Angel Blackwood(30)

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I stop in my tracks, sniffling and wiping my tears away.

“You think I’d accept you? You’ve got to be kidding me!” Kate shouts. Axel takes a small step forward. “Please…” He sounds so hurt. “Don’t do this. You’re my mate, Kate. We’re meant to be together.”

Kate stands looking at him, it looks as if she wants to go to him, but she’s having an internal battle. She shakes her head. “No. No. No. I can’t! Look at you! Look at all that ink on your skin. I can’t do it. I can’t be with you. What will my parents say? The Fates chose you for me?” She looks down at her shaking hands.

I come out of the shadows and they both look up at me. I don’t care if I’m overstepping and I don’t care if I’m butting into their business. If I can stop what happened to me happen to someone else, it’s worth a shot.

I look at her, “Don’t do it! Look past his appearance. You haven’t even given him a chance yet. Don’t reject him because of what you see.” She looks troubled as she looks back and forth between us. Axel gives me a pained smile that tells me how grateful he is, but my words don’t mean shit since she’s already made her mind up.

“I’m so sorry, this is so hard… My wolf is calling to yours, but I can’t. I just can’t be with you. I’m in love with Tyler. He loves me, he’s perfect for me, Axel. We belong together. You’ll find someone and she’ll be perfect for you.” Tears start falling and her pretty makeup starts running down her face; even crying she still looks so perfectly beautiful - I’m really starting to hate the word perfect.

“You’re her! You’re perfect for me, we belong together! The Fates say so, Kate… We belong together.” He’s begging her. His body begs her, his teary eyes beg her and so do his strangled words. My heart hurts for him because I see the moment she makes her decision.

“I’m so sorry, Axel, but I…” She looks at me, then back at him. “I… reject you!”

Axel falls to the floor clutching his chest crying out in pain.

“I hope you find someone that will love you, cherish you and appreciate you for all you’re worth, Axel. I’m so sorry…” Kate runs past me sobbing as I run towards Axel who is curled up on the floor.

“You have to accept it. Accept it and the pain will stop. I promise you.” I lean down on the grass on my knees, placing my hands on his shoulders. He pushes me away, causing me to fall on my bottom.

“Don’t…promise…me shit! You don’t…fucking know…what this feels like. Leave! Fucking… leave…me alone,” he says through gasps, as he holds his chest with ring covered fingers. His hair is no longer neatly combed over and I can see the tears falling down his cheeks; my wolf can feel his pain.

I sit up again and place my hand on his chest.

“I do know. I know that it feels like your heart is about to burst and every little breath you take feels like you’re swallowing a thousand razor blades. It hurts…I know it does. Accept her rejection and it will all be over. I know your wolf is telling you to fight it, but is she really worth it? You deserve better, Axel. Accept the rejection and the pain will stop.” His breathing is deep and the tears flow freely now. He looks up at me and tugs me in for a hug, his enormous body enveloping mine.

I hear him whisper over my shoulder in the direction Kate went, “I accept your rejection.” It takes him a few moments before he gently untangles himself and I wipe away the tears from his face and smile.

“You did good,” I say.

“Who would reject you?” He asks in a gravelly voice, as he wipes away my running makeup from the previous tears I shed.

“Apparently a few would.” I give him a pained smile. “Even my second chance mate just threatened me with rejection if I didn’t stop ‘whoring around’.” I say using air quotes. His eyes widen and his eyebrows crease in confusion. I can’t believe I just told him that.

“You’ve already found your second chance mate?” He asks, frowning.

“Mates, they’re twins, and yeah I don’t think they want me. They’re under the impression that I still have a second chance mate. They don’t know about my first rejection.” He still looks confused,I let out a deep sigh and attempt to explain.

“You see… I was dating someone when I met them and while we were spending time together I fell in love with them. I cheated on my boyfriend and made-out with both of them.” His eyes bug out and he gives another disapproving frown. I don’t know why I’m explaining everything but I can’t stop the words from coming out of my mouth. He looks so sad; maybe telling him how bad I had it will brighten his mood.