The Rejected Link

Chapter 15: Stop me

I knock on Exol's door, the sound echoing in the dim corridor, ringing in the silence. My pulse raced as I stood there, waiting, counting the seconds as they ticked by. I wasn’t ready for the usual hostility but I couldn't keep ignoring the knot in my chest, so here I am.

The door creaked open, revealing Exol standing, leaning against the frame, his sharp grey eyes narrowing when they landed on me, his right brow lifted. He looked sleep deprived, his jaw set in a way that said ‘f**k off’.

“Ruthni,” he started, his tone flat. “You’re here. Again.”

I mentally prepared myself and looked him straight in the eyes. “We need to talk.”

He sighed, running his hand through his hair, he looked frustrated. “Whatever makes you think I enjoy these talks lies. I don't.”

“Too bad,” I retort, stepping closer. “Because we need to. It’s about your curse.”

His jaw tightened, his gaze hardening flickering with fear, anger, maybe both. He went to close the door against me, but I wedged my foot in the crack.

“Exol,” I said firmly, “I’m not leaving until we do.”

He stared at me, his lips pressing into a thin line, he sighed before pulling the door open again, clearly not in the mood to go back and forth. “You have ten minutes.”

I stepped inside, the tension thick enough to suffocate me. His room was always the same; a neatly made bed, a desk with the same book on it, devoid of anything remotely homey. A perfect fit.

“Is this your solution? You can't keep avoiding me” I began, turning to face him from his desk.

He remained at the door, his stance uninterested. “Watch me,” he shot back, leaning against the door, crossing his arms over his chest.

Ignoring his obvious taunt, I stepped closer. “The demon inside you and what caused this curse, it's dangerous, Exol, just like you said. And the more you pretend that keeping me at bay is the remedy, the worse it’ll get.”

“And what, exactly, do you think you, an omega, my oh-so glorious mate, can do about it?” he asked, his voice sharp. He left the door and walked to me, his every step heavy on the wooden floors.

“We can think of something, figure it out together,” I said, my voice lower than intended. I didn't want to sound weak, but his pheromones had just gone higher, pressing in on me, threatening to weaken my resolve. “The packhouse library has books, scrolls, and ancient records. There has to be something in there to help us understand what this curse is really about. And how to break it.”

He barked out a laugh, a humorless one. His pheromones reduced, and I let out the breath I didn't realize I held, finally getting air into my lungs. “The library? You want to read old dusty books written by dead people and hope they have the answers?”

“Yes,” I said, regaining my confidence “Because fighting it isn't working. You…I mean, he continues to watch me.”

His head snapped to me looking at me with disbelief, his expression darkening. “He watches you still?” He takes another step closer, the space between us reducing at a drastic rate.

I nod, saying nothing. He looked away, then looked at me, his eyes holding that of pity. Like he felt sorry for me.

“You don’t understand what you’re asking, Ruthni,” he resumed, sighing once more. “This curse...it’s not something that can be fixed by going through books. It’s—”

“Dangerous?” I interrupted. “Uncontrollable? Unstable? Trust me, I’ve noticed. But sitting around waiting for it to destroy not just me but you as well—or worse, someone else—will not be an option. So you can either keep sulking or come with me and do something about it.”

For a minute, he just looked at me, his eyes flashing red and then grey, reflecting something unreadable. Then he sighed, backing away towards the door, signaling for me to follow. “You’re exhausting.”

I smiled, not believing that just worked. “And you’re insufferable.”

******

“This is a waste of time,” Exol muttered as we walked inside.

The library was quiet. Its filled shelves towered over us stretching to the ceilings above. The scent of old parchment, aged woods, and leather filled the air, a comforting presence despite the heavy purpose of our visit.

I've always loved books. Being in a library this huge and this filled made a sense of euphoria wash over me.

“Maybe,” I replied, brushing past him in awe and looking around the vast books that surrounded us. “But it’s still better than doing nothing.”

He didn’t argue, trailing behind me as I made my way between the shelves going through the large werewolves section and the elves section. There was even a section on humans. I moved further towards the end of the library, before finally getting to the section on curses and magical phenomena. The shelves were filled with thick scrolls and even thicker tomes, some so old their spines crumbled at the touch.

“Here,” I said, pulling out a particularly heavy book and handing it to him. “Start with this.”

He dropped it on a nearby table and stared at it like it might hurt him. “You want me to read that?” he asked, his face twisting in disgust. He flipped through the pages with all the enthusiasm of someone carrying out a chore. “This looks like it was written by someone who’s never had fun in all their life.”

“Yes,” I said, grabbing another equally heavy book for myself. “Besides, you'd feel right at home. Unless you’d rather I read it to you?” I responded smiling slightly.

His lips twitched, and for a moment, I thought he might actually smile. He rolled his eyes but sat down, flipping the book open with a dramatic sigh. “You’re insufferable.”

Cute.

“Good to know we’re on the same page,” I quipped, hiding the smile as I sat beside him.

The silence that ensued as we started reading was surprisingly comfortable. For the first time, it felt like we were working together rather than the constant push and pull.

I glanced up occasionally, watching him as he read, his brow furrowed in concentration, his face contorting now and then when he reads something of interest. He reads a lot, I could tell. One reader to another. It was comforting to know we had something in common. There was something endearing about the way he frowned at what he regarded as ‘useless information’.

“Stop staring,” he said without looking up.

I blinked, embarrassment engulfing me as I was caught, heat rushing to my cheeks. “I wasn’t.”

“You were,” he said, smirking slightly, still looking at the book. “Terrible liar, remember?”

I scoffed, turning back to my book. “Just focus on what you’re reading.”

We continued in comfortable silence for what felt like hours; the sun had gone down, and the tension between us shifted from quarrelsome to something far more complicated. At one point, I leaned over to point out a passage in my book, our shoulders brushing in the process. The brief contact sent a shiver down my spine, vibrating my entire body and I pulled back quickly, hoping he hadn’t noticed.

“Ruthni,” he said after a while, his voice softer than usual.

“Yeah?” I asked, looking up from my book, his eyes still on his book.

He faltered before his grey eyes met mine. “Why do you care so much? Why can't you just stay away? Most people do!” His tone wasn't accusative; he was genuinely curious; I could see it in his eyes.

The question caught me off guard, and for a moment, I didn’t know how to respond. “Because you're my mate,” I said finally. “I can't just stay and see you suffer, Exol. Even if you push me away, even if I can't feel you, I know you are in pain.”

He smiled at that, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “You’re a strange one, Ruthni.”

“And you’re impossible,” I shot back, though there was no heat in my words.

A few minutes later, he began shifting in his chair, and the leg trembled dangerously. Before I could warn him, it gave way, screeching and sending him tumbling backward with a loud crash.

I burst out laughing before I could stop myself, the sound bouncing off the walls in the quiet library.

He groaned, steadying himself and glaring at me. “Glad to see you’re concerned for my well-being. This is so not you seeing me suffer,” he said dusting himself off.

“I’m sorry,” I said, trying to stifle my laughter, though I wasn’t even a little sorry. “It’s just...the look on your face! It's hilarious!” I burst out laughing again.

He scowled, but there was a hint of amusement in his eyes. “You’re impossible.”

“And you’re clumsy,” I retorted, grinning.

He shook his head, but he was smiling now—a real, genuine smile that reached his eyes, it made my heart skip a beat.

“Help me up,” he said, holding out his hand.

I grabbed it, but when I pulled, he tugged me forward instead, sending me sprawling onto the floor beside him.

“Exol!” I yelped, swatting at him as he laughed—a deep, rich sound that I’d never heard from him before.

“For someone who’s always coordinated, you’re not very sturdy,” he teased.

I put a lot of energy into glaring at him, but the corners of my mouth betrayed me, twitching upward despite myself. “You’re insufferable.”

“That might just become my trademark. And yet, here you are,” he said, his tone softer now.

This was nice.

Our laughter died down, leaving a charged silence in its wake, the tension between us began to grow heavier with each passing second. I suddenly realized how close we were, his grey eyes locked onto mine, the heat from his body warming me, and the air between us shifted.

He moved to stand on his feet, carrying me along with him. When I looked up, he was watching me, his gaze intense in a way that made my heart race. Heat rose to my cheeks, painting them bright red, and I could feel a weird sensation in my stomach.

“Ruthni,” he said, his voice low and gruff.

I swallowed hard, my heart pounding in my chest. “Yeah?”

He reached out, brushing a strand of hair away from my face. His touch was surprisingly gentle, the movement soft and it sent a surge coursing through me.

He leaned in slightly “This is a bad idea,” he murmured, though he didn’t move away.

I could hear nothing but our hearts beating in tandem with one another.

“Probably,” I whispered, unable to look away from him.

“Stop me,” he said, his eyes desperate to search mine, but I made no move to do so. And then his lips were on mine.

I screwed my eyes shut and hummed with satisfaction, his hands went to my neck, cradling my face. His lips were soft but the kiss was rough and desperate, like he was trying to hold onto something slipping through his fingers.

For a moment, I forgot everything; where we were, what happened before this, everything. All that mattered was him—his touch, his warmth, the way he made me feel like I was both falling and flying.

The kiss became harsh, almost bruising. He walked us back until my back was pressed against the wall; his lips were claiming mine at a dangerous pace. He hungrily pushed and pulled against my lips, turning his head to the side and biting my lower lip, gaining entrance to my mouth as I gasped.

A lewd sound left my lips as his tongue tangled with mine, circling each other in a fluid dance, the sensation in my stomach twisting and turning but then he pulled away abruptly, his breathing ragged, and I saw the panic in his eyes.

“No,” he said, his voice hoarse. “I can’t.”

“Exol,” I started, my voice barely above a whisper, my breathing coming out in shallow bits, but he backed away quickly, his hands trembling.

He didn’t answer, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. His breathing was uneven, and there was a wild look in his eyes that sent a strange chill down my spine.

“The demon,” he said, his voice barely audible, his eyes flashing red for a split second. “It’s…too close.”

I froze, my heart sinking. “What do you mean?”

“I can’t stay here,” he said, backing away toward the door as I reached for him. “I can’t be near you right now.”

“Exol, wait,” I said, stepping closer.

“Stay back,” he warned, his voice low and guttural.

He shook his head, his eyes filled with something I couldn’t quite place. Fear? Regret?

“I’m sorry, Ruthni,” he said, his voice breaking.

And then he was gone, leaving me standing alone in the library, my heart pounding and my mind racing.