Acceptance

Chapter 29

I woke up feeling like I had been thrown around in a tornado. I looked around and saw I was in the room I shared with my mates back home. Everything came rushing back to me and I bolted up right. I threw off the covers and saw I was naked. I threw on some clothes before going downstairs. Shelton was at the bottom of the stairs holding a newspaper. He looked up at me with a soft smile. I ran down and jumped into his arms. He held me tightly, "It's all over." He whispered to me. I buried my face in his neck and breathed in his scent, trying to calm myself down. He stood there and held me until I was calmed down enough to stand on my feet. "How long was I out," I asked him as he lead me over to the kitchen. "Two weeks. Nathaniel wanted to kill him until your grandmother explained it wasn't Qin's fault, that you were summoned by the Goddess. She could tell because your crescent was glowing."

I nodded, "She was right." I then explained to him everything she had told me as he got me a glass of milk. "So where is he?" I asked him. He gave me a look of guilt, "When we felt the mating bond, we turned our backs on him. We don't trust him Alice." I growled, "And why is that?" "Because he was a Demon! Because he caused all of this hell and destruction!" He snapped. I bared my fangs, "It's not his fault. That damned witch made it so hard for them. How do you think they feel? None of what happened was their choice. Yet, you go and desert our mate? What about me?" I asked him. "I have killed on purpose while most of them did it out of self defense because they were attacked thanks to many hating them for simply existing. I have slaughtered dozens upon dozens, and I dont mean demons. I mean humans, witches, shifters, you name it, I've killed it, all to earn some money." "That's different," he told me. "How is that different?" I asked him.

"You were protecting our kind," he told me. "What about the warlocks? No one was there to protect them. The witch cursed Ulric all because he fell in love. They were cursed and it wasn't their fault! Yet here you are, not even trying to get to know the man who simply wanted the curse broken so he could be himself again." I shook my head and went upstairs.

I changed then went grabbed my keys for my bike. "Where do you think you're going?" Shelton asked me as the rest of our mates came into the house. "To find Qin, to let him know at least one of his mates want him," I snapped while giving them all a glare before leaving the house.

I rode on my bike for hours, completely lost on where to go. I tried to think about what I knew about Warlocks. The needed nature. I looked towards the woods and rode my bike there. When it became too thick to ride through the trees I got off and began to walk. I picked up the faint scent of sandal wood and maple, and began to follow it.

It lead me to a lake where a large tree was growing next to it. I saw a man with curly ginger hair, pulled back into a warrior bun, tattoos of the elements on his arms, and dark green eyes. Tears flowed down his cheeks and my heart broke. "Qin?" I asked softly. He looked over at me, eyes wide. "Alice, you're okay." He said before dropping down from the tree. He then stopped, "Are you here to reject me too?"

I shook my head as I began to walk towards him, "No Qin. I'm not going to reject you." More tears came to his eyes and I pulled him towards me. He buried his face into my neck as he cried. "I'm sorry for the actions of our mates," I whispered. He pulled away and shook his head, "I expected it to be honest."

He tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear, "Thank you Alice." I smiled softly, "You don't need to thank me." I took his hand and lead him over to the tree. He made a hammock of vines appear and laid down. I smiled and laid down with him. He wrapped an arm around me as I snuggled in close.

"What else are you able to do," I asked him curiously. "Nothing as amazing as what you can do," he said with a smile. "I can make plants grow and manipulate them into things or do what I want, I can also freeze water or melt ice, I can also summon fire to my palms, and I can control the ground." "What are you talking about? That's amazing! You can create your own sauna or swimming pool on the fly," I told him and he chuckled. "I mean look at this hammock, instant bed meaning you can sleep wherever. Or you can create instant shade."

"I can't make my clothes appear on my body or teleport like you can," he told me.

We began to talk in depth about the limitations of our magics as the sun began to sink. I made a lantern appear and he used a vine to hang it above us. I felt my phone buzz and pulled it out to answer it. "Where are you," Cindy asked me. "With Qin," I told her. "Will you both come home? Please?" She asked me and I could hear her sniffle. "Okay, I love you."

"I love you too," she said and I hung up. I got up and stretched, "Come on, let's go home. I'm starving." "Me too?" He asked confused. "Yep. Cindy wants both of us and when she wants something, we try to give it to her." Especially now that she's pregnant. He got up but I could tell he was very nervous.

"After last time I saw them, I don't think I should go," He told me. I took his hand with a smirk, "You have no choice." I then teleported us back to the house. I was suddenly tackled in a hug by Cindy. I held her to me. "I was so worried," she said with a sniffle. I kissed her cheek, and she let me go. She looked at Qin, "You don't look so good Qin." "Its because he hasn't been properly eating and has been spending most of the past two weeks crying," I told her. "And it's all our fault," Cindy said as she burst into more tears before hugging him tightly. He seemed shocked and unsure of what to do. He then hugged her back and she cried harder. I then noticed Shelton, Nathaniel, Pyrus, and Drake watching silently, guilt in their eyes. Cindy then stood back and took his hand, "Come on, you need to eat." She dragged him into the kitchen, leaving the five of us in the room. "Did you really find him in a tree," Pyrus asked me. I nodded, "Yeah, by a lake and he was crying. I'm not saying that to make you guys feel like shit, but you should."

"And we do," Drake said while looking down. "He's really sweet, and doesn't hide his emotions. He had absolutely no problem crying in front of me, letting me see his vulnerable side. When he first saw me, he was happy to see I was okay. Then he was terrified that I was going to reject him. I hated seeing him cry. I hated knowing you guys were the cause. I need all of you, including him."

"We're going to try," Shelton told me. "You were right, we judged him wrong and we're going to give him a chance." That made me smile with happiness. "Now come on, let's eat and then go to bed. Tomorrow we'll go shopping." It was a start, and I hoped it paid off in the end.