His Rejection

Ch. 2

“Alex! What the hell man? How the hell are we all suppose to fit back there,” Emery asked, looking at me pointedly.

“What's up with the fat jokes today? Leave. My. Sister. Alone.” To show them how serious he was, his eyes changed from the golden hazel color that we shared to a deep black. They all turned away, they had to. Looking in those eyes, his wolf's eyes, made you feel like you would be falling forever into a dark abyss. That's how dark his eyes were.

“Dude. Chill it wasn’t a fat joke. It’s two seats and five of us. I know you suck at math but jeez... Why didn't you drive that truck you got yesterday,” Emery said. Alex tried to shush him before he finished but it was too late, I had already heard.

“You bought me a car?”

“More like I bought you a truck. I remember you saying you wanted one for our next road trip,” he replied to me. I scooted forward and hugged him from behind the seat.

“Thanks Alex,” I shouted as I hugged him tighter.

Maxon cleared his throat. Still not turning to looking at him I sat back and leaned against the window. I inhaled deeply and came across a manly musk and a sweet vanilla smell. I shrugged it off thinking it was just my perfume and Alex's mixed together.

Can we get to school now? My mate is probably there waiting for me, my wolf commented. I blocked her out and tuned back into the real world. They were still trying to figure out how we were all going to fit. I had already had an idea of how we were all going to fit, but I was going to let one of them figure it out on their own. They were all waiting for Alex to make up his mind on what to do. I sighed. At this rate we were going to miss homeroom and be late to first period. But just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, they did.

“Why don't we just lap up,” Maxon offered. Everybody looked at him like he was the smartest person in the world. I'm sure if I had suggested that than I would've been trying to make a move on Maxon, and than would have been horrible. I inhaled and exhaled.

There it goes again, I thought. That damn smell. What is that? It smells so good.

“And who are you lapping up with Maxon,” Vanessa asked. She, Annie, and Natalie shared a small giggled that Alex quickly ended. I knew she was trying to be funny but I didn't care, I wanted to hear his answer also. So did everyone once else that was in or around the car.

“Who else do you think? Nova,” he replied like it was an everyday thing that this happened, but was that a hint of a struggle somewhere buried in that statement. I knew Emery and Juan looked at him with c****d heads like the dogs they were, and I also knew that they didn't and wouldn't say anything to him. What with him being Alpha and all.

“No funny business Ellis,” Alex said from the front. He was watching my face through the rear view mirror, probably trying to make sure I was cool with this. I nodded as Maxon jogged around to the drivers' side and opened my door. I was still leaning against the window, so as soon as he opened it I started to fall out of the car and before I could catch myself Maxon caught me.

My heart was beating fast and the strange smell was burning my nostrils. It was Maxon. He was what I was smelling and God does he smell good, I told myself moaning in my head.

What? Just because he is a jerk doesn't mean I still don't find him attractive and sexy. Still the fact remained that today was my day and he wasn't about to ruin my day. I refused to even look at him or thank him for saving me from a nasty fall; I just stepped out of the way and allowed him in first. The others were piling in as I took my bag off and climbed in the car and onto Maxon's lap. We were so close and his smell was intoxicating. I just wanted to lean back and bury my face in the nook of his neck and claim him as mine. Wait, what? What was I saying? I shook it off ignored the feelings he made me feel. Feelings that I knew I shouldn't have.

He was the high school jock that made it his life mission to treat me like crap and ruin my self-esteem. I mean he was the one who had everyone calling me fat. I wasn’t even that big nor was I chubby or fat. Yes, I had a small amount of fat still on my stomach but that was from baby fat. I mean get real before today I was sixteen. By werewolf law I was still a child. I haven’t been able to shift for my body to take on the changes my wolf brings.

Just thinking about all he's done to me caused me to become angry. Calm down. Remember today is our day. We won't allow them to ruin it, my wolf soothed. I smiled and nodded inwardly. She was right. We rode in silence and every once in a while I would catch Alex looking back at me making sure I was OK. I always nodded which helped him relax. Maxon wrapped his arms around my waist trying to keep me stable from all of the constant bumps Alex was hitting.

“You're my mate,” Maxon whispered. It was just low enough that I was the only one to hear it, and even with wolf hearing I barely caught it.

“I'm not joining in your games today Maxon. You are NOT ruining my birthday,” I whispered back. He sat silently for a moment, most likely trying to think of another angle to trick me from.

“I'm serious. You smell good. It's like a mixture between roses and vanilla,” I froze instantly. No one knew about my wolf's scent but me because I haven’t shifted yet. It was going to happen tonight, in front of the whole pack. That way they could become familiar with my scent and wouldn't get it crossed with anyone else's or a rogues' or another pack. I turned to face him instantly becoming lost in his crystal blue ocean eyes.

Mate, my wolf screamed at me. Great. She was right; I would never live this one down.

He can’t be my mate! He has teased me for years, I told her refusing to believe it. All the while I never took me eyes off of his. We stared at each other with everybody else completely oblivious to us. Emery and Annie and Juan and Vanessa were making out and Alex and Natalie were engrossed in some conversation. It was just us.

If you don't have a mate you wouldn't be able understand what I am about to explain. Having a mate is a lifetime commitment. Your mate is your literal other half. Your exact opposites but completely the same in the next breath. What you can’t do your mate can and vice versa. When you find them and your eyes meet, for that moment nobody else matters. It’s just you and your mate. The wolf in you wants to get loose and complete the mating process by marking one another and then finally mating will seal your bond.

What your mate is you are. If your mate has an Alpha bloodline line, through the mating process your blood from then on becomes Alpha blood. If your mate is one of the Specials then you can tap into their extra abilities. If your mate is killed or died then you will die too. Once you meet and mate one cannot live without the other. There are things one could do to rid himself or herself of a mate but it could kill them while most definitely killing the mate.

As I looked at Maxon all of those worries and fears sprang into my mind. Having an Alpha as a mate was one of the worst things that can happen to a young she-wolf. He is overprotective, jealous, territorial, and has anger issues and not to mention hunters and rogues always wanted to take out the Alpha's mate. That was the easiest way to kill him. Even with all that in my mind I couldn't help taking my hand lifting it to his face. He nestled his face into my hand and smiled. This was a different Maxon, a Maxon I had never seen before. He pulled me tighter against him.

“Mine,” he whispered in my ear. I blushed and looked away.

“Mine,” I whispered back at him. Wait, did he just skip a breath and smile?

Maxon's POV

Alex blew the horn signaling us to hurry up. I called the rest of the gang and headed out the door. I was excited about today. One of the Specials that belonged to my pack said that today was the day I found my mate. I had been waiting for this for the two years since she had foreseen it. I was taking over as Alpha soon and I couldn't do it mate-less. I needed a Luna, no scratch that I wanted a Luna. We rushed outside and saw that Natalie was already in the front seat. I wondered if she made 'The Blob' get out of the front seat. I giggled to myself causing my wolf to growl.

What, I asked.

You should be a little bit nicer to her. You never know when you going to need her, he replied. I laughed. It’s not like she's my mate, I thought. I opened the door and froze instantly. The smell hit me first. It was full of roses and vanilla. I inhaled deeply and sighed softly careful to not draw any attention to myself.

While Emery joked about Novas’ weight, I searched for the source and can face to side with Nova. I felt a slight pull of gravity just looking at her. I didn't know if it was from my wolf's strength or hers'. I took in everything about her. Something was different about her today. I new today was her birthday, and it was also the day she shifted for the first time but it was more than that. She was dressed differently and it was like everything on her shone brighter than it ever had before.

Mate, my wolf shouted. His voice rang through my mind so loud that I could feel it bouncing off the walls in there.

You have got to be kidding, I told him. There was no way it was her.

I would never kid about our mate. And I told you to be nicer. If she hates us its your fault, my wolf threatened.

Yeah right like she would reject my face.

My wolf huffed as I tried to catch a glimpse of her eyes, but she refused to look my way whether it was on purpose or not. Emery had just let of the secret about Novas’ new truck. I laughed and continued to try and catch her... Nothing. Not even a glance my way. As everyone tried to figure out how we were all going to fit Nova leaned against the window looking bored and playing with her ear buds. She was probably wanting to get to school for homeroom. I knew how I would get her to look at me but how would I explain it to everyone else. Then as an after thought I figured that I'm going to be Alpha soon so I didn't have to explain myself.

“Why don't we just lap up,” I offered. Sadly taking my eyes off of her. I slightly heard her inhale again and immediately became excited she can smell my scent, and she likes it.

“And who are you lapping up with Maxon,” Vanessa asked. She and Annie along with Natalie shared a slight giggle causing Alex to give them the evil eye again. I was upset too. How dare they joke about my mate? I had to calm myself down. No one knew she was my mate and I didn't want anyone to until she lost a few pounds. But I had to keep her around. I couldn't be without her. I knew that much.

“Who else do you think? Nova,” I replied easily.

Emery and Juan looked at me with c****d heads but didn't say anything. I knew what they were thinking... Had he lost his mind? Was this some cruel joke he was about to play and didn't let them in on it? Did he still want his football career? Her weight was likely to hurt my legs. OK so in retrospect she wasn’t as fat as we made her out to seem. It was just that she hadn’t shifted yet and still her baby fat, which when compared to every other she-wolf in the pack that was 17 and older, was really fat.

“No funny business Ellis,” Alex said from the front. He was watching Novas’ face through the rear view mirror, probably trying to make sure she was cool with this. I growled inwardly. She was my mate, why would I hurt her? They don't know she's your mate yet i***t, my wolf scolded.

Sometimes he was a real prick. I caught her nodding as I jogged around to the drivers' side and opened the door. I knew she was still leaning on the window so as soon as I opened it she started to fall out of the car and before she could get the chance to catch herself I caught her. My heart was beating fast being this close to her and her sweet smell was filled my nostrils. It was her. She was what I smelled and with her being in my arms I could smell her body giving off the s*x pheromones. God, those smells together smelled good. What? Just because she is a fat loser doesn't mean I still wouldn't tap that.

Still the fact remained that to be fully sure she was my mate we needed to lock eyes. She still was refusing to even look at me or thank me for saving her from a nasty fall; she just stepped out of the way and allowed me in first. The others were piling in as I tossed my bag on the floor and sliding in the car and next to Emery and Annie, who had already began to make out... again. I turned my head so I was watching her take off her bag. I looked at her stomach and how it slightly poked out, and I became disgusted as he climbed in on top of me, and even though it pained me to say it, she truthfully wasn’t even that heavy.

We were so close and her smell was intoxicating. I just wanted to lean forward and bury my face in the nook of her neck and claim her as mine. We rode in silence and every once in a while I would wrap my arms around her waist trying to keep her stable from all of the constant bumps Alex was hitting.

After ten silent minutes, I was tired of being ignored I decided to try addressing her.

“You're my mate,” I whispered. It was just low enough that she was the only one to hear it, I didn't want to take the chance that anyone else would hear it. Talk about embarrassing.

“I'm not joining in your games today Maxon. You are NOT ruining my birthday,” she whispered back. I sat silently for a moment, trying to think of another angle to get her to trust me, and for a quick second I was planning on buying her a gift for her birthday. Maybe a promise ring, I thought. I shook the thought out of my head. I wasn't going to mate with her if she didn't loose weight.

Jackass, my wolf growled. I laughed it off and dragged my attention back to Nova.

“I'm serious. You smell good. It's like a mixture between roses and vanilla,” I said. She froze instantly. No one knew about another wolf's scent but until they shifted for the first time, and that was in front of the entire pack. She turned to face me and I was instantly becoming lost in her golden hazel eyes. They both had green flecks in them.

My heart picked up ten speeds and I silently prayed that no one was able to hear it through the smacking sounds and random conversations. It was just she and I. No one was paying us any attention. She shifted to face the side better making it seem like she wanted to look out the other window rather than me. Rather it was on purpose I don't know but she seductively rubbed against my best man downstairs causing him and my wolf to stir while I fought to hold in a moan.

As I looked at Nova I could see all of those worries and fears sprang into her mind. Having Alpha mates were hard but it wouldn't be that bad with her. She's chubby, nobody would want her, I told myself. I think it was more for my sake that it was said because we haven’t even mated and I was worried about all of that now too.

Or maybe all of her fears were on my and how I have been treating her... I looked away slightly. Even with all that was most likely on her mind she didn't hesitate taking her hand and lifting it to my face. I nestled my face into her hand and smiled. This was a different me, a me that no one had ever seen before. I pulled her tighter against me.

“Mine,” I whispered in her ear. She blushed and looked away.

“Mine,” she whispered back.

She did it again. She made my heart gain even more speed then it had before. I skipped a breath and smiled hoping she didn't notice the skipped breath. Being in school and not being around her was going to be difficult. I want to watch her; I wanted to make sure no other wolf ever looked at her. I had to admit that even with the weight, what she was wearing was really hot on her and there was bound to be a couple of unmated wolves sniffing around her.

For the rest of the ride we sat still. Enjoying each others’ smells and warmth. I was devising a plan to get her to be around me all day. Nova was abnormally smart so she had skipped a grade. She was a senior like the rest of us and she was just seventeen. Maybe I can use that to my advantage, I thought to myself.

Who, out of the three guys, could I trust the most with this? It definitely wasn’t my Beta Alex. Nova was his baby sister and he was go berserk if he knew I wanted to keep her a secret from everyone. It definitely wasn’t going to be Emery. He couldn't hold a secret if his life depended on it. So the only one left was Juan. He was the best choice anyway, with him being able to hack into the school's system and put me in all of her classes. Now all I had to do was get his attention.

Juan, I called in my Alpha tone. I noticed him jump slightly and open his eyes, looking my way. Never breaking the kiss with Vanessa. I need to tell you something in confidence.

I'm all ears and no lips, he replied jokingly. I looked at him sternly causing him to straighten up.

Nova is my mate, I told him looking away embarrassed.

Congrats man! I'm so happy for you. You know she's a – never mind. Congrats though, he replied excited. I looked at him confused and lost. Congrats? Didn't he see the fat on her?

“We're here,” Alex shouted from the front seat as he turned the car off and looked at Nova. She once again donned her stoic face, void of emotion and not even looking my way. That hurt, but I had to suck it up and figure out my plan with Juan. I had to make sure that one: we were together and I was able to watch her and two: nobody knew we were mates. This was going to be hard. Especially seeing as Nova didn't know about our arrangement...