Rejection is a Two Way Street

Camden shifted his baby into fifth gear swerving to the right cutting off Trey; forcing him off the road. They raced up the windy hill towards the pack house. I press the gas pedal to the floor gaining the lead and putting more distance between us. Slamming on the brakes bringing my convertible to a screeching halt at the main entrance.  I patiently waited for Trey leaning against my car smirking as he pulled beside me.

"Camden, man, that was dirty back there." Trey yelled jumping out of his Camaro.

I shrugged my shoulders slapping Trey on his back. "Hey nothing is fair when dealing with fast cars or fast women!" Trey laughed along with me as the front door swung open revealing my mother.

"Hi boys, Camden your father would like to speak to you both. He's out back at the pool."

My dad was sitting under one of the umbrella patio tables working on his laptop and we both sat in one of the patio chairs. Dad didn't acknowledge us for a few minutes until he was done typing. He shut the laptop and leaned back into his chair watching us before he spoke. Dad used this tactic whenever he was about to tell us something important to unnerve us but it didn't work on me. However I noticed that Trey squirmed a little in his chair as he waited anxiously for the alpha to speak.

"Boys you are starting college tomorrow and I know that I don't have to express how important it is to maintain a sense of decorum. You are the future leaders of the RedWood Pack and I expect that you carry yourselves as such. At the university there will be other packs there, so I don't want either of you to get tangled up in any situation that would cause dissension among our packs. Do I make myself clear?"

We both replied in unison, "Yes sir."

"As I understand it, Trey you have already found your mate?"

"Yes sir."

"Well Son then most likely you will find your mate at school. You are to report immediately to me once you have found her."

"Yes sir."

"Trey, will you please leave us alone." Trey quickly made his escape back into the house.

"Camden, son, you're eighteen and I know that you would like to have fun before you find your mate. Just don't overdo it. When you turn twenty-one you will be alpha and you will need your mate before that happens."

"I know Dad. I promise I will keep a look out for my mate. I will let you know as soon as I find her."

"Good. Well everything is set up for you at the apartment near the campus. Don't forget to call your mother regularly; she will be lonely while you are gone."

"I will Dad."

Thirty minutes later we had swapped cars and packed a few more things into the back of the SUV. I waved to my mom in the rear view mirror as I pulled away from the pack house towards freedom.

"Free at last!" I turned on the radio rocking to the latest song as it blared through the speakers.

"I'm telling you man, your dad scares the hell out of me! It was like he could see right through me during that speech about 'be a leader'. I almost wanted to piss on myself when he talked about you finding your mate."

"For second, I thought you had ratted me out!" I shook my head.

"Camden, man, you are still not going to go through with your plan if you find your mate?"

"Hell yeah, if I find my mate at this school I will reject her. I'm not ready. For the first time I'm free to live my life without the hassle of my dad looking over my shoulders constantly and carrying the weight of the pack. I plan on having fun and lots of it."

"Camden, I hear what you are saying but you just don't know. It is easier said than done. When you find your mate that is pretty much all you can think about. Trust me on this."

"Trey you're just pussy whipped. Fara has you wrapped around her finger."

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"Melissa, you know I don't have room for all those clothes. Nor will all those clothes fit in your small dorm room. Unless you have changed your mind and will be moving into the apartment with us?" Christy laid out across my bed watching me walk back and forth from my closet to one of three suitcases I had lined up against the wall.

"Christy, I already told you that I want my own space in the dorm. Plus I don't want to be around you and your mate sucking face all day and night." I made a gagging noise as I held two black skirts in my hand.

"The one on the left." I threw the recommended skirt in the suitcase and hung the rejected one back into my closet.

"Look Melissa I know how hard it has been to be around our group because most of us have found our mates. But you know that we lov..."

"Let me stop you right there. I will admit that when everyone found their mate in the first year of their sixteenth birthday, I was envious and sad that I hadn't found my mate. But now as I have watched all of you for the last two years I am relieved that I haven't met him. I mean I don't want someone who is constantly following behind me, checking out my every move, deciding what is good for me." Just on cue Christy cell phone beeped. "See that is what I'm talking about, you have been over here for forty-five minutes and Kevin has text you what three or four times. I mean what the hell does he think we are going to do? Invite some boys over and have an orgy in my room?"

"As usual Melissa you are exaggerating. For your information he was texting me to tell us to be ready in ten minutes he will be here to load your things. And FYI there is nothing wrong with wanting to be with your mate all the time. You will see when you find him."

I rolled my eyes and finished collecting shoes, purses, and scarfs putting them into the suitcases. "Well I look forward to starting my first year of college and I will tell you I can't wait to explore all the things life has to offer without the burden of a mate."

"Has it occurred to you Melissa that you may find your mate at this school?"

"Fate wouldn't be that cruel. I want to least enjoy being mateless for the first few years of college and then settle down with a mate after college. Or better yet maybe after a few years of work and then I can find my mate. I mean really college is only a small part of our long life and yet it is the best time of our life. This is the time where we can live as adults but not be weighed down by all the realities of adulthood. I can party, flirt, and date as many boys as I want without the oppression of a mate. Christy I can't tell you how excited I am about going away. Freedom and independence here I come!"