I nodded and moved toward the door, where William continued pounding hard enough to make the hinges rattle.

"Rebecca! I know you're in there! OPEN THIS DOOR!"

I took a deep breath and unlocked it. William practically fell into the apartment, catching himself on the doorframe. He looked both furious and relieved, his hair disheveled, bloodshot eyes wild. His usually immaculate clothes were wrinkled, as if he'd slept in them.

"Where the hell have you been?" he demanded, reaching for me.

I stepped back. "Don't touch me, William."

His nostrils flared as he scented the air, and his expression darkened. "Let me in. We need to talk."

"No," I said firmly. "I don't want to see you. Please leave now."

He laughed incredulously. "You have some nerve. After what you pulled last night, you're refusing to see me?"

Without waiting for permission, he pushed past me into the apartment. Sofia moved to block him, but he towered over her, and she reluctantly stepped aside.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, confused by his accusatory tone. "Are you serious right now? You're the one with the mistress and the secret son. I saw everything, William. The messages between you and Olivia. The pictures of your son."

"That doesn't excuse what you did," he said coldly. "I can smell your betrayal all over you. I could smell it from the first floor. You betrayed me, Rebecca."

I laughed, the sound harsh and bitter. "I betrayed YOU? You've been sleeping with my bridesmaid for so many years! You have a CHILD with her!"

"That's different," William said dismissively. "I'm a wolf. We have different needs."

"And different standards of decency, apparently," I shot back. "You were using me, William. I read the documents on your laptop. You planned to discard me after I served my purpose."

"You had no right to go through my personal files," he snarled, taking a step toward me.

I stood my ground. "The moment I threw that ring back in your face, I was free. I can do whatever I want with whoever I want."

William's lips curled into a smirk that sent chills down my spine. "That's not how it works, Rebecca. You didn't formally reject me. We're still mates."

"Fine," I said, lifting my chin. "I reject you. It's over. I never want to see you again."

William laughed, the sound cold and mocking. "You're trying to reject me... but you failed. Wolf rejection has specific rules. What you just did means nothing."

I looked at Sofia in confusion. She nodded slightly, confirming William's words.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, my voice smaller now.

William stepped closer, invading my personal space. "No, my dear little human, you are still my mate until I become Delta and you bear my heir. After that..." He shrugged. "I'll reject you myself."

The casual cruelty of his words stunned me. How had I never seen this side of him in five years? How had I been so blind to his calculating nature?

"I won't marry you," I said, my voice shaking now. "You can't force me."

"Can't I?" William's smile was predatory. "You'll be at the beach for our ceremony this afternoon. I've increased security around the entire beach area to make sure you don't run. There's nowhere to go, Rebecca... that's a promise."

The platinum cufflinks I'd given him for his birthday glinted in the sunlight streaming through the window as he turned to leave. At the door, he paused.

"Three o'clock. Be there... or I'll come find you. And you won't like what happens then."

The door closed behind him with a soft click that somehow sounded more menacing than if he'd slammed it.

I sank onto Sofia's couch, trembling. "What did he mean about rejection rules?"

Sofia sat beside me, taking my hand. "When you reject a wolf, you have to use their full name, surname, and rank. Being rejected is extremely painful for wolves—physically painful. It can even kill some of them. That's why the rules are so strict. So technically... you're still his mate."

I thought about last night with Dominic. "Is that why he was so angry? Could he... feel what I did?"

Sofia nodded grimly. "When you were with another wolf, he would have felt physical pain. It's part of the mate bond."

"Can I call him? Text him the rejection? There has to be a way to end this."

"It's impossible," Sofia said quietly. "It has to be face-to-face, using the ancient wolf language."

I buried my face in my hands. "I can't believe this is happening."

"What are you going to do?" Sofia asked gently.

I lifted my head, a desperate plan forming. "I'll go to the beach wedding. But instead of saying 'I do,' I'll formally reject him in front of everyone. Teach me how to say the wolf language of rejection."

Sofia's eyes widened in alarm. "His wolf would tear you to pieces. William's father is an elder with close ties to Alpha. That kind of public humiliation would be unacceptable. You'd pay the price."

"Then what?" I cried, desperation rising. "What am I supposed to do?"

Sofia was quiet for a long moment. "I have an idea... but it's not pretty."

"I don't care. Anything is better than marrying him."

"What if you physically couldn't make it to the wedding?" Sofia suggested. "And it had to look like an accident."

I stared at her. "What do you mean?"

"Go take a shower and put on your wedding dress. Leave the rest to me."

---

I stood before the bathroom mirror, staring at my reflection. The woman looking back at me was a stranger—a beautiful, tragic stranger in a wedding dress. My chestnut waves were adorned with small white flowers, and the lightweight white gown designed for a beach wedding fluttered around my ankles. My makeup was perfect, highlighting my gray-green eyes and hiding the dark circles beneath them.

But those eyes were clouded with pain and betrayal. The corners of my mouth turned downward no matter how I tried to arrange my features into something resembling happiness. I wanted to cry, but I seemed to have run out of tears.

"You look stunning," Sofia said from the doorway. She was already dressed in her ocean-blue bridesmaid gown, her dark curls styled elegantly. "Are you ready?"

"How could anyone be ready for something like this?" I asked, smoothing the front of my dress.

"We don't have to do this," Sofia said. "We could try to leave town, get you somewhere safe..."

I shook my head. "You heard William. He'd find me. And I'd rather take this risk than marry him."

Sofia nodded, checking her watch. "We should go. Remember what we talked about—we need human witnesses and a public place for this to be convincing."

"I know what to do," I said, following her out of the apartment. "It has to be in front of those reporters and social media influencers who always hang around that restaurant."