Her Younger Mate (Old Version)

Chapter 15: The Truth

Caleb

"Caleb... I..." Anna closed her eyes. 

She opened her eyes and looked at me with confidence mixed with anger. "So what if the Moon Goddess chose you as my mate? As I see it right now, I do not have a mate... If my mate was anything like you, I would reject him on the spot. Do you still want me to answer that question?" 

The words flowed out of her mouth like venom. 

"So, you would reject me?" I said more for myself than for her. 

"How could I ever be with someone who does not respect the mate bond at all?" she said. "Everything that you have done is disgusting." 

I had been called worse before, but her words got to me in a way no other could. 

"Anna, I am sorry..." I reached for her cheek with one hand but she shoved it away. 

"Do not touch me!" She growled. 

I looked at her. This hurt more than I thought it would. "You let me touch you before. So, why?"

"Where was that hand this afternoon?" She pointed at my hand and grimaced. 

"What do you mean?" 

"Exactly what I said. Where did you put that hand in this afternoon? Do not play coy, Caleb. I was right beside you. Just imagining you touching me now makes me sick." 

Oh, that. I whimpered at the thought of what I have made her feel, clenched my fists and lowered my head. It was as if she was picking just the right words to crush me.

She scoffed. "This immature disrespectful version of you will never ever get me."

"You are being unfair right now."

"I can't even feel the pull yet. There's no way for me to know who my mate is yet." 

She stared in silence for a moment and her expression softened before turning back to a scowl. "Why do you care about me, then?"

"I said we were going to be friends." I sighed and looked at her in the eye. "Also, I want you to know that if you were my mate I would make things work." 

The silence was back. There were so many things I wanted to tell her. I dropped my hands to my sides and stared at the frowning girl in front of me. I could laugh at the image of her signaling me to stop scowling earlier that came into my mind, yet she was frowning so much now.

Even like this, she was beautiful. I liked her already and I couldn't even feel the pull. That was what terrified me. How could I even differentiate what I already felt from what the bond would make me feel?  

I reached out to take her hand but she pulled it away.

"I told you not to touch me!" She growled. 

I covered my face with one hand and shook my head slowly. I shouldn't have done that, but I thought she wanted us to be friends. "Why are you so angry?"

"I am angry because you are a hypocrite. You say that you would make it work, but I already know what you really think. You can do way better, can't you? So why act like you care about what I think about you?"

My jaw almost hit the floor. Had she heard that? How? I wanted to tell her that those were empty words, that I did not mean any of it. However, I was afraid of making her angrier. 

"Sorry. That was before I got to know you. I would never say that now." 

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Do not act like you care. You are just playing with me. You tell me that I send you mixed signals and act all sweet. Less than one hour later you... you" She winced as if keep talking would hurt her.

"I am sorry." I looked at the floor. 

"I... I... rej..." Anna put her hand on her chest. I could hear her erratic heartbeat. Was she going to reject me? No, please. Were we really mates? She took a deep breath. "I refuse to be a part of your game anymore." 

She turned her back to me and walked into her room. She was about to close the door but I grabbed her wrist. She turned around still glowering.  

"The answer to your question from earlier is yes. I do want to know if we are mates." I needed to know what was happening.

We locked eyes. If only my feelings would reach to her. Even if I wasn't sure of what I was feeling yet. 

Please, if you are my mate give me another chance.

"Yes, we are mates," Anna whispered and closed the door. 

I stayed still for a moment, allowing what I had just heard to sink in. I felt a grin spread across my face. She was my mate, and she was stunning. I knocked on her door. I needed to apologize a thousand times.

"Anna, come out, please. I am so sorry. Talk to me. I apologize for how I have acted. We need to talk about this." 

She was telling the truth. I was all over the place. For once, I was in awe; The woman I had thought I had less than zero possibility to be with, was actually my mate. My smile quickly vanished, though. I had made sure to make her hate me and now I regret it more than anything. 

"Get out off here before I reject you," said Anna.

"I cannot believe I messed up so badly." I walked down the hall and into my room. 

'You better fix this,'  my wolf said. 

'Why didn't you tell me?'  I got into my room. 

'I didn't want you to go full jerk and reject her.'  

'I would not reject Anna just like that.'  I shrugged.

'That is not what you said.'

'I have a bad reputation to keep up,'  I said.

'That is the most stupid thing I have ever heard.' 

I lied on my bed trying to come up with a plan to make her hate me a little bit less day by day. Soon, the first sun rays shone through the window. I groaned as I stood up. At least I had come up with a plan.