The Denied Mate

Chapter 1 *REVISED 2020*

The Denied Mate: Chapter 1

*5 Years Later*

A loud buzzing allowed my eyes to fly open, startled. Where am I? I scanned the room quickly seeing white walls; one covered with art and pictures, both of me and my friends and around the world, another covered by a floor to ceiling book case filled with novels and records along with a giant record player, and another taken up by a clothing rack, mirror, vanity and chair filled with clothes. I felt the breeze coming from right to my left and looked to see the window my bed was against was opened. I sighed. I need to stop getting in such deep sleeps.

I shut off my alarm and got out of bed, looking at the calendar in my wall as I walked into my bathroom. May 27th. Happy 23rd birthday to me. I looked in my mirror, glancing down to the already fading mark on my neck and groaned. It's been five years. Five long years with this thing attached to my neck. I poked at it angrily, watching it turn red.

Walking out of the bathroom and sitting down at my vanity I pulled my hair up into a messy bun and my eyes focused back to the mark, my mind going back down the painful past.

"I, Lucas Marcatto, deny you, Cassia Richards, as my mate." . He doesn't want me. He doesn't want me. He. Doesn't. want. Me. Not good enough. Not good enough. Not. Good. Enough. He was denying me. "I'm sorry Cassia. Goodbye."

A series of raps on my door broke me out of my reoccurring flashback and I jumped up, quickly walking to the door. I opened it to see Megan holding chocolate chip pancakes with a candle in them, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY BITCH!" I groaned at her loud voice.

"Megan it's 8:30 in the morning, can we please use lower voices?" She scoffed and barged in.

"Whatever, crabby pants. Get excited it is your 23rd birthday! And I was kind enough to make you some delicious and chocolatey pancakes, your favorite. But if you're going to get an attitude then I can just eat these elsewhere..." She trailed, looking at me. I rolled my eyes and pulled her into a hug, careful not to touch the heavenly food.

"Thank you, Meg, I love you and your magnificent cooking skills." She beamed, loving my appraisal and we sat on my island eating the chocolatey goodness. We sat in a comfortable silence as we finished the pancakes. She got up and grabbed her bag, pulling out two presents. Megan handed me one and I smiled lightly at her. "You did not have to get me something!"

"So you want me to take it back?" She asked, reaching for the wrapped present. I clutched it to my chest.

"Oh no, I'll still take it," I said, opening the present. I opened it to find a collage of a bunch of pictures of it from over the years. My eyes flitted all over the pictures from the one of us, toothless, playing in the backyard of the Mason's, to a picture of us on our first day of high school, to our college graduation pictures, and everything in between. My eyes landed on a picture of us on my 18th birthday, and I rubbed my finger over it, smiling sadly. I looked up at her, tears in my eyes. "I love it. Thank you," I whispered, bringing her in for a bear hug.

"I love you too, Cass," Megan said, hugging me back tightly. "I have another one for you too," She said quietly. I frowned as I looked at the wrapping. It was wrapped crisply in all black. Are you fucking me? I shoved it back to Megan lightly.

"I don't want it," I said stubbornly. I knew exactly who gave me that gift. It didn't matter what it was – my birthday, Christmas, Graduation – whatever the occasion, I would always receive a gift wrapped cleanly in all black. No card was ever written or addressed to me, but I knew, everyone knew, it was from Lucas.

Megan sighed and looked at me. "Open it, please Cassia, he's going to blow up again if he finds out you didn't accept it." I looked at her. Was she really going to side with him?