You Rejected Me. Remember?

Leo

I couldn’t move or speak because I was stunned. Was it true that I was her great-grandson? Did I just walk into a relative’s home? Who would have imagined such a thing?

I glanced at her without saying anything. For a long time, I had been waiting for someone who would recognise me. When I eventually met someone who claimed to know me, however, I felt compelled to demand confirmation of her assertions.

I didn’t want to be taken advantage of. I wasn’t eager to believe whatever I was told. But I couldn’t think of anything to say. Her reaction was not what I had anticipated.

“Leo,” she said with a smile, but she frowned when I continued to look blankly at her.

“What went wrong? Is there a problem, Leo?” She inquired.

I forced a smile on my face. It was strange to hear someone address me by a name other than the one I had become accustomed to during the previous several weeks. I made an effort not to show it. Nonetheless, I believed I was failing.

I cast a peek towards Jace, who gave me a kind nod. I knew he was trying to get me to speak up, but I couldn’t. My mouth was open, but no words came out.

“What’s going on?” miss Wilma inquired, her brow furrowed in a deep frown.

“He doesn’t recall anything about himself, Miss Wilma. He can’t even recall his own name. We’d been calling him Jack and tried to find someone who might recognise him, but no one had ever come across him until now,” Jace informed her.

The old lady locked her gaze on him for a few moments before turning to face me. Her gaze was drawn to mine, as if she were waiting for answers.

“What’s up, Leo?” she inquired. “You have no recollection of anything? Zoro, how about you?” She asked, looking straight at me.

It added to my confusion. Zoro? Who was that, exactly? I shook my head and furrowed my brow.

“Who is Zoro?” I inquired.

Her lips were parted, and she gave me a worried look.

“I suppose I should scan through your head,” she told me.

She took us into the room. Jace stood behind me, as he always did, offering his support. I drew him in closer and spoke to him.

“Are you certain she’s trustworthy?” I muttered under my breath, when she walked ahead of us.

“Of course. What would she gain by pretending?” he whispered back.

I noticed her pull out a wooden chair out of a room.

“Leo, please have a seat. While I work on you, I believe it would be better if you sat down “she stated

I took a step forward, thinking that the only way to find out if she was telling the truth would be to believe her right now. At the very least, Jace seemed to believe in her.

I sat in the chair, swallowing my anxiety.

She said, “Close your eyes and relax.”

While she whispered something beneath her breath, her chilly fingertips brushed against my temple. I tried but failed to understand what she was doing.

Finally, I gave up attempting to decipher her peculiar language and let her get on with her business.

I felt a nudge in the back of my head. It felt as if a hostile force was attempting to infiltrate my mind. It began as a minor sting, but it quickly became more intense.

It was little enough to be overlooked at first. Nonetheless, soon my head felt like it was about to burst. While attempting to withstand the power, I found myself clasping my fists together. Despite the coldness of the air, I was sweating profusely.

She finally let off of me and took a step back.

“Leo, open… open your eyes,” she said. It was only after I opened my eyes that I realised the force I had felt had also touched her.

She was panting heavily. She took a tissue from Jace and cleaned her face with it. He also offered one to me.

“I couldn’t see anything,” she exclaimed as she sat down on the house’s couch.

“Come here, Jace and Leo,” she said, motioning to the unoccupied seat in front of her.

She slumped back into the sofa, her body lying on the cushion. Perhaps the amount of energy she expended had exhausted her.

“I was unable to access your memories. They were obstructed in some way. Your mind is as big as an abyss. There’s nothing but darkness in there “she said, her face distorted in worry as she looked at me.

I nodded, sighing. “That’s exactly how I’m feeling right now. My past is a mystery to me, and I’m feeling lost. I’m delighted Jace and his family came upon me that day. They were there for me every step of the way. They even paid for my medication and became my pals at a time when I most needed them “I admitted it and cast a sidelong glance at him.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to reciprocate their generosity,” I said with a genuine smile that he returned.

He chuckled as he lifted his hand to fist bump me.

He said, “We’re like brothers,” and I agreed. We truly were like brothers.

Miss Wilma’s happy expression told me she was thrilled. She bowed her head and rubbed her palms together.

“I’m glad as well. I now regret not returning sooner from the lycan kingdom. I’ve come to attend a crucial function that I couldn’t miss. I still need to return. I sensed the presence of negative energy in the palace area while I was there, but it didn’t persist long enough for me to follow it down. I’ll return to my work as soon as the event is expired. I will not allow anyone to abuse magic in any way “she said, her gaze turning to me.

“And, Leo, there’s so much we need to get done. First and foremost, we must inform your family members. They are worried sick about you. Your folks don’t get much sleep at night. They’re attempting to convince everyone that everything is fine, but they can’t hide from me, can they?”

Her eyes reflected emotions she’d been suppressing for a long time. My desire to meet my parents grew stronger. As I observed her face, my lips parted. She appeared to be a decent elderly lady. Jace was absolutely correct. What would she gain if she pretended to be someone else? She’s got to be telling the truth about me.

“And there’s Astrea… The poor girl is in shambles. I can sense the melancholy that she is surrounded by,” she went on.

My heart raced a little faster. Astrea… My mate. Miss Wilma had been telling the truth all along. If she wasn’t related to me, she wouldn’t have known my soulmate’s name.

“Astrea?” As a smile grew across my face, I whispered.

“Do you recall her?” She asked, her eyes twinkling with hope.

With a shake of my head, “No, I don’t. But I have a mark on the crook of my neck with her name etched on it,” I told her, lowering the collar of my t-shirt to allow her to see my mark.

Her wrinkled face lit up with a broad grin.

“Yes, indeed! The mark!” Clapping her hands together, she exclaimed. “I’m not sure why I didn’t think of that before!”

She jumped from the couch and stumbled straight to a closed door, which I assumed was another room. We awaited her return with bated breath. She did so while clutching a purse in one hand and squinting at a phone which she held in the other.

“Now… where is her phone number…” she muttered under her breath as she slid her fingertip across the screen.

“Here…” she said, a satisfied grin on her lips. “I’m calling your mom,” she added, putting the phone to her ear and grinning from ear to ear.

My mouth became parched. My…mom?

Throughout the chat, my heart thudded hysterically in my chest. Was she, in fact, talking to my mother? I grasped at every word, wishing I could hear my mother speak.

“Yes. He is now safe,” she remained silent as she listened to my mother speak.

“Both yes and no. I’m afraid I won’t be able to depart right now. If I do, I’m afraid the king will be upset. He had requested that I stay for a few days. Only until the Wizards’ Conference, which takes place every year at the Academy of Magic,” she got off on a tangent.

“Yes, yes, yes. You are welcome to come. Remember to bring Astrea… sure, you can talk to him.”

She smiled as she handed me the device with which to communicate.

I cleared my throat and nervously held the phone against my ear.

“H..hello?” I stated.

There was a brief pause, followed by a sniffle.

“Leo,” a feminine voice said, making my heart skip a beat. I took a big gulp of air. I’m guessing my given name was Leo. But who was Zoro, anyway? I resolved to inquire about him later with Miss Wilma, so I remained mute.

“We’ve missed you, Leo… Wait… we’re heading there…”

The conversation came to an end. I gave the phone to Miss Wilma, who glanced at the blank screen.

“Are they on their way?” she inquired, and I nodded, leaving her with a satisfied smile.

“Umm… Miss Wilma…” I attempted to ask about Zoro. Yet, when she scowled at me, I trailed off.

“What? I’m your great-grandmother. Please continue to refer to me as nanna, as you did in the past,” she said, her lips pressed together in a small pout.

Her expression suddenly shifted to one of sadness as she waved her palm in the air. To my surprise, a scenario appeared in the air, playing out like a movie in front of my eyes. I was speechless as I watched the events unfold in front of me.

Miss Wilma shared the same residence. The interior and furniture were identical to the one we were in.

“Grandma,” said a tall woman with dark hair and blue streaks who hugged her. I was surprised to see myself walking into the room after the lady. It seemed as though I were viewing a taped video.

“Nanna, hello there. I haven’t seen you in a long time,” I hugged her and smirked.

The scene faded away, returning me to the present. Her lips twisted into a sorrowful smile as she stared deeply into my eyes.

“That was a memory from a few years ago. Before travelling to the Lycan kingdom for training, you came to see me with your parents. You used to refer to me as Nanna. So don’t change anything about that,” she requested.

“Nanna,” I responded meekly, smiling.

“Were you going to ask me something, Leo?” she said, nodding.

“Yes,” I said, “who is Zoro?”

“Why, Zoro is your lycan.”

My mouth was hanging open. My ears couldn’t believe what they were hearing. I shook my head and blinked. Maybe I misheard her.

“Excuse me?” I inquired.

She shrugged her shoulders and said, “he is your lycan. Zoro is the friendly beast that lives within you. You see, you’re not like the rest of us. Your mother is a lycan-sorceress hybrid, and your father is a werewolf. You, too, are similar to her,” she gave a kind smile while she explained.

I sucked in a deep breath. I never thought learning about myself would be so overwhelming.

“I understand how perplexing it is,” she suddenly commented.

“I’ve seen into your head. It’s completely empty. But don’t worry, we’ll figure it out together,” she promised.

I leaned back and ran my fingers through my hair after taking a big breath. I so wanted to believe her. I sincerely hoped that we could work things out such that everything made sense to me.

“Grandma?”

A female voice called from outside the room we were in. I narrowed my eyes. That voice…

Suddenly the tall woman with dark hair and blue streaks stumbled into the place we were in, followed by a well-built male who had dark brown hair. They gaped at me, shocked and speechless. Another young brunette stumbled in after them.

As our eyes made contact, my heart raced and my breathing hitched. She most definitely was the most beautiful girl I had laid my eyes on.

“Mate,” the girl exclaimed, staring at me with glossed eyes.