Fire & Rain

Attraction

* Althea POV* 

I followed Blaze as I saw him go away from the backyard. I saw him standing at an opening, and he was pacing out, frustrated. I was a bit afraid to approach him because of his angry look on his face earlier. But I needed answers. I wanted to know if he was happy that I was his mate, because I could feel otherwise. No matter how much I was happy that Blaze was my chosen mate, as I always wanted him to be, his wish also mattered to me. If ever he rejected me, as I knew he had someone else in his life, I would have to accept it. Even if the thought of him rejecting me was tearing me down, I would always choose his happiness over mine. If he was happy with that other girl, so be it. I could feel Rayn whining in my head. ' I know, girl, but we have to be strong.' To get all these answers, I needed to talk to him. 

As if sensing that I was there too, he looked towards me, and his face hardened. The happiness when mates found each other was not there on his face, and I knew it when our eyes met the very first time. Somehow, I knew that I wouldn't experience this feeling, given the fact that he loved someone else. I heard Alaya saying it to my mom earlier. I knew he had someone in his life, but I didn't know that he loved her too. That thought earlier made me upset, but now, with the possibility of being rejected by the man I always had a crush on, it was breaking my heart. I swallowed hard before I approached him cautiously. He nodded at me, and then I stepped closer to him, still unsure of what to say. I looked at him and saw the same hesitation, so I said the first thing I least expected myself, and it broke my heart to say this, but I knew I needed to for his happiness.

"So, just reject me already!" I said with tears in my eyes, but I refused to let them out. His eyes widened in shock, and he just blinked a few times, as if he couldn't believe I just said that. I knew for a fact that he didn't like me because every time he would visit Crystal Pack, he would avoid me or glare at me as if I were the most unpleasant creature around him.

"What? Why would you say that?" he asked surprisingly and looked at me still in shock.

"I know you are in love with someone else, and I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want to lose her because of me. So, reject me, and let's get done with this." I said in a cold tone, which even I cringed at it. Rayn was howling in my head to not do this, but I shut her down. I looked at Blaze coldly, just waiting for my rejection to get away from him.

*Blaze POV*

I was shocked when I heard Althea said to reject her. She knew that I loved someone else, and that hurt was clear in her teary eyes, and just looking at her eyes was breaking my heart as well. It was hurting me to see her like that, so I just approached her to make her feel better. But as I took a step toward her, she backed away. This reaction of hers pained me so much that I stood still and looked at her helplessly.

"Althea, I'm not going to reject you." I said to her, and I immediately saw a glimpse of relief and happiness on her face, but soon it turned to a frown.

"But you love someone else, Blaze," she stated, as it was a fact that was true, but I couldn't see her like that. I always had this crush on her, and to finally know that the Moon Goddess made her for me was a moment of ecstatic, but I couldn't ignore the truth that I loved Amelia. I didn't want to reject Althea because I knew that the pain would be unbearable.
'What should I do? I'm stuck between these two women.'  

"I know Althea. I'm not denying my love for her, but..." She instantly looked away from me, hiding her tears when I already saw them. I couldn't take it anymore, so I moved towards her and yanked her towards me. When her body collided with mine, those sparks instantly filled me, and it felt amazing. With her sweet and freshening scent and those sparks, I didn't think I would be able to move away from her again. Her scent was clouding my mind, and I couldn't think straight. I leaned my forehead against hers and closed my eyes, enjoying these new feelings I was feeling due to my closeness with Althea. My heart was beating faster, but I also felt peace. Maybe that was why mates are made to control each other's emotions, and that without a mate, a wolf would be dying.

I opened my eyes to look at Althea and saw that she also had her eyes closed and was just savoring this moment of new emotions. She was looking so beautiful at this moment that I felt my heart flutter. I grabbed her face gently and just looked at her. All these emotions that I had been feeling towards her since I was a teenager came back rushing to me.

"I don't want to reject you, Althea. I'm confuse!" I whispered to her huskily.

"What do you want to do then?" she replied as she opened her eyes and looked at me. She started to pull away from me, but I tightened my arm around her.

"I don't know. All I know at this moment is that my wolf wants to be close to you, and I just want to savor this peaceful moment with you. Please Althea!" I practically begged her to let me be close to her.

I felt her give in, and I lowered my head into her neck crook. The feeling of just sinking my teeth into her neck was strong, but I forced myself to not think about marking her yet as I still loved Amelia. Althea embraced my hug back and just played with the back of my head. I felt so peaceful and relaxed. Azar was so happy in my head, and with all these confusions that were going on in my head, I could feel all of that disappear when she was patting my head.

"We will eventually need to talk about everything," Althea said after a moment.

"I know Altha," I replied, lifting my head from her neck to look at her.

"What did you call me?" she asked curiously, and I looked away from her. I thought she wouldn't hear it.