C9 A Mysterious Sight

Adelia's Pov

That day was the worst day of my life. I had never felt this shattered before. It was so bad that I felt like dying. The pain still felt new, despite it being an hour since I returned from Aiden's house. It was obvious I was yet to recover from this heartbreaking experience.

As I lay on my bed, staring at the white ceiling of my room, a tear rolled out of my eyes and down the side of my face. I chuckled, surprised that I still had tears in my eyes.

I had done nothing but cry my eyes out since I returned yet I didn't feel any better. My silky blouse was drenched with my tears and my eyes were swollen red.

Just who would have imagined that rejecting one's mate would be this painful? Jared had said it would not hurt that bad and my father had nodded in agreement, but here I was, feeling pain so great, it felt like I was dying.

To be honest, I wanted to die. That was all I could think of. I wanted to get this heart-wrenching pain to leave for it was too much for me to bear. I needed it to stop.

It was still a wonder how I had been able to do this despite my wolf disagreeing strongly with me.

It was still shocking how I had summoned the courage to reject Aiden, to look him in the eyes and reject him, to ignore the pain on his face, the tears in his eyes, the trembling of his lips, his love for me, everything! How had I been able to ignore all these and go ahead with the rejection?

No matter how much I tried not to think about the event, Aiden's hurt expression kept haunting me. His face was all I saw each time I closed my eyes, reminding me constantly of my actions. It shattered me each time I thought about it.

I had just rejected my mate!

I had just rejected Aiden, my one and only.

A whimper escaped my lips at that realization and I began to weep again. My face crumbled as I curled myself into a ball, crunching my chest as I cried bitterly. I felt ruined and completely shattered.

"Adelia." I heard my mum's voice and I froze, surprised that she was inside my room. I was so sure I locked the door because I didn't want anyone coming in. I didn't want to see anyone.

"Are you okay, Addy?" I heard her ask but I ignored her. Instead, I buried my face into the pillow and I cried harder.

In no time, she was by my side, pulling me up and drawing me to her chest in an embrace. I tried to pull away because I didn't want her consoling me but she held firmly and I just sort of relaxed in her arms, crying my heart out as she cradled me.

My tears were soaking her shoulder and I tried desperately to stop the tears but they kept falling.

"It's okay, Addy." My mother cooed but I shook my head vehemently.

"It's - - not okay." I stuttered. "it's not. Nothing is okay."

"You did the right time. That should stop the tears. If you didn't reject him, he will die and I'm sure that's not what you want. You protected him."

"I didn't, mum. You need to see his face when I rejected him. You need to see just how much that hurt him. I hurt him, mom. I hurt him so much and I can't forgive myself for doing that to him. He loves me and I just. . . I just ruined everything."

"But hurting him is better than losing him to death, isn't it? I know it's painful. I understand, my dear, but it's the wisest thing to do. You'll get over the pain."

"How?" I finally pulled myself from her embrace so I could look at her right in her face. "How, mum? Tell me how."

"Well," my mum avoided my eyes and adjusted a bit. "With Rio - "

"Oh, mom!" I groaned, wiping my eyes furiously. "I don't think I can ever feel the same way I feel for Aiden for Rio. I don't think I can even love him. I don't think I'm mated to that alpha, mum! I feel nothing for him."

"Well, that's because your Rejection process is still fresh. It's only a matter of time. In a few days from now, you'll be fine. Your head and heart will be clear to see Rio for what he truly is. Your wolf will begin to jump for Rio when you're with him."

"How sure are you?"

"I'm so sure." My mother smiled, her hazel eyes twinkling as she smiled into my face.

Since it was night and was almost bedtime, she had dropped her hair down unlike the fancy style she adorned it during the day.

My mother looked so sure like she had attended a meeting with the moon goddess about this and I desperately wanted to believe her. She had never lied to me before and most of the things she had said to me had come true. So if she was so sure about this, perhaps, this pain would stop soon.

"You'll be fine, my girl." She gently drew my cheek, trying to make me smile but my face was frozen, I couldn't react.

"But does it has to be this way? Isn't there another way? Why must I reject Aiden for things to work? None of you guys rejected your mates. Why me?" I asked softly and my mother let out a sigh.

"Don't you understand we are doing this for you, Addy? We're doing this for your future. What future will you have with Aiden? What does he have to offer you? He doesn't even have a wolf and can barely protect himself. Why should you be with him when there's someone else?"

"But if the moon goddess gave him to me then — "

"I'm sure the moon goddess is trying to amend her mistake by giving you Rio. Don't think too much about it." My mother patted my cheek once again before getting up from the bed and turning to leave.

But my next words stopped her.

"What did you just say?" She asked me, confusion on her face.

"I don't think Aiden is wolfless. Earlier today, when I rejected him, his eyes. . . His eyes turned a different shade. It was like. . .how do I describe its colour? They were a colour shade I've never seen before and — "

"Has it gotten to this, Adelia?" My mum snapped at me, looking greatly upset.

"What do you mean?"

"Are you now making things up to be with that omega?" She asked but soon shook her head. "He isn't even an omega. He's much lower."

"I'm not making things up!" My eyes narrowed.

I had been thinking about this since I got back. Aiden's eyes had flashed with some strange colour when he had yelled at me to get out of his house.

It had been so strange and I had been greatly shocked that for a moment, I couldn't move. His eyes had reflected something else but I couldn't place what it was.

"I'm not making things up." I reiterated softly.

"Then you must be hallucinating. You're seeing stuff because you rejected him. Is it that bad?"

"It's not a hallucination, mom. It did happen. I saw it."

"Of course you did." My mother shook her head at me like I was a child who didn't know what she was saying. It annoyed me.

"If you're not gonna believe me, then you should just leave."

"It's not that, my dear." My mother sighed, retracing her step back to my bed where I sat. She plopped herself beside me, reaching forward to hold my hand in hers.

"It's just that. . .look, I know how you feel. And I know how you can start imagining things, things that aren't true just to shut the pain out. But those things are not true. They are mere imaginations." She stressed and I frowned, pulling my hand away from hers.

"They are not. I know what I saw and it doesn't matter if you believe me or not. It doesn't change what I saw."

I was now very angry at her for refusing to believe me. She was trivialising what I saw like it was all made up, whereas it was true.

My mother let out another sigh, shaking her head like she didn't understand me.

"Sleep, dear." She said after a while, leaning forward to place a kiss on my temple but I turned my face away.

My mother stared at me, her lips parting in surprise. But her shock soon turned to anger and she scoffed loudly.

"You'll thank us later." She said to me but I refused to look at her.

Then she stood and walked out of the room without a glance back, leaving me to wallow in my sea of thoughts and grief. I fell back to my pillow, my tears falling again.

I felt so alone, like I had been abandoned by everyone: by my family, by the moon goddess, by my wolf — I had been trying to communicate to her since the rejection but it just felt like she wasn't there anymore. I couldn't feel her anymore. It was like she was shutting me out.

I was abandoned by everyone including Aiden!

"Leave me the fuck alone!" I barked at him instead, before breaking into a run.