One Mate and a Rejection

Chapter 24

After a long night filled with no sleep, it was finally Saturday and I realized Mom and dad were coming home tonight.

Relief filled the inside of my body and later portrayed on my face. I was tired of doing the chores for the past week despite the fact that it was just me in the house and I was anxious for their arrival.Also, I was excited to see what they had gotten me. Not that I had high expectations or anything.Another reason I couldn’t wait for their arrival was the fact that I hadn’t eaten a proper home cooked meal in days!My attempt with the BBQ didn’t go so well and let’s just say we’re now short two cooking spatulas and a whole bag of coal. And a whole patch of grass on our lawn that is now either ashes or a crispy brown.Thinking this much about it, I realized I really missed my parents.The rest of the day I spent thinking about the meeting in Blades backyard that had both of the alpha’s in this town.They’re absolute enemies to the point where they can’t even sit in a room together for thirty minutes. So what would they be doing attending each othersmeetings like pack members.

I couldn’t get the subject out of my head for the whole day. Another thing poking into my brain was Blade’s behavior.

He’d been so strange the night we met, and he suddenly disappeared for a whole week.

I realized that I was becoming obsessed with his presence, the knowledge of doings and everything else about him.

It was exciting me in a way that was also frightening.

Mom and dad arrive earlier than they planned at eight o’clock.

“Mom! Dad!” I yelled as they unlocked the door. They only managed to drop their bags before I tackled them both.

“I miss you guys so much!” I yelled, jumping up and down.

Mom was laughing but dad was complaining about his back.

I pulled back and was immediately attacked with,” What did youbreak?”

“Nothing! What did you get me!”

“First of all,” they both sat down and unzipped their luggage,” look at what we got ourselves!”

Dad pulled out a full body apron with a guys body on it from neck to toe. He was wearing only underwear and was bulking with muscles.

“Wow dad, looks like you a lot,” I muttered sarcastically.”

Mom pulled out hers which was also a full body apron with a bikini models body on it.

“Gorgeous mom,” I muttered.

“Don’t you love them! We’ve been wanting them for years but you and Jason were too young, it would have been inappropriate.”

“It’s fine now?” I laughed out loud.

“Yes it is!” they answered together.

“So what did you get me?” I asked.

“Is that the only reason you were excited to see us?”

“Of course not, I burned dad’s BBQ, that’s why, anyways where is my gift?”

“What?” boomed dad.

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding,” I lied.

“You almost gaveme a heart attack.”

Sh*t, I thought.

“So where’s my gift?”

Mom threw a huge box into my lap.

“This is so big! But it’s so light! Is it empty?”

“Just open it.”

I open the box, only to be met with another box, a bit smaller.

I opened that one, only to be met with another one.

“Seriously guys?”

“Just keep going!”

I kept on opening the boxes and I was getting more excited after each one.

Finally, fifteen or sixteen boxes later, I was met with the most beautiful peacock iPhone case.

“So?” mom studied my face.

“I was expecting a diamond, but...”

“Emerald!”

“I’m joking! Thank you! I love it!”

“You better! We got Amanda a matching one.”

“What!” I snapped,” Seriously! Why?”

“So what did you cook for us?”

“Give me a second.”

I ran into the kitchen and threw the cold pizza into the microwave. After a couple of minutes, I placed it on the dining table and yelled,” dinners done!”

Mom rolled her eyes when she saw the food but ate it nevertheless.

“So do you guys know if there’s a pack meeting soon?” I asked.

“Yeah, there’s one tomorrow in the morning.” mom answered.

“Do you know what’s It about?”

“Nope, should be important. We haven’t had one in a while.”

Next day I had my speech memorized and ready. I was planning on confronting Jared’s father and demanding answers to as what hewas doing in the enemieshouse.

Part of me hoped they were developing some type of partnership, so the idea of me and blade being mates wouldn’t be shunned immediately but I doubted it since my own brother thinks I’m a traitor.

We got to the pack house and caught sight of Amanda and Jason already there. My mother ran towards her clutching the matching peacock cell phone case she got for me and her. I sighed andfollowed, my eyes searching for Jared. I haven’t talked to him since the party last week. I also hardly saw him during school.

“OMG! Aren’t you so happy that your mom got us these matching peacock iphone cases!” Amanda squeaky voice slapped me back to reality.

“Yeah totally,” I muttered sarcastically,” we should also get matching lingerie.”

“Really! Name your time and place!”

“I was joking, relax.”

“Emerald, behave,” snapped mom.

“Whatever.”

I saw Jason peeking at me through his lashes and rolled my eyes,” don’t be a stranger.”

I walked away and took a seat inside the house on one of the chairs.

The meeting began fifteen minutes later which means I spend fifteen minutes ‘texting’ so I wouldn’t look like a loner.

I wasn’t really texting, just looking through my old texts and tapping the screen wildly.

Finally, the room was full with a couple hundred people and Jared’s father stepped up on stage and began.

“Good morning everyone, I hope you’ve had a good weekend so far?”

Everybody mumbled their yes’s or no’s.

One day from behind whistled loudly causing a few people to laugh.

“Okay, okay,” said Jared’s father,” You all have been probably wondering why we haven’t had a meeting in so long. Well, it’s simply, there was nothing going on. But we have received some information a couple of nights ago that a new rouge pack has moved near and they keep heading closer. It’s nothing serious I’m sure but we just wanna make sure it’s safe.”

This is it, I thought, this is where I stand up and ask what he was doing with the enemies. Any second now, I thought, I’ll stand up and shout it.

But that never happened and when the meeting ended tweety five minutes later, I knew it was too late.

After the meeting I caught sight of jared’s father speaking with a bunch of little kids.

“You know what? You guys keep eating those brocolies and when you’re older, you can held fight off rouges!”

“But they taste so bad,” whines a little girl.

“But they’re good for you! Any more questions?”

“I have one,” I finally gained courage and stepped forward.

“Emerald, hello, long time no see. What’s your question?”

“What were you doing two nights ago at the enemies pack meeting?”

His face turned red and he pulled me aside.

“How did you find out?”

“I saw,” I pulled my arm out of his grasp.

He sighed,” I had no choice. It isn’t just a small rouge pack nearing. It’s the rouge pack. They’ve been known for destroying packs, wiping them from town to town. I needed their help because they had inside information that could help.”

“so what? Your suddenly in partnership with them?”

“Just for a little while, you can’t tell anybody!”

“So you’ve been lying to everybody here?”

“To keep them from freaking out! It’s the only way.”

“Fine, I won’t tell.”

“Thank you!”

The ride home was silent and I focused my thoughts mainly on what the alpha had said.

If he’s only building a partnership with them for a little while, I had to tell them soon.

I was also nervous about this new rouge pack. Hopefully their not dangerous.

I knew that I had to see blade tonight. It was urgent.

I left my house and ran into the woods, shifting into a human behind some tree and meeting him at the cliff.

As always, it was refreshing to be with him.

“Blade,” I muttered and waited for him to turn.

When he did, he showed no expression.We walked together into thetrees and I decided to get straight to the point.

“Can I ask you a question?” I asked, not letting my eyes meet his.

“You already did,” he said.

I would have rolled my eyes and laughed if it weren’t for the way he had said it. Like a complete jerk.

“I meant another one.”

“Go ahead.”

“Why was our alpha at your pack meeting?”

“How did you know that?”

“I was out for a run and I saw-”

“More like stalk-”

“Can you blame me? You practically disappear right after we...right after that night-”

“Why are you making such a big deal out of it? All we did was make out, you’re still a virgin right? Well for me, making out is normal.”

“Why are you such a douche all of the sudden? What happened? Did I do something?”

“You’re so pathetic sometimes, always blaming yourself.”

"“Are you gonna tell me what’s going on with our packs?”

“You seem to already know.”

“Jared’s dad told me about the rouge pack attacking. Aren’t you the least bit nervous?”

“Yeah, sure,” he muttered, playing with a tree branch.

“You don’t look nervous.”

“What do you want me to do? Burst out in tears?”

I was getting extremely frustrated with his behavior. Had I honestly done something? Why did he burst out in the jerk he used to be all of the sudden?

“Do you need a little extra strength? For your wolf?” I asked softly.

I decided if my words can’t put him to his right mind, maybe my kisses will.

He knew what I was suggesting, yet he scrunched up his face.

“What do you mean?” I stepped closer and leaned my lips in. Suddenly, he pushed me away.

“What are you doing?” he snapped.

My face heated in Rejection and embarrassment and I looked up at him angrily. I felt my wolf getting hurt and sliding back into her shell.

“Why are you acting so strange?”

“Look who’s talking, you tried to kiss me.”

“Because we’re mates and you need strength for the rouges-”

“I’d rather take a few trips to the gym, no thank you.”

“Why are you suddenly sucha d*ck!”

“Honestly? I’m sick of this. I’m sick of sneaking around with you, never able to be with you, but never able to just leave you! You’re like a huge weight on my shoulders that’s always there, never leaving.”

I studiedhis face, letting his words trickle upon me like bombs.

“I didn’t know you felt that way? Where is this coming from?”

“I decided that I’m never gonna have you anyway, so why not let my wolf die? As soon as he does, I won’t want you anymore! I can have other girls, even if I’ll be half dead half alive. I’ll probably still have my good looks.”

“I don’t believe you. You’re a liar. You said yourself you feel things for me, as a human, not just as a wolf-”

“It’s ironic how you’ve been believing every lie I tell you, but this one thing i decide to be truthful to you about,you don’t believe.”

It was the sudden shock of hearing thewords escape his lips that paralyzed me. It wasn’t much the meaning that froze every running cell in my body, but rather how he said it. With confidence and no pain whatsoever. He was crouched, leaning on the tree so carelessly, unaware of the impact of his words. There was no trait, no clue at all that shows maybe he’s faking for the good of us. Hewas smiling, almost mockingly, his amused eyes never leaving mines.

I searched for a glint, a hidden trace of the soft golden I used to love, but these new eyes belonged to a different person. They burned amber with pupils as black as a moonless night.

I wanted to call out for the Blade I knew, the one that was rock hard on the outside but soft and caring on the inside.

This new thing that possessed him was a rock, inside and out.I knew I seemed pathetic, standing there, not breathing, afraid of triggering the moment, and afraid that if I make a move, he’d continue on talking and break the shreds of my heart to a million more pieces.

Just like delicate glass, I carried the moment on my shoulders.I wanted nothing more but to drop it and chatter this haunting glass but I was afraid.

Too afraid to move, talk or even breath.

Life seemed to have frozen but from the corners of my eyes I saw the wind still rustling the tree leaves and with my ears I heard the birds still singing.

Life seemed to have frozen just for me.

I managed to nod my head and turn away.I held back my tears with every muscle in my face with as much strength as I could possibly muster.

I took a step forward and awaited his voice that will call out to me to come back.

Maybe it’s an April fools joke! Maybe it’s all a prank!

Is it even April? I didn’t know. Everything that was there scattered out of my brain and left me bare, stripped with nothing to cover myself with except pain.

But as I walked away, disappearing further and further into the forest, nothing held me back, not even the usual crowds of trees slowed down my pace. I let my head turn back to look at the tree he was leaning against but he wasn’t there.

Gone already, careless to the newborn pain breaking out inside of me.

I almost laughed at the irony. With Jared, I couldn’t stop crying but with Blade, I couldn’t cry. I didn’t need to use my face muscles to muster the tears anymore.

Maybe this pain has exceeded crying?

Than what is there for me to shed if itisn’t tears?