Falling For My Rejected Mate

Carly I can’t believe it—my mate is close by! I’ve waited my entire life for this moment. I’m finally eighteen, and my chest is on freaking fire. I never thought the mate bond would strike me this early, but I’m not complaining. I’ve been bullied and harassed, not to mention laughed at for being a nerd, for as long as I can remember. I don’t have any friends, but soon I won’t be alone. A soulmate is waiting for me somewhere on campus, and I’m so happy! Part of me wants to break out in song like a Disney princess. Can anyone blame me? I’m freaking resonating! Me—the Omega of my pack, will finally stop being forever alone! With a huge smile on my lips, I clutch my hands to my chest while scanning the campus courtyard. Men and women sneer at me while walking towards the college building, yet I don’t let my smile falter from my lips. My mate is somewhere near, and my heart is screaming with joy. Soon I won’t be “nerdy and embarrassing Carly,” who is too clumsy to do anything right. Instead, I will become “mated and happy Carly” who is no longer alone! And if I’m lucky, my mate will belong to another pack—then I could leave on my own! I stop by the fountain and spin around when the mate bond grows stronger. It pulsates like a second heartbeat, and I place my hand over my chest. My mate is close, which means he must be another student! The hammering grows stronger and stronger, and I freeze when I notice that all the football players are walking toward me. It makes me nervous. My Alpha, Caden, is among them, and I don’t want to be faced with him. He has been my tormentor for years. He never lets me join the pack hunts! Caden says that I’m too clumsy to join the hunts, and I guess he is right. There have been many instances when I’ve ruined a perfectly good haunt by stumbling over my own legs or breaking too many twigs. But that doesn’t make it right to exclude me! My Alpha, however, disagrees. He doesn’t think I can do anything right, and since my Alpha thinks I’m annoying, the pack treats me the same way. They all think I’m a nuisance, and I haven’t been allowed to join a pack hunt since last year. So yeah, I guess I’m the one and only Omega… “I can’t believe you’re finally resonating, man,” Felix, Caden’s Beta and teammate, says and dunks Caden on his back. “Is she close by?” Caden opens his mouth to respond but freezes into place the moment our eyes meet. No. Hell to the no. “Not you...” I whisper. Caden looks down at his broad chest, blinks in surprise, and then his green eyes travel back to mine. I hear a matching thrum in our chests that is only growing louder and louder as time passes by. This is a freaking nightmare. Caden is resonating. I’m resonating. I stare at him, hoping someone else will jump out from the bushes and shout, “Surprise!” before revealing they are Caden’s mate since I don’t want that role. But that dream fades away when Caden walks toward me. Closer and closer until I’m almost consumed with the painful ache to reach out and touch him. Even my n*****s are hard, and I cover them with my hand before looking up to see Caden’s reaction. He is staring at me, and my heart flutters. It’s unfair how handsome he is, but I can’t be distracted by his good looks. There is a look of irritation and agony on his face. He doesn’t want me, and the feeling is mutual. Why would I want a mate who looks at me like I’m the cause of all their misery? This is my worst nightmare. I want a mate who loves me unconditionally. Someone who treasures me and cares for me with a burning passion. A warm, loving mate who I can build a future with. I want a happily ever after. But now that Caden is my mate, that dream is destroyed. His lips part, and I just know he is going to reject me. Like HELLO, I’m the Omega—Caden doesn’t want me! My heart constricts, and beads of sweat form on my forehead. Caden scratches the back of his head, making his thick bicep bulge. “Uh, so we are—” “I REJECT YOU!” I shout in the loudest voice I can muster before he can utter his next sentence. A heavy silence falls, and I shakily lift my chin to look up at my Alpha. Caden is staring down at me in utter disbelief, and so are his friends. The entire football team is part of the Everfall pack, and they are all gawking at me as if I’m insane. Maybe I am? I just rejected my Alpha, me, Carly, the weakest and smallest werewolf in the pack. Gosh, my mom is going to murder me once she finds out. She always wanted me to find a strong man that could protect me, and here I am, rejecting the most powerful werewolf in the pack—the freaking Alpha! I must be crazy, and my legs are shaking as my eyes roam over Caden’s pissed-off face. I can tell that he is mad, and I shriek when he takes another lumbering step forward, towering over me with a murderous expression on his face. “Are you seriously rejecting me, just like that?” He backs me into the fountain, clearly not good at handling rejection. His chest rises and falls with each breath, and my throat goes dry as I look him up and down. Caden is huge, and he is definitely going to kill me. My voice comes out squeaky. “Well... yes?” Caden’s eyes darken, and goosebumps prickle over my skin. At this moment, I would rather be anywhere but here. “Why?” He growls. Seriously? “W-what do you mean why?” I stammer. “You and I don’t exactly get along.” Anger ticks against his jaw, and I see him tighten his fist. “Is that it? You and I don’t get along, so you’re just automatically rejecting me?” Why is he acting like I’m the bad guy? He doesn’t want me and has made that clear after years of treating me like a lesser being! I would laugh if I weren’t so intimidated by his tall stature and burning eyes. “That’s the gist of it,” I say, licking my lips. “I also don’t think that you’re husband material.” To my surprise, Caden releases a dramatic gasp and clutches his chest. He looks so hurt and insulted that I, for a moment, forget that he is a fearsome Alpha. The man should be an actor. The hint of tears in his eyes could easily win him an Oscar award because this is definitely an act. Caden doesn’t want me; he is just wounded that I rejected him first. Manly pride and all that. “How do you know I’m not husband material?!” Caden demands with narrowed eyes. “Well, I—” “I will have you know that I’m excellent at cooking, and I even do my own laundry!” I arch an eyebrow, shocked by his words. “Uhh...what does that have to do with anything?” “Everything!” Caden exclaims, and I freeze when he stabs my chest with a finger. For a second, I believe he is going to grab my shirt and throw me into the fountain. His jaw is locked, and the anger on his face is unmistakable. “I can’t believe you f*****g rejected me without giving me a chance!” I hold up my hands in surrender, close to tears. I really don’t like to be yelled at. “I’m sorry, okay?” Please don’t hurt me. He withdraws his hand but growls into my face. “This isn’t over!” Caden marshes past me without rejecting me back, and I stare at his muscular back in shock as he angrily pushes past staring bystanders. What the heck was that? I stand there, frozen and trembling, staring at the retreating figure of my rejected mate. I never expected Caden to react this way. I thought he would be relieved to be rid of me. His reaction was so unexpected. All around me, people are already whispering, and I take a deep breath to compose myself. I must get away from here before more people hear about what happened. The last thing I need is to draw more attention to myself. I hurry inside the building, still in shock, as I make it to my first class of the day. Most people inside the room are pack members. It’s obvious they have heard what went down this morning; their eyes are huge when they see me. “Is that her?” “Did she really reject Caden?” “She is nothing special. I think she did him a favor.” “Caden is too hot for a nerd like her.” “I think she is cute.” A blush coats my cheeks from the unwanted attention. Gossip travels fast. Everyone who is a werewolf is already whispering about me, and my heart races as I search for an empty seat. Once I see one, I race toward it. I drop my bag on the floor and sit down. A girl is sitting to the right of me, another werewolf. I’ve never seen her before, but we carry the same scent, which means she is from my pack. I don’t expect her to speak to me, but her head whips around the second I sit down. “Hey,” she whispers. I turn her way, and a big smile spreads over her lips. “It was very brave of you to reject my brother. Mind if I ask why you did that?” Brother? I had no idea Caden had siblings. I’m ashamed to admit it, but I know very little about my Alpha because I don’t get to attend pack hunts and meetings. I’m also incredibly introverted and don’t have any friends to tell me these things. But that’s not the point! The point is that this girl looks nothing like Caden. She is petite and pale as moonlight. She also has red hair, and her face is filled with freckles, while Caden is slightly tanned with blonde hair. He has no freckles. Before I can respond, I hear a loud grunt. I turn around and meet the sullen eyes of Caden. It looks like he has been crying, which is impossible. The guy is like six-foot-six of pure Alpha muscle—guys like him don’t cry. “What the f**k are you doing here?” He growls. His tone is menacing, and I shrink back into my seat. I’m not sure how to tell him I’ve always been in this class. To my utter relief, Caden’s sister answers in my stead. “Are you serious?” She asks, not one bit afraid of her giant brother. “Carly has been in this class from the beginning. Is this your first time noticing her?” Caden’s nostrils flare. He looks downright murderous and reminds me of a bull ready to charge, but to my surprise, he doesn’t do anything. He simply grunts and stomps down to take a seat further down the auditorium. Relief washes over me when he is gone. “Thank you for getting rid of Caden. I thought he was going to try something.” “Caden?” There is an amused giggle. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of him?” “Uh, yes?” Why does she sound so surprised? Everyone in our pack is either afraid or crushing on our Alpha. I belong to the first group. “Interesting,” I blink when the girl stretched out her hand toward me as if expecting a handshake. “I’m Sophie.” I stare at her hand for a moment before realizing she wants me to shake it. I take her hand in mine and give it a firm shake, still feeling dazed by the events that just happened. “I’m Carly.” “I know,” Sophie grins and leans in closer. “And if you don’t mind me asking again, why exactly did you reject Caden?” I take a deep breath, wondering if I should tell her the truth. But then again, if she is Caden’s sister, she probably already knows anyway. “I just don’t think we’re right for each other,” I say, shrugging my shoulders. “Plus, he has always treated me like I’m beneath him, and I can’t stand that.” Sophie nods, still grinning. “I get it. Caden can be a butt sometimes, and he definitely isn’t a people person. But he means well, you know? He is just... intense.” I snort. “Oh, he is more than intense...he is terrifying.”