One mate and a Rejection

Chapter 22

PART 1 Chapter 22 — 03

Beeeep.

The voice mail limit cut short and she sighed,dropping the phone.

llooked away and headed back upstairs.

I climbed out the window again,and took off,shifting into my furry,four legged other self.

I searched the endless night,as always,calling out for my mate.

It must have worked because when I reached the cliff.he sat,as if awaiting my arrival.

I smiled and felt all my worries melting away.

I skid the rest of my worries as I traveled the everlasting forests with my mate.

We played near the lakes,ran around and sometimes just laid down in a position where we would be

touching,savoring the feeling of being near each other.

I turned my head towards him.

Shift,my eyes said.

He stared at me for a moment.

His eyes were begging,pleading and desperate.

Something told me he did want to shift,more than anything.

Something was keeping him back,] knew as much.

And so I bit back my aching disappointment and nodded my head,looking away.

Next day was Saturday and I awoke to the sound of my ringing phone.

I picked it up,my eyes still groggy and blind.

“Hello, I croaked out.

"Emerald?"

said a voice.

"Dad,"

I muttered,not sure whether to be relieved or angry” Hi,where are you?” “Can you meet me

somewhere?” “Yeah,sure,where?"

“You know that little cafe on Earl street, used to take you to?” "Yeah,"

I said” see you there in twenty.” I quickly stood up,and as a result,I came tumbling into the

floor,unaware of my tangled right foot in the bed sheets.

Great,I thought, like I need another face injury.

I did the morning usual and drove to the cafe,avoiding the suspicious lingering questions of my mother.

When I reached the small coffee place,I caught sight of my father's carparked there.

I entered the cafe,realizing it was smaller than what I remember.

“Over here,’ my father waved from his seat.

I smiled hesitantly and headed over.

How do you react with your father when he's been out of the house for a few days now with no phone

calls or anything? I took a seat in front of him, Hey.” He looked me over,confusion taking in his stressed

features,’ What happened?"

“Which part are you referring to?” I asked,raising an eyebrow.

“That long scratch on your forehead was there when I left,but now there's bags,and little cuts and

bruises.

What's going on?"

I gave out a long sigh, Long story,Can I ask you something?” "Yes?"

“What happens to somebody if they can't be with their mate?” He searched my face,” Jared isn't—” “I

know,’ I snapped.

When I saw the hurt look on his face,my tone softened,” I know.

But,what happens if you know you have a mate,but for some reasonyou can't be together.

What happens to the person?” “Well.both mates will be depressed.

They won't be able to sleep without nightmares.

They will experience unexplainable anger.

Sometimes they even become physically furious.

They become violent.” I nodded,” Do they ever become...needy?"

His eyes showed that he was confused,” Needy of what?"

I sighed”” Needy of,each other?” “of course.

They have this attraction that can't be broken.

Even when they are by each other,they will feel the other near.” “And,what does this feeling feel like?”

“It's pleasurable.

Aching but wonderful.” Blade crossed my mind and needless to say,I had a hard time blocking him from

my thoughts.

“Is that how you felt with mom?” He looked away,” I can't explain how I feel with your mom.” “Then why

are you here and not with her?"

“I wake up every morning to her smiling,forgiving face and kiss herhug her.

She forgave me so easily.

It hurt.

When she brought it up,! knew she still hurts from it too.

I—-I knew I couldn't hurt her anymore “You're hurting her by staying away.

You know she stays up all night, leaving you voicemails? You know she barely sleeps these days? Do

you know tha—"

“I get it,okay? I messed up.” I nodded,” you did.

Did you hear about the enemy pack?"

“"Yeah,! was at the meeting.” "So you saw mom?” He nodded,silently.

I secretly wondered if that's why mom had gotten so angry and barely responsive when I asked her

about it.

When I went home that moming,there was something bugging me.

Actually,more than one thing.

I wondered why Ben was talking with the enemy pack.

I wondered if dad was gonna come home.

I wondered why Blade attacked Jared? “Sometimes they even become physically furious.

They become violent,” dad had said. Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

Could that be why I had been getting so angry lately? Could that be why Blade had been getting so

angry? l erased the thought from my head as soon as it was there.