Their Broken Hybrid Mate

CHAPTER 7 — A MATE'S LOVE

LUCAS' POV

My hands felt like they were made of stone, frozen in mid-air.

The whole cafeteria was dead silent for a moment, the kind of quiet that makes your ears ring. Then came the whispers, the murmurs, the not-so-subtle laughs.

"Did she just reject him?"

"In front of everyone?"

"Poor Lucas… or maybe not. Isn’t he still with Sabrina?"

I couldn’t breathe. My chest felt tight, like something was squeezing from the inside. My ears burned as the humiliation washed over me. Everyone was staring.

But none of it mattered as much as the way Emily looked at me before she ran off—like she was scared. Not angry, not annoyed, but scared.

Why?

Why did she reject me? Why couldn’t she even explain?

I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Ethan standing there with a glum look on his face.

“Bro,” he said, shaking his head like he couldn’t believe what had just happened. “What’s going on? Why would she do that?”

“I don’t know,” I muttered, shrugging him off. I couldn’t deal with him right now. I couldn’t deal with anyone.

I just needed to know what went wrong.

The day dragged on slowly and all through the lectures, all I could think about was Emily —her wide eyes, the way her voice cracked when she rejected us.

By the time the closing bell rang, I had made up my mind. I wasn’t going to let this go. I had to talk to her, to understand what exactly was going on.

I waited by her locker, my heart pounding like a drum. When she finally appeared, her head was down, her hair falling over her face. She looked so small, so vulnerable.

“Emily,” I called softly.

She stopped but didn’t look up.

“Can we talk?” I asked. “Please?”

For a second, I thought she might say no, but then she sighed and turned toward me. Her eyes met mine, and my stomach twisted. There was pain there, a sadness I couldn’t place.

“I got you something,” I said, reaching into my bag. I pulled out a small velvet box and handed it to her.

Her eyes widened slightly when she saw it, and for a moment, I thought she might take it.

But then she shook her head.

“I can’t, Lucas,” she whispered.

“Why not?” I asked, my voice breaking. “What’s wrong, Emily? Just tell me.”

She bit her lip, her hands clenching at her sides. “I just can’t.”

Frustration bubbled up inside me. “Is it because of Sabrina?” I blurted out. “Because if that’s the problem, I’ll… I’ll fix it. I’ll take care of it, okay?”

Her eyes widened, and for a moment, I saw something in them—shock, maybe even hope—but it was gone as quickly as it came.

“Lucas, you don’t understand,” she said, her voice barely audible.

“Then make me understand,” I begged. “Please.”

But she didn’t. She just turned and walked away, leaving me standing there with a sinking feeling in my chest.

I didn't bother calling her back. There was no need to. It was my girlfriend, Sabrina that I needed to see. I had to end things with her before I lost Emily totally.

The drive to Sabrina’s house was a quick one. My mind kept replaying the look on Emily’s face, the way her voice shook when she said, “You don’t understand.”

She was right. I didn’t understand. But I wanted to.

Sabrina greeted me with a bright smile when she opened the door, but it faltered when she saw the look on my face.

“Lucas?” she said, stepping aside. “What’s wrong?”

I walked into her house, my heart pounding. I didn’t know how to say it, but I had to.

“Sabrina, we need to talk,” I said, my voice low.

Her smile disappeared completely. “What about?”

I took a deep breath, my hands clenching into fists. “Us.”

Her eyes narrowed. “What about us?”

“I think we should break up,” I said, the words tumbling out before I could stop them.

The room seemed to freeze. For a moment, Sabrina just stared at me, with shock written all over her face.

“Excuse me?” she said, her voice sharp.

“I’m sorry,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair. “I just… I can’t do this anymore."

Her expression hardened. “Is this about Emily?” she demanded. “Because everyone knows you don't even love her, Lucas. It’s pathetic.”

“This is about her,” I nodded. “And yes, she may not be perfect like you, but she is my mate. I'm sorry but I can’t be with you anymore."

She laughed bitterly, her eyes glinting with anger. “You’re such a dickhead,” she spat. “I can't believe you're breaking up with me for that grandma."

I didn’t respond. What could I say? She wasn’t wrong. If someone had told me a week ago that I would be breaking up with one of the hottest girls in the pack, for Emily, I wouldn't have believed it as well.

After a long silence, she turned away from me.

“Just go,” she said, her voice barely audible.

I hesitated, but eventually, I nodded and walked out the door.

The drive home was quiet, but I was lost in thoughts.I had broken up with Sabrina. I had done what I thought was the right thing. But it didn’t feel like it was going to be enough to win Emily's heart.

When I got home, I went straight to my room and locked the door.

I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the bracelet I had bought for Emily. It had seemed so perfect at the time—a simple silver chain with a small, delicate charm.

Now it felt worthless.

I thought giving her the bracelet would show her how much she meant to me, but she had casually rejected it.

I lay back on my bed, staring at the ceiling. The pain in my chest was unbearable, like something inside me was broken.

The thought of her being with Ethan made my stomach churn. He didn’t deserve her. He never had.

But maybe I didn't as well.

I closed my eyes, but the darkness didn’t help. It only made the thoughts louder.

What if I was not enough for her?

The question echoed in my mind, a cruel reminder of the pain I didn’t want to face.

All I wanted was my mate's love. And I hoped that calling off the relationship with Sabrina was going to be enough to win it.