The Dragon's Moon

Chapter 3: Learning Love

"For a wild rogue bent on running away," his voice had lowered until it rumbled in his chest, making my already hot blush get even hotter, "you sure act like you want to stay."

I bit my bottom lip and forced myself to match his gaze with confidence, "Don't feed me that loving bullshit. You just want to get in my pants and then toss me out like yesterday's trash." His eyes widened in shock, and I pressed my advantage by pushing him away from me, "You are just like all the other males I've run into, thinking with your privates rather than caring about the person in front of you."

I walked past him and stood in the middle of the room, my back to him and my arms crossed over my chest, "You only care about what you want and nothing else. So forgive me if I seem a bit distant."

I expected him to grab me and then force me to do what he wanted, but instead I felt my heart shudder as I heard his voice drop to a near whisper. "So you're rejecting me? You don't want me as your mate?"

It took all my willpower not to turn around and leap into his arms. "Yes. I don't want to be your mate." As soon as those words left my lips, I felt like I had just driven a spike into my own heart.

His next words took the stake and twisted it, nearly making me cry as I heard his slow footsteps walk towards the door, "Then you'll be a prisoner once more. I hope you're happy with the choice you've made."

With that the door opened and closed, the lock engaging again as I was left alone.

'Way to go dumbass!' Sarah yelled in my mind, "You made him think we didn't want him!'

'I don't want him!' I yelled back, 'I don't care what he says. He'll be just like the others, or even worse, he'll end up like my father.' I walked over to the bed and let myself fall on my back, 'I just can't get this feeling to go away.'

'That feeling like you've just had your world shattered?' Melanie asked softly, 'That pain in your heart like you just had it ripped from your chest?'

I nodded slowly, feeling tears threatening to fall from my eyes, 'I don't know what it is, but every word I said felt like I was taking a knife to my own body. Rejecting him felt like I had just destroyed every reason for living.'

I felt them both nod, 'Whatever it is," Melanie said soothingly, 'we'll live through it. We always have and we always will.'

'Yeah,' Sarah said with a sniff, 'we'll live and move on.' I heard her trying to stifle her sobs, 'I just don't think it will be all that soon.'

I finally allowed the tears to stream from my eyes, my breath hitching in my throat as my chest tightened painfully, "I don't care if it hurts. I need to get out of here as soon as possible."

I rolled onto my side and closed my eyes, willing the tears to stop as I curled up into a ball. Melanie and Sarah fell silent, for which I was grateful, though it did nothing to heal the hole that had somehow formed in my heart. I felt my shoulders shaking as I cried myself to sleep, and I wondered for a moment if I was going to die. It sure as hell felt like I was dying. I reached up and pulled a pillow to my chest, using the downy softness to stifle my gasping sobs as my tears soaked the fabric. I don't know how long it was before I fell asleep, but even in the depths of a dream, my pain continued.

I awoke some time later, feeling absolutely terrible. I wiped my crusted eyes with the back of my hand and pushed myself into a sitting position. I looked around and saw that I still had the room to myself, though at some point the sun had set, leaving just the pale moonlight to see by. I slowly pushed off the bed, feeling my legs shake slightly as I stumbled over to the bathroom. My hands felt clammy as the cold porcelain sink came into my grasp, and my stomach hurt from all the crying.