TBMA [Complete ✔️]

12. Mate

Rosalie's P.O.V

"Mate!" Zane whispered, his eyes shining with happiness and pride, whilst mine were fighting to stay in their sockets from both shock and fear. He studied me, studying my reaction and no doubt trying to justify it in his head.

When he saw I wouldn't move, he took long strides toward me, pulling me out of my daze. I took quick glances around, exhaling a small breath of relief when I noticed that no one, not even my father and Knox, had heard or seen the interaction between us. The guests were all engrossed in conversations, smiles plastered on their faces. Music boomed around the place from the many speakers, the banners, hung on trees around us, swinging slightly because of the wind.

"Rose-" Zane tried to speak before I interrupted him with a hiss and a finger to my lips. Hurt flickered in his eyes, but luckily, he remained quiet. I grabbed him by the sleeve of his shirt, and took another careful look around, pulling him away once I was sure no one was looking.

"What are you-" He attempted again, once more being shut down by a hiss. I continued to pull him away from the crowd so fast I saw him stumble and struggle to keep up with me a few times.

Once I was certain we were alone and away from earshot, I finally exhaled a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. My best friend's eyes held both questions and hurt, my pulse increasing at the thought that I was the one who was causing him pain, on his birthday no less.

"I'm sorry." I looked away, unable to face him, his disappointment, or pain. I knew mates were special, but more than that, I knew one wasn't in the picture for me. My father didn't take mated couples kindly, I assumed, though not sharing that assumption with anybody, that that was one of the reasons why he killed Zane's father in the first place. Not only that, but I was too busy surviving my busy weeks and planned schedule, and dealing with my brother to have one even if I wanted to.

Fear gripped at my throat, memories of my mom's screams filling my head. I was in the room when my mom's mate took her life, although shielded by my brother. Not being able to see did not mean not being able to hear and as I grew older, the image and thoughts of what had happened to her that day haunted me more than I would like to admit. I had no intention of ending up like mom, killed by someone who was supposed to love me, nor did I want to end up like aunt Zaria, with the light dimmed from my eyes because of his death.

"It's okay, I don't mind getting dragged places when it's from you." He shrugged, his joke piercing the tense atmosphere like a knife.

"Can you meet me in our spot tonight?" I asked, running off before he could answer. I was too much of a coward to face the conversation we needed to have without being prepared first.

I kept telling myself that someone could hear, or see us, that father or Knox might come looking for me, or wonder where I went, but deep down I knew there was a bigger reason. That boy I just left behind was my best friend, the only one who still cared for me and remained by my side, along with his mum. I knew that after tonight I'd lose both, and selfishly, I wasn't ready for that.

I sighed, wrapping my hands around my body as a chill went down my spine. It wasn't too cold out, yet I could feel the wind sneak underneath my outfit and caress my skin with its cold slashes.

"Hey!" Aunt Zaria waved me over once I was close to the party. I faked a smile and made my way up to her, frantically looking around for any signs of my supposed mate as I walked. "How are you?" She asked, wrapping her arms around me. I held my breath as she held me, tears threatening to spill from my eyes at the prospect of this being the last hug I'll ever receive.

"I'm fine," I replied when we pulled back. "Great party!" She smiled, admiring her work and staring at the faces of the content guests.

"I had some help." A grin made its way onto her face once more, though it was never what it used to be since the death of her mate. Still, I wished father would've reacted more as she had. "So-" Aunt Zaria started, looking through the crowd again. "Where's Zane?" I coughed, her question taking me off guard.

I almost forgot she was a wolf and could smell him on me.

"I'm sure he'll be back soon," I replied, trying to keep my feeling to myself. Forcing another smile onto my face, I excused myself, quickly running back to the house to wash his scent away, cursing my senses for not coming in yet, so I could know when I could stop scrubbing.

My skin was red and irritated by the time I returned to the party, forcing me to hide it as best as I could with the sleeves. I mostly stayed in the shadows after that, hiding from the many wolves attending the stupid party.

***

As the night progressed and midnight came, everyone gathered to see Zane's first shift, the pack members interested in the event, since my brother was deprived of his right to do the same in front of an audience, and with actual help. Father was at the very front, alongside Knox and aunt Zaria, while I excused myself again, blaming it on having lots of wolves to heal at the clinic tomorrow.

I rushed up the stairs of the house and up to my room, pulling the dress off my body and switching it to plain black leggings and a hoodie. The night was getting colder and I had asked Zane to meet me after the party, so I didn't want to freeze, if he even showed up.

Screams of pain filled the air, each one slashing a different part of my heart. I tried to stop myself but in less than a minute I was already glued to the window, watching as my best friend and supposed mate's bones cracked and rearranged before finally morphing into a large ginger wolf.

The crowd cheered as his mom ran up to him and threw her arms around his body, the animal l*****g her cheek. When she finally moved away and returned to her spot, father howled, followed by my brother, aunt Zaria, Zane's wolf, then the rest of the pack.

I lay in bed after that, waiting until both my brother and father came into their rooms before lifting the covers off my body and tiptoeing to the door. I pressed my ear to it, listening for any footsteps, voices, or indications that anyone was still awake, luckily not hearing any.

I waited exactly five more minutes before I made my way downstairs as quietly as I could, sneaked out the door, and ran towards the lake and space we called ours. There was a larger tree branch that was low enough that your feet could touch the water and thick enough to seat both of us without breaking.

He was there when I arrived, clothes set to the side, his beautiful wolf even more handsome from up close. Streaks of fiery red lined his body, his fur no doubt soft like silk. His eyes lit up when he saw me, taking long strides until he was standing inches away.

The animal sat on its hind legs, willing me to pet it, to feel its fur brush against my fingers, but I knew if I felt it once, I wouldn't be able to stop, bond or not. Being thirteen, I felt no effects from the bond, yet my heart wasn't made of stone, especially when it came to my childhood best friend, whose own heart I was about to break.

The wolf whimpered when it realized I wouldn't reach to pet it, grabbing the clothes in its mouth and hiding behind a tree. After less than five minutes, Zane was back in his human part and fully dressed, forcing me right back into the situation.

He sat on the branch, urging me to do the same. With small, way less confident steps than when he was a wolf, I made my way over and sat as further away from him as possible. His face morphed into a frown at my distance, but he otherwise did nothing to change it.

"What's wrong?" His voice broke the silence, almost making me flinch. It seemed my thoughts were too much of a mess to be collected and organized as I would've liked, but there was no turning back now, collected or not.

"I don't want a mate." His head whipped away from the water, his eyes boring into my face, even though I was too much of a coward to look at him as I shattered his dreams of having someone to love, or whatever wolves made it seem like they did with their mates.

I dug up a rock from the soil and threw it into the water, watching as it bounced, then sunk, his gaze never leaving my face. "I-I've seen the mate bond and what it does to a wolf and I want no part in it. I'm sorry it had to be you, who I hurt, though." I finally looked at him, our gazes meeting briefly before I lowered mine in shame.

It was true, I never meant to hurt anyone, though I knew I'd one day have to, but especially not him. Not my funny best friend with a kind smile.

"Rose, I know we talked a lot about the poor soul that would end up being with me, but-" He faltered, unable to finish the sentence. My heart broke at the sadness of it, at the sadness of the night sky and the moon that had to listen to the conversation of two children forced to grow up too soon.

"It's not because of you," I mumbled, not knowing what else I could say. When they educate you about mates at school, no one ever mentioned how to tell one you don't want them, nor what to say, or do, when that one turned out to be your best and only friend.

"Listen, I know we're young, but we'll make it work-" I shook my head, interrupting his train of thought. Everyone said that, but in the end, love and pain were too fine of a line to cross either.

"I don't want a mate," I repeated, attempting to make my voice sound firm, yet I still sounded hurt and afraid, of the future, or the loneliness it held. Perhaps of both.

"I've been your best friend our whole lives, I'm not losing my soulmate and best friend in one night because you want to compare me to a monster!" My first instinct was to protect my family, to not allow him to speak about a member from it in that way, but then I remembered who my father was, the words dying on my tongue. Tears finally spilled down my cheeks.

There was no protecting that man. The man, whom I was supposed to call father, really was a monster and there was nothing I could do or say to change anyone's mind, even my own.

Zane gently took my hand, guiding it to his heart. No matter how much I tried to wiggle out of his grip, he'd just tighten it each time. His eyes were closed shut, my breath hitching as I took time to feel the beat of his heart beneath his fingers.

"It's scared to lose you." He informed me, opening his eyes slightly, so he could gauge my reaction. His blue eyes pulled me in, captivating me along with the now steady rhythm beneath my palm. "I know we're young and I'm leaving in the morning anyway. By the time I'm back, you'll have your wolf and we can start over, as if tonight never happened, but don't push me away!" He pleaded, my head finally clearing enough for the alarms to start ringing.

I harshly pulled my hand away, settling it in my lap instead, and scooted even further away from him.

"You said it yourself, Zane." I fumbled with my fingers as I spoke. "You know what I've lived through, you know my thoughts on pretty much everything in my life. How many times have I told you I'd never accept a mate?" Something in him snapped then, as if he had been holding his sanity by a thread he had just dropped. "I don't want to end up like my mom." I whimpered, wondering what she would've thought about me at this moment.

Would she have applauded my decision, or would she have scolded me for ruining a sixteen-year-old's idea and dream of life? Would she have said the same to her mate if she had the chance now?

At his silence, I realized he's had enough pain for one evening. I got up, quickly dusting my leggings, and started to leave when he grabbed my arm again, his eyes full of every emotion he was going through.

"I'm not your father, Rosalie!" He yelled, though even when he tried to sound angry, I knew he was merely trying to convince me of his idea of the truth. "I was next to you! I, not your miserable excuse of a father, not your brother, I! I dressed your wounds, I made you laugh when you cried!" He continued yelling, both our hearts shattering the further this went, all the while tears spilled silently down my cheeks.

"I-" I tried, though now it was his turn to interrupt me.

"Don't say a word. You don't have to. I know you don't believe me right now, but I'll prove to you that I'm nothing like him when the time comes!" Before I could protest, his hand ran down my arm. "Run, Angel, because next time I won't be afraid to chase what's mine!"

And so I ran and didn't look back.

A/N

Hi, Treasures! Make sure you join my F-a-c-e-b-o-o-k group Teddy's Treasures for extra content and discussions! Young Rose is facing adult problems! What would you have done in her shoes?