The Crow and The Wolf

Chapter 11

11.

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Not that she cared much about the male, but from the brief encounters they had together when they were pups, she always pegged him as a loner. Valeria remembered how he was before they grew up; to her, he never really changed, but back then she could always sense the longing in him, in his eyes, but now, not so much.

Maybe it was because she never really paid attention or cared enough to.

Valeria remembered the small little boy who always seemed to be sulking and frowning in the corner.

She would say they were friends, but she doesn't exactly remember how they came to be friends. He was a confusing friend, that much she remembered; he was okay one minute, and the next he seemed to hate everyone around him. Despite the confusion, she enjoyed his company and appreciated his humour. However, Valeria couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something deeper going on with him that she didn't quite understand.

And whenever he was okay, she would play with him, and there were moments he would laugh and smile, and it always made her smile as well. But he would change, but that didn't seem to push her away.

As time went by, things started changing, everyone started changing, and yes, they were growing, but at times Valeria would often think he was already grown. The way he talked, the way he did things, and his eyes grew colder with each passing day.

He began training as a beta, and the little time she could see him, he was gone. He was always with Zachery, and although part of her knew it was time for him to join the ranks, Valeria couldn't help but feel disregarded.

He isolated himself by erecting these huge walls around him; he didn't necessarily become the bad guy, but he might as well have been. He became a mystery to everyone around him, and at times Valeria would think he was a mystery to himself as well.

The word had spread that Luc had rejected his mate and that Serene was his chosen mate; she didn't understand why people seemed to run with the story, as if anyone could believe that Serene would become a beta wolf.

And while half of the school was trying so hard to figure out who the rejected soul was, Valeria was more concerned about the male. Why did he reject her? Who in their right mind would reject their other half?

Valeria ignored the buzz around the news and entered her physics class, where she immediately saw his fiery hair and subconsciously smiled.

Curiosity got the better of her, as she didn't waste any time trying to close the gap between them and sat in the seat beside him to ask why he had rejected his mate.

He was deafeningly quiet, his gaze fixated on the book in his hands. The books' pages were brown with a yellow tinge, and the book's edges were ripped, giving her the impression that it had been read often.

Valeria waited for some time and figured he hadn't heard her because of how focused he was on the book, but before she could ask again, Mr. Lonc entered the room and urged them to continue working on their reports.

She didn't know what to do at that moment because she wasn't that bright when it came to practicals and the male beside her was a stellar pupil in that department, but she didn't want to disturb his peace.

So, Valeria laid her head on her arms and watched him read. It gave her some sort of comfort to see his face soft and not in a scowl or fretful look. He appeared relaxed to her; his body was not tense as though braced for an attack, and the way he flipped through the pages with such patience made her feel weird, for she wasn't used to seeing him like this.

Watching him filled Valeria with calm as she let her thoughts run wild, wondering about her wolf, who had suddenly returned to her cave once again without a word.

Is she okay? What happened? Did I miss something?

Valeria looked at the male in front of him and couldn't help but want to know the reason behind his decision to reject his mate. The thought of rejection stung, and she didn't want to think about that possibility.

What if I get rejected?

That would never happen. Artemis wouldn't allow it. Right? Valeria questioned herself.

"Do you think I would reject my mate, Valeria?"

She lifted her head at his question and stared at the male in front of her. His eyes were still on the book, but she could tell he was listening, waiting for her response.

"You did," Valeria said with some certainty.

"And how do you know this? How do you know I even met my mate?" His voice was calm, like he was tired and just wanted to get the conversation over with.

"Well, I don't know that, but..." Valeria fumbled over her words.

"Then how would you know if I rejected my mate or not? " He sighed, "I haven't even met my mate, but from the tales that bounce off the walls in this school, it seems I have already rejected her."

He closed his book, and his green, vivid eyes carried a mixture of exhaustion and some anxiety. She was surprised—no, shocked—because Valeria didn't think she'd ever see such emotions in him in such an open manner towards her.

"Be careful of everything you hear, Valeria; words that bounce off walls can never be trusted," and as if waiting for her to give him an indication of understanding, Valeria gave him a small nod.

With that, he stood up from his chair, passed Mr. Lonc, and gave him a small nod before exiting the room.

Without her partner, she decided to do some homework, but she couldn't get what he said out of her head.

The bell eventually rang, and she left the building, finding Nicco waiting for her outside. The walk home was filled with Nicco going on and on about the drama at school, while Valeria's mind was clouded with the beta's words and her wolf.

She was worried that something had happened to her wolf that she didn't know about, and just that thought was enough to make her anxious.

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Luc gives me Batman vibes when I write about him, lol, like I literally imagine him in a suit at times.