Falling For My Rejected Mate

Chapter 8

Carly

The image of my parents’ lifeless corpses dangling from the ceiling will haunt me for eternity. As soon as my eyes fell upon the scene, I felt something shatter inside me. My throat clenched, and a flood of emotions washed over me—shock, horror, sadness, grief—like a tsunami that could not be contained. The sight was too much to bear.

“I don’t think I will be able to sleep...” I sniff inside Caden’s car. The pack is investigating the crime scene, and Caden is taking me back to his parents’ summerhouse.

“You’re safe in the summerhouse,” he says, and then he says a bunch of other things that I can’t hear. My mind isn’t able to handle information right now. I’m in my own black hole, and replaying the moment I opened the door over and over again.

Why was my family targeted? We weren’t special or powerful! My parents and I...shit. We were a normal werewolf family, and someone ruined that! And for what? I don’t understand! I’m just so sad and angry. Mostly sad but also angry and frustrated because all of this feels like a bad dream I can’t wake up from. I’m so lost right now.

As we pull up to the summerhouse, I finally hear Caden saying, “Carly, I can’t even begin to imagine how you’re feeling right now,” he says gently. “But please know that you’re safe with me. Whatever you need, I’m here for you.”

I nod, trying to blink back the tears that threaten to spill down my cheeks again. “Thank you, Caden.”

He offers me his hand, and I take it, letting him lead me inside the summerhouse. Felix and the others aren’t here anymore, not after what happened, and I slowly walk inside with my eyes caught on the stone fireplace.

My mind is a mess of thoughts and memories, and I hug my arms to my chest while tears threaten to spill. Caden is watching me in silence but heads for the fireplace when he notices me looking at it.

“My dad is investigating the crime scene with the supernaturals that are in the magical police department, but my mom will come over in the morning to make us breakfast.”

I blink with my puffy, swollen eyelids. “Your mom?”

“Uh-huh,” Caden is speaking while throwing firewood into the fireplace. “I told her that I could take care of you perfectly fine on my own, but she doesn’t believe me,” his eyes meet mine over his shoulder. “But she understands that you probably don’t want to meet anyone right now.”

“Yeah...she isn’t wrong.”

Caden gives me a broken look, and I avert my eyes. The smell of burning wood fills my nostrils, and I breathe it in deeply, letting the scent wash over me. I’m still in shock over everything that has happened. Part of me believes this is all a bad dream, and in my dazed state, I take a seat on the couch with my eyes caught on the burning fire.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Caden asks softly.

I shake my head, feeling as if my throat is closing up again from simply thinking about my parents’ death.

Caden falls silent, and I can feel his eyes on me as I stare into the flickering flames of the fire. The room is quiet except for the occasional crackle of the wood as it burns, and I find myself getting lost in the hypnotic movements of the flames.

I don’t know how much time passes before I finally break the silence. “Why would someone do this?” I ask him, my voice barely above a whisper.

“I don’t know,” Caden replies honestly. “But I promise you, we will find out who did this and have them brought to justice.”

I nod, but the thought of finding out who did this doesn’t bring me any comfort. At least not right now. The only thing that could bring me solace is going back in time to stop the murder from happening or waking up and discovering this isn’t real. But I know that won’t happen.

This is reality, and reality sucks.

“Are you tired?” Caden asks.

“Very...but I don’t know if I will be able to sleep.”

“Understandable,” he stands up from the couch. “Let’s head upstairs. There is a spare bedroom you can use.”

I get up on my feet and follow Caden up the staircase. He is talking again and points at an empty room, but my brain isn’t paying attention. I’m in a total daze and end up following him to his room. It’s not until he starts undressing that he notices that I’m still standing behind him.

He lifts an eyebrow at me, but to my surprise, he doesn’t ask me to leave. His hands grab the hem of his shirt, and then he pulls it off.

The man is a work of art. Had I not been in my own world, maybe I would be fawning over his six-pack. But since I’m in a world of pain, I don’t even look. I don’t have time to get s****l, and Caden seems to understand that too.

There is no lust or s****l reason why I’m here. I just don’t want to sleep alone, which is why I let out a sigh of release when Caden’s face softens.

“You can sleep with me, but you need to keep your t-shirt on or grab one of mine. And please don’t remove your bra.”

Despite the situation, I give him a weak smile. “Why can’t I remove my bra? I hate sleeping in it.”

“I get that, I do, but hear me out, okay? I’m already trying hard enough as it is not to ogle your t**s, so please don’t remove your bra. I’m still a man.”

My chest is so tight it hurts to laugh. I suck in a shaky breath at the end of it. “You’re funny.”

“Pretty sure, I’m just honest,” he is removing his jeans right now, and his back is bent. “I will be sleeping in my boxer shorts,” he straightens up again and cups his large pectoral muscles with his hands. “My boobs are pretty big, but I refuse to wear a bra.”

I laugh a little louder and shake my head. “Oh my god, you’re actually crazy...”

“Maybe,” there is a ghost of a smile on his lips. “Or maybe I just wanted to make you smile?”

I feel a lump in my throat and a warm sensation spreading in my chest. Despite everything that has happened, Caden’s attempt to make me smile is something that I will never forget.

“Thank you,” I say quietly, my voice barely above a whisper. “I really appreciate it.”

Caden nods and then walks over to his dresser, grabbing a clean white t-shirt before tossing it to me. “Here, this should be comfortable for you.”

I take the t-shirt from him and head to the bathroom to change. The shirt smells like him, and the scent makes me feel a little more at ease.

When I come back into his room, Caden is already lying in bed, his eyes closed. I crawl onto the bed beside him, careful not to touch him, and stare up at the ceiling.

The silence surrounds us, and I can hear the soft sound of his breathing. It’s rhythmic and soothing, and eventually, my eyes grow heavy, and I fall asleep.

Or so I think...

When I open my eyes, I’m standing in a meadow filled with glowing, magical flowers in a wide range of colors. There is a bokeh effect on the rain clouds above my head, and a river runs through the meadow, only to end in a waterfall that runs into the depth of...nothing?

My eyes widen.

The meadow is on top of a floating island, and I look around, confused as to where the heck I am.

“You are in my realm,” a melodic female voice says, and I turn around to come face-to-face with the moon goddess. She smiles at me. “I’ve brought you here to warn you about the future, my child.”

I swallow thickly, unsure how to act around an actual goddess. She is so gorgeous: her skin glows with a soft, silver light, and her dark hair cascades down her back in a waterfall of shimmering beauty. Her eyes are pools of deep blue, like the night sky, and her smile is both warm and otherworldly.

“The future?” I repeat, feeling a shiver run down my spine as I marvel at the moon goddess’s appearance. “What about it?”

“There are dark forces at work, my child,” the moon goddess says, her voice growing serious. “Forces that seek to bring chaos and destruction to this world. You and your companion are at the center of this storm, and you must be vigilant.”

“What can we do?” I ask, feeling a knot of fear settle in my stomach. “How can we stop them?” And who is my companion?

“When the time is right, you must make a hard choice, and it won’t be easy. You can either save those who you have lost today and yearn to meet again, or you can save the person who you will grow to love in an entirely different way. The choice is yours, and both are right.”

I gasp. “Are you talking about my parents? And what do you mean that I can bring them back?”

Instead of replying, the moon goddess reaches out and touches my forehead, and suddenly, I’m filled with a surge of power. It’s like a wave of energy that flows through me, and I feel stronger and more focused than ever before.

“You’re going to awaken to your powers soon, my child. Don’t be frightened when it happens. Your powers are unique, and one of your gifts can only be used once, so think it through before you use that ability.”

My heart begins to race, and I feel a cold sweat break out across my forehead. “What do I need to do?” I ask, my voice shaking.

“Stay vigilant,” she replies, her voice firm. “Trust no one but yourself, and be prepared to fight. The battle ahead will not be easy, but you have the power to overcome it.”

“How?” I ask, my voice trembling. “How can I fight against something I don’t even understand? Why do you have to speak in tongues!”

Frustration courses through my body, but in the next second, the scene starts disappearing. I try to search for the moon goddess, but she isn’t there. The only thing I see is mist, and then I hear her voice whisper in my ear. “Believe in yourself.”

Seriously?

Couldn’t she tell me more than that?!

I growl in aggravation, and suddenly, I’m back in Caden’s bed and staring up at the ceiling. It’s already morning, and since I’m not in my own room, it means yesterday really happened.

I’m still stuck in hell.