The storage closet?? Does he honestly think this conversation should be in the storage closet? Kia is still fuming and still so pissed off since this morning. ‘What do you want to do?’ I asked her.
‘I want to be close to our mate, but he is making it hard to be around him right now,’ she mumbles.
Every time we sensed him today, she would have a new-found anger raging through us after this morning's images flashed through our minds. So, I tried my best to just avoid him all day. I didn't want Kia's anger to make us do something we would regret.
I knew he wanted to talk but I wasn't ready. My mind was still trying to grasp that we were mates, I wasn't ready for a conversation that would have to end badly and ruin my birthday, a conversation that would ruin the rest of my life.
I panicked when he showed up in the cafeteria. The thought of him rejecting me right there in front of everyone, in front of Ollie, my brother and best friends, it was just too much. But all he did was smile at me and went about his day like we were nothing.
I was so stuck in my mind trying to calm down Kia I didn't even pick up his scent when I ran into him. Sparks flew through my body when I crashed into him. I didn't want to look up into his beautiful eyes, I feared I would burst into tears.
There is no way we will be able to be mates and happy. The only logical way of this working is rejection. I didn't want to be rejected, but his pack will never accept me as their Luna. My uncle and father will never allow me to leave my current position as Beta to become our enemy's Luna, it just wouldn't work.
I didn't want to have this conversation. I certainly didn't want to have it at school, but right now it was our only option. I sigh internally and take a deep breath as he opened the door, and we walked in.
The storage closet is tiny, it barely fit one person, let alone two, and with his massive size it was an uncomfortable fit. I move back and put space between us but it seems he doesn’t want that.
Every step back I take he moves one forward. I put my hand on his chest to stop him moving forward again. Sparks fly through my body; the desire to touch him, the need for him to hold me.
I shake my head and drop my hand, missing his warmth instantly. "You wanted to talk, so talk." I say coldly, looking into his eyes.
I could feel Kia pushing forward. I struggle to keep her at bay around our mate. Now was not the time for her to go on one of her anger rants.
"I just..." he sighs and runshis hand though his hair, his eyes flashing a golden colour as I feel his wolf pushing forward responding to Kia.
"I'm sorry," he mumbles.
"What?" I’m stunned. I even got an apology from him.
"I'm sorry you saw that this morning, and I'm sorry I even did it in the first place. Jace warned me multiple times about being with someone before my mate, but I just didn't listen. I never wanted to cause you that pain, for that I am sorry," he says.
I stare at him, astonished that these words are even coming out of his mouth. Zander Blackwood is apologizing for his activities? He was always proud that he had the hottest girls, that he could get any girl he wanted. He literally said it regularly amongst his friends and usually in front of multiple people. Every week he would have a new girl hanging off him. Everyone knew if you were involved with him you were going to end up holding the short end of the stick.
He looks into my eyes with such sincerity and guilt. It is hard to see if he is lying or not but judging from what he's told me about his wolf so far, I doubt it. It sounds like he is also worried about me rejecting him.
"I'm not going to lie and say it didn't hurt, because it hurts like a bitch seeing you with her, and knowing you have been with her multiple times, as well as others multiple times, it hurts. But it was my choice to wait for my mate. At the end of the day, we all have a past and you chose your path and I chose mine. We can't take anything back."
"Thanks," he mumbles.
"I'm not saying I forgive you; I understand why you did it. Maybe in time I will forgive, but Kia is still pissed."
He smirks and reaches out to touch my face. On instinct, I move back a little and he stops midway, his hand hanging in the air between us. Emotion flashes through his eyes so quickly I nearly didn't catch it.
Crap, he apologized and I kind of accepted it, now I'm hurting him without even realizing it. Kia whimpered at the thought of us hurting our mate, he always seemed so put together and so strong, here he is trying to be vulnerable to me. Trying to make it work. Trying to make us work.
"Sorry, I just... I'm just not used to it yet," I mumble.
He nods in understanding, and drops his hand, letting it fall to his side. His face is back to his usual cocky smirk. "Can I see you tonight? At the club, do you want me to go?" he asks.
I frown and say, "It is on neutral ground. I don't have the right to say whether you can go or not."
He rolls his eyes, " I know that, but I don't want to make you uncomfortable if I go."
'He already cares about us,' Kia purred.
"You can come if you want to." I mumble, looking down at my feet. I could feel my cheeks heating up with embarrassment.
He chuckles at my response, leaning in quickly and placing a kiss on my head.
I look up, startled at his gesture, my heart pounding at the contact and him being so close. "Then I'll see you tonight sweetheart, until then stay safe." he said, his voice husky and deep. I nod, my head bobbing up and down on its own. My mind is in such a daze with him being so close.
He chuckles at my silence, my embarrassed face flushed so red I could feel it burning. He leans back, turns the doorknob and slips out backwards, returning to the hallway.
A few minutes after Zander left, I blinked my eyes and shakemy head.
'What just happened?' I mumble to myself.
Kia laughs at my reaction. 'If a small kiss on the head does that to you, then maybe we won't make out with him any time soon. We don't want you passing out,' she giggles.
I internally roll my eyes at her. 'Go away,' I mumble.
'At least he didn't want to reject us. If anything, this is moving forward, right?' Kia asks.
'I guess so. We haven't covered everything but at least, we know he wants to try.'
I poke my head out of the door to check if the hallway is clear. I make my way back to my locker quickly. I needed some perfume or something to mask his scent, I don't need anyone asking why I was around him. Once satisfied, I look at the clock to see we only had 15 minutes left until the next class, so I walk to the bathrooms to freshen up.
While I was in the bathroom waiting around a little longer than usual, I hear the door open and close and footsteps walking in.
The scent of Grace and someone else caught my nose. Kia's anger flares again after being calmed by our talk with Zander. Smelling the bitch who almost ruined us made her angrier.
"Annie, hun, I told you Danni only likes one-night stands." Grace's voice rang through the bathroom.
"But he asked me to go to the club with him and the boys tonight. I just don't understand why he has to be such a jerk around his friends," the girl who is supposed to be Annie sobs.
"Wait, the boys are going to the club?" Grace asks.
"Yes... tonight," Annie sniffles.
"The fucking asshole/ Did he really just dump me so he can get a stupid fling at the club?" Grace growls.
'I guess that answers what happened between him and Grace,' Kia mumbles.
"Zander dumped you?" Anni asks.
"Well, sort of, this morning, he just abruptly ended things and said we weren't working anymore while we were making out. I wouldn't have minded having a good time before class, now I'm just pissed." Grace said.
I smirked thinking I know the exact reason why he stopped everything and didn't continue their 'relationship'. It gave me comfort to know that things didn't progress further once he found out we were mates. Hope blossomed in me knowing Zander was more serious about us than I initially realised. I feel a little guilty about judging his intentions so quickly. I guess I always thought he didn't want a mate, given how he always acted around everyone.
"Well, that settles it, I'll go to the club with you tonight and we will try to get our men back!" Grace demanded.
I groaned internally to Kia.
'It’s a good thing our dress looks sexy,' Kia giggled. 'Don't worry about Zander, Jace will keep him at bay from doing anything stupid and it sounds like he really wants to try. I doubt he will screw it up'. Kia tried reassuring us both.
'I guess you're right' I mumbled back to her.
The two girls had left the bathroom after chatting a little more. I definitely need to be going now or I was going to be late for my Economics class. I couldn't miss two classes in a row.