Falling For My Rejected Mate

Chapter 3

Carly

“You did what?!” My mom looks absolutely horrified, and my dad trips over his feet. His glasses land on his plate, and his jaw drops to the floor.

“You splashed the Alpha’s face with water?” My dad asks, and when I nod, my parents exchange a look.

Half a second later, my dad’s expression grows serious. He now looks like a man on a mission. “I will get the suitcases from upstairs. We are leaving tonight.”

“Good thinking, honey,” my mom nods in agreement, and when she notices my stare, her face softens. “Did you think we weren’t going to come with you?”

Somehow, I manage to put my tongue back into my mouth. Her hand is on my shoulder, and I swallow. “N-no... I’m just...why are we leaving?”

Her smile is gentle. “So that the Alpha can’t kill you for disrespecting him, honey.”

“Kill me?” I snort. “Mom, Caden might be mad at me for splashing him, but he won’t kill me.”

” How can you be so sure?”

I hesitate briefly. I should tell my family that Caden is my mate, but I know that my parents are going to freak out about it. That’s why I don’t actually want to tell them, but I guess I will have to.” Because he is my mate...though I sort of rejected him.”

If I thought my parents looked terrified before, it’s even worse this time around.

My mom’s hand drops from my shoulder as she takes a step back, her eyes wide. “Rejected him?” She gasps, looking like she is about to faint.

” Mhm... I sure did.” Are they mad at me?

I get my answer when my dad’s expression turns to one of anger. “You what? Carly, we didn’t raise you to act like this. You can’t just toy with people’s emotions, especially not someone as powerful as the Alpha!”

“I didn’t mean to,” I explain quickly, feeling tears prickle behind my eyelids. “It’s just...Caden has never respected me. He made me into the pack’s Omega, and I’m not allowed to join any hunts! Why would I want a mate who treats me like I’m a lesser being?”

My dad’s eyes soften a bit at my words. “I understand that, Carly. But you shouldn’t have immediately rejected Caden. The mate bond is sacred. There is a reason why our Alpha was picked as your mate. And sure, sometimes it doesn’t work out with your fated mate, but you don’t just reject them as soon as the mate bond kicks in. You usually give them a chance!”

My mom nods in agreement and shares a loving look with my dad. They are both fated mates. “Yes, I must agree with your father on this one,” she looks thoughtful. “Did our Alpha reject you back? Is the bond severed?”

“No, he never rejected me back, but mom! Caden doesn’t like me, and I am NOT going to accept him as my mate.”

My parents exchange another look, and then they both start laughing like drunk foxes. Tears are streaming down my mom’s eyes while my dad is slapping his thigh.

“Did you hear that? She says she isn’t going to accept him!” My mom exclaims.

I glare at them.” That’s right!”

“Bahaha, good luck with that, honey!”

I growl at my dad.” Why are you guys even laughing?”

My mom dries a tear on her finger, lips trembling. “Because the mate bond always wins unless both parties reject each other, but sure, honey, this time, maybe it won’t!”

I roll my eyes at their laughter, feeling more frustrated than ever. Why can’t they understand that I don’t want Caden as my mate?

“I’m serious, guys. You don’t get it. He is controlling and arrogant. I don’t want to be with someone like that.”

My dad’s laughter dies down, and he gives me a stern look. “Carly, you don’t know what you’re talking about. Caden is a good man. He has the best interest of the pack at heart, and he has always been respectful to us.”

“That’s because you’re not an Omega,” I retort, clenching my fists. “You don’t understand what it’s like to be treated like a second-class citizen.”

My mom sighs and places a hand on my shoulder, her expression sympathetic. “I understand that you’re upset, honey. But you must realize that being an Omega is a position of honor. It means that you’re treated accordingly to your power. The pack knows how fragile you are and protects you. Being an Omega isn’t all that bad.”

“But I want to join the pack hunts!”

My dad sighs. “Has your inner wolf awakened yet?”

I cross my arms over my chest while pouting. This is a sore subject. “No, but I know how to shape-shift without my inner wolf.”

“Yes, honey, but without your inner wolf to guide you, you’re not as good as the others at hunting and catching rabbits or deer. Those things are harder for you.”

I swallow hard, feeling the weight of their words. I know they’re right, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

“I just wish Caden didn’t treat me like I’m weak,” I mutter. “I’m not weak.”

My mom smiles sympathetically. “Of course not, honey. But being an Omega does mean that you have to be more careful. You have to be protected.”

My dad nods in agreement. “And that’s what Caden is trying to do. He’s trying to protect you, even if he doesn’t always go about it the right way.”

I roll my eyes, not entirely convinced. “Fine. But that still doesn’t mean I have to accept him as my mate.”

My parents exchange a look, and my dad clears his throat. “Well, that’s something you will have to figure out for yourself, Carly. But for now, we need to focus on buying Caden flowers so that he doesn’t come for revenge. Splashing him with water was a bad idea. I could get fired from my job for this. You know that the Summers family are the owners of the company I work at, right? Caden will be the CEO one day, and I can’t be on his bad side.”

I nod, feeling guilty for causing my parents so much trouble. “I’m sorry, I didn’t think about the consequences.”

“It’s okay, Carly. We love you even though you’re rash sometimes. But don’t worry. We will figure this out together,” my mom says, giving me a hug.

As we sit down to eat our dinner, I can’t help but think about what my parents said. Maybe being an Omega isn’t all that bad. Maybe I should try to see things from Caden’s perspective.

But the thought of accepting him as my mate still makes my skin crawl.

Maybe I need some time to figure things out. And in the meantime, I will have to ensure I don’t do anything to anger Caden further.

“Carly, have you found an apartment yet?” My dad asks.

I grimace. “No...”

My mom smiles sweetly at me. “Then maybe you should reconsider living in the dorms? I’m just saying that while living at home is cheap, you won’t make any friends living at home.”

“I will see if there are any available spaces in the dorms for next semester,” I say reluctantly.

“That’s our girl,” my dad grins. “You’re going to love college, Carly. It’s a great time to explore and find yourself. And since there are so many supernatural creatures living in Cherry Falls, your college hardly has any humans. That means you’re bound to make friends.”

I smile. “I hope so.”

And maybe, just maybe, I will find someone who treats me as an equal. But for now, I will focus on finishing my meal and trying to figure out a plan for dealing with Caden. I must find a way to break the mate bond because it’s rather hard to be enemies with a guy that you start picturing naked two seconds into a conversation. Caden is my body’s catnip, and I must fix that before it becomes too late.