One last chance

Aiden broke my heart on a Thursday.

I skipped all my classes on Friday.

This gave me a total of three and a half days to get my shit together after being rejected by my supposed mate.

Today is Monday morning, I have gotten myself out of bed, showered, and dressed in a pretty blue shirt that matches my eyes and some ass-hugging black jeans that always boost my confidence.

Cami then proceeded to do my make-up, giving me a light and refreshing look that managed to hide a whole weekend of dramatic crying and actual physical suffering. My red hair is loose and softly brushed, falling in subtle waves around my face.

I have no other choice but to go to class today, or I'll risk both the teachers and my overbearing brother Colton questioning my absence. There is no way he would believe I am skipping again.

So, am I ready?

Do I have my shit together?

Absolutely not.

But I sure as hell am going to pretend I do.

After spending the entire weekend introspecting about my situation, with the helpful inserts from Cami, I have decided that I will try to speak to Aiden one more time. I will attempt to make him understand the significance of a true mate. Make him see that we are one of the lucky few gifted with one and it's completely inconceivable to ignore it. I will also tell him I understand his feelings for Erin and am willing to give him all the time he needs to explain to her our situation and comfort her after. I am not indifferent to how cruel our bond is towards their relationship, and I completely recognize that there will be time needed to heal from it. But we're true mates. Supposedly, that makes us inevitable. Two halves of the same soul...destined.

If he was any random guy, my pride would never allow this course of action. But I owe the goddess and myself this last effort to make it work, even though he blatantly and brutally rejected me right after our connection was revealed.

Because of this, however, I refuse to face him while in the state I have been for the past few days. I will be respectful and kind, but also completely pissed off. No more tears will fall from my eyes because of his rejection, I'll make sure of it.

Or I'll try.

"Vi?" Cami calls me from the door, clearly amused after catching me staring at the body-sized mirror on our wall with a determined look on my face. "Are you giving your reflection a pep talk?"

I don't even try to hide it. "Yes, ma'am."

She laughs. "Well, are you ready now?"

I nod and follow her out the door. Here we go.

Our first class of the day is in the main building, right in the center of the campus. Cami, unlike me, has a car, so the ride takes barely five minutes.

Before I open the door on my side, I take a deep breath. Sad Violet stayed home; you are going to be fine.

My wolf, feeling my need for reassurance, feeds me strength. We are both very hurt, but as I've said before, we are an alpha's daughter. My wolf is strong...and so am I.

With this in my mind, I walk in the direction of the main building. Cami hoops her arm with mine and smiles at me, letting me know I'm not alone. Even if Woodbridge hasn't been at all how I imagined it would be, courtesy of Aiden Hayes, it has given me a friend for life. And hopefully, mate subject aside, it will give me much more.

Forcing myself to smile, I get through the first classes of the day with much more ease than I predicted. Soon, it's time for lunch.

Woodbridge is located far away from most packs and works a little different from human colleges, much more like high school in terms of rules and schedules. Werewolves need order in their life in order to avoid conflicts, especially this far from home. We are part animals, after all.

Cami and I share most of our classes, considering first-years get fewer optional ones. So, we make our way to the cafeteria together.

As we approach, I am warned about Aiden's presence before I even spot him. My wolf, having already recognized him as her mate, catches his scent with ease amongst all the others.

Fuck fuck fuck. I can't do this. I can't see him. I start to freak out, my heart racing inside me. My wolf, once again, chooses silence as her coping method. But I can still sense her emotions and know that all she wants is to go to him.

"He's in there," I inform Cami nervously.

"Are you going through with it?" She asks me, searching my face.

I take a minute to answer, pausing right at the entrance to the cafeteria.

One more chance. That's all he gets.

Then I set my jaw and take my first step inside while replying "Yes."

My eyes immediately find him. Shaggy blond-brown hair, forest green eyes, very tall stature, and defined muscles. A delicious package filled with jackassery.

Thankfully, he's not with Erin right now. It takes only a minute before I find him staring back at me.

I smirk. So, he's not completely immune to the mating pull.

Without breaking stride, I walk straight toward him, not giving him a chance to flee the way I can see he wants to.

"Aiden," I'm proud of how steady my voice sounds. "Can I talk to you?"

The three friends that are sitting with him at his table are staring at me curiously. Aiden remains silent.

I bounce on the soles of my feet, not looking away. If this is a staring match, I am going to win.

He breaks our little contest first. Ha.

"Go away, Violet."

Asshole.

I glare at him. "No. You owe me this conversation." My feet stop bouncing, glued to the ground. I'm not leaving until he agrees to talk.

"There is nothing to talk about."

"Yes, there is." My voice sounds angry. But I'm more than that, I'm furious. It's so incredibly unfair that while he looks at me with complete disdain, the bond is pushing me to him. I want to touch him. I want to feel him. I want to know him. Doesn't he feel it too?

His friends are turning their heads from him to me like they are watching a very slow tennis match. Clearly, they are enjoying the show.

"It's not going to happen, Violet. Just leave." He insists.

I will punch him in the face.

Taking a deep breath, I walk one step closer and lower my voice. "We either talk outside or I'll say what I want in here. In front of everyone."

Eyes were already starting to turn towards us, sensing the confrontational mood.

Aiden probably feels their eyes as well, because suddenly he gets up and starts making his way outside. I can practically see smoke coming out of his head as he walks. Which is annoying, because he doesn't get to be mad about this, I do.

Before I follow him, one of his friends, with dark black hair and eyes to match it, calls me out. "Hey freckles-" a smirk rests on his face "-Give him hell."

"And you are?" I ask him, somewhat amused.

"Liam. Hopefully, the future beta of the Shadow pack."

"I'm Violet. But you probably got that." I say sarcastically. "I better go catch him before he runs. See you around"

I still hear him say "Sure hope so" before walking outside.

Aiden isn't in my immediate sight, but it's not hard to find him with the mating pull guiding the way. He is at the back of the building, leaning against the concrete wall with a vexed expression. As soon as I approach, he leans away from the wall and closes the small distance I have left to reach him. Stopping a centimeter away, he tells me "Don't ever do that again."

"What the hell did I ever do to you?" I ask him, genuinely wanting to know. "You act as if you hate me."

"I don't hate you, Violet."

"Then why?" I whisper-yell, ignoring how close he is standing to me. "Why did you reject our bond?"

He groans. "I already told you why. I'm with Erin."

The knife twists. No tears, Violet. No tears. Exhaling, I force myself to keep talking without crumbling to pieces.

"Look, I get that. I do. But Aiden...we're true mates. There aren't many of our kind blessed by the goddess like that. It's not something you just throw away without giving it a chance." I stress my words.

"I don't want to give it a chance, Violet. I don't want you."

"But why? I have done nothing to you. I didn't even know you a few days ago."

"Exactly. And I'm just supposed to get rid of my girlfriend of a year for a girl I know nothing about?"

Each word that comes out of his mouth crushes a bit of my soul.

"I get that it's unfair, Aiden. But being true mates doesn't mean we love each other right away. It means that the goddess chose two souls perfect for each other and brought them together for a chance at something greater. It's a gift."

"It sounds more like a trap." He hisses.

My wolf growls inside, not liking the insinuation, even from her mate.

"Do you feel nothing, Aiden?" I clip at him. "Do you not feel the bond? Because let me tell you, it is all I can freaking feel!"

"Of course, I fucking feel it." There is anger in his words, but his eyes are filled with something else. Wanting. "I have felt it since the moment I laid eyes on you up close. Maybe even before."

"Then how can you ignore it?!" I let my vulnerability show for a moment. "I know you love Erin, Aiden. And I don't want to hurt her either. But what about me?"

No matter how hard I try, I can't stop the tears from coming. "It already hurts. It hurts so freaking much." I confess, more sorrow than anger now.

My loss of composure seems to tear a little at his controlled front as well. Or maybe it's the mating pull, forcing him to comfort me. "I'm sorry, Violet. I don't want to hurt you. It's the last thing I want. But I-I can't..." He struggles to finish his sentence.

I wipe the tears off my face with the back of my hand and smooth my expression. "You can't what, Aiden?"

He takes a step back from me. "I can't be with you."

I search his face, forcing my features to remain neutral. "Is it just because of Erin? Or is there some other reason? Because if it's Erin, I'll give you both all the time you need to cope with all of this. I'll wait."

Even if it will tear out my heart.

Aiden shakes his head. "I'm not going to leave her, Violet. But even if did, we are never going to happen."

"Never?" I ask.

"Never."

There should be blood all over my body from the wound in my chest. But I ignore the knife. I ignore the crushing weight of the mating pull. I am an alpha's daughter. I am strong. I will not be humiliated, not even by the mate the goddess chose for me.

I nod. "Understood. I won't bother you again."

My wolf breaks her silence and howls inside me at the finality of my tone. His wolf seems to be riding him hard too because his eyes are shifting quickly from human to wolf.

It looks like he wants to say something else, but he simply nods back and starts walking away from me.

"Aiden?" I call, stopping him.

He turns back. "Yeah?"

I make sure his eyes are on mine before I speak.

"I reject you back."

Then I walk away, without even waiting to see his reaction.

I don't say it for revenge. I say it so that in the future, those words help me stay away from him.

But, in the spirit of silver linings:

It feels good to be the one to walk away. Even if I didn't want to.