Reaching You

Chapter 2: Paige

I open my eyes to see my mother looking at me with concern. "Paige, the school nurse found you unconscious in an empty classroom. Are you okay? What happened?" She bombards me with multiple questions. I force a smile onto my face. "I guess I must have gotten dehydrated," I remarked, hoping my mother would be convinced. She smiles and shakes her head. "You scared me." She says, softly. I nod and give her a hug. I sit up on the bed and the nurse sends me home early. We walk home together and I say goodbye to school. This was my last week at school, I had planned to leave after meeting my mate. Dr. Jones had warned me about how my mother was suicidal when she was alone in the house. I smiled bitterly I thought of Ryder.

My mother breaks my chain of thought as she asks me, "Did you see your mate, today?" I shake my head and she glances at me, looking disappointed. "Turns out, he wasn't here. Maybe he'll be at the pack barbecue, tomorrow." I replied, watching her perk up at the mention of the pack barbecue. She grins and we continue to make our way home in comfortable silence. My wolf howls inside my head. I bit my lip to hold back tears. Luckily, mom chats happily about the first time she had met dad. "I remember when I first met your father. I had just turned 18 and I sneaked out to a party. I was flirting with another wolf that was when I smelt the most amazing scent."

She exclaims, her hands moving excitedly. I smiled bitterly as I did agree. She has a smile on her face and her eyes are sparking looking alive. "I had always doubted whether I actually wanted a mate or not. But I knew as soon as I saw him that it would be him and only him." She says, sighing. I didn't understand how he could reject my wolf and I. Did he not feel the connection like I did? I shook my head. He was an alpha. His wolf was more dominant than other wolves. I sighed. Mom whips her head towards me and gives me a look of concern. "I have calculus homework today." I say, the lie rolling off my tongue rather smoothly. She pats my hand as we make our way into our house.

My wolf, Hope howls mournfully as she replays how our mate had rejected us over in my mind. I shake my head and prepare rabbit stew for dinner. It wasn't his fault. Everyone in the pack was pressurising him to settle down and have a heir. I tried to convince myself but I couldn't. The Goddess made me for him and him for me. My eyes sting with tears as I thought of his beautiful grey eyes that pierced my heart. I was being ridiculous. The power of the mate bond was terrifying as he consumed my thoughts. I closed my eyes and let myself relax.

I heard footsteps and wiped my tears away. "Paige?" I turned to see my mother. I give her the biggest smile. "Dinner's ready." I exclaimed, my mother smiled and started setting the table. It is going to be fine. I tell myself. My wolf whines but I know that there was nothing I could do. So I talk with my mother and tell myself that I didn't have time for a mate right now. Not when my mother was dying. "Are you excited for the pack barbecue?" My mother asks, eagerly. My mother loves pack barbecues as she was able to socialise. I grinned. "Perhaps you might meet your mate there!" She states, her face lighting up at the thought. I swallowed and didn't say a word as it was the second time she had said this. Dr. Jones had reminded me that she would suffer from short term memory loss and hallucinations.

I hold my spoon tightly in my hand as I listened again to mom reminiscing about how she had met dad. The story was my favourite story but now it only stabbed at my heart. It was clear that life was no fairytale. In this house, my mother lost her sanity with her mate and my mate had rejected me. I smile at the irony of the world. It seemed everything was pointless. "Paige? Are you listening?" My mother questions, the corners of her mouth turning downwards. I gasped and gave her a sheepish look. She shakes her head and pats my hand affectionately. "Just like your dad, having your head up with the clouds." She says, her eyes full of happiness.

Then she comes out of her daydream and bursts into tears. I put the bowls away into the sink and I watch helplessly as my mother screams in pain. I walk and hold my mother in my arms as she shudders. But her claws elongate in dig into my arm. I hold back a scream and pull out the sedative that Dr. Jones had given me for her episodes. Once I sedate her, she falls limp in my arms and I carry her into the bedroom. I place her on the bed. I wipe her tearstained face and kiss her on her forehead.

I quietly make my way downstairs. I treat my wound which was healing slowly as my wolf was weak from rejection. She was upset as mates of higher-ranked wolves were only able to get pregnant by their mate. I smiled bitterly as I realized that I would never have a child. I go to my bedroom. I lie there in bed staring at the ceiling. Every time I tried to close my eyes, his face haunts me. Alone, I don't hold back my emotions. I cry for my mother who would never feel the warmth of her mate again. I cry for my wolf who longed for a life long companion. I cry for my younger self who idolised my parents' relationship.