Rejection (A Mate Story)

Chapter 3 - Beginning the Search

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Ro came with Josh to the Rite household that morning. He didn’t want to go in alone, and even though he had to drag Ro, he eventually went along with him. Still, he made sure his unhappiness was known between the two, “I don’t guy why I have to go to this,” Ro groaned, his dark ginger hair sticking out in all directions from running his hands through it a thousand times. He was just being dramatic, if you asked Josh. Even he wasn’t freaking out that much…on the outside.

“You asked if I needed you to go.” Josh reminded him.

“I didn’t mean it!”

They continued across the wide, almost too green lawn, leading up to Penny’s house. Or, well, ex-house. They didn’t even have to ring the doorbell; the door opened the second they stepped onto the lawn, a fuming Mr. Rite standing in the doorway. His green eyes that matched his daughters were bright with anger. Josh swore the bald spot on the top of the man’s head was bigger and shinier. He wasn’t the pack leader, but he was damn close to it; being the richest man in town with an inflated ego helped this along like grease on wheels. And even though he wasn’t the pack leader he sure acted like it. If you crossed him you were shunned by mostly everyone for the rest of your life. There were people who were ‘unacceptable’ to talk to because they had somehow betrayed him – whether it be mowing the lawn unevenly or looking at his wife a little too long. Which meant Josh was screwed – screwed beyond all belief.

“It’s about time you showed up,” he barked at the young man. “My Penny ran away because of you, and you don’t even care.”

“I do care, sir,” Josh said calmly. Oh, now you want to be smooth? You couldn’t have thought about your words yesterday? You wouldn’t be in this mess now if you did! “I promise you, I’m going to find her.”

“If you weren’t her mate I would tell you to find some ditch and bury yourself in it before I do,” he growled. “But since you’re our only hope, I suppose I can’t.” He turned and hollered for his wife, who quickly joined his side. Josh was thankful that she wasn’t scowling at him…at first.

“Oh, Josh, you’re here,” she sobbed, running to him. Her face was on his shoulder within seconds. He wondered what to do; Mr. Rite was staring at him, as if he enjoyed his wife crying on his shoulder. “I don’t know what to do! Thank you so much – I knew you didn’t mean what you said yesterday, you were just scared.” She stood up straight to look into Josh’s bewildered hazel eyes. “As right you should be; finding your mate is a big deal. Robert was so nervous when he asked me to marry him! It was so silly.” She giggled at the memory before going back to her sobbing, “But you’ll find her, right?”

Finding her wouldn’t be too hard, since mates could follow each other’s scents from days, weeks, months, or even years ago, while other wolves can only follow a fresh scent. The trail was too old for her parents to follow, but Josh could smell it leading off the roof as he stood at the front door. Already he knew she had climbed down the ivy, like she had a few other times when she snuck out to come and see him. He groaned at the memory; this was when he tried to ignore her, and things only got worse. He supposed those nights were good, though; he at least knew how she got out of the house.

“Of course I will,” Josh tried to smile his charming smile, but he wondered if it came out as a grimace. “I won’t stop searching until I find her.”