Rejected

Chapter 4 - I'm In A New World

"Come in" a voice called out from inside the room and Maia slowly opened the door and walked in.

"Hey." She said.

"Hey." The answer came. "What's wrong?"

Maia looked at her husband who is busying himself with the pack issues in the absence of their Alpha.

"We have a problem Aoi." she said with worried eyes. "She remembers."

"I knew I should've made sure that she bumps her head so she couldn't remember." Aoi said making his wife look at him confused.

And as Maia looked back at her husband she could see the humor in his voice and all her worries suddenly vanished as she laughed with him. This man is the reason why she chose to live within the pack borders even though she doesn't like their Alpha, because she loves the Beta with all her heart.

Aoi stood up from behind the table and walked towards Maia. Pulling his wife closer to him he gave her a deep kiss before looking back at her with a reassuring smile.

"Don't you worry your pretty little face love." He said making Maia chuckle as he quoted Taylor Swift's song. "Everything's going to be okay."

"We have to tell the Alpha, even though this is probably the last thing he needed right now. A stranger, a human, knowing about us."

"What did she say?"

"She said she remembers seeing you transform before her eyes. And she wants more answers. I told her I'd come get you."

"Putting your husband again on the stake?"

"Well you told me not to worry, so I'm putting all worries on your hand."

= 0 =

Belle could not believe what Maia said before she left. She was surprised to find out that she's been asleep for a couple of days, but she was shocked to realize that what she thought she dreamed about is actually true.

"Werewolf" she whispered to herself. She was staring at the ceiling of her hospital room thinking about what happened on the first day of her supposedly new life. Who would have known that the adventure she was about to get into would bring her to a world she would usually just read about?

"This is crazy" she once again whispered to herself sitting up on the bed and covering her face with her palms. She's dying to get out of that bed, if not for the IV's attached to her she would have already.

She sighed and rested her back on the head rest and stared at nothing then she turned to the door when she heard it open seeing Maia enter the door followed by a familiar face.

Out of instinct she quickly turned her guard up. The boy noticed it and stopped by the door letting his wife approached the girl by herself.

"It's okay Belle." Maia said gently.

Realizing what she had done Belle relaxed and said. "Uh..sorry it's just."

"Human nature?" the boy said finishing her sentence for her.

"I guess so." Belle agreed.

"Well Belle as promised, this here is my husband and the pack's Beta, Aoi." Maia started introducing them to each other. "Aoi, meet Belle."

Aoi slowly walked towards the bed and extended his hand for Belle. Belle looked at him still with caution in her eyes but slowly took his hand and shook it.

"Nice to meet you Belle."

"Nice to meet you too. Also, I'd like to thank you for saving my life."

Pulling his hand bank Aoi chuckled and said. "Nah! I was actually the reason you fell off that cliff so...no need to thank me."

"I was stupid enough to sleep on the summit and get myself lost on the trail...so..." she didn't finish but looked at Aoi who was looking at her and they suddenly both laughed at each other.

"Well Belle, your body needs to get some food so I'll go prepare you some dinner and I leave you to my husband's capable hands." Maia said

"So, how are you feeling?" Aoi asked Belle when Maia had left.

"I'm okay, I think." Belle answered. "Just a little shaken about being in the company of a werewolf."

"I'm actually surprised myself to be honest." Aoi said. "You, remembering what you saw and actually believing it to be more than just your imagination."

Belle chuckled and said. "There are a lot of unbelievable things in my imagination that I wished were true."

"Maia told me you read about us. What exactly are you reading?"

"Novels. Just made up stories." Belle said looking at her hands, unaware that she's playing with it. "Turns out they aren't made up."

"Why don't you tell me the things you read about and I'll tell you if it's made up or not."

"Okay."

Belle took her time thinking about all the stories she had read about then turned to Aoi.

"I read that you have an alter ego which is a wolf and you can talk to it?" Belle started.

"That's true."

"Really?" Belle exclaimed.

"Why are you so surprised? You have already seen my wolf."

"I didn't see him very clearly." Belle said with a hint of regret in her voice. "What's his name?"

"Aquila." Aoi answered. "He's a gray wolf with a white fur along his spine. I'll introduce him to you one of these days."

Belle smiled "I'd love that."

"He says he'd love to meet you too."

Aoi smiled at the look of sincere happiness in Belle's eyes and it's making him feel happy too. Weird he thought. Why would a stranger, a human's, more so, happiness matter to him. It's like he could feel a protective instinct towards Belle.

"All the books I read tells that your Goddess gives you a mate and you'll be able to tell that he or she is near with a distinctive smell that only you can smell."

"That's also true." Aoi answered, this time however he looked at Belle curiously since there were no hint of excitement in her eyes.

"Is Maia your mate?"

"She is."

"Hmmm...I...don't really believe in things like that." Belle smiled but Aoi cannot see humor in her eyes or in her smile.

"Why not?" he asked. "You didn't find it hard to believe in werewolves. But you don't believe in mates? Humans have soulmates you know."

"I know...it's just that-" Belle didn't get to finish what she was saying when Aoi's expression changed.

She got startled when he suddenly stood up and then the door burst open.

"Aoi!" Maia came rushing in and the food she promised wasn't there, instead she had the same unreadable expression on her face as that of Aoi's

"Stay with her!" Aoi ordered Maia and she just nodded. Then without a word to Belle, Aoi turned around and walked out the door.

"What's going on?" Belle asked confused.

"It's the Alpha. He came back early." Maia answered with a worried look in her eyes.

"The Alpha." Belle said but she doubts Maia heard her.

Why are you so scared? She thought to herself wanting to ask it to Maia. But with the fear in Maia's eyes, she couldn't bring herself to do it.