An Honest Mate

Rejection

Nathan

I stare at my beautiful mate, confused. How? Mates don't try and kill each other, even vampires. It's a sacred bond. Vampires worship their fated mates if they ever meet them. It could take years hundreds even before their fated mate is born. Which can make it almost impossible to kill them if their fated mate is near. They're some of the most vicious if their mate is threatened. James is a cruel man to put a woman such as her in a position he thought killing her sadistically was the best way to introduce himself. I heard my wolf growl inside at the thought.

"I need to see him!" Alesia said sternly, not breaking eye contact.

Narin growled inside of my head. He was already angry at James for trying to kill her. He was angry that James would have rather had our mate dead than to cherish her the way she was meant to be.

"NO." We both said to her.

"This isn't a discussion, Nathan. He tried to kill me. I need answers. I'm linking Grace." She said eyes glazed. Once I saw her beautiful eyes return, she grabbed my face and looked deep into my eyes.

I didn't want her to go down there. The stench is awful, and the stress alone for her.. Goddess, this can't be happening.

"Grace and Luke are meeting us down there." Still in a state of shock, I nodded my head and led her back to the pack house fighting the urge to just say no, but I can't she deserves answers that are true, and I'll be there just in case she needs me. I turn to her feeling anxious because all I can feel from her is anger, and it's radiating off of her in waves.

Once we got to the pack house and met up with Grace and Luke, I grabbed Alesia and held her inhaling her scent, hoping she would do the same. She needed to calm down before going in so she could think straight and not get manipulated by him. Vampires are great with words. I mean, who wouldn't be if they lived for hundreds of years. Once I feel her calm down through our bond, I take her hand and lead her in.

"How do you know he's your fated mate, Alesia?" Grace asks. Luke stares at her, almost questioning her claim.

"His blood." She says, turning towards me.

I'm still covered in it. F*ck I need a nice shower after this. I need to get this F*ckers stench off of me.

"It's intoxicating." She said, almost smiling. I felt my wolf get agitated, and I think she felt it because she immediately looked at me with apologetic eyes. I understood and rubbed her shoulders reassuringly

They stare at her bewildered, and Grace asks, "Are you sure it's not Nathan's smell after your bond?"

"No, this is James. It's the same smell back in the alley. Nathan's smell is different. It's just as good." She said, leaning into me. She squeezes my hand and looks to Luke.

If this is true, we have to let her in there. She has a right to see her fated mate and especially so since he tried to kill her. She will have to make a decision to reject someone. We know who it'll be. She loves you. But with James being around, it'll block part of your bond till she rejects him or he dies. Luke mind links me.

Yes, I'm aware. I'm just hoping it doesn't break her. What about our pup?

Luke nods in understanding and scratches his chin.

Unfortunately, there's nothing that could be done about that. Alesia, though, is strong she has proven that multiple times. I think she will be okay. We should have a discussion in my office about this before we head down.

I nodded and let Luke take the lead.

"Let's go to my office first. Alesia, if this is true, we have to discuss everything that goes with this since you chose Nathan as your mate instead of your fated mate. No judgment here. There are certain things that have to be done, though. Like the rejection." Luke says to her.

She nods and squeezes Grace's hand and walks with her, probably asking more questions or preparing her for the situation. It made me feel antzy. I might be a strong warrior, but I've lost my mate before, and it was excruciatingly painful. Rejection is supposedly just as painful as your mate dying.

Before we entered the office, I put my hand on the back of her waist and pulled her towards me.

No matter what, I chose you and our pup. I love you, Alesia. She grabs my hands and kisses them.

I chose you. And I will always choose you, my love. She said back to me.

I felt Narin relax, and I moved my hand back into hers and walked her through the doors. We sat down, and Grace handed us some water to help ease the tension.

"Well, Alesia, I'm gonna be completely straight up. James is a bastard. The jail cells are rank, and again, you'll have to make a choice if you want the full bond with Nathan." Luke said. She turned to me, confused.

"Make a choice?" She asked bewildered like she already knew who she wanted to be with. I could sense how irritated she was hearing that. Her emotions are on a high.

"Yes, Alesia. You will have to reject your fated mate or reject Nathan for James.." Grace was cut off feeling Alesia's irritability.

"Sorry, I'm still in a bit of shock. I'm not rejecting the man I love, and the man who is truly my mate."

" Yes, I understand. However, with rejection, they are the most painful things. You have to understand that they are extremely painful. Now you're strong and we think it'll be fine we have to let you know ahead of time. Either way, you have to make a rejection, or your bond will never be fully open to your mate." She looks like a statue hearing this news.

I reach over and pull her into my arms. We both need this to help calm our nerves.

"You're saying no matter what James has power over me? No. He tried to kill me. I won't let him hurt me anymore. I will reject him, and I won't let him have that. My baby and I deserve a chance in this world, and I will do what I must to help ensure our babies' happiness, my mates, and mine. I chose Nathan, and that is that. I want to ask him questions. Now." She looked determined. Her tone of authority almost matched Grace's. Shocking them from her boldness.

Mate is strong. I wonder if our bond now is helping. Maybe it'll keep her strong enough to get through this. Narin said to me. He seemed concerned,vstill making me feel anxious. Overwhelmed I try and push all my feelings aside and look to Luke.

I saw Luke and Grace smile at her.

"You're strong. I think the royal seals are helping her. They should help give her strength through this. Wait. Nathan, you're her second chance, mate?!" Grace says to me. She walks up to Alesia and then to me and checks my neck.

"You have a fated mate royal mark!" Luke comes over and stares at them, looking between us.

I see Alesia looking between me and Grace. I squeeze her hand.

I was hoping that's what it meant. I linked Alesia.

I hoped, too. Maybe it'll help. She responds.

Or I was just hoping that the Goddess noticed her mistake and blessed us. She had to have known and specifically put me in that Alleyway to protect Alesia just in case. Alesia is ours. Narin says.

"That makes so much more sense. I thought the moon Goddess had messed up on you, too. You both have had sooooo much chemistry since she's been here." Grace says to her.

I was about to say something when Jackson burst through the door.

"Sorry I'm late. Ashley is dealing with my work till I get back, " he says.

"Great, let's go meet James. I'm gonna reject him and ask him some questions." Alesia says so matter of factly we all stare at her bewildered. Jackson of all of us took a step back and mouthed, 'what?' directed towards me. I simply shrugged my shoulders and went with it. She needed this then I needed this.

She didn't even respond to Grace but grabbed Jackson's shoulders, turned him around, and walked out the door. Surprising us more.

Are you coming? She links.

Yeah, I'm coming. Just in shock is all. How are you holding up so well?

Oh, trust me, I'm not. I just need answers.

We get to the cells, and Luke orders the guard to open James's cell. James is chained to a table and immediately stands up when he sees Alesia.

"You." He said. " You shouldn't be here!" He yelled towards her. I Growled at him for talking to my mate that way.

"You should have died. My beautiful, I protected you! If you died, you wouldn't get tortured. " We all stared at him baffled.

Do you think we'll get more info out of this? He seems to finally want to talk. Luke links Jackson and I. We both nodded at Luke and let Alesia sit at the table. I take a seat next to her. She looked at me, and I nodded, giving her some strength.

"Why did you try and kill me?" She reaches for his hands, making Narin squirm for control. I quickly shut him out to the furthest part. James snickered furiously.

"I just told you. To protect you from what I am. I was a spy to the royal crown. I betrayed them. I found information that would kill multiple royals to find the one female royal who could unite us all. I was on the run when I found you and ran into a colleague. You were so gorgeous when I first saw you. I'd waited 1309 years to find you, and when I did, I was in the most compromised situation. They would have killed you in the most inhumane way. But if I did it. It would be quick. I thought you'd died this whole time, and I felt as if I had nothing left. These guys tortured me, and I would take it knowing I would see you soon. I begged for them to kill me so I could have a better life with you. I will get us out of here and keep you safe. I promise! "

Woah. This man seemed so sincere. I felt Alesia look at him, eyes glued to his face studying him, so it seemed trying to find just a single lie. However, I've watched him lie for months and heard him beg for death. There was no lie within him here. It was sadistic but he did what he thought would be best for her. I turn to Luke.

What the hell was that? Now, it makes sense why they keep attacking us. They're going after Grace! For her powers. James might actually be on our side in a sense. I linked him.

I don't know. That was sincere and real. They won't touch her it'll be over my dead body. I'm worried he won't accept the rejection. I have a few more questions to ask him now. Jackson, what do you think? Luke added him.

Man. This vampire is messed up. Alesia got a better mate with you, Nathan. He thought killing her was better? Man... f*cked up. But yes, Luke, we will protect Grace at all costs.

"You killed me to protect me? The words you said were sadistic that night! You broke my hand and even stalked me! None of that seems like you f*cking cared a*shole!" She said, staring him down, making me slightly nervous of her. Her power radiates off of her.

Remind me not to piss her or Alex off, Narin says. I chuckle internally at that. I saw James flinch at her words.

"I deserve that, but when I tell you I will keep you safe, I mean it. Even if you are a wolf. You are the most breath taking woman I have ever seen. You are simply gorgeous. You my mate are a feisty one too, ehh? " I heard her growl lowly at him.

She ran her fingers through her hair, showing her mark, and then let her hair fall back down. James immediately noticed it, and his eyes landed on me connecting the dots.

"You son of a b***h. She is my mate! I knew when I smelled her on you when you came down it wasn't a coincidence of a torture mechanism! I'll kill you. She is mine." He said. His eyes are animalistic. He is challenging me. However, he is the one chained. If this was out and about, it would be legal to challenge each other. I growled using my royal command, making him bow his head slightly. Alesia stood up and glared at James.

"You have no decision in my making. I chose a man who chose to love me first, not kill me. You James have no authority to challenge my mate for me. I don't accept you!" I smile at her and then send daggers towards James. He meets my eyes with emotion I've never seen in a person.

I felt Narin rise to the surface and Alesia put her hand on me to help calm me down. Once she senses me calming down. She then turns back to James, and glances at Grace, who hasn't said a word. The room was dead silent. You could only feel the vibrations bouncing off of our chests. Alesia nods at Grace and speaks to James again.

"I want you to answer all of my questions and after that I will reject you. I deserve that much from you. You'd think you'd have a better way to lay claim on a mate after waiting 1300 years." I heard her growl lowly at him.

He seemed so surprised by her forwardness. That's what I love about her.

"No. You are mine Alesia and I promise to show you." He seemed so sincere that I almost laughed. She wasn't going anywhere I took him down easily in that Alleyway. I could take him down now. However, what she did next made even Luke and Grace jump. "No!" She yelled, grabbing a knife and stabbing it through the table centimeters away from his hands.

"Nathan is my mate and the father of my pup. He will be in my life. And you will answer my questions." I felt fear, anger, frustration, and power radiate off my mate.

"Alesia, can I talk to you for a second?" Grace says.

I see her lock eyes with me and gets up. She follows Grace out. Luke gives Grace a nod.

"James. We know your full name and she will be rejecting you when she comes back in. If you don't answer her questions the rejection will most likely be filled with hate and frustration making the rejection worse. If you answer her questions like she deserves, it'll hurt a lot less. You're more than likely never getting out of here." Luke says, trying to talk some sense into him.

Are you okay, baby?

Yes. Grace is going over how to reject a mate and what his full name is. She says that if he doesn't accept it the only way to break the bond is to..

Kill him. You don't have to.

I don't want you to either.

Then Luke will do it. He would if we asked him too.

I felt a wave of relief flow through her to me.

"If you don't accept the rejection we will kill you right here." I stated glaring at him. I heard him hiss.

"Because I should be afraid of a lowly ranked puppy."

That's it. He's done. If he didn't need to answer my mates questions I would've killed him right now. Instead I made him "Kneel." He looked at me and started kneeling.

"I am a cousin to the king."

Just then Alesia and Grace walk through the door.

"James Edward Alexander I'm going to ask you one more time to answer all of my questions." Alesia said to him. He stared at her smirking. Not even the tiniest bit afraid that she used his full name.

"Yes Mrs. Alexander?" He says smiling my way making my beast growl so loudly Jackson had moved over to me to help restrain me in case. But I waved him away. This was for Alesia, and what she said made me smile with confidence.

"It's Mrs. Cohen to you." She said towards him. Mrs. Cohen.. Narin says. Yeah we've got to make that official.

"Mrs. Alexander, what questions do you have?" She rolls her eyes.

"Alright we will do this the hard way. You're just an a**hole. I, Alesia Paige Parker reje.." she was cut off by James.

"Alright alright. Stubborn and straight to the point. Sexy." James said, winking at her.

How many times is he going to test my patience?

"Never call me by your name. Why did you stalk me and break my wrist?" This time she picks up a wooden knife and plays with it twirling it in her hand. He looks at the knife and back to her and smiles.

"Devin. He was catching onto me. He's the middle man I tell everything to. He saw my reaction to you and he was near you watching you too. If I didn't kill you or make a show he would have brought you in to torture you to make me give them information. I couldn't handle that. In that sense any man, mate, in my case vampire would be weak watching their mate get tortured. Which is why I didn't put up much of a fight. When I was draining you, I felt pain surge through me. I didn't have the strength to fight back. I had wished they killed me so I could be with you. I didn't know they were gonna torture me this long." He said, staring into her eyes. He's telling the truth. Narim says feeling slightly confused.

"So you..." She started to say.

"You chose to kill me rather than let me live a normal life and or turn yourself in? How would they have known I was your mate? You said you were on the run why couldn't you have just come back for me? Killing me was your only logical answer? " Damn she was good. I saw him blink and stare at her.

Nice baby. I linked her.

"Well.. yes. When you put it that way, yes, I did. None of that was easy."

What an id*ot. No rational mate would do that.

I'm going to reject him.

Alright I'm here for you baby. Through the whole thing.

Alright.

"Hmm.. well that concludes everything. You are a narcissistic man who only thinks for himself. Why would I want a man who.. wanted to kill me. Thank you for at least answering my questions." She said.

James looked confused and cocky.

"That's it?"

"Yes. I, Alesia Paige Parker, reject you as my mate." I saw pure pain hit her and she used the table as a way to stand staring him in the eyes. His body looked like he'd been stabbed a thousand times, but held a genuine small smile towards her almost accepting what happened.

"Accept her rejection." Grace said to him or "I'll make you." He groaned in pain clutching where his heart would be.

" No." He said meekly.

"I order you to accept the rejection or so help me we will kill you." He let out a scream making Alesia cry. I Felt her pain too I could barely breath. Feeling a rejection through someone else was excruciatingly painful.

"I accept." Jackson, Luke, and Grace left us, letting me pick up my mate to carry her out personally.

"I'm so sorry, Alesia." James begged, watching us leave. "My beautiful mate.." He trailed off when I slammed the cell closed.

"Lock the cell. No one goes in or out" I told the guard.

I'm gonna carry you home to rest love.

It hurts so bad. She whimpered. I heard Alex whimper in my mind to Narin. They need us all night tonight.

Jackson, can you lead tomorrow's training morning at 5 a.m.?

Yeah I was already instructed by Grace. Take care of Alesia and yourself. Today's been crazy bro.

Yeah.. just got home. I said cutting the link.

I set her down on the bed. I take a quick shower getting all the dried blood off of me. The last thing she needs is a reminder as she sleeps or when she wakes up. Once I'm done I curl up next to her. She crawls onto my chest and falls back asleep. I run small circles on her shoulders while she lightly snores. Her eyes were puffy and her heart slightly beating erratically. She's safe now. We will protect her and love her the way the Goddess designed us too. Narin says.

Yeah. She is ours. I said falling asleep from today's stress.

I wake up sitting forwards to a feeling of heartbreak and fear. That's when it hit me. The smell. It's blood. Alesia? I turn on the light for a better view. She's sitting on the bed in shock staring down to her legs. She meets my eyes and sheer panic dwells inside of me.

The baby.