The Alpha's Cruel Game

Alexander's POV.

I had a feeling that the moon goddess would play a dirty trick on me. I'm glad I told Jasper to carry out a background check on every maiden that was going to be present at the ball. I wanted to know for myself who I was being paired with. She paired me with the absolute best person in this room. The cousin of my lover.

Sometime ago, I met Athena. I found her attractive, but I didn't see her as someone I would want as my mate. Eventually I started sleeping with her; I loved her body and nothing else.

Around the time we were together, I came across Lyra for the first time. I took a bit of interest in her, and I wanted to know what her body felt like too. At that point, I mentioned it to Athena, and I found out they were cousins.

Athena took the time to explain everything to me, and I knew immediately that I didn't want to be with someone like that.

Her lips shook as she tried to speak; she was frozen at the sight of me kissing her cousin.

"Why?" Lyra asked again in a softer tone. The tears were already starting to roll down her face.

"Why? You question your alpha?" I inquired with the same smirk on my face.

She clenched her lips so hard with her teeth that her lips became bloodied. "I don't care; I don't care about any of that right now. Just answer the question, dammit," she said, sounding enraged.

"What makes you think I'd choose someone like you? Someone weak, someone who can't even shift into her wolf. You're the weakest wolf in this pack," I said to her bluntly, and she winced. It was almost like a surge of electricity passed through her. She didn't say anything for a while before saying, "So you're—" I went ahead to complete it for her. "I, Alexander, the current alpha of this pack, reject you as my mate," I said straight to her face without relenting.

She looked like she had seen a ghost, and the crowd muttered all sorts of negative things in approval of my decision. This worthless girl was really bad news, and I would have made the worst mistake of my life if I chose her.

"But— why? I don't understand." Lyra agonized as she fell to her knees. She must have been in shock because there was no sign of tears on her face. This girl was a witch; I heard so many different things about her, and I wanted her to suffer.

"You don't understand? You have been rejected. I want nothing to do with a nobody like you. It'd be a bad look for me." I responded, holding Athena's slender waist. I could hear her tugging on my jacket.

"Everyone here is to pay attention to what I'm about to say!" I exclaimed, The other couples seem to be noisy due to the sudden developments and events that have taken place this evening.

Jasper looked in my direction right before our eyes met; he could tell that I wanted the silence, so he boldly stepped to the middle of the hall and clanked his glass of wine with a fork. The whole atmosphere is silent now.

I left Athena and went to the throne, where I sat and heaved before saying, "Athena, I choose you to be my mate. I want you," while pointing in Athena's direction. A smile drew on her face as she nodded her head.

Lyra, on the other hand, could be seen crying now. "She really thought she stood a chance with the alpha; screw her," Jasper muttered beside me. By this time, the elders had already gotten repulsed and left the ball.

"Please tell me you're kidding; I don't deserve this; I don't deserve any of the suffering I've gone through in my life. You were supposed to be my knight in shining armor!" Lyra yelled and cried like an unloved child.

"All the suffering you've gone through isn't enough for the suffering you really deserve," I said to her as I reached out for Athena's waist and grabbed it from behind, positioning her on my legs on the throne.

"Athena, we're family; you aren't going to accept him, right? You're going to turn him down for rejecting your cousin, right?" She asked, her eyes emotionless and clouded by the delusion that this might have all been one big joke. "Please don't do this; it hurts so much. For once in your life, Athena, be nice to me." She added that she was crying out now as people laughed and took pictures.

I was going to say something in return or ask Jasper to lock her up, but Athena scoffed and kissed my lips, her eyes still locked on Lyra as she stroked some strands of hair away from my forehead.

Lyra cried bitterly. She looked around her as people mocked, laughed, and took pictures to post on the Internet. Then she did the unexpected. She held the hem of her overflowing, long dress and ripped it short. Then she took off her heels and threw them aside.

"Alexander," my beta called out in an attempt to call my attention.

"Yes, allow her to go; she'll come crawling back. "Don't you know she has no other place to go?" I responded without looking at Jasper.

"I see, you're correct," Jasper replied, refraining from going to restrain her.

Lyra looked at me, then she glared at Athena, her makeup ruined by the tears she had spilled and her lips red with blood from when she bit it too hard. Her eyes were the saddest eyes I had seen in my life.

I had a feeling of regret riling up in my stomach, but then again, I was the alpha and I could do whatever I wanted.

Lyra started running. She ran away, trying to shield her face from all the cameras. She tried to be invisible.