My Fated Mate

5. THE REJECTION

POV (ALEC)

I sat in the grass and tried to clear my mind. I wanted to hear what they were saying.  I had vision linked with Richard so I would be able to see my boys in action.  It was dangerous to use this skill, since I was not a full fledged Alpha but Richard was willing to take the risk so I could see Jasmine in her element, as he put it. 

Sure enough she was surrounded by her witchy friends, all giggling and still talking about her engagement with the powerful Victor Voltare, when Bryan approached.  I had not coached him or told him what to say but the moment those three entered the room it was clear no introductions were needed. 

“Jasmine Goldenrod.”  Bryan growled out.  His green eyes glowing, making it clear to everyone his wolf was out, as he called her name in the dining hall.  She always hated that name.  I remembered her taking a stick and writing out Jasmine Holloway.  I had put the Mrs. on the front of it, which had made her swoon and fall in my arms.  What a disgusting memory. 

“Alec, try not to remember those things because what I am seeing in the dining hall I can also see in your mind.”  Richard’s voice echoed in my head causing me to close my eyes and clear my thoughts.  

“Just focus on what you are seeing and ingrain this new memory in your mind.  This is the girl you fell in love with and the one you are going to break.”  His words seemed to do the trick and once again I was transported to Bryan talking to Jasmine in the dining hall. 

“What do you want Bryan, looks like all the boys are here.”  Jasmine’s girl’s hissed out.  The witches had always hated the wolves with due reason. We had been hunting and killing each other for hundreds of years, only the Salem Peace had caused it to end.  However, the animosity between the factions was still there in places.  It was just luck that Jasmine and I had met. 

“Do you really believe that?”  Richard said, through mind link. His words made me pause and think for a minute.  Had it been luck?  Why had a small witch, from a very powerful coven, been on werewolf lands? Why had we, for so many years never been caught by anyone when we snuck to the grove?  Why had I never questioned any of this until now? 

“Being in love can be a poison and a blessing my friend.”   Richard’s wolf growled to Aesir, who just snarled at him.  However, it did cause us both to question, but quickly our thoughts were cut short by what was happening in the dining hall. 

“Oh wait, there's one missing.  Wheres the big bad wolf?”  One of the witches jokingly pouted.  I watched as Jasmine seemed uneasy in her chair.  It was clear the fact that I was not there had alarmed her.  I had always promised her, as long as we were together none of my kind would hurt hers, so she had nothing to fear.  But that vow had been broken with another.

“Where is Alec?”  She whispered out, causing Bryan to growl in disgust. 

“Lord Holloway asks for your presence, Jasmine Goldenrod.”  Thomas snapped, with his glowing blue eyes as his voice dripped venom.  I had never heard my brothers talk like this. 

“Don’t worry Alec. They are acting like this only because they felt your pain in the vision link. I will make sure they do not set out of line.”  Richard linked me, but it was clear even he was furious and I was not sure if even he knew where that line was.

“Why does she need to come when a dog calls for her?  Jasmine is royalty now, unlike that mutt.”  No sooner had those words left that witch's mouth Thomas had his claws out and prepared to s***h her face. Bryan quickly got a hold of him as the witch’s scream echoed through the hall in fear.  I watched as Annabell quickly raced over to Thomas and Bryan, as Richard wore a smug expression on his face. 

“What the hell are you doing?”  But her words fell on deaf ears.  Thomas’ eyes were glowing and it was clear he would turn any minute.  Bryan was no better and his green eyes were glowing as Richard reached out and snatched Jasmine by the arm. 

“If you want the peace to remain between our factions you will do as we say.”  Richard hissed out. 

“Alec would never agree with this treatment of witches.”  Jasmine snapped, causing Richard to tighten his grip on her and force her to look in his eyes. 

“I don’t believe you have any right to say what Alpha Alec will or will not do.”  Richard growled, causing Jasmine’s head to lower in defeat.  Her witches watched in horror as Richard walked her out of the cafeteria but was stopped by Annabell.

“I don’t know where my brother is, but I am certain he would not be ok with this.”  She snapped, but the moment her eyes fell on Richard’s glowing blue ones she gasped. 

“Alec, what are you doing?”  I heard her whisper out, as she stepped out of the way and let Richard and Jasmine pass. 

Once outside the dining hall Jasmine tried to speak.

“What does he want?”  Jasmine’s voice shook, as she looked at Richard, and I watched as her face turned to fear and tears streaked her cheeks.  “What does Alec want? Tell me what it is! He is not this kind of monster!” 

Richard grabbed her by the neck before I could stop him.  I hated anyone touching her and I growled and barked for him to let her go.  “The monster you see is the one you look at in the mirror.”  Suddenly, he dropped her and I watched as Jasmine crumpled to the floor.  Tears poured from her eyes as she reached out to Richard. 

“Please, you have to understand.  We could have never been. It was a cursed union. I would never love a wolf.”  Richard glared at her with my eyes allowing me to see her pleading ugly face. 

“Do you see these eyes?”  Richard said, as he removed his glasses and put them in his pocket.  “Do they not look familiar Miss. Jasmine?"  Jasmine pauses and looked up as Richard bent down, his face hovering above hers.  "What do you say girl who used to wish to be Jasmine Holloway.”  These words must have shocked her for I had never seen such terror on her face. 

“No, but he’s, he’s not an alpha.”

Richard let out a sinister laugh.  “An alpha does not have to be the leader of a giant pack, he only needs a beta, gamma and hunter. What do you think we are to Alpha Alec?”  Thomas, Bryan and Richard stood with glowing eyes glaring down at her.

I watched as Jasmine covered her mouth in horror.  “No, I beg you, please don’t show him this. Don’t let him see or hear me.” 

Richard kicked her away like a dog.  “Too late. Now, get up you disgusting excuse of a Luna.”

“Luna?”  Jasmine squeaked out. 

“That’s right, Luna.  But that ship has sailed for you, the moment you put that damn silver chain on your finger.”  Bryan snarled. The realization of Bryan’s words killed me.  How had I not noticed that damn ring was made of silver.  This truly was my own personal hell. 

“I don’t understand?”  Hearing her pathetic voice was driving me crazy and before I could take it anymore I gave the order. 

“Alpha Alec will see you now. Go to where everything started and end this disgusting charade.”  Richard snapped.  Quickly, I broke the link.  I did not want to watch her get up or run to me.  I did not want to see anymore.  Anyways the screams from the dining hall made it clear Richard was needed elsewhere. 

“Are you ok Alec?  I’m sorry I touched her, I just could not stand it any more.  I guess my line and your’s might have been different”  Richard mind linked me.

“It’s fine.  I would have done the same.  Now, make sure to keep my Bell safe. We will meet up after I am done” 

“Yes, Alpha.”

As I stood up and leaned against our oak tree I found the spot where we had carved our symbols.  We were afraid someone would recognize our names so we had carved symbols.  Mine a wolf and hers a flower.  I told her one day when I marked her the tattoo on her neck would be a wolf howling at the moon.  She had thought that unfair and demanded I change it to a wolf surrounded by jasmine flowers.  I had promised I would.  She had no idea how painful it was to change the image of a mark, but I was willing to split my soul just to give her what she wanted. 

I watched as she approached me.  Her hair was disheveled and her face streaked with tears.  It was clear she was still crying.  I stood at the top of the hill waiting.  This would be the last time I would ever wait for her again. 

“Hello Miss. Goldenrod.”  My voice came out cold and devoid of any emotion. 

“Alec.  Why didn’t you tell me?”  Her voice shook with pain but I felt nothing. 

“Tell you what, Miss. Goldenrod?” 

“Stop this.  Please, look at me. Talk to me?”  She cried out, as I felt her reach for me.  I took a step back. 

“I only have one thing to say to you.”  I watched as her eyes flashed with hope. 

“I Alec Holloway, third Alpha in line for the BloodMoon Pack and third prince of the Holloway line, reject you Jasmine Goldenrod as my mate and Luna.”  I felt something break between us in that moment but as I turned to walk away I heard her scream out in pain.  I looked down at her in shock, was she playing me?There was no way the breaking of our bond would harm her, she was a witch, not a wolf.  However, as I watched that did not seem to be the case.  She fell to her knees and cradled herself.  Suddenly flanking my sides were Thomas, Bryan and Richard.  Their eyes glowed menacingly down at her. 

“No, please don’t.”  She clutched her chest as if it really hurt. I on the other hand felt nothing.  No pain and I was certainly trying to have no sympathy for the sniveling creature at my feet.  Even though it was becoming apparent something horrible was happening to her. 

“From this day forth the BloodMoon Pack will hunt any witch that dares cross into our land. None are welcome.  I Alec Holloway, third in line for Alpha and third prince of the Holloway line, swear it.” 

“No Alec, please don’t do this.  What about the peace we dreamed of?”  Jasmine tried to stand up but it was clear something was wrong with her.  The color from her cheeks had suddenly faded.  Yet, I still felt nothing almost as if our bond had never been real.  Yet, if that were the case what was happening to her.

“Nothing more than a childish fantasy that you destroyed.”  I growled down at her, trying to ignore the waves of pain that we shooting through her body.  I was starting to feel sick, even if our bond was broken my love for her still remained.  It would take weeks or years for me to let go of her completely.  

“You can’t be this petty.”  She snapped, causing me to laugh, as she gasped for air. I needed to get away from her, this was too damaging to watch.  She was wriggling on the ground like a worm. 

“Petty am I?  Fine lets see how petty you find this.”  Before I could stop myself I let my claws loose and slashed through our symbols on the tree with such intensity that the oak was uprooted and fell to its side. Leaves fell around us like snow as my brothers snickered. I thought I was going to throw up.

I watched as she scrambled toward the tree looking for pieces we had carved.  I needed to make her stop. Why was she grabbing on to something she broke?  Why was she begging me?  Was it for the safety of her coven?  She had to know there was no way I would harm any of them.  I would never kill them because it would start a war, so why was she behaving like this?  I had to stop her. 

Quickly I grabbed her wrist and pulled her to face me.  I wrapped my arms around her like a straight jacket and kissed her.  It was not a romantic kiss it was just a way to shut her up, at least that was what I was telling myself.  I felt her melt into my embrace, and for a moment I wanted her.  Damn, did I want her.  Why did she have to go and get engaged to someone else when she was dating me?  Why was she breaking everything we had, had together for the last five years?  We worked, we fit, did she not feel it too?  I could feel her body snuggle into mine.  God, she was a vixen and or a devil, my own personal devil.   As much as I wanted her to remain in my arms, I would have to just accept we were not meant to be.  She had made sure of that. 

I sighed as I took in her scent one last time.  It would drive Aesir crazy if we did not get to have one last moment together, but something was horribly wrong.  What was this smell?  Sour, it was sour!  There was no scent of lavender or vanilla, instead she smelled of rot and decay.  I could feel her lips trying to kiss me back and in reflex I pushed her away hard, causing her to fall to the ground.  Richard, Thomas, and Bryan laughed.  I on the other hand thought I was going to be sick.  What was this, this rotten putrid scent that was permeating from every one of her pores?  Was this what witches smelled like?  

“That is the last time you will ever touch one of my kind. Remember that.”  I said,  as my voice shook with disgust and shock.  What the heIl was happening?  I licked my lips and spat.  “Vulgar, how did I ever want you?” And in that moment I truly meant it.  As a wolf scent was everything, it was what pulled you to your mate, it was a sign of a connection.  From the moment I met her it was the thing that drew me to her, so what the f**k was that?  I felt like I was going to gag and not wanting anyone to see I quickly turned and started to walk away.  I could feel Richard, Bryan and Thomas at my side.  They must have thought I was furious, they could not have been more wrong. 

"Aesir! Aesir?" I needed him. Damn it all did I need him. "Aesir, you smelt it right? Right?!!!"  I was practically screaming at him. "Oh please dammit tell me you did!" 

"I don't know and I honestly don't want to know."  He growled out very quickly. 

That was not an answer! I thought I was going to kill him. The one person, or wolf, I needed was him and he was still going into his hole of silence. He was the only one that would understand what was going on, or would at least understand how I felt.  The question that hung on my lips, that dangled and needed to be answered was now eating me alive.  How could I ask this?  How could I even think this?  But in that moment I had to ask him.  Even if he barked, bit and growled he must be feeling it too.  He was my wolf, mine, no one else.  Thus, he had to be sensing the phycological battle that was taking over my mind. 

"She is our mate, right?  Right!!!"  Again nothing.  I was coming apart at the seams. I was certain Richard had noticed, at least someone must have.  "Aesir, dammit, stop living with your tail between your legs and answer me!" 

"Back off! I don't know! Okay!!!" His voice shook with fear and worry, a sound I had never heard from him in my 18 years of living with him.  Cocky, arrogant, narcissistic and maybe a little sadistic, but never scared, never worried.  He was the voice of reason, or at least the most dogmatic voice in the room.  I should have known when Jasmine rejected us something was wrong.  Him being so silent was a sign his pride had been hurt, and now even he was at a loss for words. No matter, I have enough words for the both of us.

"Aesir, she is our mate right?"  I said it again, and once again he remain quiet but I could feel him pacing. He was muttering to himself and one thing was for sure, he was not hiding the shadows. 

I could make out Jasmine's sobs as I battled with Aesir in my head. Her crying did not cause me to have compassion, instead it made me see red.  I turned to look at her, and saw her look up and cover her mouth in fear. I knew in that moment the blood lust I felt was Aesir's, and my eyes were glowing red. This was his answer, we both felt it. 

 WE have been tricked!