Eden's POV
I sit on my bed in my room, curled up in my blankets and self sorrow.
I'm mated to another Alpha. Again.
It's still hard for me to accept based on my history, but Valleth had spoken to me for hours after I obliterated the training dummy and tried to convince me that everything was going to be okay, and that I just had to talk to him.
No way in hell.
I just can't bring myself to do it. The trauma from my previous rejection has been way too strong and has made it impossible for me to even leave my room recently in fear of seeing him and having to talk to him in any sort of capacity.
I've missed some classes, but Valleth said that she's spoken to the professors, and they all agreed to give me some time off to make my way back, so I've just been taking it day by day. It's been about a week and a half currently, and the past few days I've scented Dante outside my dorm door, clearly just checking in and making sure I'm okay, but he hasn't knocked or anything.
Adelaide has been calling and texting, but I haven't even told her what's going on either.
Mate has been giving you space, you should talk to him.
I can't Rieka.
You can, you just have to get up and do it.
I sigh and get out of bed and go into my bathroom realizing that I look pathetic and gross. I quickly shower and get changed and decide to make some toast as I haven't eaten too much as my appetite pretty much disappeared with all the anxiety surrounding everything.
Once I choke that down, there's a knock on my door.
I walk over tentatively and open it slightly.
Eros' amber eyes fall on me and he smiles. "How are you?" I nod briefly. "I'm alright, what are you doing here?"
"I was hoping we could chat for a few minutes."
I look down at my feet awkwardly, and then step back and open the door and Eros slips inside and I close it quietly behind him. "I know what you want to talk about Eros, and I'm not ready."
"At this point you'll never be ready."
I glare at him. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"You know what it's supposed to mean. You're letting this take over you. This fear. It's time to stop."
"It's not that easy." I say before walking past him with a scoff and sitting on my couch. He comes and sits down beside me with a long sigh. I look away, not really enjoying this chat with Eros at all.
After a pause, he says softly, "Do you know how long he's been waiting for you?"
I glance up. "Waiting?"
"Yes. Waiting. For you."
"He's an Alpha, he could have anyone he wanted."
"He's not like most Alphas, but you haven't taken the time to get to know him so you have no idea what you're missing out on."
"He has a reputation." I rebuke and Eros chuckles. "He has a professional reputation. You don't know him personally." I roll my eyes, but I know he's right. "So, what do you want me to do?" I ask, finally making eye contact with him.
"Meet him, tonight. Talk with him, explain your situation, cause he's just as angry as you are for what that old arrogant ass of an Alpha wrote about what happened to you."
I inhale sharply. "He read the report, and he still wants to see me?"
"You think he would believe such fabrication from another Alpha so easily?"
I bite my lip in embarrassment.
I've gone all wrong about this. He's a different person, he's not Lachlan. He has different morals and values and clearly takes his Alpha role more seriously than most. He's not in it for the power; he's in it for prosperity of his pack.
I sigh in defeat, realizing how much of an idiot I've been. "Okay. Where am I meeting him?"
"The lake this evening. Where you destroyed that dummy."
"He saw that didn't he?" I ask sheepishly. Eros laughs and nods before getting up and opening my door to leave, but not before he says his last statement. "Yup, and I'll let him tell you how that affected him." I pick up on his suggestive tone and I turn my head to hide my blush.
"Yeah, yeah okay." I say quickly, and sigh as my door clicks shut.
Guess this is happening now. You happy? I say to Rieka in my mind, and I hear her low growl of approval in my head.
More than you know, my friend.
- - -
I stand out by the lake, the moonlight washing over the entire area, giving it somewhat of an ethereal glow. I hear chirping crickets and the hooting of owls in the nearby forest and take solace in it. I walk around the bank of the lake, finding the crunching of my sneakers in the gravel and sand comforting. It's still warm out at night, but tonight there was a little wind, so I decided to wear black leggings and a maroon pullover sweater so that I didn't get a chill.
I continue to mull around on the lake bank, trying to not let my worries get the best of me when I scent him. I stop abruptly, turn around and see him standing a bit away from me, clearly hesitant if he should fully approach me or not.
I can't stop my body's response to him, and in the moonlight he looks breathtaking. The hum of our partial bond has my body warming up in delight. I look him over, noticing he had the same thoughts as me since he's in a black sweater with jeans. His long black hair is pulled back, with a few pieces that have fallen out over time. His dark eyes scan me curiously before he speaks.
As he does, his deep voice sends shocks through my system. "You came."
I nod in agreement. "Eros didn't really leave me much of a choice after he came to speak with me."
Dante smirks. "He's good that way. Believe me, he's called me out like that before."
"Hard to believe, but I'll take your word for it. He's convincing."
"Can I come stand beside you?" He asks and I nod. "Yeah. That's okay." He moves then, coming up beside me and looking behind me over the lake.
His scent hits me stronger now since he's closer and I know mine is doing the same as he clears his throat awkwardly. I push past my boundaries and reach out and touch his shoulder, turning him to face me. Heat explodes through my hand the moment it comes into contact with him, and I exhale sharply. I reach out to Rieka for guidance.
This is stronger than anything I ever felt for Lachlan. I'm scared.
You're here, that's all that matters. Keep going.
"I'm sorry I ran from you."
I watch his face as he looks at me with a puzzled expression. "Why would you apologize for that?"
"I just wanted you to know that I felt bad. Meeting your mate is supposed to be a wonderful experience and I ran from you like a coward."
"Eden." My name on his lips makes my heart flutter. He said it sternly, but not with a hint of anger or upset. "Don't apologize. It was a hard thing for you to experience again. I don't blame you for taking the time you needed to be comfortable."
I'm almost rendered speechless at his wisdom and understanding. "What? You were honestly fine with that?" He nods. "Yes. Contrary to what people say, I do have a capacity of understanding and a heart."
"I...." I pause and look away from him, deciding if I really want to fully open up, and quickly realize that now is the time for him to know me and all the baggage that comes with me, and see if he still wants to be with me after all I've confessed.
"I had a previous mate. Lachlan Sterling, he's the Alpha of my old pack Moorgrey. I was rejected by him the same day that we realized we were mates."
"At the pack ball, right?" He asks and I nod. "Eros said that you read through the file, the incident report of what happened..."
"I did. Did he also tell you that I thought it was a crock of shit?" I sputter and laugh lightly at his brash response. "In some capacity, he did. I just thought you might want to hear it from me." He reaches up to cup my face, and I welcome his touch. That familiar heat spreads through me as he glides his thumb across my cheek lovingly. "I want to hear the truth from you, tesoro." I can't quite pinpoint the nickname, but I recognize it's Italian. He drops his hand and I long for him to do it again.
"He – Lachlan I mean, had convinced me to accept our mate bond as soon as we found out. He had said that he would accept me at the ball in front of our family and pack members, so it was more official. I was never obsessed with the man as that report states. It was so far from the truth it made me sick reading it."
"You never got along?" He asks and I nod. "We hated each other as kids. When my dad was his dad's Beta, they would have to break us up multiple times because I couldn't stand him, and we would physically fight. I only learned to accept him more once he took over as Alpha out of respect."
"Makes sense, and you were probably surprised that you were mated." He says, acknowledging that he's listening intently.
"I was. We all had gathered to the ball and when Lachlan called me up, I was so excited – "I pause, my voice trembling as the raw pain pushes it way through me and stops me dead in my thoughts. I inhale deeply and begin again.
"I was so excited, since it was rare to find our own mate in your own pack and not have to move around. But when I got up there, he rejected me saying he didn't want a freak as a mate and stated he was taking another as his chosen mate." I look down, embarrassed, but also trying to keep my composure and magic in check. My hands shake and Dante grabs them tightly to still them, making me look back up and right into his dark eyes. "A freak? Because of what, your eyes?" I nod slightly.
"Everyone at the pack thought my eyes were some sort of curse or premonition for something bad. I mean I guess their fears were somewhat correct considering once Lachlan rejected me my magic manifested and..." I trail off, not wanting the words to leave my lips.
"I know." Dante says quietly. "But those eyes aren't a curse, they're simply a part of you. A part that makes me a bit weak if I'm being honest." He pauses briefly and then continues and his next statements makes me inhale sharply. "When you first looked at me, I couldn't breathe, Eden. Those eyes captured me with a single look."
I bite my lip and blink to hold back tears. "Eros was right."
"About?" He asks. "That you're different. You're accepting of me even with what I've done. You don't try to manipulate, you listen, and you make choices based on the information instead of immediate judgment. It's refreshing."
He smiles at me and leans his head down, our foreheads touching. "I've been waiting for you for a long time, Eden. I thought I wouldn't ever find you, and you're here in front of me, and with a damaged past. It's my job to help you through that, and support you, but also annihilate anyone who threatens to harm you."
I chuckle. "There's that professional side." He chuckles with me, knowing exactly what I'm referencing.
"I don't take shit from anyone, but that's going to change with you in the picture. I'm already wrapped around your little finger tesoro, and what a ride I think it will be."
I feel something shift in me, and maybe I can survive this after all.
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- here you go! double update, and a super long chapter! Laying down Eden and Dante's foundation. :)
- see you in the next one! - vv