Her Heartbroken Second Chance Mate

CHAPTER 6 - REJECTION -KARLA’S ESCAPE

Karla's P.O.V.

Was I dreaming; was I having a nightmare? I couldn't explain it otherwise. I was sitting in Jade's car, listening to his rejection.

How did that ever happen? Jade used to be my best male friend. Okay, I did have feelings for him that I never shared with anyone, but I never expected that I would turn out to be his mate. It was clear that being a werewolf, Jade would find his true mate and make her his Luna.

But then again, if I was not his mate, why did I feel such intense pain in my heart hearing his last words? I knew there were rare cases when werewolves found their true mates in human beings, but I didn't think it was so easy for something like that to happen. Jade and I were one of those rare cases.

My eyes filled with tears as I looked at him and spoke in a trembling voice.

"Is that why you avoided me all these years? Did you already know that I was your mate? Were you waiting for my birthday to come to reject me? Why the hell didn't you reject me before Jade? Why today, on my birthday? Since I'm human, you could have done it before. Why on earth did you wait until today? Does it make you feel happy that you broke my heart on my birthday? If you knew you would reject me, why did you punch that guy back in the club? Why did you growl? 'MINE?'"

"That wasn't me. It was my wolf claiming you as his mate. But I know better than him. I cannot accept you as my mate Karla. You are human, and you won't be a strong Luna for me and my pack. I hoped that when you turned eighteen, a miracle might happen, and your wolf would come to the surface. It's past midnight, and nothing yet. Do you feel anyone inside your mind talking to you? Do you feel your wolf calling me his mate? No! So, there you go. I cannot accept you as my mate. That is why I have rejected you, and I want you to accept my rejection right now before we go back to the pack."

"You hoped? What do you mean, Jade?"

"Karla, for heaven's sake, do you think you were the only one with feelings? I also have feelings for you. That's why I hoped that maybe you were one of us. You know perfectly well that my father will not accept a human as my mate, neither will I. We need to strengthen our pack, not weaken it. So, take my rejection, and let's be done with it. And don't worry about Alexa and the rest. They won't say anything about this whole thing. No one in my pack will know that I rejected you."

Jade's cold voice brought me back to my senses. He had just rejected me, and he was waiting for my acceptance.

My eyes narrowed in anger, and I replied coldly, looking into Jade's eyes.

"I, Karla Reyes, accept your rejection."

Was that remorse that I saw in Jade's eyes? I couldn't care less. I was a proud woman who never in my life begged for anyone's love, not even my father's.

"And now that we have finished the whole rejection, could you please take me back to my friends? It's my birthday today, and I don't intend to spoil my evening because I happened to be your mate, and you decided to choose otherwise, not even giving us a chance to succeed as a couple. Oh, and please try not to interfere with my private life again. There is nothing that connects me to you anymore, Jade. Not even our previous friendship. You are the pack's Alpha, and I'm grateful for your hospitality and help as far as my mother and I are concerned. Nothing more, nothing less."

I managed to hide the pain I was feeling well. Jade kept looking at me, stunned by my reaction. His pride was hurt; I knew Jade well. I knew he expected me to cry and beg him to accept me as his mate. That would never happen; I also had my pride, and I would never show my true feelings and prove that I was the weak woman he had imagined.

"Could you please give me a tissue? I need to stop the bleeding and fix my makeup a little."

Jade kept looking at me, not moving an inch from his seat.

"Jade, come on; I don't want to be late. Everyone is probably wondering where we are. Give me a tissue and start driving back to the club, please."

Jade Alexander, the almighty Alpha of the Midnight Fall Pack, turned the car around and drove back to the club without saying a word.

I entered the club smiling, leaving Jade behind me. When we reached my friends, everyone looked at us, wondering what had happened when we left. I gripped Alexa's hand and pulled her onto the dance floor. We started dancing, and I couldn't help but laugh at Alexa's grimaces. I was sure that Jade had already mind-linked everyone and told them what had happened, and he had probably warned them not to mention anything. But Alexa was a different story. She was my friend, and I would tell her the whole story afterwards.

I watched Jade talking with his Beta from the corner of my eye; he looked at me from time to time. I ignored him and danced with my friends. He soon left with his Beta and Alexa's brother. When we were finally alone, Alexa dragged me to our table and asked me what had happened. I told her what Jade did, although she already knew.

"What are you going to do, Karla?" Alexa asked.

"For starters, enjoy my birthday party. Tomorrow is a new day, Alexa. I will think about my next move tomorrow." I didn't want my friend to feel sorry for me. She suspected that I was in love with Jade, but I never told my friend that her suspicion was correct, since he had been so distant for the last three years.

Soon the party came to an end, and I was grateful for it. All I wanted to do, was lock myself in my room and cry. I never thought Jade's words would hurt me that much. I could understand that he wanted to strengthen his pack, but I could not accept how he treated me to make that possible. He humiliated me and then informed his closest people about it. How was I supposed to continue living like that in his pack? Although none of his friends would say anything, only the thought of them looking at me with pity made me want to run away, disappear from their sight.

Alexa's dad drove us back home. The minute I entered my house, I rushed to my room and closed the door behind me. Alexa was supposed to stay with me that night, but I explained I wanted to be alone and think things through; I needed a clear mind.

I grabbed a photo album full of pictures of Jade and me and sat on my bed. I opened the album and looked at the photos for a while. I then started tearing them apart slowly while tears ran down my face.

I managed to get some sleep at dawn. When my mother tried to wake me up, I didn't hear her; I had fallen into a deep slumber trying to avoid reality. My mum came up to my room to check on me and found me sleeping soundly.

"Karla, honey, is everything alright with you? I know you came late last night, but you always manage to get up on time."

"Mum, I'm not feeling very well. I think I have a cold. I'm not going to school today. I'd rather stay home and sleep," I replied underneath the covers.

At the sound of my voice, my mother realised that something was wrong with me. She came over and sat on my bed. She pulled the covers back, revealing my puffy eyes and red nose.

“Cariña mía, what is wrong? Did anything happen last night? Have you been crying? Baby, talk to me, please. You make me worry a lot."

"Mum, nothing is wrong. I had a bad dream, that's all. Don't worry so much about me. I will be fine in a while." I tried to smile at my mother and look believable. There was no way Rosa Reyes would buy my story.

She looked at me worriedly and waited for me to tell her what had happened. My mother and I shared everything. She was my closest person. This time was different, though. If I told her what happened with Jade, she would feel upset, and I didn't want to hurt her feelings. She loved Jade very much.

"Mum, I'm fine; I need some rest. By the time you come back from work, I will be better." I tried to smile and kissed her on the cheek.

When my mother was at the door, ready to open it, I asked a question.

"Mum, what was my father like? What did he do for a living?"

My mother turned towards me, her face pale. She mumbled something and rushed out of my room. Not long after, I heard her footsteps running down the stairs.

Once again, my mother avoided the conversation. Curiosity made me enter her bedroom and start searching every corner of the room, opening all the drawers and cabinets, trying to figure out if there was something she was hiding from me.

I found a small chest inside her wardrobe. -I tried to open it without success. I searched her drawers for the key, but there was nothing. Why would my mother hide the chest key? My heart started racing at the thought that I could finally get some answers to my questions all these years. Was my mother hiding something from me? And if so, what was it? I couldn't hide the excitement and fear that overwhelmed me. Little did I know that the inside of this chest would change my life forever. I tried to think of where she could have hidden the key and then lifted the mattress in one move. The key was under the bed.

I opened the chest and took photos of my mother and a tall, muscular guy. He was very handsome, with dark green eyes identical to mine. He had wavy black hair, just like mine. He held my mother in his arms, and they looked in love. That was when I realised I was looking at my father's face for the first time.

I turned the photo around with trembling hands and read the inscription.

"Rosa, you both are my treasures in this life. Please take care of our baby girl until the time comes for me to show up again. Keep her out of danger, my love. Always yours, Nate."

Nate. My father's name was Nate. Nathaniel? I felt dizzy and sat on my mother's bed. She found me in that position the minute she entered her room.

"Honey, is it true? Did Jade reject you last night? Karla, I am talking to you. I accidentally overheard Jade talking to his father about how he had rejected you as his mate last night and rushed back home. Is that why you were crying?"

I didn't reply to her questions. I lifted my head and looked at her with tears.

She saw me holding the picture and the open chest next to me.

"Karla baby, I can explain, she started, but I interrupted her angrily.

"Explain what, mum? The fact that you have been lying to me about my father for the last eighteen years? The fact that he loved us both so much that he asked you to protect me from danger until he returns? What, Mum? What are you going to explain to me?"

My mother started crying, but for the first time, I didn't care.

"Who is my father, Mum? Why did he have to leave? His name is Nathaniel. Where did you meet with each other?"

My mother kept looking at me, not replying to my questions. She started fiddling with her fingers, not even looking at me-she kept looking down. I felt my blood rushing to my face. I was so frustrated by my mother's childish reaction.

"Mum, for heaven's sake, say something. You are killing me. Don't you think I deserve to know about my father?" I asked impatiently, and my mother broke down.

Closing her eyes, she took a long, deep breath, swallowed hard, and replied.

Closing her eyes, my mum took a deep breath and swallowed hard.

"Your father is Nathaniel Kingston. He was the Alpha of the Dark Violet Amethyst pack when I met him. I was his destined mate. We kept our bond a secret for a while because his father did not want a human mate for his son. When I found out I was pregnant, I told him. Before we managed to come up with a plan, your father got ambushed by his brother and lost his position. Ever since then, I haven't heard from him. And you, my baby, are the Alpha Nathaniel's daughter and a Hybrid."

My jaw dropped in surprise at the bomb my mother had just dropped. What the hell did she mean by that? My heart started racing in my chest again, and my head spun. I was going to faint any time now.

"What? Mum? What Alpha?? A Hybrid?"