My Mate?

Chapter 3

What did we do to make him think all of those things? Why would he accuse us of all of that?

Again, our wolves didn't get the social constructs of the human world. We're in high school and our little group is looked down on. None of the reasons are ones we can really control and some of them are out of self-preservation instead. Regardless, people make assumptions and let those get out of hand.

We have more important things to deal with. Don't fall apart on me now. Please. We need to be there for everyone else. Harsh I know, but I hoped giving her a purpose to stay put together would help her keep moving.

She agreed we needed to be strong and get through the day. I sure the hell wasn't going to class though. Xander was in two of my after-lunch classes. So instead, I went to the nurse and told her I was having cramps. I never went to her, so she let me rest there. I had mind linked the other girls telling them I wasn't okay, but we'd discuss it later tonight. I waited in the nurse's office until she agreed to just let me go home for the day. Then I waited for my girls.

Once school got out, Mandy and Marie stopped to try and talk but I shoo'd them over to get the others and hide. Victoria came up and I gave her a short summary of what happened. I left off a majority of the insults and bullshit that was spewed though.

"What an idiot. If that's the way he reacted, the way they all would supposedly react, maybe it's good that you are not with him. I don't want any of them to be my mate either now. I mean, why would you want that attitude all the time. I can't believe I used to have a crush on him."

Victoria's commentary both made me feel better and confused me. The comment about having a crush on Xander made my wolf whine a bit. Our wolves were very possessive over their mates, even if said mate is a shit head.

"When was this? You never told me you had a crush on anyone?" Probably not what I should be focused on right now, but so what.

"This was years and years ago, when we were like ten or so."

We continued talking about options and possibilities, well, more like she continued talking, as we walked 'home'. While she was talking about how we could look at taking the girls with us and going to another pack, now that I was eighteen, I just kept ruminating on how different everything was.

I mean, I knew that it was different, but I think a part of me didn't realize just how much our peers had looked down on us. How much they were all not paying attention. I wanted to ask someone why the hell they thought we were all selling our bodies. Also, who the hell thinks that?

My wolf was eerily silent too. She was usually right in the thick of conversations, without actually being heard. Feeding me her thoughts and ideas on different things. Now though, she had nothing to say. I tried prodding at her a bit, but she wasn't talking. She was whining more than anything.

Mates rarely rejected each other. I mean, it happens, but usually there are some damn good reasons behind it. Things like murder or being a traitor to the pack.

"Ari, are you listening to me?" Crap I totally hadn't been.

"Sorry, trapped in my own mind, I guess. What's your plan once we get all your tools?" Redirection was my superpower. I was an expert at changing topics if the one that we were on wasn't one I wanted to continue talking about.

"Well, I think what we should do is head up to the room, grab my beakers and burner, then see if we can find somewhere to hook it up. I still have some propane but that too, is low. All I really need is a space without distraction and some time." Thinking about Victoria with propane always made me shiver. Mad scientist and all.