My Rejected Mate

Chapter 6

SERENA'S POV

I found the garden the next afternoon. It was one of the few places in the Sterling pack territory where nobody usually bothered me. There were benches tucked between rows of flowers, a narrow stone path winding through the trees, and enough distance from the main house that I could pretend the rest of the world didn't exist.

I came here when I needed to clear my head. Today, unfortunately, my head was already full of Damon. I had spent most of the morning trying not to think about him. That hadn't gone particularly well.

I was still thinking about yesterday. His hand in mine. The way he'd looked at me. The kiss before we parted. I smiled to myself. Then I heard footsteps behind me. I turned.

Damon.

My smile came easily. “A man who keeps his promises. I'm impressed.”

He laughed softly. For a second, everything felt normal until I noticed the look on his face. The smile faded from mine. “What’s wrong?”

He didn't answer immediately. He just stood there, looking at me like he was trying to memorize something. I frowned.

“Damon?”

He took a breath. “Serena, I can't do this.”

I stared at him. “Do what?”

“Us.”

The word didn't make sense. Not after yesterday. I gave a small, confused laugh. “You came all the way here to tell me that?”

His expression didn't change. My stomach tightened. “Did something happen?”

“No.”

“Then what is this?”

I gestured between us. “You told me you'd find me. I assumed that meant you actually wanted to see me.”

“I did.”

The answer came too quickly. I caught it. “So you do want to see me.”

He looked away. “It's not that simple.”

“Why not?”

He was quiet. I waited. When he still didn't answer, I stepped closer. “Is this about our families?” His eyes lifted to mine. That was enough of an answer. I sighed.

“Damon, I already know they're rivals. You knew that yesterday. You knew it when you held my hand. You knew it when you kissed me.”

“I know.”

“Then why are you acting like you just discovered it?”

He looked down. I watched him for a moment. Something was definitely wrong. Not with the situation. With him.

He wasn't angry, he was cold, distant. He looked like someone forcing himself to stand still.

“Did your father talk to you?” His jaw tightened. I'd guessed right.

“Serena, it doesn't matter.”

“It matters to me.”

“You don't understand what you're getting yourself into.”

“Then explain it.”

“I can't.”

“Why?”

“Because there is nothing to explain.”

I almost laughed again, but there was no humor in me this time. “That's not true.”

He looked at me.

“You're standing here telling me that whatever happened between us meant nothing because our families don't get along. You can't expect me to just accept that without asking questions.”

“I don't expect you to accept it.”

“Then what do you expect me to do?”

He said nothing. I felt my chest tighten.

“Damon, if you don't want this anymore, then just tell me that. But don't stand there and pretend this is some decision you made because our families are enemies.”

His eyes met mine.

“I don't want this.”

The words landed differently. I swallowed. “You don't mean that.”

“I do.”

“No.”

I shook my head.

“You're lying.”

His expression hardened. “You don't know what I mean.”

“I know you.”

The moment the words left my mouth, I realized how much I meant them. I knew the way he smiled when I teased him. I knew how he looked at me when he thought I wasn't paying attention. I knew how he had held me yesterday. And I knew what I'd felt when he'd told me he'd choose me.

“You don't look like a man who doesn't want this,” I said quietly.

He looked away. That hurt more than if he'd argued with me. I took another step toward him.

“We don't have to tell them anything. We don't have to solve the rivalry. We can figure out what we want first. Maybe there's no perfect way to do this, but there has to be something.”

“Serena.”

“No, listen to me.”

My voice cracked slightly, and I hated that. “I've spent my whole life being told what I can and can't be. I don't want to do that with this too.”

He closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, there was something almost desperate in them. Then it was gone. “You need to let this go.”

“Why?”

He didn't answer. “Damon, look at me.”

He did. I waited for him to say something that would make sense. Instead, he said, “I reject you as my mate.”

For a moment, I honestly thought I had misunderstood him. I stared at him. My heart seemed to stop before it started beating again, harder this time.

“What?”

“I reject you as my mate.”

The words sounded impossible coming from him. Yesterday, he had been holding my hand, he had kissed me. Yesterday, he had looked at me like choosing me was the easiest thing in the world and now, he was standing in front of me, telling me it was over. I searched his face for some sign that this was a mistake. There wasn't one.

“You can't just do that.”

“I already have.”

“Why?”

He looked away. I stepped toward him.

“Why, Damon?”

“Our families are enemies.”

“That isn't enough.” My voice was quieter now.

“We can find another way.”

“There isn't one.”

I kept searching his face, desperate for something I could hold on to. “Everything we shared, was all of that a lie?”

His eyes flickered toward mine. For one second, I saw the answer. Then he looked away. And somehow that was worse.

“Damon.”

I waited. He didn't say anything. So I tried again. “Was I wrong about you?” He finally looked at me but this time, his face was unreadable.

Then he said, “And you're not even a wolf.”

I froze.