Rejection
1986 Words
Andrea
"Want to let off some steam?" asks Amber.
I nod quickly. My wolf is getting anxious watching her mate repeatedly getting in fights. Even though he's obviously winning.
I wrap my hands and join Amber on the mat. She starts with a quick right jab that I easily dodge.
"Come on, big sis. You know you'll have to do better than that.".
I want her to try. It's been a while since I've had a good sparring partner.
She takes out one of my feet, and I land on a knee, but I come right back up and uppercut her in the jaw.
"F*ck!" she cusses and wipes blood from her jaw...
We go back and forth occasionally, both of us jabbing each other or being able to dodge.
"Andrea, I don't want to hurt you…", says Amber as we circle each other.
"I'd like to see you try...it doesn't matter... we'll both be healed tomorrow anyway.", I say with a confident smirk.
"Screw this then."
She says this right before launching herself at my middle section. We both go down with a loud thud, and I'm pretty sure I broke a rib. I didn't notice then, but the place went quiet at the other mats, and people started gathering. Then, finally, everyone starts cheering for one or the other.
We're both always one step ahead of each other. Amber tries to pin me down, and I use my legs to destabilize her. We keep going back and forth, and each of us gets the upper hand before the other taps out.
I'm about to tap out when I feel water near me and conjure it with my mermaid abilities. It distracts Amber enough to where I can get the upper hand, and she taps out.
I stand and offer my hand, "Damn you, Amber, I broke a rib."
She stands up and winces, "yeah… I broke a finger or two...sorry... I have no chill."
I go to laugh, but I end up wincing. I don't have any chill when it comes to sparring, either.
"Really??? Both of you have broken bones?" says Alice. She is standing outside the mat with her hand on her hip, shaking her head at us.
"I've notified the pack doctor that you're on the way."
"...wait your dad just challenged Cole to a fight…." said Amber.
I sigh.
Great.
We walk over, and they're both circling each other.
"I'm impressed…. He just went through a small army and barely looks like he's breaking a sweat.
"He tried to bow out of this one, but your dad called him a coward." So said Eric, as we joined him on the side of the mat.
I roll my eyes.
How typical of my father.
"He probably set this all up just so that he could beat on your mate without upsetting you," said Amber.
"Well, he might have gotten more than he expected. I've never seen any fighter so exact and brutally strong as Cole. I have a feeling Cole is going to let him win easily. I doubt he wants to injure your father.", Mused Eric.
"Do you think that he could? Mr. Arran is quite strong and fast himself. I've seen it when I've done patrol with him here, " Alice said as she continued typing on her iPad.
Just then, my father lands his first real punch to Cole's face. I hear it connect, knowing he'll have one hell of a bruise. After that, they keep going back and forth. Both are very equally matched. The punches are getting harder and faster. I realize then that this fight is very personal to my father. He isn't holding back, and I can see that Cole catches on.
In the blink of an eye, Cole has my father on the mat, with one of my father's arms wrapped around his back. His arm is being pushed so that if my father stands, it will break his arm.
"Sir,... I'm not my father. Your fury is misdirected," Cole grunts out as he holds my father down.
"The hell it is! My only daughter is trapped in that sh*thole with you. And she's stuck with a piece of sh*t like you. How many wives do you plan on trapping there with you?" replies my father, who is starting to turn red from all of the pain that he is in.
"I did not trap her. She came of her own free will, I don't know how to prove it to you, but I am not my father. I never planned on taking anyone as my wife. I never planned on trapping anyone with me. Andrea signed a blood bond, but I will break it as soon as possible."
My wolf whimpers at this, and I start to tear up. So he doesn't want me. This is why he has only kissed me once. I thought that he had made up his mind about us, but I guess that he hasn't and is still looking for a way out.
I run out of the gym and hear several people call after me.
I keep running, and I shift into my wolf. I let her carry us and our sorrow deep into Alice's forest.
Our own mate doesn't want us. I always feared that this would happen.
Her paws pound the cold ground, and it even starts to drizzle. Good. No one will be able to follow my smell in the rain.
Flashes come to mind. I wasn't wanted by my mother's pack because of being half mermaid. I wasn't wanted as a mermaid because I was part wolf and so much stronger than even the mermen. Such different events like being thrown out of my mother's pack or watching all of the other mermaids pick partners, and I was never considered.
Now, even with the mate bond pulling us together, my own mate doesn't want me. So I guess being beautiful doesn't help you if you're a freak of nature.
I start to sob. I'm so sick of being lonely. I'm so sick of being rejected. I let out a lonesome howl.
Suddenly a wave of mind links hits me.
"Girls, what's going on? I can feel someone's sadness from across the ocean."
"Yeah, we were asleep, and our wolves woke us up like there was an emergency."
"Andrea, please come back, dear. It's raining."
"Andrea, there is no way he meant it the way that sounds."
"Sisters, I am so preggo and tired, but what is happening? Why does it feel like one of us is in deep pain."
The last one was from Camile. She and her mate are expecting their first pup soon. Her response makes me laugh, and I get enough strength to respond.
"Sorry, everyone, I just went through a lot, and my wolf reached out to all of you. I didn't realize that I could do that."
"What's happening? My heart hurts, and I feel like crying. Are you crying?"
"Don't apologize!"
"We're sisters. We're here."
"Oh, Andrea, don't take it the wrong way. The baby and I are here for you."
All of their responses come so quickly that it makes me smile.
"...my mate doesn't want to be with me, and he said that in front of a large group of people."
"What??? Is he blind?
"Oh, this mate of yours wants to get these hands. I don't care if I'm overdue; I will come to find him and kick his @ss."
"What is wrong with him? You're amazing!"
"OMMMGGG, we're gonna fly to you right now. No argument. We're heading to the airport now."
"Aw, the pack doctor won't let me fly right now. Great, now I'm crying. The rest of you better head to Andrea for the sake of my preggo hormones, at least. Mi Amor"
I'm so full of emotions that I just keep crying. While I do, Amber tells them what happened in the gym.
With the twins heading to the airport, I only have four voices in my head. Making it easier to go back and forth.
Alice and Amber convince me to head to a cabin near there. So at least I can get out of the rain.
I walk up and see two white wolves heading toward me. All three of us shift, change, and Alice starts making some hot chocolate. I sit and stare into the fire. I'm still tearing up.
"I'm so sick of being rejected and a freak."
Amber gives me a knowing smile. She knows the most about what I went through as a young wolf.
"I think that freak is a wrong word for what you are. You are extraordinary. You're different, but all of us Guardians are different; we have to be. We are protectors, and everything about us sets us apart…. Also, I still don't think that he rejected you." said Amber
"I agree; I think that he was just de-escalating the situation. Your father was ready to harm him, and he didn't want to have to break your father's limbs to get him to uh, as you say it, 'chill out.'.." said Alice with air quotes around the words chill out.
I smile a little at hearing Alice say chill out. She is the oldest of our guardians, and her strong accent improves everything.
I sniffled a bit before saying," I don't know...it felt like he just wanted to get rid of me. It confirms fears that are already there. He doesn't get it. He isn't a werewolf. He is my other half. What if he decides to break things off, and my wolf gets sick?"
"You're worrying about things that will probably never happen. Cole looked crushed when you ran out. If it weren't for the massive storm and Eric telling him to let you go, he probably would have tried to track you."
"..Why did Eric stop him?" I asked
"To have a much-needed talk with him about how serious being a mate is and how you can't just throw rejecting them around," said Amber.
"You have to give him some credit, though. It sounded like he wanted to break the bond for your own good. Not his. Maybe he is confused and thinks that you would be better without him.", Said Alice.
"Well, he is confusing me. He kissed me and mentioned something in passing about what it would be like if we had a daughter."
"Well, he is probably confused himself. He is young and was thrown into an arranged marriage with a beautiful girl from a huge family. So he sees all of us with our mothers. This probably makes him think that you two will have a daughter. Then he also probably feels guilty for keeping you away from us."
He is young, is he not?" asks Alice.
"I'm not sure of his age. I assumed he was close to my age."
"He may not be. Gods age differently, but that is neither here nor there. He isn't a werewolf, and all of this is new to him," said Amber.
"Exactly! He is young, and we're a lot. Werewolf culture is a lot to get used to in a short time. You both just need to get to know each other a bit. This will all be straight out. You'll see.", replied Alice.
I sigh and turn back to the fire with my thoughts. Unfortunately, I don't think any of this will be that simple.
Alice walks over and starts to tend to my broken rib and Amber's broken hand. I realized then that Amber must have run on the broken hand the entire way here.
I start to apologize, and Amber raises a hand.
"No need to apologize; just try to rest, and we'll deal with this more in the morning, okay?" said Amber as she sat next to me on the sofa.
- Writer
