Once Rejected, Twice Denied.

Chapter Fifteen

TESSA POV:

"I don't get it!"

Lili lets out a deep breath as Ray passes the bottle of beer across the room. I take another big sip.

"Whoah, whoa, whoa, so Mr. Tall, dark and mysterious, turns out to be your mate and now he is pining over his dead ex-mate? Girl!"

Taz rolls her eyes and exclaims. Lili and Ray give each other a look of discomfort. The last thing on earth I ever expected only two hours after that conversation in Brett's office, was to wind up in Lili's room with her, Ray AND Taz. Turns out Taz has been enjoying her time in the mentorship and has taken a specific liking to the school and giving lessons, so she is doing that for now and has been given a cottage closer in town to the school. I am happy for her. She looks content. I only know this because she is busy packing up her new things in the room we shared. When she leaves, I will have the room to myself. Of course, she asked me all about the whole ordeal and where I had been and she screamed when I told her I was mated to Brett, which then got the attention of Lili and then it was like a game of dominoes and Ray arrived with a suspicious amount of alcohol and snacks. So yip, fast forward time and now us four are seated on my bedroom floor and I am feeling pretty drunk.

"Taz, don't be rude. What happened to Julia was..."

"It really was terrible. I have never seen my brother so broken."

Ray takes another sip and Lili nods.

"I get it and I also feel for Alpha Brett, but guys, it's been three years and the Moon Goddess doesn't really give second chances lightly. I mean, what if he is making THE biggest mistake of his life?"

Ray nods.

"We KNOW he is making the biggest mistake, but what can we do?"

Lili moans into the popcorn and if I weren't so depressed about my situation, then I would actually laugh, but this is my life and it just seems like everything is going to absolute s**t.

"Brett is stubborn and when he puts his mind to something, it's like nothing can sway him."

"GREAT!"

"But..."

I look at Ray now. She has taken my hand and is smiling at me sadly.

"He is also incredibly loyal and he holds the mate bond so highly. It's why he can't let go of Julia so easily, but Tessa, I have seen how this bond affects him. Don't underestimate it. Don't give up on him."

I wonder what she means by that. I dip the t-spoon into the Nutella and I put a spoonful in my mouth. Goddess, this stuff should be illegal.

"But he said that I could never be her. His whole room is her, Ray! How can I ever get his attention when I am clearly living in Julia's shadow?"

"Maybe we can beat the sense into his head!"

Taz says in a super sassy voice and has some more beer. Ray laughs at this as Lili takes my other hand.

"We were good friends with Julia, Tessa and yes, she was such an incredible woman. She was a good friend, a dedicated mate and a fierce advocate for our pack, but listen girl, you are ALSO amazing. Look at everything you have been through and you STILL sit there and find the motivation to live another day. Goddess knows if Nick had rejected me and if I had been banished..."

I see Lili shiver at the thought. She thinks I am amazing? I frown.

"And Julia would want all of us to be happy, especially my brother. She wasn't the type to want anyone to suffer because of what happened. She would have wanted Brett to fall in love with you, Tessa and to move this pack forward. She would have loved you for him."

This shocks me. Why are they all so nice to me?

"It's true, Tessa. Look how you helped those girls in the wagon on the way here. You are a bad ass b***h and you have such Luna potential sitting inside of you! If Brett saw that spark inside you!"

I remember the way I helped the girls. I was only trying to make them feel comfortable. I was only trying to give them a reason to be brave and fight for hope. Taz was there with me through it all. She witnessed the whole thing, so her reminder is so powerful.

"We just need to come up with a plan, Tessa."

I shake my head.

"It won't work guys. I am wolfless, have a bad past, other women look more fit for the job..."

I look away now.

"This pack deserves better than me."

Taz stands up now with her hands on her hips.

"Thats it! Shut up and stand up."

I look at her now with wide eyes. Ray and Lili look at each other then smile and jump up too. What the hell? I see them mind linking each other and I have no idea what they are saying. This is when I wish I had a wolf.

"STOP SELF DEPRIVATING AND STAND UP!"

They now pull me up and grab my shoulders to pull me in front of the long mirror in the room.

"You look at this girl in the mirror. Do you know what I see?"

I turn my stare from the three women surrounding me to the girl in the mirror. The medium-tall, size 36, blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl and I notice how pale she is from the tough journey she has faced. I notice how she has a pink glaze on her eyes from the tears she has shed in the past few days. I notice small bags under her eyes from feeling tired of all the s**t.

"I see a woman who has lived through THE worst, yet still chooses to stand tall."

I notice my posture and how I am holding myself up. Taz carries on.

"I see a woman who has held onto darkness, yet exudes light in her eyes."

"I see a woman who has had very little tenderness, yet stays gentle with everyone around her."

"A woman who can still smile after it all."

"A woman who is a fighter, a warrior, fierce and strong!"

"I see beauty, inside and out..."

"Honesty..."

"Committment..."

"Courage..."

"Love..."

They carry on and on and tears fill in my eyes. I have never heard so many compliments before in my life and I have no idea how to take them all in. Do they really think all of this stuff about me? Their words don't stop until I am an emotional mess and they are holding onto me now in a group hug. Since when did this happen? Since when did I have friends? Friends? Plural? This moment reminds me of Aimee and how she used to say words of affirmation to me all the time. I really miss her, even though she messed up in the end. Even though she never saw it as real, it was a true friendship in my eyes and I will always be thankful for her kindness when nobody else could be.

"Thats a girl, come on..."

Lili strokes my hair now. They are being so nice to me, even though I have been nothing but weird and stand-offish to them.

"I'm sorry I have been so..."

"Distant and against us being your friend?"

Ray hits it right on the head and I burst into laughter.

"Hey, it's okay. We know you battle to trust, but you must know we are on your side now?"

I nod at Lili and she gives me a hug again while Ray smiles on and Taz rolls her eyes with a smile. The four of us head back to the stash of beers on the floor and open up another bottle. For a few moments there is silence, but we are all looking at each other with expressions that reek of quiet planning.

"Sooooooo..."

Ray finally says.

"What's the plan to get Mr. Future Alpha to have the hots for you?"

Taz says it as it is and we all giggle.

"Well, having a mate of my own, I know that the mate bond is not something you can resist forever. Even if Brett wants to ignore you, he cant and the bond will be gnawing at him every second of the day as long as you're near at all times."

Lili wiggles her eyebrows. Ray nods now.

"Yeah, but he doesn't want me around and there is no way I am going back into his room now that he has admitted to having all of Julia's things in there still."

Everyone thinks for a bit.

"Who said anything about you being in his room or space?"

Lili smiles cheekily at me.

"I can feel it when Nick is near by. It's like an instinct and my whole body becomes...alive."

She blushes now.

"EW!"

Taz pretends to gag and I smack her shoulder playfully.

"I think Lili is onto something! We need to get my brother to be affected by you. Close enough to feel you, see you, smell you, sense you, yet far away enough to not have you."

"Ooo, we should get Tessa to go on a date with someone!"

I look at Taz with wide eyes now.

"Taz, I don't think I could..."

"No offense Taz, but I think my brother will murder if he sees Tessa on a date with someone and I don't feel like being responsible for him killing. You should have seen him with..."

Ray gets a weird twinkle in her eye at the last part of her sentence and she tapers it off by looking at me with a huge grin.

"Ray, what?"

I ask her now. She looks at Lili and Taz now. I see them mindlinking. I really hate that.

"Ray, don't you think it's a step too far?"

Lili looks a little worried. Taz looks like she is completely invested in whatever is going on because she is wearing a huge grin.

"It wont be dating, just friendship."

"Also, Brett kinda deserves it. Nobody said Tessa couldn't live her life here and have other friends. He doesn't need to know it isn't anything more."

"Yeah, but stirring stuff between brothers just because you know Brett would never hurt Damon?"

"Yes, but who else, Lili? We need Brett to notice Tessa."

"Just a friendship, nothing more. Just one small conversation to stir his attention."

They babble between them and I feel myself getting more and more irritated. Seriously?

"Will someone maybe ask me for my opinion or are you all just going to carry on talking about me right in front of me?"

The three of them look at me now with mixed emotions. Ray looks hopeful as her brown eyes shimmer with happiness. Taz looks like she is down for anything that will make Brett suffer for denying me a relationship. Lili looks a little unsure and is fidgeting with her hair.

"Well?"

"How do you feel about starting up a friendship with Damon?"

I frown at this in confusion, but then the penny drops.

"Ray, I can't..."

"Oh, come on, Tessa. I am not asking you to date my brother. That would be weird considering I actually want you and Brett to work out. Damon actually could use a friend right now, and do you even know how much fun he is? Goddess knows he is the more light-hearted brother and he can show you some of the ropes around the pack. See it as an opportunity to meet the pack members and build up some connections."

Taz leans forward now.

"Which will kind of be important when you are Luna."

She winks. I open my mouth, but I have no words.

"No romance, Tessa. I promise. Just friendship and a reason to make Brett get his ass out of the chair in his office and into town. Do you really think my stubborn big brother will let his mate walk around town with his little brother? Goddess, he will be so angry when he hears about it and when he realizes you are meeting people in the town..."

Ray looks so impressed with herself.

"I am a genius!"

Ray finishes now and her and Taz high five. I look over at Lili now, as she is the only other mated one in the room. I really feel like I need her support on this, because if anyone understands the bond, then it will be her. She looks at me now and I think she gets what I am asking.

"Lili?"

She takes a few seconds but then smiles.

"It will get Brett's attention and it will be good for you to meet the rest of the pack in a non-expecting and relaxed way."

"And?"

She nods.

"And I think Damon respects his brother enough to know that you are his girl. I think you should do it, but only once, because that will be enough."

I smile at this in understanding and then I look at Ray and Taz.

"Fine. I am in."

Everyone squeals and we laugh at how ridiculous we sound.

Who knew having friends could feel this...good.