Looking To Belong (A Runt's Story)

Chapter 8

That doorway was a cross road, if I passed the threshold and met my mate, there were two possibilities. One path led to a potentially happy mate bond filled with love; the other path was rejection that would leave me crippled.

Rejection was rare, but not unheard of. It mostly occurred to those who were rogues, Omegas, or runts. The average werewolf would have flown through that door to find their other half once they caught the scent. As a runt, I had a huge chance of getting rejected. Thankfully, those odds were down due to Bruce's intervention. It was the only reason I took a slow and cautious step towards the front door.

The formation of the mate bond required eye contact, and until I was sure that I was not about to be rejected, I was going to be watching my feet. I was going to approach this situation carefully and use plenty of caution.

I slowly walked forward and dropped my eyes down to the ground as Terry opened the door. I was very nervous, and they would undoubtedly be able to see it. The alluring scent was stronger in here, and it made it hard to concentrate. I hesitantly followed Terry and Andy as they led the way. Bruce and Phil took up the rear, possibly to keep me from bolting in fear. I shook my head to try and clear it, but it didn't work.

My Omega senses weren't working properly and it made me even more uneasy. All I could sense was that coal. It had started glowing once I had entered the house, and it was overwhelming any other information my senses might have given me. I couldn't sense anything else.

The now-smoldering coal must be my mate; our proximity was slowly rousing the potential mate bond from dormancy. He was around the corner. I could hear whispering, although none of the voices belonged to my mate - they lacked the pull that his voice would hold.

"Hey, Eric. Smell anything yet?"

"No, just the four guys and a foresty smell. Nothing overpowering."

"Yeah, me neither. We will have to ask her later on how she cloaked her scent like that though. That is so cool."

I nervously followed Terry and Andy as we rounded the bend, ensuring that I kept my eyes down. It was hard, my rogue instincts made me want to look around to evaluate the situation and find possible escape routes since I knew that there were over a dozen people in the room. The smell was driving me crazy. I wondered what someone would look like with that kind of scent. Nothing could ever beat it; I loved that smell...

Silence reigned as I entered the room. I felt the coal glow brighter, like a fanned ember. A few moments later, I heard a set of heavy footsteps slowly begin to approach me. I heard a couple of them inhale in shock. One of the earlier voices murmured, "You have got to be kidding me..."

I stopped where I was and shifted my weight uneasily at that comment. My presence had not surprised them - they were shocked by the identity of whoever was walking towards me. It made me very nervous to say the least.

My worry and caution made me want to look up to see what had them so astonished, but my mind knew that I would almost certainly make eye contact, and the risk of rejection was not easily dispelled. I kept my eyes down as I sensed my mate approach me in silence. I trembled slightly with nerves and fear as he drew near.

My reading ability was unable to pick anything up from him to explain why the others were shocked. The glow of the coal in my mind was far too strong as it flickered with tiny flares of fire - it completely overwhelmed everything else in my senses.

A pair of heavy boots entered my view as he stood right in front of me. The boots looked as if they had seen hard use. A deep voice spoke softly, "Will you raise your eyes?"

The voice gave me goosebumps. He was definitely my mate. My long-held fears were not so easily silenced though. My voice shook as I quietly responded, "Are you sure you won't reject me? If you aren't sure, I can leave to give you more time..." I trailed off, I didn't want to leave. I would miss that intoxicating scent, and his voice would haunt my dreams despite only hearing it once.

I saw a large hand slowly enter my view. His hands had callouses that showed he was no stranger to hard work. His hand slowly moved until two fingers gently touched the bottom of my chin. Sparks exploded from his touch as he slowly lifted my face up. My green eyes met his amber ones, and time stood still.

My senses were flattened as the flickering coal burst into an intense flame. I felt a powerful, blinding wave of energy cascade through my senses and body as the mate bond took root in my heart and mind. Sensations and feelings I couldn't even name flooded my mind before settling.

Sparks flared up once more as he gently brushed his thumb across my cheek. His eyes held nothing but love. He gazed down at me with a soft smile. "I will never reject you."

Both the forming mate bond and my slowly recovering Omega senses assured me that he told the truth. My fear of rejection finally dissipated like morning mist under the rising sun.