The Boys Scent ✔️

VI - Ultimatum

Once I heard the door open, I ran down the stairs and I was met with someone I didn't expect. "Nathaniel?" He smiled awkwardly.

"I had to see how you were doing."

"I had a dream about you." I blurted out.

"What?" He replied, his brows furrowing.

"You-you were mean to me." I told him. But it wasn't him just being mean. He slapped me.

"I wouldn't ever be mean to you kit-" he cut himself off. "Whatever I did, I'm sorry. What did I do?" He questioned.

"Come sit down and I'll tell you." I said and brought him over to the couch.

After telling him my dream, he looked pained and angry. "I would never do that to you. Never in a million years, Janessa. I would never do that to anyone." He said, hiding his anger. I'm guessing he was mad at Samuel for stepping in and saving me. He should be glad, because if he didn't I'd be dead and then I'd be traumatized forever.

"You okay?" I asked Nathaniel after he was silent for a while. He shook himself out and replied quietly.

"No. No I'm not. I hope you know I would never purposely hurt you, Janessa. Never."

"I understand that Nathaniel. I just need to find my mate. I need to know if he accepts me."

"I don't want to be your second choice, Janessa." He said.

"Don't give me an ultimatum. Please." I begged him.

"You either choose me now, or choose to find your mate and live with him forever."

"What if I get rejected?" Tears were welling up in my eyes.

"Then you live with that." He was being rude. This wasn't like the Nathaniel I knew. It was more like the Nathaniel in my dream.

"You said you wouldn't purposely hurt me. You're doing it now. I can't choose between you and someone I've never met before, Nathaniel. You can't ask me to do that. You just can't."

He didn't dare look me in the eyes. "Then let me choose for you." He said.

"I can't do this, Nathaniel. You can't do this for me. Just let me meet my mate and see if he rejects me."

"Then you're being selfish. Because he rejected you, you would come running into my eyes because you know I wouldn't reject you. You can't do that. You choose. Right here. Right now."

A silent tear rolled down my cheek. "Why, Nathaniel. Why?"

"I just told you. Now choose."

"I choose.." I paused for a few minutes, thinking about the pros and cons of both choices. "I choose my mate." Nathaniel looked hurt, but quickly covered it.

"Well," his voice broke. "I'd better go." He choked out. Then before I could grab his arm to say I'm sorry, he was out the door and driving down the street.

"I'm sorry." I whispered. And crumpled into a ball on the floor, my sobs echoing throughout the empty house.

I woke up the next morning feeling tired. I was crying most of the night. Thinking about my choice. Had I really mad the right one?

I jumped into the shower, scanning my bruised stomach for a while. After I got out, I got dressed into a black shirt, black leggings, black combat boots, and a light blue denim jacket with roses on it. I put on a little makeup and tied my blue to purple ombré hair into a side braid. I grabbed my black leather book bag and my phone and walked downstairs.

My parents had already left for work and my sister was staying home sick so I walked through the kitchen and out the door. I met with my friends at the bus stop.

"We heard what happened. Are you okay?" Carly said worryingly.

"Yeah." I sniffled, remembering yesterday. "I'm fine." I said and got onto the bus as it pulled up at the bus stop. I noticed Samuel wasn't sitting in his seat from yesterday, but I also saw an empty seat. I made my way towards it and soon saw it had puke in it. People around me laughed and I felt like I was being crushed. Then I saw Carly and Liam looking at me worryingly. They had taken their seats and the bus was moving.

"Sit down." A voice said from behind me. I turned around and saw a girl around my age sitting alone. I walked up to her and sat down in her seat. "You alright?" She asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

Once we got to school, I waited as everyone filed off of the bus and then I got off last. I slowly walked to my locker and grabbed my books. I scanned the hall and at the end of it I saw Nathaniel with Samuel and the other guy who had talked Samuel out of killing me that day in the room. None of them smiled at me. I guess Nathaniel was seriously mad at me for not choosing him.

I couldn't help but think I made the wrong choice. Suddenly I caught a whiff of pine and strawberry. I snapped my head in that direction and followed it. When I saw who was standing there, I couldn't believe it.

It was Kaydon Coach. The future alpha. He looked at me, no emotion filled his face. No smile. No love. No affection at all. And I knew what was coming.

"Sorry, but I need to focus on being alpha." I turned around and saw Nathaniel, Samuel and the other guy staring intently at us. Then I turned back around. They could probably hear us. "I, Kaydon Coach, future alpha, reject thee, Janessa Crown, omega, as my mate."

And just like that, I couldn't smell the pine and strawberry. I was shocked. He just walked away and continued like he'd done it a million times before. "I accept." I whispered. And my heart shattered. And I fell to the floor, sobbing into my knees, people watching the show.