My Teacher is My Mate

Rejection - Briar

Briar looked on in shock, only realising how close she was standing to them when the other woman gave her a dirty look after they finished kissing.

"Who is this?" She asked Kian.

The man looked down at Briar, disdain clear in his eyes, "Some kid from the other pack I guess? You need something?"

Briar took a moment to find her words again, "I'm the Everett pack heir, Briar. I believe that we have some things to discuss, Kian Grey."

For a moment, he looked as though he might simply ignore her, but with a heavy sigh he turned back to the other woman, "I'll be back in a minute, babe."

Kian walked outside, and towards the woods near the house, leaving Briar to follow behind. His strides were so long as he walked that she practically had to jog to keep up with him. Once they reached the woods, he turned on her and pressed her up against a tree in a flash. She couldn't help the way the contact of his hands on her shoulder made her heart race, her breath catch in her throat. Even despite himself, she could see his eyes dilated as he stood close to her. His smokey scent filled her nose and drowned out all her thoughts.

"I don't care what my mother decided on my behalf, kid. There is no way we are being betrothed," there was a growl to his voice that made her feel cold. "Whatever you felt when we made eye contact, it's nothing. I don't want some little girl for a wife, or a mate."

Her blood ran cold. She hadn't wanted to acknowledge the way her body reacted to him, but when he said the word, she couldn't shake it off. He was her mate.

"But..." once again, she struggled with finding her words, "doesn't us being mates make everything easier? We can seal the mating bond, and then--"

"No." Kian growled, pressing her against the tree with enough force that it made her shoulder ache. She felt a growl of her own wanting to come out. "You are just a high school brat. There is no way that I would ever accept you as my mate."

"So, you're rejecting me?" Despite wanting to sound strong, her voice came out as little more than a squeak.

He shrugged and stepped away, reaching into the pocket of his leather jacket and pulling out a pack of cigarettes. "Yeah, sure," he put one in his mouth and lit it, "I reject our mate bond."

Briar felt something inside her break, tears threatening to fall on her cheeks. Even as she watched him take a puff from his cigarette, he seemed to buckle a little at his own words.

"Take it back," she said softly, voice ice cold. "You don't mean it. Some of our kind go their entire lives without meeting their mate, and you would reject yours just like that?"

"Yeah, I do," he gave her an equally cold stare. "As I said, I don't want a kid for a mate. I also have no interest in leading the pack, so by all means, pick some other unfortunate soul to become the next Alpha."

A kid. Why did he keep calling her that? He couldn't be more than ten years older than her, and from his appearance, she guessed closer to five. It wasn't as though she was a child either. She balled her hands into fists and took a step towards him, doing her best to keep her expression neutral.

"Fine, I accept the rejection," she huffed, "but you're the one explaining the termination of our betrothal to our parents. That blame is solely on you." She poked a finger into his chest for emphasis, ignoring the sharp pain it sent shooting into her chest to touch him. "And I don't need to find any poor soul to be Alpha; I will become Alpha on my own."

His eyes widened a little at her statement, "You? Lead the pack alone?"

Briar shrugged, stepping away from him back towards the house, "It's not unheard of."

"I'll get quite the entertainment watching you try," Kian scoffed, squashing out his cigarette under his boot.

She turned to face him and narrowed her eyes, "You know, I'm glad you rejected the mating bond. You seem like a complete ass."

Kian arched an eyebrow at her, "Oh? Quick learner it seems."

Briar rolled her eyes and began walking back towards the house, blinking away the last of the tears that had threatened to spill. With each step away from him, she felt some of the weight on her chest lighten and could breathe easier. She entered the house and saw most people had settled into small groups or left, and quickly made her way upstairs to her bedroom, locking the door shut behind her.

Only then did she let the tears flow freely, sobs wrecking through her body. The pain of having the mating bond completely rejected was near unbearable, as though someone had driven a knife right through her chest. She couldn't breathe. Choked breaths between sobs were all she could manage as she collapsed onto her bed and cried herself to sleep.