Rejected By My Mate; Claimed By Lycan Quadruplets Chapter 11

Bryan’s pov

I slammed the door shut behind me so hard that the frame cracked. One of the glass panels by the window shuddered and then gave way; a long, sharp shard of it embedded itself into the side of my arm.

I didn’t feel it.

Couldn’t feel anything.

The blood trickled freely, a deep crimson line trailing down my wrist and onto the expensive marble floor, but all I saw in my head was her face—standing there, defiant as ever, practically laughing in my face while Enzo bought her like she was a prized jewel.

Lisa.

That name was starting to itch under my skin, claw at my pride, and burn through my thoughts.

I grabbed the edge of my desk and flipped it over with one hand. The heavy oak slammed into the ground with a sickening crunch, the contents scattering—papers, liquor bottles, and an old photo of my younger self with my parents falling face down. Fitting.

My heart pounded, throat tight, rage boiling over until I couldn’t tell whether it was anger or shame. My muscles tensed, blood dripping from my hand, breath coming in ragged bursts like I was still in that hall, still watching her mouth off, still wanting to—

The door burst open.

“I knew it,” Irene snapped as she stormed into the room, slamming it behind her. “You couldn’t just sit there and act like a damn man, could you?”

I turned slightly, face shadowed, jaw clenched.

“What are you talking about?” I muttered darkly, not in the mood for her shrill tone right now.

“You embarrassed me, Bryan! In front of everyone! You looked like a madman throwing a tantrum over a worthless Omega slave! Do you even care how that made me look? Like she mattered more than me!”

I spun around, my bloody hand still dripping, and roared, “Because she is!”

The room fell silent.

My breathing was loud.

The pain in my hand? Nowhere near as deep as the realisation that had just slipped past my lips.

Irene froze.

“What…?” she whispered, blinking slowly.

I swallowed thickly, chest heaving. “She’s my mate.”

The words came out like poison.

Irene took a step back like I’d slapped her.

“You—you’re joking. Tell me you’re fucking joking, Bryan.”

I didn’t say a word.

She covered her mouth, shaking her head, eyes brimming with disbelief—and something close to betrayal.

“Oh, so that’s why you went mad. That’s why you acted like a rabid mutt over her. The gods paired you with that?” She let out a bitter laugh. “Of all the she-wolves in this kingdom…”

“I didn’t ask for this,” I bit out.

“No, but you made it damn clear to everyone how you feel about it!” she screamed, voice shaking. “Do you have any idea what they’ll say now? What will they whisper behind my back? That I’m just a filler, Luna. A prop to your rejection story!”

“Irene—”

“Don’t you dare,” she hissed, her voice cracking. “I stood beside you through everything. I cleaned up after your tantrums, I smiled when they mocked me, and I defended you even when you humiliated me. And for what? You still see her even when she’s bleeding on the damn floor.”

She didn’t wait for me to speak again.

With a cry of disgust and fury, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

I didn’t follow.

I couldn’t.

I stood there in the suffocating silence, blood still dripping from my hand, painting the floor in ugly streaks of regret and confusion.

Then—

The door creaked open again.

I didn’t bother turning.

“What now, Irene?” I muttered bitterly, still facing the window. “You here to scream more or just remind me how worthless I—”

THWACK.

Pain exploded in my jaw as a heavy fist collided with the side of my face. I stumbled back, eyes wide, momentarily seeing stars before blinking up at the figure standing in front of me.

It wasn’t Irene.

It was him.

Alpha Baron.

My father.

He didn’t look furious.

He looked disgusted.

“You absolute fool,” he snarled, shaking his hand like it hurt to hit someone so pathetic. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”

I stared at him, blood now dripping from my face and hand, tasting copper and shame.

But I didn’t say a word.

Because for once… he wasn’t wrong.

The taste of blood pooled thick and bitter on my tongue.

But it was the burn in my cheek that registered first.

My father’s fist connected again—this time to the other side of my face, sending me crashing into the edge of the dresser. The sharp corner jammed into my ribs, knocking the air right out of my lungs.

“You little disgrace!” Alpha Baron’s voice thundered like a war drum across the room. “You embarrassed me! In front of Alpha Enzo! In front of every goddamn noble in that hall!”

I coughed hard, blood flecking the marble floor beneath me as I struggled to my knees, but he didn’t let up. His hand yanked me up by the collar of my shirt, his face twisted with a fury I hadn’t seen in years.

“My deal with Alpha Reyne fell through because of you,” he spat, venom dripping with every word. “Do you know how long I’ve worked to secure that alliance? Do you?!”

I didn’t answer. Mostly because I couldn’t. My jaw throbbed, my lip was busted, and the room was spinning like a damn carousel.

But he didn’t care.

“You looked weak,” he roared, dragging me across the floor like a rag. “You whined like a child over a filthy Omega and let your emotions spill all over the goddamn banquet!”

Another punch to the gut. My vision flashed white. The pain sent my stomach twisting violently.

“You let that bitch humiliate me, and then what?” he growled, gripping my shirt tighter. “Scream like a lunatic just to stop her from being picked? What the hell do you think the other Alphas will say? That I raised a future leader—or a crying little boy with no spine?”

“I…” I finally choked out, grabbing at his wrist. “I didn’t mean—”

He hit me again.

Harder.

My head snapped to the side, the ringing in my ears loud enough to drown out my next breath.

“You never mean it,” he hissed. “But somehow, you always manage to fuck things up at the worst possible time.”

He stood over me, chest heaving, face blotched red with fury. I thought maybe he was finally done. But then—

The door burst open.

I heard her heels before I saw her.

“I—forgot—my—” Irene’s words halted instantly, her eyes going wide as she took in the scene.

Me, bleeding and hunched over like a whipped dog.

Alpha Baron, fists curled, ready for another blow.

Her gasp broke the silence.

“Alpha Baron!” she cried, rushing into the room and dropping her clutch. “Please! Please! Temper justice with mercy!”

She wrapped her arms around him from behind, trying to hold him back as he advanced again.

“He’s just upset—he’s not thinking clearly—he’s still young!” she pleaded, her voice shaking as she blocked his path with her body. “Please, Alpha. You’ve already punished him enough.”

Baron’s fists tightened, jaw clenched so hard I thought his teeth might shatter. He looked like he wanted to shove her aside and keep swinging. But he didn’t.

He stared down at me, his eyes full of disgust and loathing. And then… he turned away.

“Clean yourself up,” he growled coldly. “And if you ever embarrass me like that again, I won’t stop at a broken jaw.”

With that, he stormed out of the room, slamming the door so hard behind him the frame shook.

I stayed on the floor, the weight of everything pressing down on me, crushing me deeper than any punch he’d thrown.

Irene knelt beside me quietly, dabbing the blood from my lip with the edge of her scarf.

But I didn’t speak.

Not because I didn’t want to.

But because for the first time…

I had nothing to say.