You Rejected Me. Remember?

Leo

“Yeah,” I smirked. “I found out yesterday that I can do this,” I told her.

“You should tell your mom… maybe they could train you… and then you can use your powers against our enemies,” Astrea’s eyes twinkled with excitement.

I shrugged. “But I want to finish this and join you guys as soon as possible. If I had to learn that, I think I would have to go back to the pack or to the wizard realm.”

“But…”

“I don’t want to leave… not yet,” I cut her in.

She let out a heavy sigh. “Okay. But don’t use your powers until you know how to control it.”

Smiling, she traced my cheeks, making me suck a breath in. The hair on the back of my neck rose. I looked deeply into her eyes.

There was a mysterious charm in her wide brown eyes. They demanded attention and I felt myself being pulled into a trance.

It took all the willpower in me to hold myself back. Zoro purred in my mind and my entire being desired to claim her.

She seemed to be aware of it. One corner of her lips pulled into a smirk. Her little fingers traced down my collar bone and over my shirt. She brushed her fingertips over my nípple, making my breathing hitch.

I gritted my teeth. She was playing with my feelings.

“What are you doing?” My voice came out more like a growl.

She batted her eyelids and gave me the most innocent look.

“What? Did I do something wrong?” She asked.

I gulped. She was the first girl in my life. The first woman whom I developed feelings for. The first person with whom I had gotten close with. I wanted her to be my first everything. But if we were going to keep ‘us’ a secret, we should stop… now. However, I didn’t know for how long I could hold back with this little vixen teasing me.

Her eyes glimmered mischievously, tracing my torso with her fingers, and with the movements of her fingers, my heart continued to race. My member stiffened in my pants. I couldn’t hold it in anymore.

Trying to hold it in was pure torture.

Grabbing her body and lowering my head, “don’t you know what you are doing to me, girl?” I growled into her ear.

Holding her firmly in my arms, I pressed her waist against mine, making sure she felt my firm member over our clothes.

She gasped, but I didn’t feel like letting go of her. She had teased me, now it was my turn.

“L… Leo…” she stammered.

I knew she was being affected. I didn’t stop. I hadn’t even begun yet. I trailed soft k****s down her neck, over her collarbone and especially on her sweet spot – the place where she was supposed to be marked.

“Mine,” I growled into her ear. I felt her stiffen. Her chest heaved against mine as she panted.

“Le… Leo” she mumbled in between her gasps of breath.

“Hmm?”

I replied and started to suck on her neck. She started it, but I was the one who would finish it. I lowered my hand towards her bum and gave it a little squeeze. She jerked up, and her hands tightened around me.

“Damn, I love you, Astrea,” I whispered in between my k****s.

“Leo… I…” she wheezed. After halting my k****s for a moment, I studied her face. Her eyebrows had shot up and her forehead was wrinkled a little as she desperately gasped for breath. She kept looking into my eyes as if asking for more. Her pretty lips had parted, inviting me to devour them.

I didn’t waste time. I claimed her lips in mine, hungrily tugging at them while my hands scoured her form. She responded just as desperately. Our tongues fought for domination until I won and invaded her mouth.

Her m***s fueled my fire.

Before we knew it, the buttons of her shirt had become undone, revealing more of her body than I had seen before.

“Fúck” I g*****d as I buried my face in her chest. She arched her body, allowing me better access.

“Mmm,” she g*****d.

Once again, I kissed her marking spot, making her shudder, and this time, I took her hand and placed it on top of my stiff member over my clothes.

“Look at what you did to me, woman,” I whispered.

“Leo…”

She sounded like she was out of words. Yet, her small fingers wrapped around it, making me g***n in pleasure.

A strange smell hit my nostrils, making me squint. That smell was mixed with her wonderful scent, yet it was alluring. It kept pulling deeper into the reverie.

“She is aroused,” I heard Zoro in my head.

My eyes dilated. I guess I wasn’t the only one who was heated up.

I gulped. Should I? I wondered.

Carefully studying her demeanour, I lowered my hand towards the top of her belt. She didn’t stop me. She looked straight into my eyes, looking determined.

Oh, she wanted it.

Gulping down the accumulated saliva in my mouth, I ran my tongue over my lips.

Suddenly, the door flung open, startling us.

“Astrea….” the Queen froze when she saw us. Her mouth hung open and her eyes widened, apparently shocked. Astrea hastened to button up her shirt and cover her body.

Pursing her lips, the Queen crossed her arms across her chest.

“I had come here to see Astrea and saw that the door was open ajar. But…. what is happening?” She asked, cócking her eyebrows at us.

I suddenly felt my throat tighten. Hadn’t we closed the door behind us? What a blunder!

“Leo?”

I felt that my heart might leap out of my chest when she addressed me. However, I cleared my throat and faced her.

“Yes, Your Highness,” I replied as firmly as I could.

Her face was hard to read. I could detect absolutely no emotions on her face.

“What is going on between the both of you,” she solemnly asked.

I glanced at Astrea. Her face was flushed and her gaze was lowered and her arms were wrapped around her body, as though to comfort herself from the humiliation of getting busted.

“I… I love her, Your Highness,” I mumbled out my reply.

The Queen smiled a bit, as she scanned our faces.

“And? How about you, Astrea?” She asked.

I looked at her in anticipation. When she nodded and looked at the Queen, I felt my heart soar with joy.

“I love him,” she confessed. Despite the situation we were in, her confession was enough to make Zoro spring up in euphoria. An involuntary smile crooked my lips, however, when I saw the Queen’s intense face, I quickly pushed my lips into a grim line.

“Are you mates?” She asked.

Lowering my gaze, “no,” I whispered. That was the problem. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have had to keep ourselves a secret.

A heavy sigh escaped the Queen’s lips. But when she chuckled humourlessly, I felt a little hopeful.

“Young love,” she chuckled. “But… What if you meet your mate?” She voiced her concern. “Have you thought about what your parents might think?” She asked, raising an eyebrow.

I shifted on my feet. Those were our concerns in the first place.

“We did think about that, but…” I trailed off. What was I supposed to tell her? She was the Queen. My mom’s best friend and a close friend to Astrea’s parents too.

What if she tells them?

“But?” Her countenance remained the same – unreadable.

“I… we… ” I trailed off.

She heaved a breath and stepped inside.

“If you were both lycans I wouldn’t have intervened. But wolves find their mates. Imagine what you would have to go through if when your mate comes around, he finds out that you have already chosen a mate,” she stated.

“I would reject him. I know what I want,” Astrea finally spoke.

The Queen’s lips curved in a sad smile. “You don’t know what that feels like. Being rejected is the worst pain a wolf could feel. It literally feels as though someone has ripped your heart out of your chest. You don’t want to put anyone through that pain, Astrea. At least not someone who is innocent,” she paused for sometime.

“Karma won’t let you live in peace, honey. I don’t want that for either of you,” she added softly.

Her unreadable expression had softened and she spoke as though she knew what it was. I frowned, wondering if she had felt that pain, but didn’t comment.

I felt my heart sink. The Queen had a point. Sighing, I closed my eyes.

“But I didn’t find my mate. I was hoping to find him when I turned eighteen, but that didn’t happen,” Astrea complained. “I… I don’t know what to do… we are in love… I… we have been trying to ignore it for days now. But…”

Smiling kindly, the Queen stepped forward and hugged Astrea.

“It’s okay honey. Sometimes our emotions are out of our reach. But take my advice. Both of you are still young. And we have a huge quest in front of us. You will leave in a couple of hours and Leo, too, is yet to complete his transformation. So why don’t you give it a couple of months more? If you don’t find your mate by the time we sort this problem with the rogues out, you can talk to your parents about it,” the Queen said and held Astrea at her arm’s length.

“I don’t have any objection as long as they don’t mind. Just keep in mind, Astrea. You are the future leader of your pack. Whatever you do will affect your pack and you are unintentionally setting an example for the next generation. So don’t do anything in haste,” she added.

She then looked at me and smiled.

“I understand that both of you are over eighteen now, and Leo has the choice to choose anyone he wants as his mate,” she paused. “But please, wait for a little. Please?”

She glanced at me with pleading eyes. I smiled sadly and nodded.

The Queen patted my arm and faced Astrea.

“Astrea. I came here to tell you that we are arranging a little tea in the evening for the recruits. So come downstairs? Leo, you too.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” I mumbled.

“I… am going to leave. Leo,” she smiled. “Go.” She gestured to me and left.

Sighing, I glanced at Astrea, who had a glum expression on her face. Signs of grief were reflected in her deep eyes. It pinched my heart painfully. I didn’t want to see hurt in them. She deserved the best and I want her to be happy.

“I want you, Leo. I truly want you, no one else,” her voice quivered as she spoke. She took in a shaky breath.

“I love you,” she whispered as her eyes glossed.

Gazing deeply into her eyes, I cupped her face.

“Hope for the best, my love. I… I don’t want to lose you. But she is right. We will wait until I complete my transformation and then I’ll ask for your hand in marriage,” I promised.

Her eyes filled with hope.

“Marriage?” She asked.

Nodding my head, “Yes, my love. I’ll wait for you,” I told her.

It took every fiber in my being to stop myself from kissing her. I slowly stepped away from her, my gaze lingering on her sad eyes as we parted.

With a heavy heart, I tore myself away from her room, and before my emotions took control, I dashed away from the area.

Wait for me, Rea. I’ll wait for you.

I went straight into my room and lay on my bed. I knew my friends would most probably be waiting for me in the library, but I just couldn’t find the motivation to go back.

My phone rang. It was Xander.

“Hey,” I answered, not caring if he could detect my sorrow in my tone.

“Hey, what happened? Are you okay?” He asked, and for the first time in my life, I found myself tearing up over a girl.