Rejected By My Mate; Claimed By Lycan Quadruplets Chapter 62

Beta Ash's POV

I sat in the far corner of the garden, my back against one of the wooden trellises, a stack of documents balanced on my lap. The late afternoon sunlight was warm but not harsh, casting shifting shadows from the vines above me onto the papers. My pen scratched across the page, pausing every now and then as I tried to find the perfect way to phrase certain points in my speech.

Enzo had made it clear — the meeting tonight had to be sharp, precise, and commanding. As Beta, I was to open it with a formal address before handing over to him. Normally, I could handle such tasks with ease, but today, my focus kept drifting.

Because a few feet away, through a wall of flowering shrubs, I could hear soft footsteps and the faint rustle of a dress.

I tilted my head slightly and there she was — Lisa. She was standing with her back to me, looking up at the sky for a moment before crouching to examine some flowers. Her hair caught the sunlight in a way that made the edges glow.

She didn’t know I was here. The flowers between us were tall enough to block her view, and from where I sat, I could see her clearly while remaining hidden.

I told myself to keep working. Finish the speech, then go say hello. That was the plan.

But it’s never that easy, is it?

I scribbled another line, adjusted a word, crossed something out, and still… my eyes kept flicking back to her.

And then I heard another voice — one I would’ve preferred to never hear near her.

Bryan.

That arrogant, overgrown excuse for an Alpha heir was walking straight toward her. I could hear his footsteps, the deliberate heaviness of them, the way he carried himself like the entire world should bow.

I didn’t move yet. Not because I didn’t want to intervene, but because I wanted to hear exactly how he was going to start his little game.

He stopped behind her. I couldn’t see his exact expression through the leaves, but I didn’t need to — I knew that smug tone anywhere.

"Well, well, if it isn’t the little maid pretending to enjoy flowers," he drawled.

Lisa froze, her shoulders stiffening for just a second before she turned to face him. "Bryan." Her voice was clipped.

I braced myself, expecting her to shrink under his words, maybe try to avoid a confrontation. That’s what most people did around him — let him throw his weight around and then walk away bitter.

But not Lisa.

Her chin lifted. Her tone sharpened. And she hit him with words so quick and precise that I almost forgot to be angry because I was too busy being impressed.

“I’m not in your pack,” she told him firmly. “And I’m not your omega. So you don’t get to insult me or talk down to me here.”

The silence that followed was almost sweet. I imagined the look on Bryan’s face — the disbelief that someone dared to speak to him like that.

“You think—” he started, but Lisa cut him off before he could puff himself up.

“I think you should take your ego somewhere else. I’m not interested in your childish games.”

And then, just like that, she turned and walked away from him without another glance.

The sound of her footsteps fading was the final straw for me. I shoved my papers into a neat pile, stood, and stepped out from behind the flowers.

Bryan hadn’t moved much. His jaw was tight, and I could see his pride was smarting from being publicly dismissed — even if the only witness was me.

Perfect.

Without a single word, I closed the distance between us and slammed my fist straight into his face.

The satisfying crack of contact rang in the air, and Bryan staggered back, clutching his cheek.

“What the hell—”

I cut him off with a glare sharp enough to cut glass. “I don’t know what you think you can get away with in other packs,” I said, my voice low and controlled, “but here, I won’t tolerate your insolence. If I catch you harassing Lisa again, you won’t just be nursing a bruised face. Do I make myself clear?”

His eyes narrowed, but he didn’t say anything. I could see the defiance bubbling under his skin, but he wasn’t stupid enough to challenge me outright. Not here. Not now.

“Good,” I said coldly, stepping back. “Stay in line, Bryan. You’re a guest. Act like one.”

I turned and walked away before I decided to hit him again. My temper was still hot, but there was something else burning with it — a fierce protectiveness I didn’t fully understand yet.

By the time I reached the main building, my thoughts had already shifted to what needed to happen next. Bryan’s behavior wasn’t a one-time slip; it was a pattern. And if Lisa was staying in the maids’ quarters, it would only make her more vulnerable.

I went straight to Enzo’s office. He was standing by his desk, flipping through a folder, but he looked up when I walked in.

“What happened?” he asked, already reading the tension in my face.

“Bryan,” I said flatly. “He was harassing Lisa in the garden.”

Enzo’s expression hardened instantly. “And?”

“And I stopped him,” I replied simply. “But I don’t think he’s going to let it go. We need to move her. She’s too exposed where she is.”

Enzo was silent for a moment, considering. Then he nodded once. “Agreed. Transfer her to the main building. Put her on the last floor — the farthest end room. No one goes up there unless they have permission.”

“I’ll see to it immediately,” I said, already turning toward the door.

“Good,” Enzo said behind me. “And Ash — if Bryan causes trouble again, I expect you to deal with it. No hesitation.”

I glanced back over my shoulder, a smirk tugging at the corner of my mouth. “Wouldn’t dream of hesitating.”

As I walked out, I could still feel the dull ache in my knuckles from where they’d met Bryan’s face. But more than that, I could still hear Lisa’s voice in my head — strong, unshaken, refusing to be belittled.

She didn’t need me to defend her. She’d already handled herself perfectly.

But that didn’t mean I wouldn’t be there to make sure no one tried again.