The Rejected Alpha's Vengeance

[MBALI]

[Still The Lonely Night… A MONTH BEFORE THE GREAT SICARIO WAR]

"You don't need a stake for that," Amina said softly. A part of her was still hoping that all would be well, that the world would be all shiny for them. She knew it was a long gamble, but then she couldn't help wanting to be there for her mate.

She just wanted to spend more time with Mbali, even though shit had gotten complicated. Nothing she had done so far warranted the trust she was hoping for and maybe that was why she was pulling back too.

Amina was a lot of things but then to Mbali, she was the one person Mbali didn't want to see.

"Great. I'll just use my blades then," Mbali said spitefully as she got out her blades.

She was sick and tired of being treated warmly by the person who had broken her heart. Amina was supposed to be a really bad person to make Mbali hate her with ease, and yet she had turned out differently.

Amina looked like she would worship the road that Mbali walked and would now to her on every occasion. Amina wanted Mbali for herself and she was willing to do whatever it took just to be breathing the same air as Jabali Lihle.

Maybe that made her a little too hopeful in the face of chaos, but then what else was there for her? It wasn't like they would be living in some sort of wonderful world now, or was it so?

Amina could see the determination on her mate's face and knew that there wouldn't be anything to change Mbali's mind anymore. She knew that that tonight would be the last she would see her mate and it hurt a little worse than staying away had.

"Here… A blade that kills the undead. A blade forged to kill my family; the only thing that can end us all. If you want me dead, you'll have to use this, hermosa," Amina said as she handed Mbali a blade covered in silver and gunpowder.

It was obviously lethal and could cause more damage than anyone would have expected.

Amina was here to hand Mbali the one thing that could end her and her entire family, thereby putting an end to the madness of the Russel house and Mbali's response was unexpected.

Maybe it was because she hadn't really expected this, but then the night itself had come with so many things that they needed to work through.

They would eventually find a way around it and no matter what happened along the way, both of them had to make a decision about them eventually.

"Don't think I won't use it," Mbali said as she stared at the blade that was calling to her.

The temptation was there.

The urge to take the blade and use it on the woman who was here breaking her heart or even her brother who was almost a vegetable in the distance. It was something that Mbali would obviously consider, but then a part of her was hurt that it had come to this.

How the hell had she gone to want the woman she loved and hoped to see again, dead?

What kind of a fate was this that wasn't even letting her have the choice of life and love?

Why did it always have to be bloodshed wherever she and her friends were? Was that ever a fair fight anyway?

"If I must die, then let it be by your hands," Amina said with a smile like her heart wasn't aching so badly. Amina had only ever wanted to love Mbali but then circumstances were eating at her in ways she couldn't have thought of yet.

This was a fate she had not hoped for, but then she hadn't become a good person over the years, right? She was just but a member of the rose family that had caused so much chaos in the universe for the past thousand years.

"How noble. I bet you haven't seen your dumb brother yet, huh?" Mbali said with a sinister laugh as she pointed at Nik who was choking on mud still, though the fire had been put out by Ruru some time ago when they were staring at Amina.

"I'm not talking about Nik, mi reina. I'm talking about you… About what you must do for your team. Here is the perfect weapon to put an end to all of us. This is your chance at peace, hermosa," Amina said sincerely as she stared into her mate's eyes.

She loved Mbali so much it was breaking her ever-cold heart. Ever since she had felt the mate bond endless years ago, Amina had tried to keep herself close, but with the protector around Mbali, Amina had known it was a suicide call.

It was something that wouldn't do the both of them any good, especially since Mbali hadn't even grown old enough to know shit about mate bonds. That was a risk that Amina had wanted to take, not with the one girl her heart belonged to.

"I hate you," Mbali said when she saw the sincerity in Amina's eyes. She hadn't been expecting it and it was screwing with her mind in so many ways. This wasn't how her mate bond was supposed to go, but what could Mbali do?

"And I love you, hermosa. I love you more than life can ever comprehend. I live and breathe you, mi reina. It's okay if you hate me, because I can balance us out with my love.

"And if my love is never going to be enough for both of us, then knowing that you hate me, is love enough for me. At least then you will remember me, even if it's to kill me, mi reina," Amina said earnestly as she reached out to Mbali.

She wanted to touch her, and hold her for a while. She wanted to be there for Mbali and love her like the woman deserved to be loved, but then their fate was something that they couldn't even begin to understand.

Love and life were crueler than pain and anger. This right here was the result of things that neither of them would ever have control over a boy. Was it a little too much for their hearts that we're slowly learning to love and live?

"What the fuck is even wrong with you? What are you doing here? Why the fuck did you follow us? What the hell do you want?" Mbali asked frustratedly.

Amina was making it was hard for Mbali to hate her, really.

It was something that confused the hell out of Jabali Lihle, the one warrior who was known for always being level-headed. Jabali Lihle was the warrior who could figure out shit even at war. Your journey continues with My Virtual Library Empire

She always worked well under pressure but right now, she wasn't sure what the hell this was. She didn't understand what it was about her that got Amina risking her life like this. Her execution was set for dawn and Amina knew that already, yet she was still here.

Anyone in their right mind would have made a run for it, but Amina was different. It was like she was ready to lose her life if that was all it would take to be with Mbali one more time.

She was a little messed up in the head, but could she be really blamed this time?

"You, mi reina. You, dear, are what is wrong with me. I can breathe, or eat without thinking of you. I can think straight when you are not near. I thought it would be easy after Greyson, but lately, all I've been doing is thinking of you.

"I wonder how your day goes by, whether you live well, whether you eat. I worry when you are hurt, and wonder if you're safe. My heart beats for you in ways that I never thought possible. I can't do anything right without you.

"I am here for you, to be with you. It doesn't matter if you hate me and want me dead, hermosa. The only thing that matters is that you're near me. If I have to die, then let me die by and in your hands.

"If I have to be a prisoner for me to be close to you, then consider me your prisoner. I can't turn away because you're all I think of. I followed you so I could see you again. I want you, mi reina. I want you in ways that would put love to shame.

"I want to see you happy, to see to it that your path is not riddled by pain or anger. I want to see you breathe and not have to be strong anymore. I have followed you for over three hundred years and I don't mind following you for an eternity.

"Knowing you are alive is what keeps me sane, so don't worry about me screwing up your plans of ruining whatever is left of my family. I will aid you, if that is what it takes to make you happy.

"I am here for you, mi reina, just you," Amina said, her confession forcing Mbali a few steps back, again.

Everything was confusing as hell when it came to Amina and frankly, Mbali hadn't made a bargain this long for her. But then what else could she do when the heart she was supposed to burn to ashes was now beating for her?

"And that is supposed to make me what? Feel bad for you? Well, I'm sorry you've had to live with the idea that I'm your mate, but I'm not your mate. My sister marked me already. So back the fuck up or I will actually kill you myself," Mbali warned.