The Mate I Rejected

Things That We Don't See

Hailey's POV

Sheila told me some pretty interesting things about my father and my late mother though I suspect that she knows more than she cares to share with me but that's how she is. She was glad to see me. Sheila is the only witch I know and since I had been having these weird dreams, I thought that she would tell me what they mean but we never even got to talk about that, instead she talked about my ancestor like they were good friends, she told me that they shared a lot of secrets together.

Speaking to Sheila has made me feel a little nostalgic and it made me miss my mother. My mother loved reading and so my father built her a library and got her a collection of all the books she loves, I haven't been in that Library ever since she passed away and not because I didn't want to, my father wouldn't let me go in, everytime I asked him he said no so I eventually stopped asking, he would always tell me that I was too young to understand the books, now I am old enough and I want to feel closer to her.

I went into my father's study and I opened the drawer, that is where he kept the keys to the library. I took the keys and I went to my mother's library. I went in I immediately sneezed from all the dust in here. Even after so many years I could still smell her perfume in the room. A hint of lavender and a hint of marigold along with a hint of roses. She used to make her own perfume and it was always the same fragrance. A soft knock came on the door. It was slightly opened, I could see who was on the other side.

" You can come in Lulu. " I said. We have been friends since college, she knows that I am special but she doesn't know how much. I will admit that it was strange having to keep the fact that I was werewolf a secret but as I got older my father explained that it was important that the humans have no knowledge of us in order to protect us and them. The older I grew, the more I realised that my father was right all along, humans cannot be trusted with our knowledge.

" What the hell Hailey? this place looks like it hasn't been cleaned in decades. " She said as she looked around the library.

" Well the place hasn't been used in a long time, it used to be my mother's library, I haven't been in here since she passed away. " I said to her.

" Well it could do with some cleaning up, maybe you should let Martha clean it up first. " Lulu said. Martha was our helper.

" You know what? You are right, I'll ask her to do it." I said.

" Good, now can we go to your room? I have this book that I want to show you. " She said with a smile.

" You came all this way just to show me a book?" I asked her.

" It's not just a book, it has been in my family for centuries and now that I am turning twenty three, it has been passed down on me, you are a historian, perhaps you can tell me how old it is. " she said.

" Fine, let's go and see this mystery book of yours. " I said to her. We left and went to my bedroom. At twenty three I should be living out on my own in a city somewhere but since I am the only child, my father won't even entertain that idea. He said that I had duties to fulfill and such is my destiny.

The book was on top of my bed, she took it and handed it to me. Lulu was right, this book was old. I could see from the cover that it was old and when I touched it, it was like I was being shocked by electricity. It was arranged in a way. I opened it and I could see that it was hand written. It was also written in an ancient language, a language I have never seen before.

" Where did you say you got this book again?" I asked her.

" I told you that it belongs to my family, do you know what it is? I think it's an old diary. " she said to me.

" Well I am going to have to take a good look at this, it is definitely very very old and I don't recognise this language but I have a friend and maybe she can tell me more about it, I think that it might be an alchemical book. " I said to her.

" Alchemy? " She asked me with a surprised face.

" Well it has symbols that looks like they might represent alchemy, I am not sure. " I said.

" I don't know but when I try to read it, something strange happens to me. " She said.

" What do you mean?" I asked her.

" I can't explain it but the other day I tried to read it and suddenly I felt a tingling sensation in my fingers, I snapped my finger fire came out. " She said.

If she was talking to anyone else, they would think that she was being crazy but I am a werewolf and I know better. I know that there's witches and I know that there's other creatures as well, I don't know why I didn't see this in the past but I think that Lulu might be a witch.

" I know that this might sound crazy but is there any witches in your family?" I asked her. Judging by the look on her face, she doesn't know what I am talking about.

" Witches? Please tell me that you don't believe in that mumbo jumbo nonsense. " She said.

" You are right, it's probably some old Journal. " I said.

" Lulu can I ask you something?" I said to her.

" Sure, what do you want to know?" She said.

" Besides the fire in your fingers, has anything strange happened? I mean before this. " I asked her.

" I don't know but sometimes I get this weird dreams that litterally turn into reality, I mean this other day I had a dream about my mother getting sick and the following morning, she told me that she was sick. " She said.

" Anything else?" I asked her.

" Not that I can think of right now, what's with all the questions?" She asked me.

" It's nothing..." I said.

" Hailey I don't what's up with you but you are acting crazy right now, first I find you in that dirty room and now you are talking about witches. " She said to me.

" I know and I am sorry, I guess I am trying to figure out what this book is about. " I said to her.

" Okay fine then, now tell me about that guy we met the other day. " She said with a smile.

" I told you that I don't know him. " I said to her. Of course I was lying to her. Whenever I go out of town my father makes sure to send me an escort to go with. The last time it was Jake and he kept his distance or at leas he tried to, Lulu saw how he kept on looking at me while she was looking at him.

" Fine then." She said.

" But I met someone else today... well kind of." I said.

" Kind of? What's that supposed to mean?" She asked me.

" Well it was only for a brief moment." I said.

" Is he handsome?" she asked me. I didn't take a good look at him but he was handsome.

" Well if you are into that kind of guy then yeah." I said.

" Hailey it's either he is or he isn't, which one is it?" She asked me.

" Fine, he is handsome." I said with a little smile.

" Please tell me that you gave him your number." Lulu said with a smile.

" No, I told you that we only met for a brief moment and besides, I am not looking to be in a relationship right now. " I said.

" Hailey why do you always do that?" Lulu said.

" Do what?" I asked her.

" You always have these handsome guys falling for you and you won't even give them the time of day, if you carry on like this, you are going to end up alone and lonely with twenty cats. " She said.

" Maybe if the right guy came along, I might actually let my guard down. " I said .

" How would they do that when you are always holding up brick walls?" She said.

" Fine, if another guy comes I will try to be more... open. " I said.

" Good, so who's this friend you are going to give my book to?" she asked me.

"Some old family friend, infact you can come with me when I go to see her." I said.

" Alright then, I guess I'll come back tomorrow then." She said.

"Fine, I'll walk you out. " I said and walked her out. She went into her car. I stood by the door way. She got in the car and drove away. I am not sure but I think that Lulu might be a witch, I have never seen anything like that book and I have never felt so much power from a book either. This is strange. I mean how can Lulu not know about her powers if she is a witch? Maybe I am just being paranoid.

I went back inside and a few minutes later I heard my father coming in. Well I heard his car.

" Hailey..." My dad called out for me.

" I'm in here. " I said and my father came into my room.

" Hey baby..." He said and took a seat next to me.

" Hi Daddy. " I said to him.

" So how was your day? Did you do anything interesting today?" he asked me.

" I visited an old friend, you? How did it go with the Moon Alpha?" I asked him.

"It went very well but I'll tell you about it another time. " He said.

" Alright then. " He said. " What is that?" He asked me with a shocked face pointing at the book on the table.

"Oh that is Lulu's book. " I said.

" Where did she get this?" my father asked me as he took the book into his hands.

" I think she said that it had been passed down to her or something. " I said.

" Oh... okay." He said and put the book down.

" So are you ready for your birthday?" He asked me.

" I don't know dad, I mean this whole right of passage thing, I keep feeling like something is going happen. " I said to him.

" That's probably because something is going to happen, you are turning twenty three which means that your wolf will be ready to mate, you will go through your final transition. " He said.

According to our pack, the age of twenty is a big deal. For both males and females werewolves. This is the time when you either find your mate or spend the rest of your life without one. I suppose this is the hardest part for me because I have never felt anything for any man before and right now, I don't think that it is ever going to happen.

" Well I don't know about mating, what if I never mate? What would happen?" I asked him.

" That would be a first... it's okay baby don't worry yourself about it okay? Everything is going to be okay." I said.

" But how can you be so sure dad? It is different for everyone and what if I am different? What if I don't find my mate? We are the last of our family and if I don't have a mate what would that mean for our family?" I asked. I simply refuse to be the last of my kind. What future will the pack have with an Alpha that cannot mate? What would become of my family's legacy and when I die, who will take over the pack after I am gone?

The younger me didn't have questions like that, she was young and free but I am turning twenty three and this is the tipping point of my life. I have never missed my mother like I do now.

" Hailey you are a Bennet and we always, always have our mates, I don't see why you should be different. " He said. It was comforting to hear him say that.

" I guess you are right. " I said to him.

" So this book that Lulu gave you, do you mind if I took a look at it?" He asked me.

" Well I don't see why not but I'll need it back because she will be back for it later on. " I said to him.

" I'll bring it back. " He said and took the book.

" Dad..." I said.

" What is it ?" He asked me.

" Can I ask you something?" I said to him.

" Sure, you can ask me anything. " He said.

" It's about the library, I want to use it. " I said.

" Was that a question?" He asked me.

" Not really, I want to use my mothers library. " I said to him.

" Okay... It's time anyways. " He said.

At that point I felt like it would be the perfect time to ask him about the picture I saw at Sheila's house. That woman in the picture looks exactly like me, if I didn't know better, I would say that we are twins. I saw something on her that I saw on my mother. It was a necklace with a strange green stone. I couldn't see the colour as it was an old black and white photo but I know it in my heart that it was the same necklace that my mother had.

" There's something else. " I said to him.

" What is it? " He asked me.

" Well mom used to wear this necklace with a green stone, do you by any chance know where it is?" I asked him.

" Your mother had a lot of necklaces, I am sure it is with the rest of her jewelry. " He said.

" It's not." I said to him. If anyone would know about that, it's me. I inherited all of my mother's jewelry and that necklace is not in there.

" I suppose it might have gotten lost over time, I'll keep an eye out for it. " He said

" That would be nice, thank you." I said and my father left my room with the book.

I closed my eyes and suddenly, I saw Ashton's face. I opened my eyes. I mean we only met for a brief moment and I know it for a fact that he is a smooth talker, why would I be thinking of him? Especially now when I should be worried about what Sheila told me? Maybe it is because of what Lulu told me about me having to shut myself out from the rest of the world, to be honest I think that she might be right, as handsome as that guy was, I just don't see myself with someone like him.