MATED TO THE STRONGEST ALPHA
Chapter Twenty - Two

"What do you mean he rejected you as his mate? That is funny," Axel laughed at my predicament.

I joined him for lunch, which I initially didn't want, but he insisted on not letting me go anywhere alone. He seemed like my bodyguard now, after becoming my trainer.

"But that is in the past," I said.

I found myself telling Axel about Riker, something I initially didn't intend to do. He inquired about my past and whether I had ever felt loved before. I decided to share my story about Riker, even though I didn't want to talk about him. It was time to move on and replace a new love. I was now open to experiencing new relationships, though I wasn't sure if I could replace a good man among all the jerks I'd encountered.

"To be honest, I didn't know your story of how the King found you. So, you jumped off the cliff because of one rejection? That's so stupid, it's hilarious."

Once again, Axel's uncontrolled words hurt me. I put down my glass of water and looked at him with seriousness. He noticed and cleared his throat, trying to compose himself.

"You invalidated my feelings?"

"No, I was just..."

He didn't finish his sentence as I got up and started walking away. It was difficult for me to move on, and his invalidating my emotions didn't help.

"Hey, wait." He blocked my path, but I avoided looking at him and crossed my arms.

"I was just..." He paused, letting out a heavy breath. "Okay, I sincerely apologize."

I remained silent, not wanting to engage in further conversation. From now on, I resolved never to share my stories with Axel again. His lack of control over his words and mixed signals confused me. One moment he could be caring, and the next, he insulted me. I couldn't understand his attitude.

Continuing my walk, I was relieved when he stayed where he was. I wasn't going to continue my lunch with him. That relief was short-lived, as he called out one last thing to me.

"You know, if I were him, I would never do that. You would be a great Luna!"

As time passed, I decided to go to the garden and appreciate its beauty, filled with countless flowers. While walking, I noticed a girl reading a book on a bench.

As I tried to recall if we had met before, I realized she was the same girl who had shouted my identity before. Curious, I walked toward her, and she noticed me approaching, closing her book.

"Hi," I greeted, offering my hand. "Selene," I introduced myself. "Well, I guess you probably already know that."

She hesitated, not shaking my hand, and smiled sweetly without saying a word.

"What's your name?"

She adjusted her glasses. "Al... Alancia." Her voice held a hint of hesitation, and she still didn't shake my hand.

"Anyway, thank you for what you did. Even though I hadn't wanted that, it helped get those guys away from me, so I guess I should offer my thanks."

"Glad to help."

"So, how did you figure it out? Have we met before?" I sat down beside her, but she seemed afraid of me.

"No."

She avoided looking into my eyes, which puzzled me. Was there something wrong, or did she simply not want to see me?

"I'm not a bad person. Please, be comfortable."

"I know, but..."

I waited for her to continue, but she didn't say anything more.

"But?"

"Nothing. I just don't want anyone getting close to me." After her response, she gathered her belongings and ran off, leaving me alone with my thoughts. "Was there something wrong with me?" I wondered.

"No. She has always been like that. Quite a weirdo," a voice from behind startled me. I turned to see a girl who had been napping on a bench behind me. "Have you been here for a while?" I asked.

She dusted her clothes off while she got up before answering my question. "Yeah, I was here to take a nap, but you two were too noisy."

She wore a black shirt with a wolf print, a black skirt with black pants, and even black lipstick. Her aura was strong.

"I'm Alexa Timeless." She extended her hand.

"Selene." I shook her hand.

She looked at my face for a moment and seemed to recognize me.

"Oh, the princess?"

"Do you know me?"

She laughed softly. "You've become quite popular here, so it wouldn't be so odd to know you."

"Oh, that's true."

"However, my brother always tells stories about you." She said cutting me off.

"Your brother?"

"Yeah, that famous bastard at the university. Your trainer. Axel Timeless is my brother."

"For real?" I asked, hesitant to believe. I immediately recalled that she said her name was Timeless, the same name that Axel has.

"Yeah, I am his younger sister."

I got up and took her hand and shook it. "It is a pleasure to meet you. As you already know, my name is Selene, the daughter of the Lycan King." "The pleasure is mine."

I gestured for her to take a seat beside me. She sat down and began our discussion. We talked briefly for a while about ourselves.

"You earlier said Axel tells stories about me a lot. What does he say?"

"He talks about how weak you are and how you're such a pain to train. He also mentioned that he replaces it fun seeing you suffer during training." She seemed a bit reluctant to tell me.

"That sadist!" My eyebrows furrowed into a frown. "I knew he was always a jerk but to keep spreading information about me like this."

"Of course, I didn't believe him; I know how my brother is and how he acts. Hearing the rumor about how you stood up to those guys changed my perspective instantly, and meeting you now further solidifies it; you're not at all how he described you."

My face lit up with a smile instantly, and I grabbed her hands. "Thank you; you're nothing like that jerk of a brother you have."

"That's quite a huge compliment for me. My brother is indeed a huge jerk; I wouldn't want to be like him."

We both ended up laughing softly.

*