I didn't care where I was or if I got lost. All that mattered is that I was far away from Carter. After a while, I decided to rest under a big oak tree and to calm my beating heart. My breath came out in smoke as I exhaled and leaned my head against the trunk of a tree. The night air was cooling and the sound of the distance water was soothing to my ears.

I had just calmed down when, "You ok now?" I groaned and said angrily, "Fates! What does it take for you to get the message that you rejected me? Go fuck Cassie for all I care. Hell, you can even fuck a guy! I don't care. You are not my mate." Then as I got up and stomped away, my wrist was pulled and I was slammed against a tree. I rubbed my head at the impact and glared at Carter. "That hurt you retard! Let go!" I said furiously while struggling against his iron grip against my wrist. He only tightened it more as he said in a calm tone, "No."

Feeling tired from struggling and walking from Ryder's house into the woods, I just sighed in defeat and leaned my back against the tree. "It wasn't what it looked liked Jesse." he said softly while caressing my cheek which I brushed off. I scoffed out, "Whatever." He replied, "I mean it. She came on to me." I stated firmly, "I don't care who came on to who Carter. I don't even care if you want her as your mate!" Feeling fury rise in my, I shifted into my wolf and managed to get out of his trap and run back home to my room and just sleep on the floor in my wolf form.

I had a restless sleep throughout the night as Carter haunted my dreams. My door was then slammed open which made me growl in my wolf form. I raised my head and growled angrily at who dared disturbed my sleep. I stopped growling when I saw it was Kya standing at my doorway with puffy red eyes and sniffing like crazy. I sighed guessing who caused it.

"Ryder?" I mind-linked to her alone.

She just nodded her head. I sighed then pointed my head on the floor for her to sit next to me and lay on my fur. As she sat down, I rested my head against my cross paws not caring that she saw my new fur and snorted out air as a sign for her to start whilst I close my eyes which were painful at adjusting the bright sunlight entering my room.

She choked out, "Ryder, He-" She placed a fist against her lips as tears spilled down her cheeks like waterfalls. She choked out again more clearly while whispering, "He had sex with another girl Jess." The she covered her eyes with both her hands as she sobbed.

"You felt the pain Kya?" I mind-linked her with my eyes still closed. She replied through her sobs, "I felt it last night as I was going back home. What did I do to deserve this Jess? This pain. This rejection. Ryder. I know I rejected him Jess but this hurts a lot." I replied in a quiet voice through mind-link, "I don't know Kya. Let it out K. Let the tears and sobs out."

Those words broke her because she then sobbed loudly, hiccuping and gasping for air from time to time. I opened my eyes and examined Kya. I sighed knowing she would hate me for this but I hated to see her this way and wanted her to be happy.

I mind-linked what I was seeing to Ryder. To let him see what his bullying had done to his mate. His partner. His other half. As I examined Kya, she choked out while sobbing, "All those years Jess, hoping, praying he would see me other than a freak were to no avail! I love him even though I hardly know him! What was the point Jess, of having him as my crush for all those years? I made a fool of myself! I thought he would change. I wish I was the girl he wanted." She whispered the next part so quietly I could've sworn it was a prayer.

"I wish I was the mate he wished for."

I ended the mind-link and rested my head once more. After I don't know how long, Kya finally nodded off on my carpet with the occasional flinch which made me assume that she was dreaming. I shifted back to human form and padded to my bathroom to take a shower then change into a black t-shirt with yoga pants. I heard a knock at my door and went to answer it to find Grey standing there with Ryder whose face was pale but still expressionless.

I nodded my head to Grey and he took it as a sign for him to leave while I just stare at Ryder. "Is she OK?" he asked quietly. I replied, "She fell asleep after all that crying and ranting. She deserves better you know." Then opened the door wider for him to come through and check on Kya himself. He whispered as he passed me, "Believe me. I do." I walked to where he stood as he examined Kya sleeping on my carpet now hugging a pillow to her chest. I said in a quiet voice, "Take care of her from now on. Work for her trust. Let her see you can change so you guys can be together." He turned to me and asked while staring at me curiously, "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you helping me getting my mate back?"

I shrugged as I said, "I don't want anyone going through what my parents went through or what I'm going through. Kya's my best friend and she deserves her mate whether or not he bullied her. If the Moon Goddess paired you together then that must mean that she sees you guys as one. Please Ryder. Don't let Kya go through what I'm going through. I don't know why I was rejected but I don't care. Whether it was a good reason or not. Take her with you and go home. Work on your relationship with her. Tell her why you did what you did and convince her." I stated as I went to my window to look outside. I heard his footsteps and knew he picked her up. Before he left, "Don't tell her what I just told you about not wanting her to go through what I'm going through. She deserves happiness then I do any day."

He replied, "All right. Your secret is safe with me. Thank you Jess." And as he shut the door and his footsteps became fainter, I dropped to the ground with my both hands covering my eyes as I cried silently to myself, "Why did this have to happen to me?" I just couldn't keep all these feelings bottled up anymore. His laugh, his smile, his rejection, his betrayal, they just made the tears appear more and fall faster.

Then, I took hold of myself and took a deep breath in and stood to go to the toilet to wash my face and blew my nose. I looked out my window to see it was already night and sighed. I slept till the afternoon and I'm not tired. I ran a hand through my hair and decided to just sit on my balcony railing, wanting the night air to cool me down once more. I stepped out of my bathroom and went across my room to the balcony door and opened. A breeze went through the tiny gap which made me breathe out while my shoulders relaxed. I then went to to sit cross-legged on my railing while listening to the music of the night.

I was so entranced by the peacefulness of the forest that I snapped out of it when a brisk wind came and blew my hair away from my face and made the scent of forest and pine hit my nostrils and made me have goosebumps all over my body.

I pressed my lips together in a thin line as I turned around and went to get off from where I sat. I had just let my legs dangle when he appeared in front of me.

I looked away from him as my heart started to beat faster and faster with every step he took. As he stopped in front of me, he placed both his hands on my waist and said in a whisper, "I hurt you. I'm sorry Jesse." I gritted my teeth, refusing to answer him. Then, he raised my chin and as he lips came close to mine...

I woke up gasping for air while looking around me wildly. I was wearing still yesterdays clothes and tried to remember what happened but it was all a blur.

I pressed the bridge of my nose with my index finder and thumb as I took a deep breath in trying to calm down. "Hey, your awake." a husky voice said. I looked up and my eyes were widened.

There standing in a towel around his waist was none other than my mate.

Well shit.

A/N

Just came back from my holiday in Paris and UK. LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT!

Laters!

Anonymous/Shay~