Rejection

Chapter 37 - A Bond

---Drake's POV---

Anger. Annoyance. Frustration. Boredom followed quickly by even more frustration and simmering anger.

Not a single spec of patience, of longing or desire. Sure, it hurt to see Elliot once more, even though I had gently asked him not to return here unless he or his pack required sanctuary.

I hadn't forbidden him from entering the first time, assuming that he, or at least his wolf, needed closure. Elliot had needed to realize the consequences of his actions himself.

From what I had seen from many of my own pack and their former mates, the rejection instantly hit the rejected with brutal force.

But that didn't mean that the partner doing the rejecting was safe. Oh no. Karma was a cunning yet vicious bitch and it seemed she waited to wind up her punch, for that opportune moment where the gnawing loss became too much and the wolf wondered what happened to the ex-mate

That was when their rejection pains would hit. Their human was busy drowning the ache with the presence of their chosen mate, the love and trust of their packs, or as in Kyle's ex-mate, the anger and hatred towards rogues.

Elliot hadn't batted an eye, standing side by side with the she-wolf, arm draped protectively over her shoulder. As if I would attack a harmless she-wolf for his choices.

It had hurt. God, did it hurt, seeing my mate in the arms of another, hearing their pack congratulate them on their mating and pray for a pup. Something that I couldn't give him.

So I had turned around and headed to my pack. Felt my heart bleed over the pain, felt my wolf tear itself apart, wondering what it did wrong? Was it too assertive? Too dominant? Too demanding? Was the rejection his fault?

It had taken me weeks, even months to reassure my wolf. Reassure myself that the fault didn't lay with us, with either of us. If there was anyone to blame for this mess, it was Elliot and his insecurities.

And it had taken him many months before he came crawling back. Seeking that one unique bond, what was fated to be.

And bitterness had showed its teeth when I had informed him that there was nothing there to fix. There was no remnants of a bond, no smoldering cinders to reignite.

Rejection is permanent. Over and done with. There was a reason why it was called a unique bond. There were repercussions for going against instinct, denying yourself and your wolf what was meant to be.

In all my years as an Alpha, I had seen many results of rejections. Not all of them ended with both partners alive. Some had killed themselves, unable to live with the loss of the bond.

Others became smothered, their wolves' final attempt to please the mate. If they were rejected for their human form, they could fix the issue by eliminating the human, right?

If the Smothering was stopped in time, the human was saved. But it would take months, years before they returned to their former glory.

One of the pack was still recovering, an empty husk of what they used to be.

All because of miscommunication, rumors and a desperate wolf trying to cling onto the bond.

Kyle's low growl drew my attention to my side, seeing his wolf with hackles bristling, teeth slightly bared towards my ex-mate... I felt pride swell through me, knowing that Kyle wasn't afraid to protect himself.

But the sheer audacity Elliot displayed by coming into my territory unannounced, uninvited and then attempting to attack a member of my pack?

"Not just any member..." My wolf supplied before sneering at the wounded puppy eyes that Elliot kept sending my way. Instead of giving him any of my attention, I looked at the rest of the pack around the room.