Dmitri grit out. As he got closer, his eyes raked over my face, and I could've sworn I saw them soften for a split second when his eyes ran threw my tear-streaked cheeks. But just as soon as they softened, his eyes hardened.

I whispered, looking away from Dmitri because the last thing I needed right now was to burst into tears in front of the sole reason for my anguish.

Surprisingly, Dmitri came and sat on the far end of the tree trunk, and stared out into the distance with me. Saying nothing.

We sat in an uncomfortable silence for what felt like ages and I couldn't help but wonder why he was here. He had already rejected me so there was no reason for him to even approach me.

Was he here to rub it in my face?

Was he here to remind me about how he doesn't give a rats arse about me?

Was he here to tell me who his true love is?

A few twigs snapped and a broken voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

screeched a pubescent voice from somewhere near me and Dmitri.

I sharply turned to find the owner of the voice, one of Knox's friends- Mikey. Mikey was a sweet boy but he had a tendency to say things out of order sometimes.

Dmitri growled at hearing the childish words and stormed over to Mikey, grabbing his puny form by his collar and punching him square in the face.

It took me a while to absorb the brutal nature of what was actually happening- Dmitri was savagely beating up a defenceless little 15 year old. The same little 15 year old I had watched grow up alongside Knox. The same sweet, yet childish, Mikey who refused training to become a warrior like his father because he was a pacifist.

It is ironic though, isn't it? The fact that Mikey is a pacifist but he says things like this that get him into trouble sometimes. Nevertheless, it's wrong of Dmitri to be beating up a confused teen, whose idea of a joke was not so funny.

For a while I was stunned- standing as still as a tree but it was Mikeys pain filled shrieks that dragged me back into reality.

, I shrieked, running over to Dmitri's henched form and grabbing his muscular arm.

Being an entire foot shorter than Dmitri, and having no muscles and being probably the most laziest werewolf out there meant that I wasn't able to stop him. He shoved me aside and continued his bestial attack on Mikey's teenage form.

Realising I had to do something before Mikey would be lying around in a coma- I kissed Dmitri. With all the energy I could muster, I grabbed his arm around and smashed my lips on to his own.

I won't lie- that really hurt, but it was a good distraction since it caught the attention of Dmitri.

Dmitri threw Mikey back onto the floor and growled during our kiss- seizing me by my waist.

The irony of the entire situation didn't fail to amuse me. The reason Dmitri had beaten up Mikey in the first place was for him joking about how we were going to kiss- a baseless assumption Mikey had made after seeing us on a log in the middle of the woods.

And yet all it took for Dmitri to stop battering Mikey was a kiss from me.

Dmitri's hands traveled down to my back, stopping at my aśs and it was when he gave it a squeeze that I broke the kiss.

Mikey was still lying on the floor- staring up at us in complete and utter shock. But he did have an 'I knew it' look on his face, after all he was the one to predict our kiss.

I glared at Mikey- why was he still hanging around? Was he asking for another ass whooping? Because this time I'll give him one for not running away as soon as Dmitri dropped him. Somehow Mikey took notice of the glares I was sending his way and ran- with an unmissable limp in his step.

Turning back to Dmitri, I looked at his eyes that were swirling with so many different emotions. Dmitri was cemented between all his contradicting emotions. But that's no excuse for all of his heartbreaking actions. There's no excuse for what Dmitri Kingston has done to me.

Without warning he pulled me back into his eager embrace and I was left stunned once again when he brought his nose down to the crook of my neck and s n i f f e d me.

"Stay away from me Dmitri. You can't sniff the neck of a mate you rejected." I gritted out, throwing Dmitri off of me for the second time in a mere thirty minutes.

Looking back to the spot where a bleeding Mikey was laying, I noticed that it was empty. Good. At least Mikey was safe.

Dmitri smirked, he had a smug look on his face, taking a step further towards me with each word, eventually shoving me against a tree. Almost as if he was rubbing it in my face. As if he was taking pride in the fact that he was correct.

He wasn't. Me and my emotions aren't of the likes of a cheese tray; that can be constantly passed around. Dmitri and I have no relation anymore- we're simply ex mates. I may not know enough about ex mates but there's one thing I do know; ex mates don't go around kissing each other.

I growled at his disrespect and shoved him away from me. How dare he?! I only kissed him to distract him from killing poor Mikey! I didn't kiss him for the fun of it- not like I wanted to kiss him anyways. I had no option and he's taking advantage of that.

I gritted out. I was so ready to flick my heavenly hair in his face and sexily strut away from him- just like they do in movies, but sadly, Dmitri wasn't having it.

Spoke Dmitri, as complacent as ever. A stupid chuckle eloping his luscious lips.

, I muttered, dreading his ceremony because I'd have to see his disgustingly handsome face.

I speed walked away from him, not wanting to stick around any longer for him to be able to sense my emotions.

, bellowed Dmitri, still unmoving near the tree.

'I can't wait for tonight's ceremony'

came the drowsy, love struck voice of Lena in my mind.

'Lena! We've been through this already! Dmitri has rejected us. We are NOT his mates. And I wouldn't bother getting excited for the ceremony because he'll probably announce his true love as the Luna. Which isn't going to be us. Anyways, I'm only going so that my family won't have to suffer because of me and have to go rogue just because I didn't attend.'

Lena is too naive. It's like she's forgetting that we've been rejected. It's like she's forgetting that we're unwanted by our own mate.

I received no response from Lena and felt a mind block when I tried calling out to her. Good. I shut her up, didn't I?

'Hey Lena. Stay mad h0€', I knew that Lena could hear me so I took my chance. Lena needed to learn some things the hard way, and I was willing to teach them to her.

Truth is, the more Lena spoke about our mate, the more it hurt me, so to strengthen both of us, I keep giving Lena harsh reminders about how our mate didn't want us. This way, we'll both be desensitised to Dmitri and we'll have no feelings for him. Dmitri has no feelings for us and we'll have none for him. Simple.

Glancing at my surroundings, I noticed that I had walked back all the way to my house, from which I previously ran.

Oops, mom's going to kill me. With that thought in my mind, I lifted my hand to knock on the big wooden door, only for it to swing open, leaving me face to face (well not exactly face to face seeing as I had outgrown my mom in terms of height) with my mother who had a worried expression coating her face, and eyes that softened at the sight of me.

my mother began but stopped when she saw my tear stained cheeks. Pulling me in for a hug, she brought me inside and shut the door.

I felt the need to voice that out loud because I didn't want my mother to see me as weak. I had already poured my emotions out at my not so secret, secret place and I didn't need sympathy from anyone.

, my mom exclaimed, walking off into the living room, probably assuming I'd follow her in.

Hold up. Wait a damn minute. Friends? I only hang out with Mia and vice versa.

"Well if it isn't the little weakling herself." A shrill voice followed by the sounds of a heel slapping the floor followed, and I was met by the gaze of...