Scars to Remember

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"This was an unexpected turn of events," Fryer said looking at his beta and the woman who was leaning against him. 

He felt a pinch of pain in his heart when he saw the two but nonetheless, he was happy for them.

"I still can't believe I finally found my mate," Jaden said with a huge smile on his face.

"That means you would be staying in this pack," Fryer looked at Elestren. 

The smile on her face wavered, "stay? As in permanently become a part of this pack?"

Fryer nodded carefully calculating her movements. 

"Then⁠—what about Elena, will she get to stay here as well?" She hesitantly asked.

Fryer sighed and took a seat,  "unfortunately no, she is here as a guest and will leave as soon as she can."

"Then I can't stay as well," Elestren immediately stood up which caught both the men off guard. 

"Elestren!" Jaden called her name but she cut him off. 

"I know that we are mates but what Elena and I have is different. She is someone too much important to me, even more, important than my life. I can't live without her. We even made a blood oath to each other. I... I can live without a mate but⁠..." 

Jaden flinched at her words but didn't say a word. She did notice the impact of her words but she chose to ignore it. She was not going to give up the one person she had known her life for a man she had just met him. 

"...I can't live without the person who took all the pain for me just to protect me. And besides, I'm the only family she has. And..." Elestren hesitated for a moment. "Elena is scared of being alone. She isn't scared of anything, not even death but she is scared of being left alone. She would rather die than be left alone."

Fryer watched her, taking in each and every word she just said. There was too much admiration and love in her voice when she talked about Elena, something he never thought a werewolf would give to a human. The girl Elestren talked about didn't seem like the girl he had met yesterday. 

"I don't know what kind of person she is to let her stay here," Fryer pulled his lips in a tight line. 

How could a werewolf trust a human? Especially a one who seemed to hold so many secrets behind her innocent face. That girl was dangerous, this was what Fryer had felt the moment he saw. Something in him told him to stay away from her and Fryer was not going to ignore it even if there was a part somewhere deep inside him, that pushed him towards her. 

"You don't know me either," Elestren cut in. 

She was right. He didn't know her but the moon goddess chose her as part of his pack and he was not one who defied the moon goddess. 

Elena looked at Jaden, though she gave him a sad look, she didn't look sorry for her words. 

"I'm sorry Jaden. You might be my mate but Elena...she is my life. That girl has been through hell and I can't leave her. Not now, not ever," Elestren turned back to Fryer and with a small bow in respect, she left the two men alone in the office.

"Fryer..." Jaden called him out in a small weak voice. It was as if all the energy left his body, he fell on the chair. 

"Don't worry, I won't let her leave you," Fryer assured him in a strong voice because he of all the people knew what it was like to not have his mate by his side. 

•☾•

"How did it go?" Elena asked her when Elestren entered the small cafe Elena was sitting in. They were in the farthest corner where no one could easily see them, though they could easily hear them thanks to their enhanced hearing but the girls didn't mind. Part of the werewolf world had made them used to this. 

"They said that I can join their pack," Elestren told her and took a sip from the milkshake Elena has ordered for her. 

"I totally saw that coming," Elena smiled happily for her, "now you can enjoy a pack of life your whole life."

Elestren gave a forced smile, "they also said that you can't stay here."

The smile on Elena's face faltered for a split second. She chuckled, "I also saw that coming. So what's the problem?"

"I am not going to leave you!" Elestren declared.

"Who said you are going to leave me?" Elena said in amusement, "come on Elestren, just because we won't be together anymore doesn't mean we won't see each other anymore."

"But..."

"No 'but' Elestren. You were destined to join this pack since you found your mate here. But for me, I don't belong to pack life. I'm not one of you people. There is no way I can become a part of a pack life but it doesn't mean that you can't have a pack life as well." Elena tried to reason with her. 

"But you do have werewolf blood running in your veins." Elestren cried out.

Elena placed her hand over Elestren's. "stop being a cry baby. It is your fate to join this pack. Don't deny it."

"Maybe it's your fate to join this pack as well," Elestren suggested.

"Says who?" Elena laughed at that. 

"Because we do everything together. Everything that happened to one of us affected the other as well. Maybe...just maybe, you are also meant to join this pack." Elestren said with her eyes full of hope. 

Elena looked at her friend's hopeful eyes. She knew it was impossible for her to stay here and she knew that Elestren was aware of that as well. She was just giving herself false hope and sooner or later, she was going to realize it.

"That's quite a way to put your words," Elena chuckled. "Well, how about we let's wait and see how things work out."

Fryer was standing at a distance along with Jaden listening to the two converse. They had come after Elestren to reason with her when he heard Elena's words. 

 I'm not one of your people. I can never be a part of a pack life...

It made Fryer wonder why such a rule existed. Why a person has to be a werewolf in order to be a part of a pack. He clearly heard Elestren say that Elena did, in fact, have a werewolf gene in her. So maybe, maybe she can become part of a pack. He would have to talk with the council about this matter but until then, Elena was going to stay at this pack. That is if he didn't end up killing her himself. 

'Please, Moongoddess! Give me enough strength to endure this girl!'  Fryer turned around and internally prayed.