Alpha's Rejected becomes the Lycan's Obsession

The silence in the room was starting to weigh heavy and suffocating. The wooden clock on the wall ticked on, persistent and patient, marking the seconds as they crawled by. Williams had been sitting there, eyes boring into Charlotte with the kind of intensity that could peel skin. But she didn’t flinch. She never did.

"You want to know where she is, and I know where she is," Charlotte finally spoke, her voice slicing through the heavy quiet like a blade. Her eyes didn’t leave his. "I would have loved to tell you where she is, Williams, but the only problem is that I cannot tell you."

Her words settled into the air like a slow-falling feather, yet they hit him with the weight of a mountain.

Williams blinked. Once. Twice. His mouth opened, then closed. Thoughts swarmed his mind like a thousand hornets, stinging him with fury, confusion, desperation. His fingers twitched at his sides, clenching, unclenching, until he finally managed to speak.

"Why can’t you tell me?"

His voice came out low, barely restrained. The tremor in it revealed the volcano bubbling underneath, ready to explode.

Charlotte sighed, dragging her hands down her skirt like the act could help soothe the burden of her words.

"Caramel went through a lot in Casper’s camp," she said, her tone quieter now, almost tender. "And right now, all she wants is to live in peace. She doesn’t want to be associated or have anything to do with the werewolves’ and witches’ world anymore."

Her words were like a slap to his face. He felt the sting in his chest before it made it to his expression, which he struggled to keep neutral. But the storm in his eyes gave him away. He leaned forward in his chair, gripping the armrest.

"Just tell me where she is," Williams snapped, no longer able to keep the impatience from bleeding into his voice. "I can handle the rest."

"You think you have what it takes to make her return to this messed up place?" Charlotte asked, her face still calm, still unreadable. Her eyes remained trained on him, steady and unwavering.

"Charlotte!" The growl ripped through Williams’ throat before he could stop it. His hands curled into fists, knuckles whitening.

The woman threw her head back and laughed, a deep, throaty laugh that came from somewhere in her belly. Her shoulders shook from the force of it, and she covered her mouth for a moment before speaking again.

"Why does it feel this good to annoy the one and only Williams Xander?" she asked, still chuckling, her voice tinged with amusement. She didn’t wait for an answer; she didn’t expect one.

"I already told you, I can’t give you her location. She made me promise, and I gave her my word. I am a woman of my word, Williams. You know that."

Her smile faded, replaced with an expression of unshakable resolve.

"If you want to find her, you’ll have to do it yourself."

Williams exhaled sharply, the sound filled with bitter frustration. At this point, he knew it. He wasn’t getting anything else from her. The anticipation that had flared within him the moment she hinted at knowing Dera’s whereabouts was now smothered, snuffed out by the brick wall of her conviction.

But it involved Dera. So he wasn’t ready to walk away. Not just yet. freewebnσvel.cѳm

"Do it myself?" he repeated, disbelief dripping from each syllable. He leaned forward, glaring at her. "I have searched for Dera for years, and I’m still searching for her up till this moment. If I could do it myself, I would have done it a long time ago."

"Would you?" Charlotte’s tone was quieter now, but it held a blade’s edge. Her gaze pinned him like a dart. "Would you really?"

Williams frowned, caught off-guard. "What are you talking ab—"

And then he stopped.

The weight of her implication slammed into him like a tidal wave. His breath caught in his throat, eyes widening slightly. "No."

"Exactly my point," Charlotte murmured, her voice no longer teasing. "You wouldn’t have done it a long time ago because you avoid it like a plague."

His jaw tensed.

"That is dark magic, Charlotte," Williams bit out, his voice low but fierce.

"And you are what? A white witch?" she asked, one brow arching slowly.

She didn’t wait for an answer. Didn’t need one.

"You are a dark witch, Williams. It’s in your blood. You haven’t even unlocked your full abilities and you’re already this powerful. Imagine what would happen—what kind of power you’d possess—if you used your full abilities."

Williams shot to his feet, his breath coming faster now. The old wooden floor groaned beneath his boots. He turned away for a moment, jaw clenched so tightly it ached.

"I don’t want that kind of power."

Charlotte leaned back in her chair, her eyes never leaving him. "It doesn’t matter whether you want it or not. It doesn’t matter how much you run away from dark magic. One day, you’ll need to use your nature-given gift."

She paused, letting the words sink in.

"That day is here. If Caramel, or Dera, means as much to you as you claim, then you would definitely find her. And if not for yourself, you’d find her for the king. Either way, Williams... you must use your abilities. There is no escaping it."

Williams let out a sigh, long and worn, filled with everything he hadn’t said yet. His shoulders sagged slightly, the weariness of years spent chasing a ghost settling on them again.

It wasn’t that he didn’t know. He knew that dark magic could help him find Dera. But knowledge didn’t make it easier. He also knew the cost. He knew what dabbling in that part of himself could do. It could corrupt. Consume. Drive him to madness. And that wasn’t something he could afford. Not now. Not yet.

But the image of her face, her laugh, the memory of the way she used to look at him like he was all that mattered to her... it haunted him. And now, more than ever, it called to him like a lifeline.

With quiet resolve, he lifted his hand that held the small, weathered photograph Charlotte had shown him earlier. Dera looked back at him through the frozen moment in time, her eyes soft, her smile soothing.

He turned to Charlotte again, voice low. "Can I keep the picture?"

His fingers curled protectively around it. He hadn’t gotten a chance to have her picture when they were together. Having it now was like a tiny thread tying him back to her. He didn’t want to let it go.

Charlotte waved a hand, dismissive yet gentle. "Of course you can."

Her voice turned wistful.

"When you do find her, make sure she comes to visit me. I hope to see her again before I take my last breath." Her gaze grew distant for a moment before she added, "Also... I have a gift for her."

Williams gave a short, solemn nod. "I’ll take my leave now. Thank you for your time."

Charlotte offered a thin smile, her voice barely above a whisper. "Just defeat Casper. That’s the only appreciation that would make sense to me... and give me some peace. Doesn’t matter if I’m dead or alive when it happens."

He held her gaze for a moment, then turned and stepped out of the house.

The sunlight outside felt harsher now, glaring. He squinted briefly, then gestured to his men to stand down.

"You can all head back to Luminera." he said, voice curt, clipped.

They obeyed without question, getting into their car and driving away from the east mountain.

Williams looked around for a while, standing in the same spot. Moments later, he climbed into his car, the leather seat groaning under his weight as he settled behind the wheel. His hands rested on it for a moment. He could still hear Charlotte’s words echoing in his ears.

There is no escaping it.

He started the car. But instead of turning towards the path that led to Luminera, he made a sharp turn and headed toward Apex Dominica. Roman’s and Tessy’s issue weighed heavily on his mind.

The road stretched before him, winding and empty, but halfway through the journey, his phone buzzed violently against the dashboard. He reached for it without hesitation.

The caller was Vanessa.

He picked up, switching to hands free mode.

"Alpha, we have trouble," Vanessa’s voice came through in rushed, ragged breaths. She was running. He could hear the wind in the background, the pounding of her feet, and her breathing pattern. "Casper’s men are attacking, and these ones are worse than the last."

The words hit him like a lightning bolt, and that was all he needed to hear to make him change direction.

Without a word, he slammed his foot on the brake, yanked the steering wheel into a sharp U-turn, and raced back toward Luminera, tires screeching on the asphalt.