Chapter 4- Zeke
2048 Words
Zeke POV
Those words teisted around my heart. Scotty stood there and uttered those forsaken words as though his life depended it speaking them. He had finally done it. In the middle of Rogue X dance floor as other moved around enjoying their lives while my own shattered.
"I, Ryan Scott Murphy, Rogue to the Rogue MC, reject you, Ezekiel Umar warrior of the Red Moon pack, as my mate." Scotty's words echoed in my mind.
Wait, Ryan? He stated his name so clear as if would have known them all along.
The rejection tore through my body as though I had been dragged across hot coals. My wolf whimpered as he retreated to the deeps of my mind where I couldn't reach out to him. I knew it was coming, the rejection. It had been building up for weeks.
I wanted him so badly.
The thought consumed me.
To run my fingers through his soft hair and kiss his beautiful lips. I never thought I'd get a mate let alone alone a fated mate. Someone made for me.
Only me.
I had staggered away refusing to accept his rejection making it to the private toilets on the upper floor where I tripped down onto the cold tiles.
Crawling forward I reached up for the toilet door handle lifting myself up off the floor. Sweat covered my forehead and I felt cold beads drip down my back.
Scotty rejected me.
The pain cut through me once again as my soul split and I swear part of me died.
My heart hammered in my chest and my gut swirled. Sick threatening shoot from my mouth and I feared it would never stop.
I had no one else to blame but myself as cold water splashed over my face. I felt lost. Not the normal feeling of lost where you couldn't find your way but as though I had no clue what to do with myself.
My body didn't even feel my own.
Sick rolled up from my stomach and flew out of my mouth splattering across the white wash sinks. Nausea and dizziness took over as I held on tight to the basin.
My world started to crumble and my senses seemed to dim. Enough for me not to hear the bathroom door open.
"Hey!" A deep voice called out and a hand clicked infront of my face.
My own mouth fell open as I tried to focus on the blurry face.
"Zeke?" I knew the husky voice but I still couldn't see his face. "Zeke. Answer me. s**t. What the hell did Scotty do?"
My eyes felt heavy as darkness flooded in and I let myself drown in the abyss.
"Zeke. Man. Seriously I will dunk your head toilet if you don't wake up." The deep voice penetrating the nothingness.
Willing my eyes to open a handsome strong face leered over me.
Ian looked concerned with a deep brow. He shadowed me with his huge frame. A rugged Rogue but he has nothing on Scotty.
My Scotty.
Or Ryan?
No not mine anymore.
My heart skipped a beat at the thought of my mate. He rejected me and left. I should have stopped him. I should have said more. I should have explained.
"Welcome back big guy. Want to get off that disgusting floor." Ian attempted to smile.
The Eclipse wolf looked scary but I knew better. Best friend to my own mate, born a protector. The question that vibrated through my mind; why is he helping me?
I tried to form the words to ask the burning question followed by where is my mate or should I call him ex mate.
My chest squeezed again cutting off my air for a beat too long as a choked. Ian patted my back looking uncertain, as though he was unsure whether he was helping or making the situation worse. It would have been comical to see such a scary wolf trying to help but I couldn't find the humour anymore. I felt empty.
Even though he was trying to comfort me, all I wanted was Scotty. Then it struck me, even though I had been rejected, I felt the mate bond.
That couldn't happen, he rejected me.
"I..." I tried to speak but air seemed to lodge itself in my throat.
Ian sighed. "He rejected you, didn't he?"
Tears formed but I refused to let them fall.
"This had been my own doing, I had nothing or no else to blame. I had betrayed my pack. I told Cameron everything he wanted to know but its not what Scotty thinks. I never loved Cameron." My voice faltered only then realising I had been speaking out loud.
Ian heaved me up off the grubby floor.
"Is that right? What burning reason did you have for betraying your pack and your best friend. Michael done nothing to you but open up his home." Ian raised his voice making me flinch.
Anger laced his tone and suddenly I became overwhelmingly aware of Ian's huge frame. He being half a foot taller and marginally wide, muscles on top of muscles. A wet dream in all other circumstances but my wolf shut down and I lowered my eyes. Even as a warrior I stood no chance against him. I didn't even want to to try.
Scotty consumed me.
"Michael is my best friend." I confirmed.
The statement still true in my heart.
"Funny way of treating your friends, Zeke. You could have saved so many lives." Ian's anger seemed to fizzle and sadness wrapped around him.
Guilt consumed me. I had seen the destruction, I had tried to stop it and I had lost people who I admired. My actions could have changed it all. I didn't deserve to be part of a pack. I didn't deserve their help or pity.
I had to keep my secret and see it through myself. I couldn't keep my eye off the goal otherwise this would have been for nothing. The lose and the rejection would be for nothing.
"Hhhmmm." Ian sounded off while observing me.
His eyes seem to narrow as though he had struck up an internal argument.
"Look its fine. I deserved this. I have to leave." My own attempt to sound fine failed as my voice quibbled.
Wiping my sweaty hands down my now dirty jeans, I inhaled before stepping forward towards the toilet exit. My legs still not entirely under my control faltered as I stumbled forward.
Ian sighed once again.
"Easy big fella." He sounded softer.
Clamping one hand on my shoulder and taking my arm with the other one. My stomach rolled once again and sick shot into my mouth but I swallowed it back down. Fed up of looking weak and pathetic.
I'm a warrior.
I have to be a warrior now more than ever.
"I'll be fine." I straightened up once again, placing my hand on the door handle. "Ian?"
"Yeah, Zeke." Ian retorted while continuing to observe.
"You promise to look after Scotty for me, I know you don't owe me anything. Hell you probably hate me more so than anyone but..." A tear betrayed me as it dropped off my face and onto the floor.
Ian sighed again. An expression that seemed to get more comical each time he did it.
"Zeke. He's your mate. Yeah, he's pissed. He's hurt and feels betrayed. But..." Ian scratched the back if his head.
The last word lingered between us as a faint feeling of hope built. I pushed back. I couldn't hope.
Hope now lost.
Hope had been dangerous.
The silence between us filled the room as the vibrations of the music beat with my own heart. I tried to concentrate on the rhythm instead of Ian.
"You're a strong wolf, Zeke. I think you have a bit of fight in you. So, you have your reasons for doing what you did. Now you have to reap what you sow. Now you have to fight to put back what you broke. It won't be easy and it may not work but let me tell you. If you fight and you win, it will be the best prize you ever receive. Its as though you found everything you've ever been searching for and filling in the parts of you that you didn't even know were missing. Don't accept the rejection." Ian smirked and leaned against the wall.
For a scary biker Rogue, Ian sounded like a loved up puppy and for a fleeting moment I wished I had what he did.
He had his fated mate.
Mine hated me and now the bond had been cracked, I doubted we could fix it.
"Go back to the Rogue MC. I'll speak to Scotty when I find him. Where is that lanky sod." Ian asked but I growled.
Insulting my mate not helping the situation but when I looked at Ian he had a large satisfied smirk on his face.
"Still a little fight in there then. Good. You're going to need it." Ian stated before grabbing my and helping me out the toilet then into a cab.
I would give Scotty tonight. The pain making me too weak to look for him. Darkness calling me as I stumbled into Scotty's cabin I knew would be empty.
Did he go home with someone else? The thought made me sick as I passed out in a pool of my own vomit.
Light flickered through the curtains as voices pulled me out of my slumber. By the intensity of the sun, I had slept in probably to mid day. My head span as I rose from Scottys bed and my body felt as though I'd gone through at least twelve rounds of intense training. The events of last night hut me in the gut like a speed train.
Scotty had rejected me. A sob escaped my lips and fresh tears dared to spill as they burnt my eyes. He had his reasons but he didn't let me explain. I had my reasons as well.
A lingering scent fooled me into believing that Scotty had been here recently but it must have just been left over on his clothes and sheets. Sweat made me sticky.
"Do we want a traitor as part of the MC? I mean, how can we trust him? Look what he did to poor Scotty." An angry voice sounded from the kitchen.
"Yeah. We should send him packing." Another younger voice stated.
"There's no room for traitors in our family." A woman retorted.
"ENOUGH!" Alpha Justin's voice sounded over the others just as I appeared in the kitchen, the other had lowered their eyes.
Justin scratched his beard and looked at me.
"We have all made mistakes..." The Alpha of the Rogue MC
"But Alpha, he betrayed his own pack, his fated mate...." A young prospect stated.
"I am fully aware, Caleb...." Alpha stared at me.
"Its OK. I'll leave." My voice betraying my feelings but I didn't want the Alpha to reset or hate me more than he did. I had to prove my worth not only to my mate but his pack too. I wouldn't be able to do it over night but I wouldn't stay and cause more hassle.
I had bridges to build but something more pressing needed my attention. The issue life and death.
"You're Scottys mate but I'm not going to say staying here is going to be easy." The Alpha wasn't throwing me out, he wasn't asking me to stay either. His red eyes stared at me, disappointment etched his face.
By the looks on the other wolves faces my time here would be limited anyway. I am an untrusted wolf but I needed to stay close. For two reasons and Scotty was one of them.
Unable to return to the Red Moon pack, my home, I only have one option. I'd have to stay in the human town. Dangers lurked there but it felt like my only option. I just needed to finish what I started before the Hunters or pack wolves got to me. Then I could fix things with Scotty. Heck maybe even my own pack and it's new Alpha, my best friend.
I hope I won't be too late.
- Writer
