One Mate and a Rejection

Chapter 26

I headed home that day after the incident with Blade, my insides flaring with anger and confusion.

It wasn't fair really, how he gets to make all the shots. 

He decides exactly when to break my heart, and then goes on and burns the chest of some guy who was simply talking to me!

Something inside of me told me he was jealous but I couldn't believe it. Not when he decided to run over my feelings with a damn four-wheeler.

Jealousy couldn't be it.

I thought back to what he had told me. The thing that broke my heart the most.

"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."

So the whole thing has been a lie to him. A game that he possessed where he played with my emotions like a movie script.

But what could he have possibly gained out of it all? What was the purpose?

The new born feeling of what success? 

Being the punisher of the punished?

I was clearly the punished but for what?

Suddenly, it all seemed clear to me. He was making me pay, just as I had caused him to.  

I left him to shift alone, and he decided on a little revenge.

Tears coursed my eyes and I blinked as an attempt to discard them.  

He must have known I had no idea. I admit, I was blinded by the risky thought that my mate would be Jared. I should have taken a look around and stopped being so damn stupid but I'm not perfect and I apologized thousands of times!

Maybe I deserved it. I remembered the pain of shifting, i felt paralyzed despite everything in my body moving.  

The pain of my bones collapsing on each other, my limbs breaking and reforming.  

It was the most hardest thing and I think I would've died if Blade hadn't showed up.

I honestly couldn't believe how he survived it alone.

I guess the pain stuck with him and his anger still pulsed with him as he led me on.  

He hated me all that time.

My heart thudded and I thought of how much I deserved and didn't deserve it.

Well, I thought, what does it matter whether I deserved it or not? He won didn't he?  

He had me wrapped around his pinky, falling deeper and deeper for him, unaware of the pit of lava awaiting me below.

I didn't find it in me to be angry anymore. This cloud is shameful sadness that's overcame me held me hostage. I felt tired.

Was it always within his plans to lose his ability to shift? Did he not care?  

Maybe he was sick of being a werewolf. Perhaps he wanted to be some half living, half dead thing.

As he said, he'll probably still have his good looks.

I tried to sense my wolf but she was nowhere to be found. 

How can she, when her mate turned out to be her biggest traitor.

My fingers trembled as I fought to finish the last bit of my homework.

Just one more question, I thought.

A knock on the door interrupted my attempt.

"Come in," I answered.

Mom popped her head," There's a pack meeting tonight. I think your father said it was about a new member or something...I don't know."

"What time?" I asked, assuming the meeting was to welcome Jace and his family.

"Six o'clock."

I looked up at the time. I only had half an hour to get dressed.

"You could have told me earlier."

"Sorry, forgot."

She shut the door leaving me to get dressed.  

I put on anything clean which consisted of black jeans, a nude colored tank top and a red cardigan.

We left the house about ten minutes later, arriving at the pack house in less than 15.

My eyes darted around and recognized some faces. 

Lisa and John stood by Lisa's dad who was no doubt, talking about golf because John looked ready to shoot himself. 

Jared and Jasmine were there, seated on the sofas, talking.

Jason and Amanda were kissing which brought a look disgust on my face.

Gross, I thought as I whipped my sight away.

Finally, I spotted Jace, smiling brightly, talking to some of our members.

I noticed his chest seemed a bit too puffed out. I remembered the second degree burn Blade had given him. He probably put some sort of cooler patch on there.

When he caught me staring at him, he send me a friendy wink.

I smiled back and turned to my mother who was comforting dad about his broken BBQ, promising she'd get him a better one.

Oh yeah, I thought, I broke it.

The meeting began a couple of minutes later and Jared's father took the stage to welcome Jace.

"...So please help me welcome the new member of Silver Reflections, Jace Heatherstin!"

We all clapped as he took the stage and bowed.

"Thank you everyone, I'm really proud to be a member of the Silver Reflections pack. You've done a great job making me feel welcomed. I promise to be as loyal as I can and to always protect my pack."