Rejecting Love

CHAPTER TWO:

"He already knows about the bond. He's known for nine years." I whimper, but control my emotions. I hear a sharp splintering sound. I look down and see Caiden gripping the coffee table, his knuckles turning white and the wood cracking under his pressure.

"Hey, it's okay." I say, placing my hands on his. He begins to growl. I gently rub circular motions on the top of his hands. "Caiden, calm down." His pupils dilate and begin to swirl black. "Hey, it's okay. Calm down." I say as I pry his hands off the coffee table and place them against my cheek. "It's okay." I coo, leaning into his palm. This is how I would calm my father down too, I hope it works. I watch his eyes close and when he opens them again they're blue.

"I want to know everything." He says while stroking my cheek.

"Okay. But on one condition," I say as he cocks an eyebrow, "I can stay here, at least tonight."

"Fine." He says and I smile. "But I'm staying too." My smile deepens and the butterflies are back.

We finish eating in silence and I help clean up the mess he made from the coffee table. Then I make us hot apple cider while he starts a small fire in the fireplace. Its early spring, but the nights are still pretty cool. I grab a blanket and curl up on the couch. He sits next to me and places my legs on his lap.

"Comfy?" He asks.

"Yes. You?" I ask. He nods.

"Okay. Well, I don't really know where to begin. I've never talked about it before." I catch myself rambling.

"Just start from the beginning, it's usually easiest." He says in a steady calming tone. I take a deep breath and begin.

"Okay well, we're originally from the Dark Ravens Pack. As I said before we grew up together. He's three years old than me, but we still hung out when we were younger because our fathers were very close. When he turned 17 the bond struck us." I pause because Caiden's eyes narrow in question. Realizing I paused he looks at me.

"He's older, but the bond struck you too?" He asks. I nod. "When he turned 17?"

"Yes, I was 14 when he turned 17; the bond struck both of us at the same time." His eyebrows rise.

"The bond must be very strong. That is a very young age for the bond to spark." He says, his voice low, almost in awe.

"Yeah, well, you can imagine what it was like to be 14 and have to watch your mate, knowing he's your mate, go through almost every other eligible female in the pack." Caiden shakes his head.

"Yes, when you find your mate the urgency to mate is strong and powerful. But you only get satisfaction from your mate. Why? Why did he fight it?" Caiden asks.

"He said I was too young. Which, okay, I was only 14 so I agreed to stay away from him. Then two years later when I was 16 I approached him again. Once again he said I was still just a kid. Heartbroken again, but I still believed he was looking out for me and my best interest." My voice softens.

"Then on my 18th birthday I went to him and he openly rejected me in front of both the Alpha and Beta." Caiden brushes away a single tear from my cheek. "The Beta told him that he would accept me or be cast out. And he said okay, that he'd pack his stuff and leave that night. Then the Alpha told him that he would accept me or else I'd be cast out too." I close my eyes remembering the day as if it were yesterday. "He said, 'not my problem'." More tears stream down my face. Caiden reaches over and pulls me to his chest, rubbing my back.

"Why would the Alpha and Beta do that?" He asks, sounding confused.

"We were to be the future Alpha and Luna of the pack. When he rejected me, he rejected the pack." I say between sniffles.