Chapter 3 Rejection

　　3 years ago *

　　Everyone was rushing out of the pack house the moment they heard that their future Alpha has arrived. It was as if he was a celebrity of some sort, well to them he was.

　　She felt like she was part of a flock of sheep that kept moving together. Since Courtney and her were among the last to step out of the pack house, they couldn't see anything properly.

　　By the murmuring of the pack members around them, it was clear that Damien had stepped out of the car and was now talking to the current Beta, which happened to be Courtney's Dad, Sean.

　　They couldn't hear anything, as they stood too far away from them, but she could clearly tell Damien form was tense. It wasn't like he was a social person anyways. She had this nagging feeling inside herself that something was going to happen today and not in a good way either.

　　Her trail of thoughts were cut-off by Courtney saying "What are we waiting for. Let's head to the front to get a good look. I bet he's has gotten even hotter seeing how these girls are screaming so desperately. " she just nods her head at Courtney's words and continues looking around her.

　　Sure there were many girls, mainly teens pulling their skirts up or tugging their tops down so their cleavage was visible, Serenity shakes her head at their desperate actions.

　　Courtney grabs her wrist and steering their way towards the front of the crowd, dodging people on the way and they finally make it to the front of the crowd.

　　It would be a lie if she said he hadn't gotten any hotter, but she would personally prefer the term more handsome. His muscles have gotten even bigger than the last time she saw him, which was three years ago when he was eighteen. He was twenty one now.

　　He had a lean built as well, which she preferred rather than a hulking frame, and his chest had broadened and his t-shirt was tight over his chest. His legs were strongly built and his shoulder muscles tenses with each of his movements. She bet he would be more handsome in person than he looked from afar.

　　Her wolf has been nagging at her and kept trying to tell her something the moment she and Courtney had stepped out of the pack house but she brush it off as nervous jitters of seeing her long time crush after so long.

　　It's as if he had just remembered the presence of rest of the pack. He turned around and moved his eyes all over the crowd as if searching for something. Then his eyes suddenly stops at Serenity, he stares at her in the eyes and she could hear her wolf go crazy inside of her, shouting something repeatedly.

　　"MATE! MATE! Go to our mate!" Selene yells in her head causing Serenity's eyes to widen with shock and happiness.

　　She thought her mate would be at least happy to see her, but she guessed wrong.

　　His face remained impassive, although for a fleeting moment she felt some sort of unknown emotion flash thought his eyes and then they were blank just like his soul.

　　All her life she had been preparing for the possibility that her mate might reject her but she wasn't prepared for the onslaught of pain that came over her and my wolf.

　　Selena whimpers inside her mind, "Mate doesn't want us."

　　She thought her mate would at least acknowledge her presence. But no, none of that happened. It hurt so much knowing that even the one destined for her by the moon goddess herself didn't want her. She thinks as tears well up in her eyes and looks down in sadness.

　　Mates were precious. At least that was what we were taught. It was said that their souls were the equal halves of each other, which fit like two pieces of a puzzle. When a werewolf comes of age, he or she finds their equal halves and feels whole.

　　The moment she decides to look up, she spot Emily coming forward and the crowd parts for her. She moves gracefully towards him with a smile on her face and when he meets her eyes, his eyes lit up like fairy lights.

　　There was a sparkle in his eyes that showed everyone that he genuinely loved her and she stands upon her tippy toes to meet his towering height and pecks him on his lips. He decides to lift his eyes and look at Serenity the exact moment their lips touched in a passionate kiss.

　　It was as if he was making a statement.

　　She breaks her stare and looks towards her feet. Her wolf keeps whimpering inside her head. It was starting to give her a headache. She choose to block her out for the time period.

　　Damien never expected to find his mate in his own pack, he had searched her for a few years and even searched for her while visiting a few packs but he didn't have any luck in finding her.

　　He was shocked when he realised who his mate was, it was his girlfriend's shy and timid little friend. He had always found himself staring at her, well without her knowledge that is. He had never expected them to end up as mates.

　　He had a constant threat looming over his head, he didn't want to hurt her by being selfish so he decided to do the only thing that he felt was the best to do at his current situation. Reject her for good, just give her the freedom she deserved.

　　He thought he was doing something good for once, thinking about how everything would be easy for her if she wasn't claimed by him and have her life endangered by the same people that threatened his.

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　　It hurt her so bad, seeing their interaction and how he just basically and indirectly rejected her by ignoring her presence and locking lips with someone other than his mate, who just happened to be her.

　　Serenity turns away from the couple and makes a move towards the pack house. She could feel herself come close to tearing up but she didn't let her tears fall at least until she made her way towards her room.

　　The moment she reached her room it was like a dam had broken, tears started falling freely as she lay herself on her bed.

　　"He is your mate, isn't he?" Someone suddenly says causing Serenity to snap her head towards the voice and find Courtney standing there with a mixture of sadness and anger on her face. She nods her head in reply and Courtney sighs. She could not for the life of her hide anything from Courtney.

　　"How can he not acknowledge his own mate for someone else? If Alex did that to me, I would make sure that he doesn't have kids in the future." A smile breaks out Serenity's face at Courtney's words, Courtney gives one of her own when she finds Serenity smiling.

　　Courtney has always been Serenity's rock and has helped her when she was at her lowest. She had shared her happiness and sadness alike and she clearly knows how to make Serenity smile at times likes these.

　　Serenity was so thankful for having her as her best friend. But the moment she remembers about the situation at hand, her smile drops quickly.

　　"He doesn't want me Court." She says as the tears start falling again.

　　"Hush girl. We are not talking about your asshole of a mate for now and we're going to do this my way. We are going to have a girl's night.

　　You know in those teen stories where the girl ends up having a movie marathon with her best friend's when her boyfriend cheats on her or something." She says with scrunching her face up as if it leaves a bad taste in her mouth to say so. Serenity contemplate her offer for a second and before replying with an "okay".

　　▪

　　Courtney felt really bad for Serenity, she had seen the way the Damien was looking at Serenity outside, it was the same way her mate, Alex looked at her always. Or how mates looked at each other in particular.

　　She had known about Serenity's crush on Damien for a few years now, and also knew how it hurt her more than she let on, knowing that he was dating Emily.

　　▪

　　* Few hours later *

　　It's been a few hours since the incident and Courtney and Serenity have binge watched the first season of 'The Originals'. She felt grateful for this moment and enjoyed it. She ended up forgetting about her mate for the certain amount of time period just like Courtney had said.

　　She had come down to the kitchen to fetch some water as her throat felt parched. She was about to open the fridge when she felt this prickling feeling on her back as if someone was staring at her. She turns around, but doesn't find anyone there. She turns back around and continues.

　　As she was about to reach for the water bottle, someone grabs her wrist and starts dragging her somewhere.

　　It all happened so fast, that she couldn't react and by the tingles shooting up her arms at an alarming rate she knew that it was him, her mate and their future Alpha Damien.

　　He drags her into the supply room and pushes her back onto the wall. She closes her eyes trying to shake away the pain and after a moment, she opens her eyes and look at her mate with teary eyes.

　　The only thing she could see, even with her enhanced sight due to the darkness, was his eyes. They were a stormy grey with specks of black and a mix of a slight red in them, which is odd but looked beautiful on him.

　　One of his calloused hands trail down her face, causing tingles and goosebumps to form on her face due to his touch but it's gone as fast as she felt it.

　　She was brought out of her trance by hearing him say the words she dreaded the most her entire life.

　　"I Damien Blackwood, the future Alpha of Midnight Moon Pack, Reject you Serenity Martins as my mate and future Luna."

　　It was as if her whole world had crumpled before her eyes and her wolf, Selena kept whimpering inside her head. Tears welled up in her eyes but she kept them at bay for the time period and willed herself to be strong.

　　"I Serenity Martins accept your rejection as your mate and future Luna of The Midnight Moon pack."

　　She saw shock crossing his features. He was not expecting her to accept his rejection but he quickly masks it up and his eyes harden once again. The next thing she knows she was standing alone by herself.

　　The pain hits hard at that moment and she slid down the wall as a rogue tear falls.