One Mate and a Rejection

Chapter Twelve

Blade, the words gets screamed in my head multiple times and before the figure exposes his face, I knew it was Blade. The body structure, the soft brown hair, the shape of head, it was all identical. It made me realize just how closely I observe Blade without noticing.

My heart stopped and I came to conclusion that I was in some kind of shock. Not surprise, because I wasn’t surprised. Not at all. I was shocked, frozen and triggered with fear.

An enemy was my mate.

Does he know? He must have, he helped me shift! He saw my face.

He knew all along.

Everything made sense. How protective he is, and he doesn’t even know me. His anger and violence towards Jared in particular.

He said it was for no reason. Jared was just in his way at the wrong time but in fact there was a reason.

How could I not have seen it?

Expect I had seen it, I had known. All along I had known it was Blade, I was just in denial. I didn’t want to admit to myself that my mate was my enemy.

All along I’ve been living in some kind of fantasy, hoping I’d wake up any minute and be welcomed with Jared’s concerned face that would kiss my moist forehead and assure me that everything was just a dream.

All the tugs and pushes from my wolf when Blade was near, it all made sense now. My wolf accepted a long time ago that Blade was my mate. Ever since he saved me from the rouge, ever since he followed me in the hallways.

But my human form was scared. Scared to be the traitor in my pack, scared of my mate, who’s also my enemy.

I wasn’t that heartbroken about Jared to let it affect everything in my life. Jared was an excuse to keep me living in my little fantasy.

I’ve always known inside. I remembered the almost kiss. His eyes were so identical to my mate’s. I knew it was him.

Blade began to turn around and I forced myself to snap out of it. I jumped from the bushes and ran.

I didn’t know where I was going but I kept running. My eyes saw nothing but a blur and I came in contact with about ten trees every five minutes.

My paws did all the thinking for me and I wished I was still locked up in my fantasy. The fact that we could never be together hit me hard and knowing in just a couple of years I wont even be able to shift depressed me.

On the verge of dying, the doctor had said, like some half dead half living thing.

I reached the cliff after half an hour of running and just collapsed on the hard ground. My fear disgusted my wolf and caused her to pull back. Before I knew it, I was rocking on the heels of my feet, my knees tightly pulled up to touch my chin in human form.

I moved behind a boulder to hide my nude body just as a tear slid from the corner of my eye and hit the ground. I watched it like it was in slow motion.

I made circles with my finger in the sand as an attempt to block my thoughts. Just as I had done here at the same spot the night I found out Jared wasn’t my mate.

I noticed a strip of white cloth under the boulder and pulled it out. A shirt and a pair of shorts. I put on the shirt after realizing they were Blades from the way they smelled. He must have shifted here the nights we would meet. I inhaled his scent with practically no control over myself. My mouth watered as I headed home, dragging my lifeless body as i went.

I caught sight of Jason’s and Amanda’s car still in our driveway and realized they must be staying the night.

A slight smile spread across my face when I also saw my dad’s car but the second I entered the living room, it was wiped off my face.

There was screaming in the house and from more than two people.

I passed by Jason and Amanda’s room that was booming with their noise.

“How could you not have told me? Do you realize I almost lost my sister because I was such a stupid fool, believing your lies!”

“I’m sorry! I really am! I wanted to forget the person I was in the past and make a new person for myself with you!”

“The past matters to me Amanda, you messed up six years of my sister’s life! Do you not get that I basically told her I hate her because I thought that I could trust you!”

“You can trust me! I was stupid not to have told you the truth! I was afraid you’d leave me!”

“And what? You thought lying to me longer would help your case?”

I walked by mom and dad’s room and held my eyes shut when I realized that their fight was about me also.

“You left us when you knew exactly what was going on with Emerald! There’s something going on with her and she wont tell us! She ended up in the hospital yesterday Harold because of stress and you’re not helping at all!”

“You can’t really blame me when you’ve been a damn piece of ice the whole time I was gone! You have no idea whats been going on with her also! At least I’m trying!”

“How! By taking her out to the stupid coffee shop! I’m not an idiot! I know that was just a stunt to make me angry and jealous!”

“Listen to yourself! You don’t even make sense!”

I entered my room and fell on my bed. These walls were suddenly string thin and I could hear everything. I was everybody’s problem. I wanted to disappear into thin air. Maybe that would make their lives a bit easier.

Jared would be happy to not have to deal with me, and to freely be with Jasmine. Mom and dad would have nothing to fight about, as would Jason and Amanda. Blade would find a mate in his pack, one that wasn’t an enemy.

I knew that I couldn’t disappear though. But I knew I had to fix what I could.

I picked up my cellphone and saw zero new text messages.

I realized just how much I had missed Jared’s goodnight texts.

Next morning Jason drove me to school because he thought I wasn’t fully trusted to drive yet. The car was filled with an awkward atmosphere that we never used to have when he lived with us.

I glanced at his face. His jaw was set and his eyes were angry like he was frustrated at something.

“I’m sorry,” I muttered.

He didn’t say anything and I was beginning to think he wouldn’t at all.

“For what?”

“F-for ruining your relationship. I should have just let it go instead of being so stuck on the past.”

He sighed,” You should have, but you also should have told me earlier.”

I nodded,” I know.”

We sat in a silence for a while.

“What’s gonna happen with you and Amanda?”

He shrugged,” We’ll work it out, but for now I have to be there for my sister,” he stroked my cheek.

I smiled,” Thanks.”

“I never apologized for treating you like I did. It was unacceptable and I’m really sorry.”

“It’s fine.

“You tell me what’s going on when you’re ready.”

I nodded again,” Okay.”

We reached school about three minutes later and Jason pulled up at a spot in the front. And as if fate hadn’t had enough, laughing about my unfortunate life, Blade pulled up right besides us. We opened our car doors and stood up at the same time.

He froze when he noticed me and I couldn’t seem to look away as usual. My heart began to pound and I knew why this was happening. The connection. Our wolves wont let us look away.

His golden eyes seemed to change color when he stared at me. Instead of a dark golden, they softened and became lighter. Almost amber.

They’re beautiful and literally took my breath away. I searched inside my body, trying to find out how to breath again because I seemed to have forgotten. The beating of my heart was the only thing I could hear in this fantasy I’ve entered. His eyes were almost hypnotizing. I wanted nothing more but to grab his face and lay my lips upon his with all my power. I blushed just imagining it.

I knew I shouldn’t think like this. I couldn’t let him have this affect on me.

Mate or not he was still an enemy. But I really couldn’t help it.

Just staring at him, I’ve lost my brain, my common sense and ability to breath.

I honestly didn’t know how long I’ve been captured by his alluring gaze. My dissipated brain refused to reproach reality. It could have been one minute, maybe ten.

I didn’t know. I lost track of everything that wasn’t Blade.

Suddenly, he cleared his throat and in a head-pounding blink, I was back to reality. Just like that.

He smiled hesitatingly at me and walked away. I felt my cheeks turning a scarlet red.

“Emerald, Em? Emmy?”

“Uhh what?“i turned around and saw Jason still seated in the car.

He looked at me suspiciously,” What was that about, you guys have been staring at each other for like a minute.”

“O-oh, I don’t know, I wasn’t looking at him,”

“Right, you should probably thank him, he took care of you the most when you fainted.”

I nodded, still not fully recovered from my chamber of thoughts and grabbed my backpack,” I will.”

I shut the door and walked away, well acquainted of the bewildered expression on Jason’s face.

I bustled to class, my eyes blind, seeing nothing but golden

Soft, light golden.

Almost amber.

My head came in contact with somebody’s and I almost fell back if they hadn’t grabbed my shoulders.

I looked up and rolled my eyes when I saw John laughing out loud,” I just saved your life.”

I shrugged his arms off and retorted,” You almost killed me first.”

“Over dramatic aren’t me this morning.”

“Yes, physically too,” I warned.

He held his hands up in surrender,” What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I replied as we headed down the hallway,” just didn’t sleep well.”

“Oh? Are you sure? Because maybe you’re still in daze from staring at Blade for a full minute.”

I blushed and whipped my head to look at him,” What are you talking about?”

“Don’t even bother lying. Lisa and I saw the whole thing. You guys couldn’t stop staring at each other. Lisa went crazy. She said you guys were having a ‘moment’,” he made quotation marks in the air.

I rolled my eyes,” I’m never gonna hear the end off it. Maybe I should just fake sickness, go home.”

“That still wouldn’t save you. So what is going on with you and him?”

“Nothing, it’s just awkward because he saved me from the rouge and all, and I saved his pack from being moved somewhere else.”

“And he saved your life again by taking you to the hospital when you fainted.”

“He didn’t save my life. It wasn’t life threatening.”

“You’re just too stubborn to admit that you like him.”

“But I don’t!” I snapped as we entered our class,” End of discussion.”

He chuckled and muttered,” Why you getting so mad than?”

But when he saw the murderous look on my face, he back off.

Lunch approached imperceptibly and I found each class really hard to focus in.

I kept squirming in my seat, restless for the whole period just prying myself off of thoughts about him.

I sat in the cafeteria, munching on my turkey sandwich and sipping on my lemonade, awaiting the alarming arrival of Lisa.

She arrived two minutes later and squealed out loud when she saw me.

“Hey,” I muttered, and pretend like everything was causal,” Whats up?”

“Don’t you even try that Emerald! Don’t you even try, because I saw, I saw, I saw, I saw, I saw everything!"

“What?” I took a bite out of my sandwich,” Are you seeing things?”

John hopped up from behind her and placed his hands on her eyes,” Guess who?”

She pried his fingers off and snapped,” This is so not the time! Emerald, I’m not stupid!”

“What’s going on,” John took a seat beside me.

“I don’t know. I was just seating here, eating my food like a normal person and than your girlfriend just popped up out of nowhere and started obsessing over something that never even happened.”

“Why you getting so mad than if nothing had happened?”

I let out a sigh over just how much her and John were alike,” I don’t know what you’re talking about! I don’t even know Blade!”

“AHA!” she screamed,” I never said Blade! Why would you assume I was talking about Blade? Oh right, because you do know what I’m talking about!”

My eyes widened and I wondered how I’d let her trick me so easily,” I need to pee.”

She grabbed my shoulders and shook me,” I don’t think so! You guys had a moment!”

“SHH!” I hissed, looking around to see who had heard. My heart dropped to my knees when I noticed an amused seeming Blade looking in our direction. He let out a chuckle when he saw my embarrassed face and looked away.

“Stop Lisa, you’re embarrassing me!”

“Okay okay, sorry. But you really like him don’t you? I know how you get when you like someone. It’s never been this extreme! I mean, you guys were staring at each other for a full minute! I heard your brother calling out your name all the way across the parking lot, and you didn’t!”

“I don’t like him! He’s an enemy remember? Also, I don;t even know him!”

“Alright, fine, but I’m here when you wanna talk.”

I nodded,” Thank you.”

The rest of the day passed quickly and I managed to successfully avoid Blade all through-out science. Jared and Jasmine were all lovey as usual during drama but it didn’t seem to affect me as strongly as it used to.

By the time the clock ticked three exactly, I was debilitated. I snapped my locker shut and it wasn’t until I reached the parking lot when I realized I had no ride.

Jason had driven me here, my car was at home.

I pulled out my phone and texted him. He replied a couple of seconds later saying he headed back to his apartment with Amanda.

I sighed and remembered that his apartment was half an hour away.

‘I’ll find a ride,’ I texted back.

I searched for Lisa and Jack but they were already gone. All I had was cash and no change so I couldn’t take the bus. I probably missed it too.

This wasn’t my day. Regretfully, I began my hour long walk back home.

About twenty minutes into the walk, my legs began to ache. The sky darkened and I knew what was gonna happen before it even did. I had watched too many movies and read too many books to not be able to tell what was gonna happen next.

It’s going to rain and maybe if fate really hasn’t had enough with me, it will also begin to thunder.

I cried out loud when the first raindrop touched my face and before I knew it, it was pouring thousands.

The sky began to thunder loudly, roaring out like an animal and making me jump. My hair and cloths were soaked in under a minute.

A shiny black car pulled up beside me and my heart dropped.

Is this the part where the girl gets kidnapped by sparklyvampires or something?

But the person inside was no vampire. He was werewolf. He smiled at me, as if to show off his pearly whites and said,” Need a ride?”

I sighed and wondered if I had any other choice. I ignored the majority of me that did want to go into Blade’s car and pretended like I didn’t want to.

“Do I have another choice?”

He laughed,” Not really.”

I got into the car and tried not to swoon over how attractive it was and how much it reminded me of his fur color in wolf-form.

“Uhh thanks,” I said, breaking the awkward silence.

“No problem. What were you doing walking in the rain alone? That seemed really movie-ish.”

“My brother was supposed to pick me up but he forgot,” I said, laughing at his comment.

“Oh, was that the guy you were with this morning?”

“Yeah,” I muttered hesitatingly.

“I never really got to properly thank you for what you did at the pack meeting. You know, since you fainted and all.”

“Yeah,” I blushed,” Sorry about that.”

“I like it when you blush,” he seemed to have blurted without realizing it. He quickly muttered,” er, sorry I meant, it’s, I mean-”

I laughed,” Thanks.”

He looked at me for a moment before laughing as well,” Sorry, I though I had thought it, not said it out loud.”

“It’s fine.”

“Thanks again, for saving my pack. I really don’t know what we would have done without you.”

“Well, you did save my life and take me to the hospital when I fainted so thanks for that.”

“Anytime, I’m used to catching damsels in distress.”

“Clearly,” I giggled.

Did I just giggle? Was I flirting?

I couldn’t help it. I don’t realize my words until they leave my lips.

“You don’t believe me?”

“No, no, I do because you totally look like you spend twenty-four seven chasing damsels that are in need of rescuing.”

“Of course. What did you think these babies were for?” he flexed both arms while steering the wheel with his knee.

“Hands on the wheel!” I screamed, laughing as the car served accidentally to the right.

“Sorry sir!” Blade shouted to the old man that was swearing behind us.

“Oops,” he muttered and took a turn.

“You’re crazy.”

“Hey, that old man shouldn’t have reacted so angrily. The blame goes on him.”

“How many tickets do you get in a month?”

“Zero actually because luckily the police officers are always damsels in need of a bit of this,” he quickly flexed one arm before placing it back on the wheel.

I laughed out loud and clutched my stomach realizing how foreign the sound was.

I hadn’t laughed like this in so long. It felt so easy to talk to him. Like a big weight has been blown off my chest.

“Take that turn there, my house is the fourth one to the left,” I said as we neared my street. I tried to mask my disappointment when he parked the car.

“Thank you for driving me here, I really hope you weren’t busy.”

“Nah, my damsels can wait.”

I laughed,” Good.”

“See ya tomorrow?” I muttered.

“Yeah, see ya.”

I exited the car and quickly headed to my door, trying to avoid the rain. He stayed and watched as I unlocked the door. My hands felt empty and than I realized I forgot my bag.

“Wait!” I shouted as his car began to move. He stopped rapidly causing the car to make a loud screech.

I ran up the window and opened the door,” I forgot my bag.”

He laughed,” Its in the back seat.”

I got on my knees on the passenger seat and reached back to get the bag. I heard him take an intake of breath and I realized how close I was to him.

I pulled back, my bag in my hands and I found myself trapped by his intoxicating scent. Our eyes met and like it always happened, we remained frozen just staring.

I knew that I made up my mind just than. Before I lost my brain, I forced it to tell me what I wanted most from Blade.

A kiss.

I leaned in as he did the same. His nose touched mines and we remained teasing each other, our eyes glued together, testing out our resistance.

I dropped my bag without taking my eyes off of him. My movements were robotic. Like I wasn’t controlling my body at all.

I stopped breathing and all I could see, smell, and sense was Blade.

His nose touched mines once more and he rested his forehead against mines, breathing softly.

He smirked when I gained an impatient look.

I rolled my eyes,” Just kiss me.”