Rejected By My Mate; Claimed By Lycan Quadruplets Chapter 49

Irene's POV

I was humming as I walked into our pack’s mansion, the sound of my heels clicking against the marble floor echoing like music to my ears. For once, I was in a good mood—a dangerously good mood, the kind that made everyone around me take a few steps back because they didn’t know whether to smile with me or run for cover. The maids scurried to the sides as I breezed past, their eyes darting to the ridiculous grin plastered on my face. Let them whisper. Let them wonder. For once, I didn’t care.

Today, I felt like I was in control.

I barely paused to catch my breath when I reached the second floor. Without knocking, I threw open the heavy wooden door to my father’s study. “Father!” I called out, my voice dripping with the kind of fake sweetness that I knew annoyed him. “You wouldn’t believe the day I had—”

I stopped short when I saw him sitting behind his massive oak desk, arms crossed, a storm brewing in his dark, calculating eyes. Oh. He wasn’t smiling. Not even close.

“Where,” he said slowly, his voice low and dangerous, “have you been, Irene?”

My grin faltered, just a little. I straightened my shoulders and tried to look unbothered. “Out,” I said simply.

His eyebrows shot up. “Out?” he repeated, like I had just told him I’d gone to dance naked in the streets. “Out where?”

“Relax, Father,” I said with a shrug, stepping closer. “I just went to see our… future family.”

There was a pause. His gaze sharpened like a blade. “Our future family,” he echoed. “You mean Bryan?”

At that, I tilted my head and let out a low laugh. “Bryan?” I shook my head so hard my curls bounced. “Oh, Father, no. Bryan is a spoiled brat who doesn’t know which way is up. Do you really think I’d waste my time on him?”

He stared at me, completely still. “Then who?”

I let a mischievous smile creep back onto my lips. “Ash,” I said softly, almost like it was a secret. “Or maybe Enzo. I haven’t decided yet. But why limit myself to scraps when I can have the alpha or his right hand? Imagine the power we’d have if I—”

The sharp sound of his hand connecting with my cheek cut through my words like lightning splitting the sky. The sting was immediate, searing through my skin and down to my pride. I stumbled back, my hand flying to my face in shock. “Father!” I gasped. “You—”

“Enough!” His voice was like thunder, commanding, terrifying, leaving no room for argument. “Do you hear yourself, Irene? Do you have any idea what kind of game you’re playing? You are not there to seduce or to dream of power beyond your reach. You are there to secure an alliance through Bryan—nothing more!”

I blinked, stunned. The fury in his voice wasn’t something I saw often, but when I did, it chilled me to the bone.

“You’re acting like a foolish, power-drunk child,” he continued, his words sharp and deliberate. “Do you think Enzo or Ash would ever fall for someone like you? Do you even understand what you’re suggesting? If anything you do ruins the survival of this pack, if your stupidity costs us this alliance, I swear on the blood of our ancestors, I will disown you!”

His words hit harder than the slap. My throat tightened, but I refused to let tears fall. No. I wouldn’t cry. Not in front of him.

“Father, I—” I began, my voice trembling despite my efforts.

“Not another word!” he snapped, slamming his hand on the desk. The sound reverberated through the room. “Do you understand the stakes? We are barely holding ground against the other packs, and you think this is some sort of love game for you to play? You will do exactly as I say. You will marry Bryan, like we agreed. You will keep your mouth shut and your eyes off Ash or Enzo. Do I make myself clear?”

The silence that followed was deafening. I clenched my fists, every ounce of defiance I had warring with the weight of his command. I wanted to scream at him, to tell him I wasn’t some pawn he could just move around. But I knew that look in his eyes. It was the same look that had made seasoned warriors cower.

“Yes,” I said finally, forcing the word out through gritted teeth.

“Good.” He leaned back in his chair, still glaring at me like I was some wild animal he barely tolerated. “Go to your room. And if I hear one more word about you meddling where you don’t belong, you won’t like what happens next.”

I turned on my heel, my pride smarting, my cheek throbbing, my mind burning with anger. As I stormed down the hall, my thoughts spun like a cyclone. He thought I couldn’t make Ash or Enzo notice me? He thought I was just some silly girl with no power? Fine. Let him think that.

But deep down, I knew one thing for certain: I wasn’t done. Not by a long shot.

I slammed the door to my room behind me, pacing like a caged animal. My father’s words echoed in my head, but so did the image of Ash’s face earlier, the way he’d looked at me when we raced the horses. There was a flicker of something there—I wasn’t imagining it. He wasn’t as untouchable as Father thought. And Enzo… well, every woman in this pack wanted Enzo, but I wasn’t every woman.

I sat on the edge of my bed, my hand still pressed to my stinging cheek. It didn’t hurt as much anymore. What hurt was the way he’d dismissed me like I was useless, like I had no role to play except to smile and marry some spoiled brat for political gain.

“Bryan,” I muttered under my breath. “Of all the wolves in this world, I’m supposed to marry him? He doesn’t even know how to handle a horse, let alone a pack. I’ll die of boredom before I ever call that man my mate.”

But I knew arguing with my father was pointless. He’d already made up his mind, and when he made a decision, the entire pack bent to his will.

A soft knock on my door startled me. I frowned. “What?” I snapped.

“It’s Marta, miss,” one of the housemaids said timidly. “I—I brought some tea.”

I sighed, forcing myself to calm down. “Leave it on the table,” I said, softer this time.

She entered quickly, setting the tray down without looking at me, and left just as fast.

I stared at the tea for a long moment, my thoughts swirling. Maybe I was being reckless. Maybe. But if there was one thing I hated, it was being told I couldn’t do something. My father should know better by now.

I leaned back on the bed, closing my eyes. “Ash or Enzo,” I whispered. “One of them will notice me. I’ll make sure of it.”

The thought burned like a promise in my chest, defying the slap, the threats, and the fear.