The Rejected Life Of Mala Luca
Chapter 43

The whole pack knew who she was by the time Aston came home. He got out of his pack car and looked right at Carmel over there hanging from the tree. She’d not fared so well, not when eighty percent of the pack had been here when Roberta had been the Luna and she was the woman who had killed her so callously.

She’d been spat on, punched many times and had several dozen things thrown at her. Mala had smiled at first, but no longer did it amuse her to see the woman suffer or even cry out in pain. Though she had not put an end to it and most of the pack had just hurled abuse at her, now after hours of standing she was hanging by her wrists, no longer had the strength to stand on her own two feet.

Carmel was covered in bruises and had many cuts and open wounds. She had stopped yelling back at the pack members or even trying to avoid being hit by them now, had given up. It seemed, without her wolf to heal her and give her strength and stamina, she was defeated.

Raymond was not coming for her and she knew it, or he had not shown up here yet.

Aston looked from Carmel to Mala who was standing on the pack house’s front steps and sighed a little “I see she’s still alive.” He murmured.

“I offered her a dual, she closed her mouth real quick.” Mala shrugged as she walked over to him, reached up and kissed him softly on the mouth. “I didn’t let anyone kill her.”

“I can see that.” He nodded.

“Did you call her Mate?”

“I did, we had words.”

“And?” she could see that Carmel was looking right at Aston now. Mala took his hand in hers and walked him over towards the woman, stopped in front of her before he answered the question.

“And I told Raymond, I’m not there. You’re in charge while I’m off pack territory, to not expect that Carmel will live very long if she’s found and caught. He was warned before, it would be war and of his own Luna’s doing if she came for you!”

“When do we expect him then?”

“Who knows, it would take him a full day for him to get here. I moved a long way away from my home pack.”

“Aston please.” It was Carmel.

Watched as he looked right at her and then shook his head, “There is no point, Carmel, in begging. I’m not now, nor will I ever be interested in you. A cruel heartless woman…though sending you back to suffer your own curse, with my brother. Is my preference. If I must suffer it, so must you.”

“You’re so cruel, what happened to you?” She gasped.

“You did, Carmel. And I’m cruel…you’re the one who is cruel. I learn it from you. How to be mean and cold, how to give you back all of it. Why do you think I never retaliated when you killed my Roberta?”

“Because you’re too weak, is why?” Carmel retorted.

Mala smiled when she heard Aston laugh “Oh, Carmel, really. Are you so very stupid? I didn’t retaliate in kind, because then you would be free of the curse and I’d still have to suffer it. Just what you wanted, I imagine.”

Saw the woman’s eyes widen “No, the best punishment I could dish out to you, was nothing at all. As much as it pained me to do nothing. Pained even Mala here, to not be able to do anything in the way of revenge, pained my whole pack. To not kill you, or make you suffer the pain of losing one’s Mate. To let you go back to him, to his beast…to let you suffer the curse as my Luna had to, that was the best punishment.”

“That’s too cruel, Aston.”

“Mm, is it? or is it just letting you suffer the consequences of your own cruelty, which you had no issues aiming at me. All those years ago.”

“You have no idea, how bad it is…what I have to suffer. I want it to stop Aston.”

“I do understand, I am aware, inside my beast, as is Raymond.”

“You don’t get it,” She whispered.

“Oh, I get it. His beast enjoys it and so does he on some base level.”

“Please, Aston…kill him, it’ll break the curse.”

“No it won’t, its on he and I, it will just stop your suffering is all, nothing else.”

Mala smiled, “Aston, I’d like to kill her and start that war, but now I see, what you see…the best punishment for her, is actually to return her to her mate, send her back to her pack, to her own cursed Mate.”

“Yes,” he nodded. “It is, a fate worse than death for her.” he turned and smiled at Carmel. “When Raymond turns up, we’ll hand her right back to him.” He slid his arms around her and smiled at Mala “How’s our baby doing?”

“Sleeping soundly in the crib.” She smiled up at him, “You’re so good to me, Aston.”

“I’ll do anything in my power to protect you from that curse, my love.” Leaned down and kissed her right there in front of Carmel.

Heard Carmel scream and they both turned to look at her, saw her kick out at them both, “I’ll kill her Aston,”

“Are you agreeing to the dual?” Mala smiled at her, tugged at Aston’s hand when the woman just stood staring at her angrily, but didn’t answer her “Let’s go up to bed. I missed you. I know Suki missed her Mate too.”

Heard him chuckle now “Lets.” He answered.

Aston placed a call to his Brother Raymond as they walked. “Yes she’s still alive…I’ll give her back to you unharmed Raymond…My Luna has opted not to kill her or start a war. You should come and thank her in person…I’m sure Mala would enjoy that.”

Mala chuckled softly “He still wants her back then?”

“He will always want her back. She is his Goddess Gifted Mate, after all. Nothing will ever make him reject her.”

“Do you think that is part of their Mate Bond or because she got him cursed as well, is he punishing her himself?”

“I do not know.” He shrugged “It’s also not our problem.”

They did spend the night together, then let their wolves out to mate as well, and those two mated out in the open for all to hear and see, heard Carmel screaming and yelling about it, obviously didn’t want to see or hear it. Didn’t get to see it, but definitely got to hear it multiple times, and the pack members and her four guards were talking about their Alpha and Luna, laughing that they were at it again.

Aston had Carmel pulled down in the morning, and chained to that tree, so she could sit to wait on Raymond, who was coming to collect her. Informed her of just that. He even provided her with food and water, got the pack doctor to look her over and clean up her wounds. Though the silver cuffs never came off of her.

It took Raymond till the next day to arrive. He came with his Alpha Unit and surprisingly to both her and Aston, his parents. Mala got a formal introduction to Aston’s father and two mothers. She saw them all hug him, saw his birth mother cry as she hugged him, told him how much she’d missed him, loved him and was glad he was good, healthy and strong.

They had not seen him in a very long time. Raymond stood back with his unit by his car. He could see his Mate who was chained and cuffed with silver, some distance away, just frowned at her, didn’t go right to her or demand she be freed instantly. Noted that Carmel didn’t call out for her Mate either, she just sat there seemingly uncaring that he was here.

Raymond’s eyes moved from Carmel to Mala and she smiled at him. “I didn’t kill her, even though she came here to kill me.”

“I’m aware.” Was all he said before looking at his Mate again. “Is injured though and bound.”

“As would anyone attempting to kill your Luna would be, yes!”

“They’d be dead.” He stated simply “I don’t take prisoners, unless it’s necessary. You should think about that next time.”

“There won’t be a next time Raymond.” It was Aston. “If she comes here again Raymond, Mala will simply be allowed to kill her.”

“Probably should do it now then.” He commented casually “She’s already plotting, I imagine. Is obsessed with you, Aston, always will be.”

“I’ll duel her Raymond.” Mala intervened “Winner gets the others pack.”

“That is not going to happen.”

“A coward is she?” Mala smirked “I did ask her and she wouldn’t.”

“Is forbidden to do so.” He commented “I like my Mate alive.”

Mala laughed now, “You actually forbid her to accept a challenge.”

“I did, put an Alpha Order right on her, in fact.”

“Not much faith in her fighting skills, then have you?”

“I’ve seen you fight Mala, and I don’t want the pain of losing my Mate, she is a good Luna, takes care of what is ours, but…” saw the man’s eyes move to Aston “Has an unhealthy obsession with the one she rejected, it’ll never go away, has been more than 20 bloody years, and still can’t let him go, even when it was her decision in the first place.” He grated out. He seemed to be angry about his Mate’s obsession.

“Then shall I kill her for you? So you can replace someone better?” Mala asked him.

“No.” he shook his head “I still love her despite her flaws. She is my Luna, will always be my Luna as the Goddess saw fit.”

“Pity,” Mala shrugged.

“It’s been a long drive, Aston. Mother’s and father would like to stay here for a few days, to spend time with you. But I do not relish being inside a pack that is a threat to my Luna.” Looked around “Or myself for that matter.”

He could see that there were a good hundred warriors all standing at the ready, that had been Mala’s doing and they would follow her orders. Each and every one of them standing here today had known and loved, felt the loss of their Luna, Roberta. They all wanted the chance to strike back and they all would with the simple wave of her hand.

She heard Aston ask for Carmel to be released and brought to her Mate, was going home to suffer his beast. They had very long lives and the best punishment was to send her home to Raymond, a place she didn’t want to go. She had asked Aston to kill him herself.

Watched as she walked over, rubbing at her wrists, it had taken her a few minutes to get up, saw her wolf surface and look right at her, felt Suki push forward and look right back, snarled right at that wolf.

Then it was gone and Carmel looked at her once more. “Get in the car.” Raymond snapped at her as she stopped and stared at Mala from just twenty feet away.

“I’ll kill you one day. And that brat of yours too.”

She heard several gasps as she felt not just hers but Suki’s anger flood through them at the threat upon their daughter. She shot off the mark at full wolfen speed, Suki ripping right out of her and was on Carmel in a second. Her claws digging into her chest as she was slammed down on the ground, Suki’s teeth were buried in the woman’s neck and then her throat was ripped right out.

Suki turned and looked right at Alpha Raymond as he staggered and fell to his knees, staring at his lifeless Mate on the ground just a few feet away. Snarled right at him and his men as they all moved to protect him. Every warrior in the pack that was watching on was on the move.

The entire pack was howling a second later as she took a step towards the Beta, staring her down, snarling at her, in front of his Alpha. Her warriors had taken their cue from Suki’s attack and were ready for war.

Aston stepped in front of Suki, “Enough.” He stated all Alpha now “Everyone.” He wasn’t just addressing her and Suki but his old pack as well “A threat to our heir, set that off. Could you expect any less of a Luna?”

He put his hands out to his warriors to halt them. Half had already shifted and were now barely metres away, all of them were growling and snarling “you can’t win this, look around you. All of you will die, do you really want that?”

She and Suki watched as the Beta looked around, they were only three and a grief-stricken Alpha, against the hundred that were here, not to mention the rest of the pack she could feel coming this way through her tethers to them all.

They would not survive. She had no idea what Aston and Raymond’s parents would do, whose side they would take, but that was not going to even the odds at all.

“Suki sweetie, release please.” Aston asked her and he got snarled at, she did not want to, she wanted to eliminate any and all threats to her pup and those four before her were just that. A full threat to their daughter.

“Beta, pick up your Alpha, get him out of here, take your Luna with you, none will harm you, if you leave now.”

“I can’t say what he will do when he comes around, Aston.”

“If he wants a duel, bring him back. I’ll accept it Alpha to Alpha, brother against brother, no one else in either pack will die for that woman.”

Suki finally released and shifted them back as Carmel was picked up and taken to the car, saw both Raymond’s Beta and Delta pick him up off the ground, saw his eyes meet hers, looked hollowed out, yet also somehow relieved at the same time. He wouldn’t be walked away though.

Just stood staring at her for a long time, “If you want to duel me Alpha, just state it. I will accept the challenge. Your Luna started this. I will finish it if you like.”

There was silence for a long minute, then his eyes moved to his brother, “Mala would have been a better fit, for both of us to have together.”

“Mala would never have accepted one such as you.”

“We are even now, Aston. It is done. No more of this between us.”

“I’d like that.” Aston nodded “Go home Raymond, bury your Luna and grieve her properly.”

“You have an heir? How?” he asked.

“There is a way. Prove to me this is over and I’ll tell you how.”

Mala stood there with Aston and watched as Raymond looked from her to Aston, then shook off his own Beta when he tried to make him leave, stood up tall before them and took a calming breath in “I Alpha Raymond of the of the Cresent Bood Moon Pack, will not come for revenge over my Luna’s death, nor will anyone in my pack. No one will be ordered, hired or asked in any way to come here to kill you or your Luna, or your heir, my niece or nephew, this I give my Alpha’s oath to you, Alpha Aston of the Hollowed Moon Pack. We are brothers, family. We have both suffered much over the past years. No more will we suffer for my Luna’s obsession’s.” he held out his hand “I swear an Alpha’s Oath to you here and now, no harm will ever come from my pack to yours.”

Mala watched as Aston took his brothers’ hand and the oath was marked to the both of them, a line formed around both of their wrists and sealed with their packs symbol on the inside of each of their wrist, and only when it was completed did they let go.

“Thank you Raymond.”

“You are my brother.” He sighed “I have missed you.” Saw sadness touch the man’s face. “I’ll take my leave, please tell our mothers and father how it is possible. My wolf and I would greatly love to have an heir one day to pass our pack down to.” Then he turned and got in his car, and they watched him be driven away by his Beta.

Found herself under Aston’s watchful gaze, then he just sighed and shook his head, pulled his shirt off and handed it to her to put on. Hugged her the moment it was over her head. “It’s finally over Mala, no more do we have to worry about your safety or our daughters.” He sounded very relieved about that.

Mala hugged him back. “That must be a big relief to you after all this time, but…”

“But?”

“She didn’t even try to fight me off. didn’t defend herself at all.”

“Likely wanted a way out, herself.” he looked down at her “She’s escaped the curse Mala, but you have not, it still remains and you will always be at risk of it.”

“I know.” She nodded “I’m not leaving you, Aston, I love you.”

“I love you to Mala.” His mouth touched hers softly “you want to go up and get Chance, so she can meet her grandparents.”

Mala smiled up at him. “Yes, of course, and she won’t be our only child, I’m sure.”

Mala headed inside to go and get their daughter to introduce her to her grandparents, washed up and changed before bringing her downstairs, got to watch as they all smiled at her in Aston’s arms, could actually see how happy they were about meeting her.

His parents spent an entire week inside their pack, spent a lot of time with Aston and loved little Chance as well. She was there when Aston told them of the lengths he went to, to protect Mala from the curse, even showed them the room so that they could relay it to his brother. Although he had doubts Raymond would do it, his father and mother’s did not.

They believed that Raymond was going to change now, that he would be a different man, kinder and wiser. But even after they left Aston doubted very much that his brother would do the right thing by any Mate chosen or Gifted in the future. Would he tell them of the curse and protect them from it? Aston didn’t know, he could only hope so.

Though he did not think that Raymond would take another so quickly, the loss of one’s Luna always hurt and devastated one, could kill one, though he didn’t think that would happen to Raymond. Aston had also seen that Raymond seemed somewhat relieved by Carmel’s death. Loved her but likely disliked all the things she had done, to separate them and then that curse as well.

Something that man, still had to live with, even after she was gone, something that could be passed down to his own heirs through his bloodline. She had escaped but he had not.