It had been three weeks since Fabian had come to the bookstore and the girly hope I had had was gone. I had expected him to at least feel a tiny pull towards me, even if he was human.

I was startled out of my thoughts by Ingrid. "Hey, are you still thinking about him?", she asked sympathetically, pulling her eyebrows together.

I sighed. "What else could I be thinking of?"

"Hey, don't feel down. Maybe he's trying his best to come back and see you but he really can't at the moment"

I smiled at her, "Thanks for trying to cheer me up babe. Buuuut, it's okay. I'm used to, you know. I'm perfectly capable of existing on my own. Or maybe if I'm lucky, I'll find a mateless guy and we'll be good to each other"

"But you shouldn't have to settle. You have a mate", she stressed then took on a determined expression. "When that mate of yours comes here, I'm going to give him a piece of my mind- and he won't like it"

"I give you the permission to do whatever you want to, to him", I laughed.

"What if I said I wanted to cut off his balls and use for a special soup?", Ingrid joked, making me give her a horrified look and then we burst into laughter.

***

The next day was a slow one at the bookstore, so I was sitting at the register reading a book. I was so engrosses in it that I didn't hear the door open, neither did I hear the the footsteps coming towards the register.

"Um... hello?", I heard someone say, making me frantically put my book away and stand. My lips thinned when I saw who it was. Fabian.

I gave a fake smile and said, "Hello sir. What can I get you?"

"I, uh... I want some, uh... Look Denise, I know you're mad at me", he said nervously.

"Why should I be mad?", I asked, furrowing my brows in fake confusion. I was not going to let another person take advantage of my feelings and use them as my weakness.

Fabian rolled his eyes, "I know you know we're mates, and you think I didn't feel the pull, which is why I didn't come back here"

"But isn't that it? Normally, two wolves who are mates can't wait to get to know each other, to mark each other and to love each other. So when you disappear on me for almost a month, what else am I supposed to think?", I replied, then sighed. So much for not showing my feelings.

"That's the thing Denise, I actually want none of those things. I don't need a mate right now. I'm sorry", he replied with a serious expression on his face.

"Are you for real?", I whispered, looking at him incredulously.

He furrowed his brows at me in confusion and answered, "Yes I am. I came here so we could reject each other"

"Leave", I said in the coldest voice I could muster. "Leave right now!"

I saw him start to say something but he must have decided against it because he left, looking disturbed. I slumped against the counter, feeling my heart break even more.

Why did I have to meet and get attached to cold and cruel men? Couldn't the moon goddess just give me a break? What was the use knowing I had a second chance mate when he was just going to reject me?

I walked quietly to the door and turned the open sign around. After what I had just heard, I did not have the desire to do anything. I gave Ingrid the day off and went to my apartment, barricading myself from the world as I usually did when I was depressed. Another mate, more pain. I think I was cursed.

***

The next day was spent wallowing in my apartment, ignoring all of Ingrid's calls. I was not ready to talk about what had happened, and I knew if I started talking to her about Fabian, I was immediately going to cave and tell her everything about Ethan, and that was not something I was ready for.

All I wanted to do at that moment was stay all alone and forget the world existed and that people like Fabian were in it.

*FABIAN*

I left the café feeling confused. Before heading there, I had planned everything out. I was going to go in, explain to Denise that I didn't have time for a mate calmly, then we reject each other mutually, parting on good terms.

But the devastation I had seen on her face had confused me. It was much more than me proposing rejection that had hurt her. The hurt on her face was too strong for that. I sighed and started heading towards my car; the last thing I needed was a mate, and much less a mate with a lot of baggage.

DENISE

I was still in my apartment, cleaning unnecessarily. I had gotten so tired and bored of sitting and wallowing in my misery that I decided to cook and clean. I had baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies from scratch and now I was cleaning.

Suddenly, I heard banging on the door. It was Ingrid, yelling at me, telling me to open up. I went to the door tiredly and opened it. I was ready for her questions, I ready to open up to someone for once, to confide in somebody else.

"You, young lady, are going to tell me exactly what happened, and you're going to tell me everything", she said, determined, as I opened the door.

"Well then, come in and make yourself comfortable because your ears are going to bleed"

***

I am so extremely sorry!! Today is Saturday, I KNOW, but don't shoot stones at me yet. I had an incredibly long day with no zeal to write and all I wanted was to curl in my bed with a good book. That's why this chapter is short. Sorry once again.

But anyways, what do you think of Fabian?

And his decision to reject Denise?

And what do you think of the story? Is it going to fast? Too slow? Tell me!! Please!

And don't forget to vote and comment! And follow me too!

Love ya!!