The Healer’s Mate

Rejection

Ben POV

I walked out to get some fresh air before afternoon training. We had one day before our attack on Red Aspen and I needed to make sure everything went according to plan which meant not thinking about Jane. I shoved my hands in my pockets to warm them from the chill in the air. I looked down at my phone, Theo’s name lit up on my screen. 

“Hello?” 

“Ben. How is everything going?” His rough voice came through the phone.

“Good. We are ready for tomorrow. We have a better understanding of how their pack fights. I’m confident in our ability to work together.” I assured him. The smell of vanilla caught in the wind and I looked up to see my mate walking towards me. 

“Ben?”

“Yeah, sorry you cut out” I lied to Theo in the phone. Jane walked past me wrapping her cardigan around herself as she shivered. I could sense her skin rising as goose bumps formed on her neck. 

“I was asking how your mate situation was going,” Theo said firmly. 

“What mate situation?” My heart raced in my chest as I awaited his reply.

“Father told me you found your mate. I assume you’ve rejected her by now?” 

“I’m working on it,” I snapped.

“Good. Because there’s no way this ends well for either of you,” I almost caught a hint of compassion in his voice. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said gruffly before hanging up on him. 

“f**k!” I groaned to myself, running a hand through my hair.

“I think it might be easier for us both if you’d just finalize the rejection,” Jane’s small voice came from behind me. She covered herself with her arms across her chest, as if trying to hold herself together. 

“You weren’t supposed to hear that,” I mumbled trying to avert my eyes away from her. She stepped in to me and her closeness was intoxicating. I reached out for her and she stiffened but I couldn’t stop. I put one hand around her waist and the other in her hair and pulled her into my chest breathing in her scent. I pulled her away from me and pressed my forehead to hers. She lifted her chin just slightly and pressed her lips to mine- I was a goner and I knew it.  She was warm and inviting and I was losing myself in her kiss by the second. I picked her up by her ass pushed her up against a nearby tree, groaning as she wrapped her legs around my waist. She parted her lips just slightly and I took the opportunity to slip my tongue in to explore her mouth and she let out a small whimper of pleasure. She broke away to place small kisses down my neck before stopping above my shoulder and nibbling gently on my marking spot. 

Reality hit me and I threw myself back away from her. She fell to the ground, catching herself with her hands, her legs stuck out at odd angles and she cried out in pain. My wolf flinched at the obvious damage I caused her but I reined him in from going to comfort her. She stood, wincing on an ankle and using the tree to support herself. I expected to see hate in her eyes when she finally looked up, but all that was there was sorrow. She limped up to me and looked me in the eyes.

“Do it,” she said weakly. 

“I, Benjamin Thomas Phillips, reject you, Jane....” I stopped. I didn’t know her middle name. 

“Evelyn” she whispered as tears flooded her eyes.

“Jane Evelyn Evans, as my mate,” I finished. The words were like venom in my mouth leaving a bitter taste. Jane fell on her own this time to her hands and knees as if some invisible force was keeping her down. She clutched her chest with one hand and started taking deep breaths as if she couldn’t breathe. My heart wrenched and I tried to reach out to help her but the minute our skin made contact she screamed as if I had burned her. I started to panic and look around for someone, anyone, to help her. The wave of shock and pain relented and she was able to catch her breath. I looked down at her tear stained face, wishing there was anything I could do. She stood on her own two feet, looked at me with a cold stare, and limped back towards her house. I watched her walk away from me and tried to silence the wolf in my head howling. He called to her but she didn’t answer like she had last night, she just kept walking and I knew it was over.