A MATE'S BETRAYAL

Reality Check

The days that followed were even more agonizing. Nyx's Pack had a tradition of celebrating the discovery of one's true mate, a rite of passage into adulthood, nights spent hunting, shagging, dancing, and an endless supply of food and drinks.The same could not be said for Nyx. There were no congratulations or shared tales of their own experiences. Instead, she spent her days locked up in her room, crying herself to sleep when she couldn’t find an explanation as to what exactly happened.

“Nyx… you have to eat something.” Her mother’s voice came from the other side of her room. She turned her face towards the door and sighed when she could smell the food her mother made. She dragged herself from her bed and opened the door.

“Eat this and when you are done, come down,” Her mother said and Nyx spared her a glance. The warmth that usually danced in her mother's eyes had faded, replaced by a sorrowful expression, as if she was grieving a loss.

“Okay.” That was all Nyx could manage before she shut the door and went back to her pity nest. She heard her parents talk downstairs, in some sort of painful reality. Her hearing was still top notch, as were all her senses. She was still a werewolf, it seems, just without the wolf part. Maybe if she talked to her wolf…

“I gotta live somehow, I will wait for you to wake up on your own terms. "I know you are there.” she had somehow talked herself out of the pity party, or had just come to terms with her situation. Whatever the case, she had to live.

Nyx stuffed herself with food. She wasn't hungry, but she was in need of the energy to actually sit and listen to whatever it was they had to say.

“Do we have to do this ? ” Her mother’s voice was clear, almost as if she was right there with her.

“She has to be fixed… you know what is on the line.” Her father’s solid response was next, too solid for her liking. He had always been serious, barely showing emotions, other than anger or disgust of course.

“We have Lily, we don’t nee- ” her mother’s voice was still shaky. There it was. She was no longer needed.

“They will be here any minute.” Her mother was cut off.

“Did we? Could it be- ”

“Shut it, woman.” her father was stern in his reprimand, but never had it ever been directed towards Nyx’s mother. Something was off and she wondered if they were being loud on purpose. Having heard enough of her parents' banter, she blocked them out, put on something fresh and went down stairs just as the front doorbell rang.

“Come in , Luna. Nyx's mother said, her voice carrying some hope in it.

“Thank you, Mrs. Woodley. ” Their Luna replied and she walked , meeting Nyx’s eyes just as the other visitor with her also walked in. It was him,the wolf from the gathering, the dashing wolf. She felt tingling on the surface of her skin, all through her body. The young wolf looked at her, his piercing icy eyes holding her in place, something bubbled in her chest, a kind of excitement she wished it was what she thought. Perhaps, hope isn't lost… maybe just maybe…

“Please join us in the living room.” Nyx’s father ushered everyone to the couches, his eyes never meeting Nyx. The small group of four walked in silence, some kind of tension floating in between them.

“Mr. Erikson, we had an agreement… did we not? ” Luna’s voice was so icy, Nyx had to do a double take as she felt the waves of anger and disapproval wafted off the once-sweet Luna.

“Luna… if you give us more time, I am sure- ” Nyx’s mother started to intervene and she couldn't understand why she was asking for time? More time for what and why were they-

“Time is all you have had since- Well , as we all saw, my son is an Alpha just like I knew he would be. He will be heading back to one of our camps, to train before he can lead his own Pack.” Luna said, addressing Nyx’s Parents. There was a change in her father’s expression.

“You… come here. ” Luna’s gaze shifted so fast from her father and immediately onto Nyx who was still in the dark about what was going on. She stood from her seat and walked to Luna. She knelt in front of her, not wanting to look disrespectful looming over Luna.

“Yes, Luna. ” She replied, barely able to keep her eyes off the young man.

The second she was by her feet, Luna grabbed her chin, squishing it between her thumb and forefinger. Nyx does not blink, or wince or do anything other than lower her eyes to the hand that was on her chin. A shiver ran down her spine , but it was so fast it almost did not happen.

“Look at me.” Nyx had never heard Luna speak like that, ever. She lifted her gaze from the perfectly manicured hand on her chin to meet Luna's piercing eyes, almost identical to Rowan, who all this time had yet to say a thing. Her focus went back to Luna. She was still fixated on Nyx's eyes. For a few seconds, it seemed like she was trying to speak to her, not using her mouth but her eyes.

“You are too weak to be a Luna, let alone be my son’s mate. Luna said and tears welled up in Nyx’s blue eyes.

Luna’s words cut through Nyx’s already battered heart. Reality sank in then, she hadn't been wishfully thinking , hoping for nothing. She was mated… Rowan was her mate. But why? Why did he leave that night?

You know why.

Luna let go of her chin and sighed heavily. Nyx took this chance to face Rowan, he was her mate, but there was no pull, no scent , nothing other than the tingling of her skin whenever their eyes met. Perhaps that was the result of her shortcomings. She stayed kneeling by Luna’s feet and with new found strength , she cleared her throat and spoke, her words directed to Rowan.

“Why? Why didn't you stay ? ” Nyx asked a simple question, one she had an answer to, but hoped it would be something different.

“Wasn't it obvious, he did not see his wolf mate, why would he stay? To console a broken girl? Erikson…you know what is coming next. ” Luna said , getting to her feet, Rowan following suit.

“Luna, Plea- ” Nyx’s mother was never going to get a word out it seemed.

“No. Maggie. Just no. Rowan, do what you have to do. ” Luna wasn't having any of it. Rowan cleared his throat and fixed his gaze on Nyx’s teary eyes.

“I, Rowan Thorne of the Wolf Pack Clan , Reject you Nyx Woodley, daughter of Eriksson and Margaret Woodley, as my destined mate. May the great mother bear witness as I reject our bond. ” Rowan’s words were like a knife sinking into a block of butter, hot and searing to Nyx's barely whole heart.She doubled over , wondering why she was in such pain. There had been no pull to signify a bond being there and yet it felt like her whole body was being shattered. She closed her eyes as the pangs of pain basically tore through her. Rowan was the mate she could never have.

“Why- why? ” Nyx managed to choke, her eyes meeting Rowan’s. She could have sworn that he too seemed to be in some kind of discomfort or maybe it was her pain creating scenarios.

“Say the words, Nyx, let's get this over and done with, it hurts less once you do. ” Luna’s face was so close to her on the floor of their living room.

“Tell - tell me why…” Nyx asked again, wondering why she wanted an answer that was so clear.

“You are broken! Now say the damn words Nyx.” This time, Rowan had found his voice, too crouching next to Nyx, his eyes once icy and holding some sort of emotion, blank and dark.

“ I accept my fate. We are… no longer bound. Great mother as witness. ” Nyx had taken a deep breath and said the words that - contrary to Luna’s promise- hurt like b***h.

There was nothing else left to say after that. Rowan and his mother left the house, Nyx’s Parents did not even try to console her or anything.Maggie stared at the wall, unable to meet her daughter's rejected form on the floor.

Just like that, Nyx was officially a reject, literally.