Once Upon A Rejection

“Nope.” I replied.

“What do you mean by that?” Talen asked.

“I mean, you are not my mate. I don’t feel the bond and if you were my mate why would you not say something to me sooner unless you have something to hide.” I said.

“I have only been hiding my lycan so that my aunt wouldn’t know I was here. I guess that is pointless now.” He said.

‘Mate.’ Scarlett purred as Talen stopped blocking his lycan and I felt the full force of our bond take over.

“Ok but that doesn’t explain why you didn’t tell me that we were mates?” I said, trying my best not to let my emotions show on my face or in my voice.

I could feel my anger rising slowly as he spoke to me. He basically lied to me and now he was sitting in front of me smiling as though he expected me just to forget about that and accept him instantly.

He probably thought that I would be so excited about being his mate that I would just throw myself at him. Maybe he just thought that he was so special that it was ok to use other people and disregard their feelings. Lycans are so pompous and arrogant. Maybe he needed me to reject him to bring him back down to earth.

Scarlett whimpered.

“I wanted to but you always seemed to be busy when I tried to talk to you.” He said, I could hear the stress in his voice as he spoke. Not that I cared.

“What about when you first arrived? You could have told me then.” I shouted.

“I should have, I know that but I was nervous. I have been looking for my mate for almost eight years. I was so worried about messing it up.” He said. I could hear the sadness in his voice and I think I could even see tears forming in the corner of his eyes.

‘Molly, before you start rejecting people, maybe you should calm down and think about it for a while.’ Grayson mindlinked me.

‘I am calm.’ I replied.

‘Oh, then why are you digging your nails into my hand?’ Grayson said.

I looked down at my hand, I really was digging my nails into his hand. I had even left imprints in his skin, I would have to make that up to him later. Right now I needed to deal with the problem that was right in front of me.

“Maybe we should go back to the party.” I suggested.

Talen smiled at me. His whole face changed as I spoke, going from sadness to happiness in a matter of seconds. He stood up and made his way around to my side of the table. He held out his hand to help me out of my seat, I looked at him for a second then turned away.

“Maybe we should go, people will be wondering where we are.” Lycan number two said.

Talen looked at him, I could tell that he didn’t want to leave my side but he reluctantly agreed. Grayson waited till they had left the room and closed the door behind themselves before pulling me into his arms. He didn’t say anything, he didn’t need to. He just held me and comforted me. I breathed deeply, taking in his soothing scent.

“You know that I don’t mind if you accept him right?” Grayson said, as he stroked my hair.

“What happened to Carly?” I asked, trying to change the subject.

Grayson was quiet for a few moments as he minlinked someone for an update. Maybe I would have thought to do that if it wasn’t for the fact that Talen had given me so many other things to think about. He was already distracting me and messing with my head and he wasn’t even trying.

“Leyton and your stepfather took her to the hospital to get checked over. She is awake now and the doctor said she will be fine but I think she is having mate issues.” Grayson said.

Her and I both, I thought bitterly.

“What have they done now?” I asked, anxiously nibbling on my lower l*p. I just hoped that they hadn’t gotten into another fight without anyone there to keep them away from each other.

“Nothing like that, they are just both trying desperately to prove that they would be the better mate. I think Carly is sick of both of them right now.” He said.

I felt a sudden wave of panic, what if that happens to me. I don’t know how I would cope with them both fussing over me. Grayson seems adamant that he doesn’t want me to make a quick decision to reject Talen but I don’t think I can cope with all the attention.

I spent so many years with only myself for company that sometimes I still found sharing my life with others difficult. Grayson was great and I loved him but could I really cope with two mates in my life.

I could hear Scarlett in my head, pleading with me not to reject her mate. I could feel her pain, I didn’t like the thought of hurting her but she was blinded by the mate bond. I decided to block her out, I needed some time to think.

Grayson helped me out of my seat and wrapped his arm around my waist.

“You should stop panicking. They are only struggling because they were never meant to be in this situation. Leyton and Thomas don’t have any kind of connection.” He said.

Before I could process what he was saying he took my hand and led me back to the party. The party was still in process but now the BBQ had started and the ranked members along with the security team were already seated in the dining room.

We took our place at the table as quietly as we could. I could see the council members look at each other as they mindlinked amongst themselves. They seemed annoyed by our late arrival. I guess that they will use this against me when they try to justify their decision not to make me an alpha female.

‘It doesn’t matter what they think, Grayson and Talen think we are good enough. That is all that matters.’ Jade said.

Scarlett purred in agreement.

I guess my wolf was in favour of accepting Talen. Why was I the only one who didn’t want that? Speaking of Talen, I didn’t remember seeing him when I walked into here even though I knew for a fact that he had been invited.

I looked around the room. I could see the other lycan sitting at the other end of the room but the space next to him was empty. Maybe Talen was upset by my reaction or maybe he was just avoiding me, maybe that is why he wasn’t here.

‘If you don’t want him then why do you care?’ Scarlett asked, I could almost see her smirking at me. Well the joke was on her, I didn’t care. I was only being nosey that is all.

I started piling food onto my plate to distract myself from thinking about the egotistical lycan that I absolutely didn’t care about.

The food had been planned for the tastes of the council members, there were a lot of different options but they were all rather fancy. The type of food that was really tasty but not very filling. I personally would rather be outside eating burgers and hotdogs with the rest of the pack.

“Where did you two disappear off to?” June asked, leaning across the table to talk to Grayson and I.

“Talen is Molly’s other mate.” Grayson blurted out.

I could feel Grayson’s anxiety through our bond as well as clearly hear it in his voice. I hadn’t realised how much Grayson hated lying until now, it made me happy to realise that dishonesty would never be an issue between us.

“That is great news.” Ezra said.

I g*****d. Ezra studied the look on my face for a moment.

“You didn’t reject him did you?” Ezra asked.

“Not yet.” I replied.

“Poor Talen.” Ezra said, everyone around the table nodded their heads in agreement. Even Grayson.

I ignored them and started to eat my food in silence. I could hear the rest of them talking around me but I didn’t feel like joining in with the conversation. Talen may be here to help me and the rest of the pack but I was going to have to think of some way of staying out of his way.

The longer that we spent around each other the stronger our bond would grow. I had to make sure that didn’t happen. Talen’s behaviour up to this point had been unusual and I had to make sure that there wasn’t some sinister reason behind it before my emotions took over. I needed to somehow find out more about him without getting too close to him.

‘Good luck with that puzzle.’ Jade said.