-Anger does not solve anything. It builds nothing, but it can destroy everything-
(Since Damarion is unconscious, I have italicised his point of view until he regains consciousness.)
Rejected. My mate rejected me without giving me an explanation or even a chance to earn his trust and love. I have dreamed and fantasised about the day I would meet my other half. In all of them, we happily accept each other and look towards a brighter future together. Never did I think about them denying me. In my fantasy, the notion of rejection was non-existent.
I have this vision, a vision that when I find my fated love, we will get to know each other and be comfortable around one another in the first three months. Then, execute the first step into the mating process which is accepting your mate. In the first three months, we will continue to live separately, but after the first step has been taken, he or she needs to move into my home.
If my mate belongs to another pack, I will give him or her about a week to bid their family and friends farewell, but if he or she belongs to my pack, they will get only one day because they can visit their family and friends whenever they want. The only exception is before they leave pack ground, I should be informed about it. Just for future reference.
Living together may pose another task - us getting use in doing so. Now, many of us think that staying with another person is all merry and roses, but in reality, guns and roses. You have to consider the ups and downs, especially in the first few days. There will be some clashing, but by working together, all will sort out and fall into place.
Obviously, nothing has been realised since I got dump and fainted. Am I that weak? I can hear all the commotions around me; the pacing, growling, yelling, and someone whispering sweet nothings in my ear while caressing the top of my head. The one thing I’m not sensing is the presence of my wolf. I will myself to wake up, but my body is not cooperating. I feel so light, and yet heavy at the same time. What is going on?
I search for my wolf deep within my head, but still nothing. Where is he? Has he given up already? We have not had the chance to embrace our mate yet. Does he want someone else to take care of him instead of us? To love him in all the ways possible. To hear his cries as they pleasure him? Does he not care that they will experience what is supposed to be ours and ours alone?
I know thinking these may be considered low of me because a wolf feels more than its human, but I personally cannot allow anyone else to have what was given to me. Elian is my soul mate and I will do anything to have him beside me. I do not care for his reasons since he did not give me one in the first place. If the reason is someone else, they will know my name, for I, Damarion Herrera, will fight them head-on. No one and I mean no one, will take what is mine.
A loud growl reverberates inside my head, as I feel the energy within my core replenishes ten folds. I can now sense him at the forefront of my mind. I guess he was listening, and by hearing my thoughts on the situation, he also has taken a decision - we will fight for our mate and it doesn’t matter who stands in our way. Love and determination conquer all.
“He moved. I felt him move his fingers just now,” I hear the cheerful voice of my mother.
“Are you sure, Quinn? It could have been your imagination or you, yourself, might have move them since you haven’t let go of his hand for a while,” Dad points out.
A frustrated growl fills the room. “I’m not an idiot, Val. Damarion’s fingers just twitched.”
“Luna, please, allow me to check in on him,” a soothing voice says, earning another growl from my mom. The woman is hard-headed, I’ll give her that.
“Quinn, let Dr Rena do her job. You have been by his side for I don’t know how long. You’re not qualified to help him in this state, so quit your stubbornness already,” my father growls, anger prominent in his tone.
“Don’t you dare use your alpha tone on me, you prick. Sometimes I wonder if you really care for your children, because you don’t look like it.”
An enraged roar shakes the place, letting everyone know how the alpha is feeling. Mother has crossed a line she should not have. Telling an alpha he does not care for his pups when one of them is unconscious for unknown reasons right in front of him, and the helplessness he feels for not being able to do a thing is the dumbest shit one could say. Clearly, she is not in her right mind.
“Alpha, calm down. You must forgive the Luna since she’s in distress right now. I’m sure she didn’t mean what she said,” Juan, always the peacemaker.
“You think? She must have been thinking it for a while, and only now was she able to say it out loud, given the issue,” Dad snaps. Things got heated real fast.
“All of you, please, tone it down or I will have to ask you to live here. As a doctor, the well-being of my patient is a priority to me. I’m sure you can understand that,” Dr Rena calmly advises.
I think it is about time I wake up before one of them hurts the other farther than this. My father is right though. It almost resembles the saying along the lines of ‘a drunk action reflects a sober thought’. My predicament is affecting them gravely, and in a bad way at that. So, what do you say wolf? Lend me your strength. The low growl means yes, I think.
Opening my eyes slowly, I observe my surrounding before making my presence known. “You guys should really keep it down, you’re in a hospital for goodness sake.”
My mother’s smiles is the biggest as she runs to my side and engulfs me into a tight hug for the second time today. I return her hug, reassuring her that everything is okay with me. I may be hurting from the rejection, but I will endure for the time being. Elian must have a really convincing explanation to tame the beast inside me, judging from the dark aura coursing through my being. He is livid.
“Son, can you tell us what exactly happened to you yesterday?” I look up at my father, frowning at his words. Yesterday? Damn, I have slept the rest of yesterday and half of today.
I sigh at the remembrance of the worst day of my life. “I got dump.”
“You got dump? What do you mean?” Dad grumbles.
“He means his mate rejected him,” surprised gasps fill the room along with two simultaneous growl at registering Beta King’s statement.
“Who? Who was it, son?” The change in his tone means his wolf is on the surface. Just great. If I don’t say anything, he will rally up every wolves and find out for himself. The perks of being an alpha. Tsk.
I glance up at the beta before answering my father’s questions. “Elian.”
Another round of gasps and growls echo in the small space. I think I also heard a “damn it, boy”.
“That’s why you were looking at him like that. He’s your mate,” Kianna states, remembering yesterday’s exchange.
“Wait, wait, wait... You mean to tell us my little brother is your mate or is there another Elian in this pack?”
Alisa backhanded him in the stomach while muttering ‘sorry’ to me. I smile, averting her gaze. Leave it to Joe for cracking jokes in times like these. I’m really not in the mood to entertain him, considering I have unfinished business with his brother. My wolf growls, backing me up. We have a mate to claim and sitting here won’t do it.
“Juan. Where is your son?” My father sternly asks.
The beta gulps, as my father’s stare on him intensifies. “He’s at home with Mariel and Jayda, Alpha.
“Tell your mate to bring him here right this instance.” The command is final.
“Val, don’t you think it’s best to leave the matter alone for now. It’s between Elian and our son, so we shouldn’t meddle in it. It doesn’t concern us,” Mom argues while the others nod in agreement.
Dad pins her with an angry look. “Now, it’s your turn to shut up, Quinn. When all this has been dealt with, you and I will have a genuine talk about the behaviour you displayed to day.”
“And what will you do, spank me till I beg for mercy. I’m not one of those little weaklings, Val. Your intimidation won’t wo-”
“I said shut the hell up, Quinn!” Dad yells, effectively rendering the whole room silent.
“That’s it. I need you all to leave this room, please. I have to check on Damarion and all you guys are doing is preventing me from doing that properly,” Dr Rena instructs, and I pray they all concede to her words. I need some quiet time.
All of them leave without further request, and I breathe out in relief. I know they are trying to help, but they should really mind their own business. I’m twenty-one and I believe I can handle things on my own. I may need their help, but not today. Right now, I need to take care of myself, and then figure out how to go about this. I cannot rush things.
“So, how are you feeling, Damarion?” The doctor smiles, all while examine me.
“Good, I think. I have a headache, but that’s about it.”
“Good. I will prescribe you some painkillers and Soothing oils, as with times the rejection will take a toll on you. Mostly your body and that is when you have to use the oil. It’ll help you,” she notifies. “If you don’t mind me asking, did you accept the rejection?”
I shake my head no, and her mouth forms an “Oh”.
“Why did you ask me this?” I mumble, staring her in the eyes.
“Since you didn’t accept, the pain will increase every day. Not just for you, but for Elian and given that he is an omega, it is going to be way worse.”
Now it is my turn to say “Oh”.
Damn you, Elian. Doing things on impulse. I wonder how he is feeling… Is he suffering like me? He must be and it is all his fault. But, I still want him.
I need to see him. He has to give me a chance or at least an explanation to help me understand why his mind-set is this way. Why doesn’t he want a mate? What could have possibly happened to him while we were at the camp? My wolf growls at the last question. If someone hurt him, they will pay with their life. It is non-negotiable.
“Okay, you’re good to go and don’t forget to pick up your medicine. Drink plenty of water and get some good rest, your body will need it.”
I smile at Dr Rena and thank her. “I will.”
“Good, boy. Do not hesitate to contact me if you need further info. I’m available 24/7,” I nod my head while following closely behind her.
A shower is what I need as soon as possible. I reek. Passing the waiting area, I collect my medicine from the pharmacist before heading towards my home. I take this opportunity to let my wolf out, as I know he needs a run more than anything. I make a new turn and walk further into the woods to where the trees are thicker.
I do a backflip, transforming into my golden-furred wolf in mid-air and landing on all fours. He howls, clearly happy to be out. It has been a while since his last run. He loves being in tune with nature. Feeling the rough dirt under his paws and the earthy smell filling his snout, gives him a renewed vigour to just enjoy the time as much as he can. It is exhilarating.
“Dama,” my sister’s voice pulls me out of trance. I have been standing in front of the mirror in my bathroom for I don’t know how long.
“Coming,” I shout, washing my face for the last time.
I change into my black sweatpants, and put on some deodorant before hanging up my towels. Opening the glass door, I see Kianna lying on top of my bed, as she smiles at something on her phone. I wonder what it is… Now, thinking about it she said something about a human boyfriend. Huh. A wolf with a destined mate, pursuing love outside a bond. Intriguing indeed.
I perch myself next to Kianna, startling her. “Oh, I didn’t hear you coming,” she shrieks, turning beet red.
“Yeah, something on your phone had your full attention,” I quirk up a brow in question.
Kianna laughs heartedly. “It’s Mason. My boyfriend, remember?”
“No, I don’t. You never told me.”
“I began to do so, but was interrupted by our energetic mother,” Kianna indicates.
I smile, shaking my head. “Okay. Who is he? Where is he from? How did you two meet? And most importantly, how old is he?”
“What is this? An interrogation? I’m 15, Dama,” she exclaims loudly.
“Yes, 15 and still underage, even if you’re a wolf. You realise that you’re a year away from meeting your mate. What will you do about the human then?” I chastise, hoping Kianna understand where I’m coming from.
Being a wolf, it doesn’t matter if you want someone else instead of the one that was made for you. If the other person does not accept your rejection, then there’s a good chance that things will work out. It may take a while, but if you are meant to be, you won’t be able to stay away from each other. At least not for a long period.
“I understand what you’re trying to say, Dama. I know what I’m doing,” I look at my sister and the surety in her eyes look unfathomably sincere.
I shrug, giving up. “If you say so, but if things goes south later on, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“What happened to you won’t happen to me,” Kianna objects, and the moment she realises what came out of her mouth, it was too late.
I growl at her choice of words and storm out of the room. Kianna can be a real pest sometimes. She does not think twice before speaking and I hate that about her. I was just trying to help her see things the way it is, and this is what I get in return. I’m not saying she will go through the same thing as me, but if she does, I will gladly remind her of today’s conversation.
“-gone? Gone where, Mariel?” I hear shouting from the ground floor, and judging from the voice, it is my father.
I quickly descend the stairs, and make way towards my father’s office. Opening the double doors without knocking, six pairs of eyes land on me, and two of those are filled with fear. The rest of them with the exception of my father look at me with pity. What is going on? Why are they staring at me like that? And where is Elian?
“Son, I thought you were sleeping,” Mom states, breaking the awkwardness in the room.
“Kianna prevented that, wha-”
“I swear to god, that girl can be a pest when she puts her mind to it,” Mom murmurs, causing my father to glare her way. “It’s the truth.”
“What’s going on here? Where is Elian?” I demand, gaining all their attention.
“The boy is gone.”
My heart skips a beat. “What do you mean gone, Dad?”
“I mean, Elian has left the pack.”
I roar, enraged by the answer. “What?!”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hi, hi.. hope all is well. Unfortunately, this story is continued on Dreame platform. It is still free as of now, but in two months' time it might not be. So, if you guys want to read further, you can click on the dreame link in my profile and it will direct you to the story on my account.
Thank you for reading my excerpt and for the support. It means a lot to me ❤
Stay safe y'all xx