Chapter 11: Going Through A Lot
995 Words
-Wylder-
I enjoyed it. I had never really engaged in play or banter with anyone before. Being an only child, I was adopted by my uncle after my parents’ demise. He raised me, but then he passed away too, leaving only me behind. I wasn’t typically one for jests, but Helena was coaxing smiles out of me and igniting a desire to tease her.
“Wylder!” she called out.
“Yes, beautiful?”
Helena looked at me, startled, after I addressed her with such endearment, and I realized then that no one had ever bestowed such a term upon her. Yet, she was indeed lovely. Her long blond hair, sweet brown eyes, and the adorable freckles adorning her nose complemented her well. She was undeniably attractive, with a certain allure that I couldn’t quite articulate.
“Could you... move?” she asked.
“Why?” I inquired, pressing closer to her, aware of the effect she was having on me. Her eyes widened, a mix of surprise and desire evident in their depths.
“I... I need to leave.”
“I can drive you,” I offered.
She shook her head. “No!”
“Why did you come here, my sweet mate, if not seeking aid?”
“It was my mother’s request! I never intended to stay!”
“What if it had been my uncle you encountered?” I prompted.
“Then I’d probably not be lying on this couch!”
I chuckled, unable to resist. Indeed, she was correct about that.
“No, you’re probably right,” I agreed.
“So... could you move?” she inquired.
“What if he had offered, though?”
“To join me on this couch?”
I shook my head, smiling. “No, to assist you? What if he had offered you a place to stay?”
“I...”
I noticed the confusion and doubt in her eyes. This went much deeper than I had realized.
“You didn’t believe he would ever extend such an offer, did you?” I asked.
“Why would he?” she challenged.
“Because you needed help,” I replied.
“I’m fine.”
“You’ve just lost your mother. Tell me, who else do you have out there?”
Helena simply looked at me, confirming my suspicions.
“As I thought. No one, right?” I inquired.
“I prefer being alone,” she admitted.
“Yeah, I can imagine that after some foolish alpha made you believe you were worthless, being alone seemed like exactly what you thought you deserved after that.”
Helena became a bit teary when I confronted her with the harsh truth, but she needed to realize quickly that I wasn’t like that other alpha. I was her alpha. Her mate. She would soon see that trusting me, even with her life, was something she could do.
“Could you just move?” she whispered.
“That’s what you believe, isn’t it? That being alone is what you deserve. He made you believe that,” I continued.
“Stop it…” she pleaded.
“Admit it then.”
“No! I’m just better off on my own!” she insisted.
I looked at her, seeing just how broken she appeared, and it made me wonder something.
“When did your mother pass away?” I asked.
“What?” she inquired, confused.
“When did she pass away?”
“A few days ago... I buried her today.”
“Damn,” I muttered, finally shifting away from her.
She slowly sat up but avoided meeting my gaze. I gently lifted her chin and turned her head, seeing that she hadn’t fully processed the fact that her mother was gone forever.
“I’m sorry, little mate. I know that can’t be easy,” I said.
“I’m fine,” she whispered.
“No, you’re not.”
The tears were slowly threatening to spill over, and I knew today must have been incredibly difficult for her to endure. Not only had she laid her mother to rest, but she had also been directed to a stranger by her deceased mother, leaving her to face his nephew instead, who happened to be her mate. That must have been shocking, to say the least.
“I am…” she whispered. “I felt nothing.”
“About?” I asked.
“About my mother’s passing.”
I gazed at her, slightly puzzled. “Was she not kind to you?”
“She was the best,” she replied. “She was all I had.”
“So, why didn’t you feel anything? Have you not yet processed it?”
She stared at me blankly. Had the rejection truly rendered my mate numb? It was possible. Rejection had consequences. Few things hurt as much as rejection.
“I simply… felt nothing,” she confessed.
“Because you feel nothing?” I inquired.
“I’ve felt nothing for a long time.”
“What impact did the rejection have on you?” I whispered.
“A lot…”
“Tell me.”
“No.”
“Helena,” I sighed. “You’re not alone. I will take care of you.”
“No, I don’t need you to.” She pushed my hand away.
“If your uncle had been here instead of you and offered me shelter, I would still have left,” she stated.
“Why? Your mother clearly thought it was a good idea to come here.”
“Yes, but she was also very concerned about me ending up all alone. She only did it because…”
“Because she loved you?” I finished.
“Because she was afraid I would do something... if I ended up alone.”
“Do something?” I prompted.
“It’s… not important.”
Helena looked away, and then it dawned on me what she meant.
“Taking your own life?”
- Writer
