Regret Rejecting Me

Chapter 1 - Three Days in the Wilderness

𝑆𝑎𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑎 𝐶𝑎𝑟𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟 - 𝐸𝑦𝑒𝑠 𝑊𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑂𝑝𝑒𝑛

Lily

I'm out my mind. There are many other ways to handle these situations but at the moment, I feel like I may collapse under all this pressure. There is no exact answer to why I'm running away. Maybe it's because I know no matter what I do, I'll always be that fat girl. Or that girl who everyone hates. Or just nobody.

With a grumble, I climb down the tree as carefully as I can. A crunch makes me jump until I realize it's the branches I stepped on. With a huff, I blow the hair out of my face and wipe away the sweat from my forehead with my muddy sleeve.

Three days.

It's been three days since I ran away from my pack. It's hard to call them a pack when it was full of people who abused each other and brought each other down. Packs are supposed to support, treat, and care for each other like family. But my pack takes pleasure in making people suffer because they aren't up to their standards of beauty. It's something I could never understand. I'm some sort of human and they are too. It's that simple.

Slowly wandering through the trees, I sniff the air for something to eat. I crinkle my nose when a skunk-like smell slaps it. It's times like these I wish I didn't have this ability to smell even the faintest of smells.

A small movement on a bush catches my eyes. Panic fills my bone but my nose soon recognizes the delectable scent. I crouch down as I make my way to the source. My face comes face to face with a squirrel who doesn't notice me as he nibbles on a small acorn. Even with all this weight, as a werewolf, no human or animal can sense me.

I've been having second thoughts. I replay the rejection from my 'mate' in my head, to convince myself not to go back. My heart thumps inside my chest - almost like heartburn. Running a hand through my hair, I chew on my bottom lip hoping to stop the tears that threaten to fall. He doesn't deserve my tears. Especially after rejecting me in front of the whole school.

But why don't I feel rejected even though I was? The pain I have is more physical, heart burn more than anything. I don't feel like the world is ending as 'rejected' mates say. I'm just - relieved.

"Knock knock." The door opens and my mother enters with a look of certain evil. Goosebumps rise up my arms and the temperature in the room seems to get colder. She sits on my bed and stares at me with humor in her eyes. I just stare back at her with my best poker face - I've just never seen her like this. Her face is usually strict, with a smirk, or with her face set into a glare.

"So I heard about the Mate thing..." She trails off. Already? It hasn't even been ten minutes and my own mother knows I got rejected. For no reason at all, I want to smile and show her that I'm fine because I always say I am. It's a habit now.

"It must feel horrible, shameful, and in front of hundreds of people. Hundreds. I'd leave this place if I were you." Her eyes twinkle mischievously. I look down at my hands, licking my dry lips. So that's why she's so joyous. My pain is enjoyable to her just like everyone else. Not even the person whose love I want, loves me. Strange, isn't it? It's a bigger slap to the face.

"Wouldn't that be a good idea?" She lifts up my chin, her eyes giving me sympathy, fake sympathy. Does she know I plan to leave or has this been the plan all along? It's as if this has been planned from the beginning. No love, hate - almost disgust.

"I have to go." I get up, my heart beating fast and out of control. Without a goodbye, I run out the door and stop a few feet away. I look back at my bedroom window, hoping to see my mom looking apologetic but she's not. My mother stands beside my father - watching me with small, almost unnoticeable smirks. I hold back tears and run until my legs are burning.