Rejecting your mate.
Three simple words.
A whirlwind of emotions.
"Why the fuck do you think that's a good idea?" Klyden glared at Alarion.
The boys were in Alarion's room in the kingdom when the vampire announced his decision to reject his mate.
"I thought you told me not to get tied up with someone." Alarion reasoned, looking outside his balcony.
Pierre sighed. "It makes sense, but don't you think it's just a matter of time before word spreads? The rogues have already seen you two together."
Alarion shook his head. "No it's still early, I doubt they'd pull anything. Besides, I'm always going to look out for him--even after I reject him. Better to nip it at the bud."
"You've made up your mind." Kenji stated.
"This is stupid, Rion." Miles groaned. "People will definitely be after him."
Alarion gritted his teeth and turned to look at his friends. "What the fuck else can I do? He's a fucking human being. He already blames me for the attack. If I stay around him I'll just make things worse."
"This is more than just his personal life." Trey reasoned. "He's always going to be in danger here on out, isn't it better to let him in on everything?"
Alarion shook his head stubbornly.
"If he was a supernatural, I wouldn't even have made this decision. He's human, with a human family. They're not as strong as us, and they also don't need my trouble following them. Which is why I'll always protect him at a distance."
Alarion sounded committed to his decision, and there was nothing that people say would change his mind, unless it was his own mate.
"But it's not just your decision." Trey added. "Your mate is involved too."
Alarion looked at Trey with a funny look.
"Trust me, he's better off with his human life."
"You don't know that. I'm telling you, you're going to regret it." Trey stood up, looking at Alarion with a small smile. "You're not even willing to try."
Alarion turned back, leaning on the balcony, looking at the boys.
He's earned some friends.
He smiled to himself.
These guys are ready to give it their all. Knocking sense into Alarion, asking him not to make a stupid decision. There's nothing that separates their thoughts and what they say--they were honest with him. All of them.
"Listen." Klyden started. "I get your logic, we all do." He looked around the room and received nods of agreement. "Your main concern is that he'd be put in danger. But they've already seen you two together at the bakery. Maybe they've seen you together at school too." Alarion scoffed at that but Klyden continued. "He's in danger already. You can either be a stranger and protect him physically, or you can be there for him, mentally and physically, protecting him. But if you pick the former, I'm afraid we'll all have to stop you."
Alarion grinned. "Stop me from rejecting my mate?"
They all nodded.
--
Klyden tattled to the kings of the supernatural world about their son's apparently stupid decision.
This was revealed during dinner that night, right when Alarion was about grab a jar of blood and his father Viridian spoke up, leaning back in his chair.
"We heard you're rejecting your mate."
Alarion looked up surprised, and placed the jar back in its place, ready to receive an earful.
"Yes. If I reject him he can live his life in peace."
Lyris coughed. "No that's bullshit."
Alarion turned to look at his werewolf father. "How come? Nobody's going to know."
Viridian groaned. "I taught you everything, except to be stupid. Is that an inbuilt quality of yours?"
Alarion looked at his parents, confused as he threw his hands up. "What? I don't understand I thought you guys would support me."
"We've supported all proper decisions, not stupid ones." Lyris continued eating. "Dian, please pass me the lasagna."
Alarion seethed in frustration. "I don't know what to do. How can I keep him away from danger?"
Viridian set his fork down. "You can't."
Alarion scrunched his face in confusion. "What kind of reassurance is that?"
The half vampire shrugged. "I never said it was a reassurance." He leaned forward in his seat and held his son's gaze. "Once you find your mate, Rion, your only reassurance is going to be is your own self. You can protect him from danger, you can rely on yourself to be there for him to protect him. Right now, you're just too afraid something might happen to him when you're not around."
Viridian was right, and Alarion knew that.
"You have a mate now. It's your responsibility to make sure nothing happens to him. If you're worried about not being there to protect him, why are you not there in the first place? You're his mate, Rion." Lyris squeezed his son's hand reassuringly. "Besides, we're all here aren't we?"
Viridian nodded. "Don't make the same mistake I did."
He was recalling the time he left Lyris during a mission.
Lyris scowled at his husband. "My son is not like you."
The half vampire king chuckled. "I'm just saying."
Alarion sighed, shaking his head with a smile. "Fine. I'll look out for him."
He finally seemed to have understood what his parents had meant.
Always look out for your mate.