Rejection

Chapter 45 - The Talk

---Kyle's POV---

I didn't even know what time it was by the time I managed to pry my eyes open. However, I did know I didn't want to move a single muscle, as my lower back and ass throbbed in unison.

Sounds echoed from the kitchen area as I breathed in slowly, pulling up my knees and slowly rolled on my side. Hissing under my breath as my body protested against the motion.

Even with our supernatural healing, the body could only do so much, especially after an entire day of doing nothing but mating.

Still, the ache only proved to send a tingle of awareness over my spine. A pleasant reminder of what we've been up to yesterday.

A yawn escaped me before I muffled it in the pillow and slowly inched out of bed. Letting out a hissed curse as I stood up and wobbled for a moment.

Of course, when I arrived in the kitchen, Drake just finished plating up breakfast.

"You're a fucking animal." I only half teasingly grunted in response to the smirk that curled his lips as I limped in the room.

He chuckled, shaking his head as he drew out my chair, which had already been provided with a soft pillow. "I'll take that as a compliment. After all, I don't seem to recall you protesting in the slightest."

My body answered for me as a heated flush worked its way over my face and throat. Clearing my throat awkwardly, I sat down and gratefully accepted the soft kiss.

I didn't need to be reminded about the fact that I instigated as many mating as Drake did. And he was right ; I hadn't made a complaint the entire night.

In fact, I remembered the opposite where I had begged Drake for more. And he had been more than willing to agree to my demands.

Now, I was paying the price for it.

Well, I wasn't entirely alone. I could see Drake wince the slightest bit before he readjusted his privates. It seemed that both of us got more than we bargained for.

Which is also why I eagerly accepted the heating pads and placed them on my lower back. Hoping that the additional heat could stop the spasming muscles there.

Breakfast was filled with small talk and gentle touches. A shared look and twinkle in the eye, sudden laughter as we simply felt giddy.

Mated at last. Accepted by our partner for whom we were. And both of us knew there was no risk of rejection, unless something went horribly wrong.

Meaning that either of us needed to basically go insane and on a murderous rampage before we'd consider rejection. After all, we lived through it. Experienced the brutality of it in the most detailed aspects.

Those that never experienced it, thought Rejection was a simple action. Like breaking up with a not serious relationship. A bit of heartache and it was all forgotten.

It was only those who experienced it, who knew the brutality and severity of rejection. To lose half of your soul, whom you were technically married to, and not because of age or illness.

But because they chose to not be with you.

One of the human mates of the pack had posed the question rather hesitantly. Wanting to grasp the severity of rejection, to understand how deeply it could hurt us.

They had made the mistake to ask me. I had replied in honest, brutal detail.

I had shown him my injuries, explained how I got them, how long I had lived with them. How I've had to force myself to walk on broken, dislocated bones and joints. To starve on a daily basis.