Rejected

• ONE •

This is the Third book in the Mates Series, please read previous works before continuing. This story will take place a month after Elise and Vance's wedding

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Mariah

The night I left Patrick was the night I also lost myself.

Everything that I had known seemed so minuscule...how does one go about living a regular life once you've been shown something so spectacular?

I had known Patrick was different the second I had met him.

The way he looked at me at that gas station, no one had ever looked at me the way he had.

It was more than a guy looking at a girl.

There was genuine care mixed with something else. It was intense and raw, and it scared the shit out of me all while comforting me.

We moved so fast, we barely knew a thing about each other and yet we never had that awkwardness...as if we'd known each other for years.

But everything changed that night.

It all happened so fast.

I remember the moment I saw Patrick carrying Elise toward the car, my heart had stopped. Although we had drifted apart (much to my own idiotic actions) she had been one of my best friends since fourth grade when I moved from California.

We'd been best friends every since then...of course she introduced me to H in high school and then we suddenly became a trio.

And in all the time I had known Elise Ocklan, I had only ever known her to be tough, strong, confident...but in that moment she had been beaten down and weakened and the very sight of her had terrified me to the core.

Then slowly the secrets had started to spill out.

I had to give myself credit, I knew things weren't right while we sat inside of the motel room....small phrases like 'link me the location' and words like 'shifting' and 'wolf' had been said by both Elise and Patrick. But I didn't know what to expect when Patrick revealed the truth. Sure it was strange, and no I didn't believe him one hundred percent.

What he said was ridiculous, and I hadn't known him but a few days, but I knew him well enough to know what he said was something he strongly believed in, and somehow it made it more real.

Then he spoke of being together.

With every single fiber of my being I wanted absolutely nothing more than to be with him. Of course I wanted to be the girlfriend of Patrick Westbrook the kind and caring gentleman I had met by chance at a rundown gas station.

I mean it's why I had been dating guys since I was 14...because I had been looking for the love of my life, for that one guy who would always love me, and do anything for me.

Someone who made me feel like I was the most important thing in the whole world to them.And here was this handsome, perfect guy telling me I was his one and only...that he was specially made for only me... and I couldn't even be with him.

No...my life has never been that easy.

It was on that night that I learned not only the truth about werewolves and Mates, but also the truth about genuine heartbreak.

But the thing that had been haunting me for weeks from that night was my own words:
I Don't Need You.

How careless and cruel I had been.

I hated myself every day since then, I wished that I could just go back to that night and undo everything.

I would make sure to tell Patrick exactly what was going on...But as I sit here on the back porch looking out at the setting sun I can't help but let out a heavy sigh and hope that Patrick is doing good. Despite what I said to him, I felt the complete opposite.

I wanted to be with him, but given the circumstances...I just couldn't be with him.

Of course he was doing good, no doubt he was with yet another girl.

Again I couldn't be pissed, I had no right as I was the one who turned him down from the very beginning. And in an attempt to look like his turning me down at the wedding hadn't phased me...I had been doing the exact same thing.

Going out with various guys (just a date, nothing more) and yeah...I had to admit I was kinda hoping he'd get wind of it.

ButIt was kind of a bitch move as even though the guys were all pretty nice guys, my heart just wasn't in it.

I sighed, every time I thought about him with another girl...I would just get so angry.

I knew I was being jealous and in truth I had no right to be.

"Hey there you are." Ellie sounded as she came outside carrying a plate and some forks. "You left right as they were cutting the cake."

I shrugged, "I wasn't really up for big crowds tonight."

"Well it's your birthday so you can do pretty much whatever you want." She smiled, "You up for cake?"

I smiled now, "I'm always up for cake."

"18 dude...how's it feel?"

"Depressing." I replied flatly.

She looked at my sympathetically, "He still not talking to you?"

I looked at her now, "I've seen him around town here and there but to be honest every time we've run into each other he has a different girl."

"And what about your dates?" She asked coldly.

While Elise can hardly stand Patrick, she wasn't a huge fan of either of us dating anyone other than each other.

"Just dates, no kissing, not even any hugging so definitely no sex...which is a hell of a lot more than they say about Patrick and his girls."

She nodded sadly. "Please don't give up on him."

I ignored her and took the cake. "Happy Birthday to me right?"

"No...don't go all 'pity me' you're so much better than that." Elise said. "Look its a new month and with it new beginnings...let's move on from everything that's happened and focus on the now."

"Easier said than done." I poured.

"It just seriously sucks...you and H get to be with your mates and mine is giving himself to everyone but me...I mean, seriously Ellie, is there something wrong with me?"

"I will hit you if you ask me something stupid like that again." She growled "Patrick needs to deal with some shit but give it time."

"It doesn't matter I'm done with him."

She sighed, "if you say so."