Once Rejected, Thrice Accepted

Chapter Seven: Sometimes even being mates isn’t enough to hold you together.

“She will wake up on her own. Please calm down, Alpha.” A she-wolf whimpered as I slowly came to. “Her heart rate is good and she is healing nicely. She should be waking up any time now.”

All I heard was a humpff before a plop of someone sitting down in a chair beside me. From their scent it was Lucas and Leo was on the other side of me. The room was absent of Duncan and my brothers’ scents. With how strong the hospital smell was I couldn’t even tell if they had been there at all. Where could they be?

“I just can’t stop wondering what caused the s**t to hit the fan in the bathroom.” Leo said as he scooted his seat closer to my bed. “Those girls are normally so nice and sweet. Do you think they are telling the truth about Gemma starting it?”

“I don’t know but my wolf says our mate would never.” Lucas replied his voice full of worry. “I agree with him. Those girls are only sweet because they want us to chose one of them as our mates. Their older sister is always trying to get Duncan to screw her and lies that he does when he hasn’t ever touched her.”

“I don’t see why not? Grumpy ass needs to get laid.” Leo laughed.

Moonlight let out a low, menacing growl that I agreed with. “Our mate touches no one she-wolves or Ill kill them.” I opened my eyes and saw two sets of eyes giving me a small glare.

“Tell us what happened?” Leo ordered at the same time that Lucas was trying to order me not to move until he had the whole medical team in the room.

“I am feeling ok, thanks for asking.” I rolled my eyes at both of them and pushed myself up on the bed. “Where are my brother and Duncan?”

“Duncan is headed here from the dungeons and your brother had to check in on his mate.” Lucas answered pulling my hand into his. “I am glad you are feeling ok. I was worried.”

“Worried about me or worried that I really did start the fight?” I lifted my eyebrow as his face fell in shame. “Yea, I heard that. You did better than Leo.”

“Then just tell us what happened. We have known them longer than you so its hard to just instantly believe you.” Leo said staying in his chair but gripping it harder than before.

“So fated mates don’t mean s**t to you? Good to know.” I shook my head and looked back at Lucas ignoring Leo’s blubbering excuses. “How long was I out and where are the girls now?”

“They are in the dungeons like they should be.” Duncan stated answering for Lucas as he walked into my hospital room and didn’t stop until he got right up against the bed. “You were out a few hours, but it was the longest and most stressful time. Next time you pull a stunt like that I am going to teach you a lesson.”

He lifted his hand and I flinched back. I could see and feel the hurt that I didn’t trust him but there wasn’t anything I could do.

“Teach me a lesson? I don’t have enough injuries and scars from my past.” I whispered, doing my best to hold back my tears. I had shown enough of my weaknesses today and I told myself that things were going to be different at my new pack.

“Oh, my goddess, baby! Not like that. Never like that.” Duncan fell to his knees beside me and put his forehead on my arm. “You are my mate and I would never hurt you. I meant pleasurable type of punishment in the bedroom. I want to make you so submissive in a blissed-out state that your body turns to jelly in my arms.”

‘Is it getting hot in here or is it just me?’ Moonlight whispered snickering at my red cheeks.

“Ok, enough. I want to know what happened in the bathroom.” Leo stated before I could even try to embarrass myself with a reply.

“Calm your t**s brother. She needs to rest.” Duncan argued but I already knew it wasn’t going to stop Leo from pushing.

“Its ok. I will tell him even though he won’t believe me.” I put my hand under Duncan’s chin and pushed him to stand up.

“Won’t believe you?” Duncan looked confused.

Before anyone could answer the door swung open with a stressed looking Doctor and Nurse running through and my brother looking pissed off following them. They instantly went to work checking my vitals and stats while the other one kept asking me questions about how I felt and tried to get me to answer some history questions about past doctor visits and such. I wasn’t allowed to ever see a doctor but I had shared enough of my life for the next few days so I just shook my head.

Leo was patient enough to wait until they were done to ask again and smart enough to ask nicely this time. Draco and Duncan were standing on either side of me with Lucas by my feet rubbing my leg mindfully, probably wondering who he trusted and who would be the most pissed over whatever he decided.

I told them what happened from the moment I walked into the restroom to the moment they barged in. Leo scoffed a few times saying the girls would never do that but Lucas disagreed with him. Duncan just told him the shut the hell up and that the girls were sneaky bitches. They had always been that way since he had been there but the twins never believed him.

Draco mentioned he told his mate, Ally, about the girls and she even knew the girls had started it. I kept my focus on Duncan and Draco. I couldn’t deal with the rejection I could feel coming from at least one of the twins.

“Trudy and Janet would never say any of those things. They were some of the first to join our pack with their families.” Leo raged as he paced the room.

I whimpered squeezing Duncans hand even tighter. He looked down at me with his lips pulled tight. He took his arm out of my hands causing me to curl into myself thinking he was agreeing with Leo but he didn’t give me time to wallow. He pushed me back up, straddled the bed, and sat down behind me while pulling me onto his chest. He let out a soft purr instantly sending my body into Jello mode.

“I think you should take a walk and speak to a few other pack members about those girls and their family.” Drago suggested. He had a tight grip onto my bed rail. Tight enough for me to hear a small cracking sound.

“I agree with Draco. Go.” Duncan ordered keeping his glare on Leo.

I looked at Lucas but he was staring at the ground. I could feel the regret and embarrassment coming off of him. I knew he didn’t agree with Leo but why wouldn’t he say that instead of keeping this painful distance between us.

“No, I don’t want to go for a walk. I want to know why this happened. I want to hear that it never happened and we can move on.” Leo yelled. “This is why we kill rogues! New unknown wolves cause issues even if they don’t mean to.”

“If I had been a rogue would I be dead regardless of the mate pull?” I asked in a low voice.

‘If they say yes I am kicking their adorable asses.’ Moonlight didn’t like the way Leo wasn’t taking our side.

“No!” Duncan and Lucas yelled. Leo was silent giving me his answer.

“You do know that when you kill rogues without getting to know them you are probably killing someone else’s fated mate and with how low the numbers are on finding them you are making it worse.” I hated that they did this and that my old pack did it. “I know that a lot of wolves can’t be trusted especially if they have been alone for a long time but you could be missing our on your next best warrior, nurse, midwife, or your best friends mate.”

“I never thought of it like that.” Duncan admitted. “After everything you have been through and continue to deal with you still have such a great heart. You are mine, for good.”

And that was when my insides melted, and I knew I had at least one mate that I was going to put my mark on. f**k the erst of them if they couldn't climb out of their own asses.

“Can I get out of here soon?” I looked at Draco. He nodded and headed out to find a nurse.

“I am staying where you stay even if I have to camp outside the window by your room. My wolf agrees with me.” Duncan pulled me closer rubbing his face in my hair making sure I smell like him.

“Deal.” I looked at the twins and kept my face blank. “What happens now with us?”

Leo looked at his twin and then me. “I need time. I don’t trust you nor believe you.” He left after dropping that hurtful bombshell.

“And you?” I started at Lucas. “Do you agree with your twin that I can’t be trust and my scrawny ass decided to fight six girls at once for the hell of it?”

‘I like you being this sassy. Keep it up girl.’ Moonlight praised me. It felt good.

“I believe you.” He whispered, “But all of this is hard and its making me question everything between the s**t my father spewed and the changes we made while thinking we were protecting our pack.”

“Ok. Leave.” I turned my head into Duncans chest and let it all out. f**k these guys.