Overcoming The Odds [MxM]

Chapter 7: Raider

[A/N]: Wattpad friggin' deleted this on its own, sometimes this app ticks me off.

Raider

I curled in on myself, shrinking under the strangers intense gaze. It was too difficult to maintain eye contact with him, as my years with the pack have taught me never to look a more dominant wolf in the eyes for too long. My knees drawn into my chest as I gazed down at the floor, eyes stinging. The rejection was inevitable, I just wanted him to get it over with.

Instead of 'I reject you', he said "My name is Garrett, what is your name, darling?" I glanced up, looking at him with a mix of shock and curiosity. "Ra-" the name clawed at my throat, voice weak from the lack of use over time, "Raider." I finally managed to croak out, before glancing away once more from his searching eyes.

The silence was unbearable, leaving my thoughts to run wild and rampant through my head.

He doesn't want you.

He wants someone else. Someone better.

He is going to reject you.

I blinked back tears, fingers fiddling with the sleeve of my ragged sweater nervously. "Aren't you going to reject me?" I asked. A sound close to a choke burst from Garrett's lips, "No! Of course not." He said, looking shocked and horrified. My head fell to the side, gazing at the strange man.

He too seemed to be studying me, as if I was some great mystery. My stomach chose to grumble just then, and I glanced away, cheeks heating. "Come on, let's go get you something to eat. Besides, we have a lot to talk about." He approached, and I flinched back. He halted in his tracks.

Garrett
I kept glancing at Raider from the corner of my eye as we made our way down the stairs, his legs were trembling so bad that my hands shook with the urge to just reach out and grab him- but then I remembered the fear that glazed over his eyes, and my hands steadied.

Just randomly grabbing him would probably freak the living shit out of him, and that's not something I want to do. I bit back a snarl, his damn alpha. I doubt what happened was the first time he mistreated my Raider.

How many times did he hurt him? When did it all began? How bad did it get? These questions swirled in my head, driving me absolutely crazy- now I know how Orion felt. Not knowing makes me feel so powerless, but at the same time would it help knowing?

Knowing what happened won't change what has happened, but I can be damned sure it'll never happen again. When we got to the kitchen I gestured to Raider to take a seat at the kitchen counter, while I went to make us something to eat.

My mouth felt dry as a desert and my tongue felt like it was glued to the roof of my mouth, so I didn't bother to talk. A feeling of unease settled in the pit of my stomach, and I knew why. My mate has been through hell, and I wasn't there to protect him.

"You didn't know where he was, or what was happening. You can't blame yourself for that." Cereberus reasoned, but I could hear in his voice that he felt the same.

I know that I can't blame myself and neither can Cereberus, but in my heart it feels like I've failed my mate. I grabbed a bowl of cereal from atop the fridge and took two bowls from the cabnet.

I really don't think I had the patience or the concentration for cooking right now- I'd probably set the whole kitchen on fire. So cereal is the safest choice at the moment. After pouring some milk and grabbing some spoons the cereal was done.