Bullied Mate Of The Lycan Kings
Chapter 96

Aiden's POV

Hit.

Punch.

Kick.

Hit. Punch. Kick.

I kept punching and hitting the bag over and over again, each punch harder than the last as the memories of today hit me over and over again.

I could not get the shock on Lily's face out of my head when she realized that she was looking at me and that I was her mate. I watched the shock turn into disbelief, then realization... then rage.

I could see it in the spiteful glare that she gave me that she absolutely despised that I was her mate, that I was the last option she could have ever anticipated and even though I should have anticipated such a fierce response from her, I had no idea that it would hurt me this bad.

I wondered if this was how she felt when I had been mean and abusive towards her. This dark fire that consumed my chest. I swallowed hard, feeling nothing but disgust at myself when I remembered how I had practically blackmailed her to go down on me like a pervert and hated myself for enjoying it that much.

Then, I could have sworn that I did not care when I saw the tears in her eyes as she looked up at me with hate and hurt, but now the memory was eating me alive.

My soul was on fire. Nyx was throwing a raging tantrum in my head and it was taking more of an effort to shut him out.

I kept punching the bag until my knuckles started bleeding and even then I did not stop, because at least I could allow myself to feel this pain. I deserved to feel this pain.

I'd let her hit me, hurt me, ruin me... if she would just. Punch. Not. Punch. Reject me. Kick.

I didn't turn when I heard the door to the gym open but from their scents, I knew that it was Maya that had walked in. Maya was probably the only reason why I still tethered on the brink of insanity and had not just fallen off the cliff into madness. After my parents died, she took up the role of more than a housekeeper and became the mother figure that I didn't even know that I needed at the time.

She tried to love me as much as I allowed her. Which wasn't even much.

"You're bleeding, Aiden. Please stop." She said gently, in her soft, hoarse voice and even though I knew that if I did stop, the pain would stop, I didn't. I kept hitting the bag harder and harder until I knocked the bag off its hook.

My lungs were on fire as I tried to get my breathing in order. Sweat was dribbling down my chest and back.

Aiden! Find her! Nyx's bellow almost sent me to my knees.

I gritted my teeth and forced him back deeper into my subconscious. I was hot, restless and aching all over. What I needed was to leave her alone and not provoke her any longer.

Turning around, I finally looked down at my hands and saw how bloodied they were. My wounds would heal, but my heart? A heart that I didn't even know I still possessed felt like it was bleeding.

"Look at what you've done to yourself, my boy." Maya scolded. She made to reach for me but I shook my head and even though I saw her eyes soften in sympathy, I could not accept her kindness. I didn't deserve it.

"Let the cleaners know that they can come in. I'll be retiring to the bedroom now and I do not want to be disturbed."

"What about dinner?"

"I won't be having dinner tonight."

"Aiden-"

"Enough, Maya." I snapped, rage flashing in my voice and she kept quiet immediately, bowing her head.

"My prince," she whispered, even though her voice wavered. "Tonight is the third night in a row you're refusing dinner. I worry for you. Allow me to prepare something small. You don't even have to come down to the dining room. Please."

I swallowed, my chest suddenly feeling tight.

I scoffed and picked up my towel, throwing it over my shoulder and I noticed there was a small smile playing on her lips like she just won a battle.

"Would you also like something for your injury."

"I'm fine," I grunted and left before she could convince me to allow her to care for my wounds.

Because I just might let her.

Spending almost an hour in the shower did not dim the pain that I felt internally and even the sting from my already healing wounds did not soothe the rage in my heart. Worse, beneath that rage was soul crushing fear because I knew that look in her eyes. I could not stomach the fact that she was going to reject me because as much as I pretended that I still had the upper hand, I knew that I was going to lose her.

Just the thought of her going with someone else when she was supposed to be mine gutted me.

Stepping out of the bathroom after putting on my robe, my face softened when I saw a tray of food on the little dining table in my king sized bedroom.

Maya was an angel and I did not deserve the amount of consideration that she had given me since I was a child. If only she knew what I had done to Lily, maybe she would finally give up on me.

Walking away from the table after looking at the food, I put on my sweatpants and a t-shirt and picked up my phone to see that it had been buzzing with different notifications. I ignored them, not in the mood to speak to a single soul that was not Lily. Not that she would even consider texting me.

Trying to connect my phone to my Bluetooth speaker, I paused when my phone still kept buzzing unusually and when I opened it, I realized that the messages were coming from a particular group chat that I had been added to a long time ago. I had never really paid attention to it and for that reason it had been dormant until tonight.

When I looked at the title of the group, shame tore through me. It had been created specifically to make Lily's life miserable. I felt like throwing up as I remembered how much I had been so invested in ruining her life and how I must look stupid now trying to convince her that I was ready to right my wrongs and protect her.

Quickly deciding to exit the group, I stopped when one of the videos caught my attention and when I hit play, a red mist clouded over my vision.

Stop! Don't do this!

That's a lie!

It was a video of Lily getting beat up by someone whose back was turned to the camera.

I'd recognize that fiery red hair anywhere.

Mauve.

"You know what to do, Seb!"

My mate... my mate was being chased by blood hounds in a direction I recognized all too well.

I was grabbing my car keys and racing down the stairs, my heart in my f*****g throat. I seethed through my teeth as her dreadful screams echoed through my phone, each one unfurling a ball of fury in me that turned my bones to ash. f**k! The forbidden woods of all places... For an omega like her... that was as good as a death sentence.

If something happens to her... if something happens to her...

My hands were trembling as I put the car on reverse and raced out of my family's estate.

Immediately, I placed a call to Ren, knowing that he was most probably with Zac and as the phone rang, my hands tightened on the steering wheel as my wolf and I made an agreement. Mauve. She's going to be the deadest bitch alive.