You Rejected Me. Remember?

Leo

It was a colossal letdown. Everyone was disappointed with the outcome. I didn’t notice any changes after she marked me. It was as though Zoro had vanished.

As numerous thoughts agitated me, fear settled in my heart. What if my beast was no longer alive? What if the substance I was given killed him? It was a frightening concept. I didn’t say anything since I didn’t want to disappoint them any more than I already had.

Astrea was clearly discouraged, but she made a concerted effort not to show it. I was frustrated by the lack of results as well, but there was little we could do at the time.

“So, let’s call it a night and retire to our beds. We’ll figure it out, I’m sure,” Nanna let out a sigh.

“Since it’s getting late, why don’t you stay here for the night?” she indicated, as she cast a peek at my parents.

“We can’t stay. We’ll have to return. When we got your call, Amelia and I were trying to track down the dark energy you mentioned. We can’t put it off any longer. Who knows what they’re up to,” my mother’s brow furrowed.

As I glanced at Astrea, my lips parted. Did this imply that she, too, was on her way out?

“In the Lycan kingdom, a lot is going on. We’re worried that, like the last time, Calvin will launch his next attack during the next b***d moon. If he’s enlisting the aid of evil wizards, I’m confident they’ll accomplish something that night. He wasn’t going to be silent for long,” mom said.

“I’ll have to return as well. My squad has been put on high alert. I was given permission to come here tonight. There is still a lot of work to be done. We still need to find the Calvin-affiliated spy or spies among us, and we’re running out of time ,” Astrea told us.

“And the next b***d moon’s night isn’t far away,” Nanna murmured. “You must leave. As soon as the conference is over, I will join. It’ll be no more than three or four days at most. If I’m lucky, it’ll be over in two days,” she stated

Astrea gave me a hopeful look.

“Are you coming with us?” she inquired.

I cast a peek over at Jace, who shrugged. I wished to go with them. Despite the fact that my memories were gone, I was certain they were my relatives. They were both my parents and my companion in life.

Nonetheless, I couldn’t leave without meeting the family who had been so supportive of me over the past few months. They had saved my life and ensured me safety and comfort while I recovered. They provided me with a home and treated me as if I were a member of their family. If I didn’t offer even a thank you before leaving, I’d be considered ungrateful.

After taking a big breath, I mustered a smile.

“I’d be delighted to. But before I leave, I need to meet Jace and Jett’s families. I’d particularly like to meet Jett. He didn’t accompany us tonight. I won’t be able to leave without saying my goodbyes,” I told them the truth.

They exchanged nods. They appeared to get my reasoning.

“I’ll be returning soon. I’ll be able to take him with me,” Nanna offered to help.

Mom’s face lit up with a grin.

She answered, “That sounds like a fantastic idea.”

My father ruffled my hair and whispered, “See you soon, son.” Mom and Astrea hugged me alternately before holding hands. Mom gave me a grin before snapping her finger and they were gone in the blink of an eye.

***

I lay around on the bed for a long period that night, unable to sleep. I couldn’t stop thinking about Astrea and my parents. The way she flushed and spoke to me in a shy manner. After she marked me, I could still see her eyes twinkle with hope. The thrill on her face evaporated as soon as she realised I didn’t feel anything.

When my mother and father found out it didn’t work, I recall how they exchanged glances. They didn’t say anything, but I could see they were disappointed.

I sighed and rose to my feet. Why would Zoro refuse to awaken? Was he really gone?

“Zoro?” I called him and waited for an answer. However, all I could hear was silence.

“Come on, if you’re in there. You’ve got to get up,” I gave it another shot.

I stopped trying after calling Zoro for a few minutes with no success. I felt like a fool who was talking to himself. I sat back down on the bed and closed my eyes shut once more. I needed to get some rest. I intended to spend as much time with Jace and Jett as possible over these two or three days before I had to leave the kingdom for good.

The following day was jam-packed with activities. Jett and Jace stayed with me all day. I thanked his entire family from the bottom of my heart when they gathered for dinner that night. I knew there would be no adequate words to express my gratitude. Seeing their contented expressions, however, meant a lot to me.

That night, I slept late and was fatigued. My eyelids began to drop as soon as I sat down in bed, and before I realised it, I was drifting off to sleep.

I was shocked when I awoke in the middle of the night. In the back of my mind, there was a pinching sensation. I massaged my temples and shifted to the side, hoping to fall back asleep.

However, I was unable to do so. With the passage of time, the annoyance in my head grew stronger. Wasn’t sleep meant to be a restorative experience? I was perplexed as to why my body refused to relax. I was fatigued after a long and hectic day.

I thought I heard something. Maybe it was simply the breeze. I ignored it and buried my face in the pillow. I stayed like that until a stern voice called my name.

“Leo.”

I paused after removing the pillow from my face. Is it possible that I’m hearing things?

“It’s me, Leo.”

The voice spoke once more. I jumped out of bed and took a peek around the room.

“Who?” I inquired.

“It’s me, Zoro,” he said.

As the realisation hit me, a faint breath escaped my lips. Zoro? Really? My lips formed a small smile as they twitched.

“Zoro?” I inquired, eager to hear him speak again. It was surreal, but I had hoped it would happen sooner or later.

“So, what exactly happened? I’ve only recently awoken. I have the impression that this was not a typical night’s sleep. I’m experiencing an odd sensation,” he informed me.

Hearing his words inside my thoughts felt strange. Nonetheless, it was not unpleasant. It was as if my conscience was speaking to me, but instead of imagining it, I could hear true words within my head.

“Uh… Do you recall what happened before you fell asleep, Zoro?” I voiced my thoughts.

“Yes, please! Danisha is a scumbag! She confronted Xander and took action. I believe she possesses magical abilities as well. We need to warn them,” he spat out the words in a single breath.

Meanwhile, I was taken aback by what he had just said. Danisha? Xander? Those were probably the folks in my life before everything went wrong. Danisha had to have attacked both of us. I was curious if she knew Calvin, the man my parents and Astrea had mentioned earlier.

As I analysed the scenario, my heart thudded rapidly. Could Danisha, if she possessed magical abilities, be the source of the negative energy Nanna felt when in the Lycan kingdom?

He interrupted my stream of thought with, “by the way, what is this place? And why are you thinking about such things in the first place? Danisha, of course, is a traitor. Have you completely forgotten about everything?” he went on to say more.

I let out a sigh.

“Zoro, to be precise. Yes, indeed,”I told him what had transpired recently and explained it to him.

He exclaimed, “Damn. I hadn’t expected any of this when I awoke. They must have done something to make me hibernate, I suppose,” he muttered something.

“Wait a moment while I show you what happened previously. Relax and close your eyes,” he instructed.

I relaxed, ready to see what Zoro had in store for me.

It all started during my childhood. In the pack house, I was content to live with my folks. My parents were the beta family. My childhood best friend was the alpha’s daughter.

Astrea. My heart raced a little faster. It was her. Her eyes had the same twinkle in them even when she was a child.

We grew up together, but I was forced to go to train in the Lycan kingdom. I put in a lot of effort to train, and she showed up. We fell in love. That memory brought a smile to my face. She was absolutely correct. We were head over heels in love.

Zoro took me back to the night we discovered we were mates. My parents were right, but then I remembered why Zoro had done it. Astrea got afflicted after being forcefully marked.

The scene dissolved and the action picked up on the day we were attacked. We were on the lookout. It was Danisha… the blond b***h.

I began to feel sorry for Xander. His girlfriend was the one who betrayed us.

“That’s all I recall,” Zoro said. I knitted my brows. That wasn’t all, though.

“Jace and Jett discovered me beaten in the water, and they claim that I expended a lot of energy, implying that I attempted to fight back,” I explained.

“I’m not sure… maybe, If I had been available, you might have shifted to me. You may not have been able to contact me, so you fought with what you had,” Zoro responded. “Make an effort to recall. Did you fight with fire?”

My head hurt as I attempted to think. I began massaging my temples while groaning.

“Or maybe, you could go to bed. However, we must return and warn them. Danisha must go,” he declared emphatically.

I tried to sleep for the rest of the night and closed my eyes.

“Please, Zoro… I’m sure you’re in there! I require your assistance!”

I begged. I was surrounded by blue flames, but it was my current situation that worried me the most. Dirty and bloodstained. My clothing was drenched through and through. Sweat was dripping down my face in beads. I was doing everything I could to heal my damaged shoulder, but it was impossible without Zoro’s help.

Calvin’s lycan jumped over the flames and landed perfectly in the centre of the circle I had formed, much to my dismay.

“Are you trying to connect to your lycan? Too bad he is gone!”

Despite the pain in my body, I tried to fight him off. I wasn’t going to give up. A ball of fire formed on my uninjured hand but before I could shoot, something pricked in my left shoulder, taking me by surprise.

The sound of his menacing laughter made me want to throw up. I was losing hope.

“I won’t lie. I admire your courage. At such a young age and despite losing your lycan, you put up a good fight. You could have won. I would say you almost did. It’s too late now. We have injected the poison into your body.”

Poison? Was he telling the truth to me? I felt every ounce of bravery depart my body. Was this the last straw for me?

I was surprised and drenched in perspiration when I awoke. I looked at the time and then at the curtained window, panting. I slept through most of the day.

“Leo… that nightmare…” in my thoughts, I heard Zoro. I wiped my brow as I caught my breath.

“Zoro… I believe we have just witnessed how we came to be in this situation,” I responded.

He remarked, “Maybe… but that couldn’t have been poison.”

I nod my head, “Yes, indeed. But there’s no doubt he wanted to kill me. It just didn’t work out.”

“It’s time to go back,” he said, his determination growing.

“It’s time to put an end to him for good,” I agreed.