Fated but Forgotten

Chapter 12 - Rocco

Had I heard that right? I felt the anger building. No, this cannot be right. How can I be scaring her? This is my fated mate. The one chosen for me. What irritated me more, was that my friend, my supposed best friend, had called me away from my mate's side to tell me this. Could he not have done this via mindlink, or on the occasional visit he made to the hospital?! He had to know the pain this was going to cause.

“No.” I murmured, anger evident in my tone, as my hands shook. “Just no, that is not right. I would not be scaring her. I am being there for her. The way that I should as a fated mate.” I snapped, standing suddenly from the stool I was sitting on, causing it to fall loudly to the floor.

“Rocco, come on, calm down.” Anna was by my side. “I know this likely came as a shock, and it hurt, but you need to try to understand how Aria is feeling. She is likely scared by everything right now…” her voice faltered, as my eyes focused on her angrily. Was she agreeing with all of this?!

“You think she is scared by me?!” I all but roared at her. “I am her mate!”

Micah was suddenly by my side, his hand heavily upon my arm. “Stop this now. You need to watch how you talk to her. Anna is trying to help, as am I, but I will not tolerate you speaking to my mate that way. I will not think twice about putting you on your ass, Rocco. I have been patient so far, your attitude has been pushing it, so don’t go too far.”

My heart pounded within my chest heavily while my breathing was erratic. Did they not realize the pain this was causing me? Having to hear that my mate was scared of me was like a spear through my chest…

“Rocco, Ari will always be your mate, but to her right now you are a stranger. That is the difficult thing. Right now we all are strangers. I know it will hurt you more than anyone, but that is how it is.” Anna spoke, reaching for my hand, trying to offer me reassurance, but her words hurt. I was struggling with the concept of being a stranger to the woman I was in love with. The woman who was meant to love me...

“Even if she does not recognize me, my presence should offer reassurance, should it not? That is what being with your mate does. Calms… soothes…” I tried.

I heard Micah sigh from my side. “Rocco, that is when the mate has a wolf, Aria doesn’t. Things are different with her, you knew they always would be. We knew that when she moved to be with you.”

My eyes darted to his now, fury pulsing through my veins again. Was he trying to imply I should never have taken her as my mate? That as a human she was not worthy of being my mate? Aria was chosen for me, yet I would choose her any day of the week. She was perfection. The perfect woman. The perfect mate. And she made me happy from the moment I had met her. The moon goddess may have chosen her for me, but she had chosen so well. I could not have done better myself. How could my friend imply she was not good enough?

“What does that mean?” I demanded. “That she is not good enough? Being human makes her too weak to be with me?”

Anna placed her arm around me now, pulling me close to her. “He did not say that, did he? Your anger is making you jump to conclusions. Conclusions that are so far from the truth they are going to get you in trouble, Rocco. The moon goddess chose Aria for a reason. If humans were not suitable mates, then in our history there would not be so many humans mated to our kind, now would there? You need to try to remain calm, Rocco, being this fiery and on edge is not helping you, and it will not be helping Aria.”

Micah cleared his throat from beside me. “You should know me better than that.” he said gruffly. “I would never judge her. I love her like a sister, the same as you like my brother. You both are my family. Such an important part of this pack. It kills me that we could not protect her, and it destroys me that we do not know what to do to bring her back to us… to you.”

“But, Rocco, things likely need to change, the little sleep you are getting is not helping you. Being stuck within those same four walls all day every day is not healthy, especially when you are so focused upon Aria, and she is not responding.” Anna suggested. I was curious now what she planned to suggest. “It makes you more on edge. Makes you more suspicious, jumping to conclusions more, and it certainly causes you to be snappy. Having an attitude... giving off a negative aura. Aria could pick up on that. She doesn't need that right now, Rocco. The doctors think it may be better for you to spend time away from the hospital. Give Aria some space. Even just a few hours a day. And the night time too. Go home to sleep, return to see her in the morning fully refreshed. She has awoken now, we know she is going to be okay…” her voice faltered as she looked toward her mate.

I found myself frowning. They had brought me here to tell me I was not wanted at the hospital? I was not wanted around my mate, that is the basic meaning of all of this. No. I would not allow this. “Is she going to be okay though? Because from where I am, my sweet, sweet girl is far from okay. Because the Aria in that hospital bed right now is a shadow of the girl she once was. I swore I would be by her side until she was healed. And to me that is not healing.” my voice boomed angrily.

“Rocco, this is not a request.” Micah said, his voice heavy. “It is more an order, without me giving you an actual Alpha order. I want you to begin duties again, only lightly, for an hour or two a day, to keep you occupied for the time you are away from the hospital. And, I want you to sleep away from there too, be it at home, in the packhouse, your parents, or here, we could make up a guest room so you are not alone. But give Aria some space, give your mind some space too. The doctors are suggesting it could be better for you both.”

My eyes narrowed as I looked at the man that was meant to be my best friend, my fist slamming down onto the kitchen island. “You planned to Alpha order me over this? Despite the pain I am in?” I stuttered, tears filling my eyes.

“If that is what is needed to help you both in the long term, then yes.” Micah said, avoiding my gaze. “But, I would rather you just do as I ask, so I do not need to go that far. Take me and the doctors at our word when we say we have yours and Aria’s best interests at heart when we ask for this.”

I shook my head, unable to be around him any more as I walked from the kitchen and out of their house. Right now I needed space. What I really needed was my wolf, and a chance to run off my anger, but once again there was no sign of him…