The Alpha’s Rejected And Broken Mate
Chapter 109

Stefan POV

At first, I thought initially that I was imagining things. But I could see the sidelong glances they were giving each other, their chemistry difficult to ignore, even with the sad news of Amber's sister's death. I told myself I was being ridiculous, but the other more possessive part of me, knew instinctively that I was right and I was seeing red when I saw Alpha Rowan grab hold of Amber's hand once more, right in front of my eyes.

I ignored the voice inside of my head, that told me I was meant to be courteous to guests, and that now was not the right time for this. I stopped thinking like a King and instead began thinking like a jealous, red-blooded male, keen to defend the one he loved. I glared at Alpha Rowan who stared steadily back at me. "What's all this?" I barked, getting up from the table and startling everyone who was sitting. Amber flinched and Rowan didn't say a word, those big dark eyes of his piercing, as though he could look right through me.

"What's what?" asked Amber hurriedly, looking a bit pale and wan.

For a moment I felt a pang, seeing the tears still trailing down her cheeks, but another part of me was so angry, that I ignored the fact that my mate needed me at this moment.

"I can sense it" I growled, looking right at Alpha Rowan who had the nerve to look a little shamefaced "the mate bond between you two hasn't been severed, has it?"

Amber looked astonished and a little guilty as she glanced at Rowan. "Why didn't you accept my rejection?" she asked him shakily, almost pleading with him.

I glared, wanting nothing more than to wrap my hands around this Alpha Rowan's neck and squeeze tightly, while he gasped for air, his feet kicking uselessly as he went purple in the face. I could picture it in my mind and the image made me smile. "Because I still was in love with you," Rowan said harshly, getting up from the table and folding his arms as he glared back at me "even under Stacey's spell, I was still enamored with you. I couldn't imagine my life without you in it" he added. Clarissa just looked pale, a hand to her mouth, her body trembling as she stared indignantly. "Boys" she chided "do you really think that now is an appropriate time for this nonsense?"

But Rowan wasn't backing down. "I still want you, Amber, I've never stopped wanting you, and I know it might take a lifetime, but I want your forgiveness and I'm not leaving until I've earned it and your love."

Amber gaped, apparently speechless and an awkward silence filled the room.

"Rowan I" she stammered "I'm in love with Stefan now. It's too late for apologies, what's done is done."

"Then how do you explain my mark on your neck? It's still there with Stefan's" he pointed out.

Clarissa had a look and gasped when she saw two tattoos on her daughter's neck, one of a wolf and another of a crown or tiara. "I've never seen two marks on a person before unless that person had multiple mates," she said in wonder "perhaps all of you are destined to be with each other."

"Like hell" I growled not liking that idea in the slightest. There was no way I was sharing Amber with the meathead standing there. I wanted Amber all to myself.

Amber just looked sick to her stomach. "Please" she begged us both "we can sort all this out. There's no need to fight just now" she added, trying to be the voice of reason.

"Actually a fight sounds like a very good idea" Rowan snarled, glancing at me in a challenging way "after all the winner could have Amber."

"Amber is not a prize to be won," I said tightly, seeing my mate's anger at Rowan's suggestion "but I'm more than happy to fight you if that's what you are wanting."

"Then let's do it" scoffed Rowan as Amber just shook her head and closed her eyes in resignation, Clarissa reaching over to grasp her hand and squeeze it.

"Just let them get all their testosterone out of their system" I heard Clarissa murmur to Amber who was just nodding along, looking drained.

"We'll fight on the grounds," I said haughtily "there's no way we're fighting in the throne room. Not enough space."

Rowan's eyes narrowed. "Worried about your precious throne are we" he mocked "very well then, lead the way to the grounds."

Amber stood up and sighed. "Will it do me any good to ask you both not to do this?"

Rowan shook his head. I shook mine. We both had something to prove now and I was determined to show Amber that I was the better fighter. Clarissa stood up and began to make her way to the doorway.

"This way," I told Rowan, following behind Clarissa, keeping a wary eye on my back. I didn't trust Rowan not to try anything underhanded or sneaky but I needn't have worried, as he brought up the rear. We went downstairs and out the door, onto the beautiful soft lush green grass, Rowan looking quite determined. He didn't have a hope in hell of beating me, I thought with some satisfaction, but something told me he'd put up one hell of a fight. Amber plopped herself down onto the grass with Clarissa seated beside her. "Stupid idiots" I heard her snarl to her mother who merely nodded in agreement.

Rowan heard her as well, judging by the way he clenched his jaw tightly and the way his eyes turned pitch black at the insult. He began to shrug out of his shirt as I watched, wishing I could cover up Amber's eyes so that she wouldn't stare at the other man's naked chest. I contemplated rushing him, but it didn't seem sportsmanlike to attack while he was stripping off his clothes, somehow it just didn't seem right. I guess that's the downside to being a shifter, if you don't strip first you rip all your clothes to shreds. I heard a strangled noise come from Amber as Rowan began to undo the zip of his jeans and pull them off and quickly glared at her, noticing she quickly averted her gaze when she saw me looking at her. He was wearing no underwear and he stood there, hands on his hips, looking proud, while Clarissa went bright red and turned her head to stare pointedly in the other direction.

"Well," said Rowan "are you ready?"

I just laughed. "I'm waiting on you mutt, why don't you hurry up and shift and show me what you've got."

There was a series of large cracking sounds as Rowan's bones shifted and readjusted himself, until a large black wolf sat there, on its haunches, where Rowan had been. So this was his wolf I mused, impressed despite myself. He was quite large for a shifter, which meant he would be very powerful. He moved and I jumped to the side just in time to avoid his claws as he came crashing back down onto the ground. He let out a ferocious growl and raced toward me. I dodged, letting my fingernails grow, and quickly scratched him across his chest as he went past me.

Another growl. He didn't sound so pleased now. In fact, Rowan sounded downright angry. I turned and surveyed him, before rushing towards him and grabbing hold of his tail. I picked him up off the floor with ease and sent him flying into a nearby tree. Amber was gaping, mesmerized by the scene in front of her. "My god" she whispered "I didn't realize you were that strong," she said.

I shrugged, trying to be modest. Vampires had incredible strength and I was stronger than most, being both a full-fledged vampire as well as a royal one as well.

Rowan ambled to his feet and shook his head, dislodging bits of debris and leaves off his fur. This time he leaped towards me and I rolled underneath him, slashing with my nails and scratching him across the underside of his belly. He gave a howl as he landed on the ground and I got to my feet, turning around to face him. There was blood trickling from his wounds now and a half-crazed look on his face.

"Don't you want to give up yet?" I asked smugly.

The bastard still wouldn't stop and he rushed me again, but this time I leaped into the air and landed on the back of him, biting the back of his neck in the hopes he would concede. I didn't want to drain his blood but at the rate, he was trying to buck me off, I might have to. He managed to dislodge me and I went flying across the ground, hitting the trunk of a nearby tree with a large thud. Ouch. That hurt like a b***h. I shook my head to clear it as I got up and began to circle an equally wary Rowan. I was growing tired of this fight, Amber watching between her fingers, worry creasing her brow. Clarissa looked like she was going to be sick, both girls having the sense to stay well out of the way.

The large black wolf began to circle me, stomping its feet with angry thuds. I tensed myself and got ready, waiting for him to make his move. This time when he rushed me, I held still until the very last moment and then rolled beneath him, using my nails to rip a large gash in his stomach, before rolling back out and grabbing hold of his tail. I yanked it hard and then lifted him up, banging him back down onto the ground as the large black wolf let out a howl. I did this several times and then dropped him like he was a heavy sack of potatoes.

Whew. I was feeling a little out of breath. Rowan was curled up on his side in the fetal position. He wasn't moving and blood was pooling beneath him. I began to grow concerned, Amber doing the same as she got to her feet and rushed to Alpha Rowan's side. "Rowan," she said, shaking him gently as he whimpered "Rowan what's going on? Rowan are you okay" she exclaimed.

Clarissa put a hand to her mouth and began to tremble. "I think you might have really injured him, King Stefan."

I rushed over and felt Rowan's pulse beneath my hand. It was beating but thread and the amount of blood pooling beneath him was a concern.

"Can he shift back?" I asked Amber and she nodded, stroking Rowan's fur.

"Rowan" she whispered into his ear, as his ears pricked slightly, "you need to shift back to your human form."

For a moment we all stood there, looking around helplessly, wondering if he'd even heard Amber before there was a series of large cracks, and then a very naked Rowan lay there, shivering, his body pale and almost lifeless.

I heard Amber give a strangled cry. I sighed. This wasn't the outcome I had been hoping for. Slowly, I bent down to gather Alpha Rowan in my arms, trying to forget about his nudeness. He was damn heavy that was for sure, even for a vampire who could lift his wolf. I cradled him against my chest, his body all limp, his eyes fluttering open and closed as he struggled to maintain consciousness.

"Come on," I said to a very anxious Amber "let's get him to the hospital wing."

She waved her arm at me. "It's quicker if you run. We'll catch up"

I nodded and then rushed off, so quickly that everything passed by me in a blur. Soon I was in the hospital wing and doctors and nurses were rushing toward me.

"He's lost a lot of blood," I told them, wondering who the pretty girl was in the back, a heavily pregnant woman who was staring wide-eyed at everything, "and he's just fallen unconscious" I finished, as I placed the heavy shifter onto a hospital bed. The doctors waved me out. "You can't do anything else," they told me, closing the curtains as I hovered "go and wait in the waiting room."

I strode out to see a stricken Amber and Clarissa in the waiting room. "How is he?"

I hesitated and then told them the truth, as the nurses had said to me before I had come out here "they're not sure he's going to make it. I'm sorry Amber."

She hung her head and began to cry. It felt like a dagger being plunged into my heart over and over again. She was so upset for Rowan, and showed so much caring, that I began to wonder whether she truly loved me or if I had been a substitute for Rowan.