3

A soft knock echoed through the room as I was leaving the bathroom, freshly showered and in my robe.

I walked over and opened the door to find Ryn standing there with a box in his hands as he shifted his weight between his feet. His eyes caught mine and then they widened as he glanced over my frame, realizing I was just wearing a robe. We had been friends all our lives, very close friends, and he had seen me naked from shifting, but he had always been uncomfortable with it.

“Oh… I, uh, um… I can come back your highness, so sorry, I Didn’t realize you were…” he trailed off as he couldn’t seem to finish a sentence. I saw he was about to take a step away so I reached out for him to stop.

“Ryn, it’s fine, of course. I’m fully covered. And for the love of the Goddess, call me Oly. Just cause we are home doesn’t mean we aren’t the same friends we were before. What brings you by? What is this? How is your mom and dad?” I ask him quickly, the questions piling out as I realize that he must be as happy as I was to be home.

“They are well, couldn’t be happier that I’m back. They also want to see you when you have time, I think my mom wants to be sure you are alright, with everything that's happened.” He tells me, his eyes getting sadder as he reaches the subject of the rejection.

“It’s alright, Ryn. Really. The next full moon is in 6 days, and after that, I will be totally fine. And until then, I’ll still be fine.” I tell him. After a rejection, once the full moon passes, the bond will completely break. And as a royal, all my feelings and attachments that are related to the bond will break as well. It’s a trait that was meant for when a mate dies, so that the royal can continue on in life, removing only the most painful parts of losing a mate so we can continue our duties. And it rarely happens, but it also applies to Rejections.

“I really cannot believe he would do that. Not only to reject his mate, but to reject you of all people. He isn’t the man I thought he would be.” He tells me honestly and I can’t help the sweet smile that crosses my face as he speaks. He has always been my closest confidant and supporter besides my brother.

“I agree, he most definitely is not the man I thought he would be either. I have 16 years of love for him that he shattered in just a few moments. Given he still doesn’t know that, that it was 16 years worth,” I say.

“Not that it matters,” he interjects and I nod as I continue.

“Yeah, not that it does. He knew for a year I Was his mate though. During that time the love for me should have grown in him, and after an entire year, it should have been overwhelming. He should have been waiting at my door at midnight on my birthday, anxious to see me and hold me. That was when I knew something wasn’t right.”

“I knew before then,” Ryn says quietly and my eyes snap back to his and I see shame in them. “I saw him kiss the witch. A few months ago.”

I’m not sure why but this hurts almost as much as seeing his mark on her did.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I ask, the hurt evident in my voice.

“Because of this. That look in your eyes. I couldn’t bear it. And I still held out hope he was a good man and that he loved you and would mark you. It was only a  kiss, a brief one, and I chalked it up to being apart of her magic. I never imagined  that what happened, would happen. And I’m so so sorry I didn’t tell you.”

I could sense the guilt that was eating him up. “You believe that you could have saved me hurt? By telling me then? Well that isn’t true is it? I wouldn’t have been able to confront him without revealing my identity. I was just his friend as far as I was supposed to know. And what if I had? And what if he had told me then that he loved her and wanted to mark her? Who knows when they decided that. Who knows how long the knew. It could have been months of heartache instead, waiting until I was old enough for a proper rejection.”

By the time I finished talking my arms were wrapped around myself and I was practically whispering. I hadn’t actually thought through all of what I’d just said yet. How long did they know? Weeks? Months? Was the past 2,5,6 months just a joke to them? While they hid that and acted like my friends? I’ll never know how long ago she hooked him. And that itself hurts a bit more than anything else.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you more,” Ryn says as his head hangs a bit lower.

“It’s ok, you didn’t. If I hadn’t had you and Lana there with me all these years, I wouldn’t have any good memories from that pack. The truth is, I’m a bit relieved that I won’t have to be their Luna, his Luna. I’m a bit relieved to be back home. Maybe once the pain is gone after the full moon, I’ll be completely relieved and maybe this was even what was destined to happen.”

“Honestly, I think it was,” Ryn tells me. I hold his gaze and I can see an emotion I don’t recognize swirling in his eyes. He is hiding something from me, but I can’t tell what. “This is for you.”

I look back down and see that he has extended the box out to me he has been holding this entire time. I giggle a little at that and take it from him with a thank you. I open the top of it and peer in and I can’t stop the gasp that comes out of my mouth when I see what it is.

“Welcome home, Olina,” he says as he disappears out of my hallway.

I stare down at the toy that I hadn’t seen in years, but had never forgotten. This was a toy my grandfather had made me. Something I treasured and one of the only things from my life here that I’d taken with me to the new pack when I left. When I was 5, it disappeared. It was Lana’s birthday, and pack kids had come to play. The next day, I realized it was missing. Siri had helped me look but we had come to the conclusion it was gone, possibly even taken home by another kid.

I pull out the old, wooden wind up frog and underneath is a note.

Olina,

I remember when you told me when we were young that this toy was gone, and you were heartbroken. I assumed, like Siri, that you had misplaced it. Well, when I became warrior with the pack when I was 15, I was invited to celebrate at the packhouse. And I was in the game room with the other warriors, when they sent me to the closet to look for pool cues. I found a box labelled “Syn Toys” and it was open. On the top, was this frog.

I can’t say for sure why he had it. But I suspected, he had taken it that day.

So I brought it back here, home with me, where it was safe.

Happy Birthday.

I was crying by the time that I finished the letter and I clutched the toy to my chest. I realized Ryn hadn’t wanted to be here when I opened it in case I didn’t read the letter and accused him of stealing it, that’s why he was being extra weird. I shook my head as I looked at the toy and wound him up. Sure enough, he hopped across the floor and the joy that filled my heart was overwhelming from that simple moment.

Unfortunately it was quickly replaced with anger as I re-read the letter.

Syn… A year ago I never would have believed he was capable of stealing it. But now? Now I was questioning everything. Our entire friendship. And the more it played through my mind like an old movie, the more I saw how one sided it was. He was mean to other kids, and I was so in love with him I didn’t see it. Then a memory came up that made my blood boil, something I always made excuses for him for. The day he hit Lana. We were 7, she was 6. He had convinced me that she had started it, it was her fault.

But was it.

I clutched the box and it  crushed in my hand under the pressure. I threw it across my bedroom and then grabebd the note and the toy. I tucked both of them into thhe drawer next my bed and went to my closet to slip into my training clothes. I needed to blow off steam.

I looked over and saw it was already 7am. I’d missed official training but I knew there would be classes going still so I headed out to find someone to spar with.

Once I was at the fields, people start coming up to me and welcoming me home. It was common knowledge why I was away, but I assumed my brother or parents had made an announcement to the pack quietly why I was home since no one seemed surprised to see me.

“Welcome home, your highness,” one girl says as she crosses paths with me.

“It’s good to see you back! You’ve grown so beautiful!” An older woman tells me as she tilts her head to the side. I thank her and keep walking.

“Well well, look what the big bad wolf returned to sender.”

I stop in my tracks as his irritating voice echoes through my ears and my eyes roll just thinking about seeing him again, but I turn none the less to face him.

“Hello, Darin,” I say plainly.

“Hello princess,” he says mockingly. “Back so soon?”

Darin was one of the top warriors and the top fuck boy of the pack. The last 4 years his mission had been to get me into bed whenever I visited, which obviously failed. I was probably the only girl who never slept with him, and every year that passed I didn't he became a bigger, more pompous pain in my ass. 

“I couldn’t stay away,” I say, keeping my voice level.

He snorts and says, “Right. Yeah, couldn’t because you weren’t wanted elsewhere.”

“Can I help you with something, Darin?” I ask, knowing this entire conversation was going to be this.

“Nah, I’m great. I don’t need anything aside from knowing that little miss perfect, the pride of the family, wasn’t even good enough in bed to hold onto her destined ma-”

He was cut off as my fist connected with his nose. Before he could recover I swiped his feet out from under him, dropping him to his knees and pulling his face down to swiftly meet my knee. As he fell sideways onto the field holding his face I felt a presence next to me and immediately recognized Ryn’s scent.

“I’m fine,” I say before he can butt in, and turn around walking away from Darin who is still on the ground. He will heal in a few minutes and I’m sure I’ll hear about it later from him and my parents but it was worth it. I huff out as I keep walking, Ryn now matching my strides, not asking what happened, but clearly curious. I spot my brother across the field and make my way to him.

“Of all people, you chose Darin to spar with first day back?” he asks as I get closer to him.

“Wasn’t much of a spar,” I told him flatly.

“I saw, he was down before I blinked. Not bad sis.” He probably was supposed to reprimand me, I knew he knew it wasn’t a spar, but his smirk told me he was too proud of me to care.

“Thanks, he gave me extra incentive.”

“Ryn, mind taking over here?” my brother asked.

“Absolutely, your highness” Ryn said and stepped up in front of the class, seamlessly stepping in to lead as we walked away a few steps.

“So since we are back, for good most likely, is Ryn going to be your lead warrior again?” I ask him,

“Um, no. It doesn’t seem so.”

“What?  Quai! Why not?” I turn to face him.

“Because, he says he doesn’t want that position.” He says simply.

“Wait, really? But why wouldn’t he?” I press.

“I don’t know. But he was pretty clear. Mom and Dad have asked me to hold off, I’m not becoming King for another year anyway, so I won’t be officially naming my lead for awhile, and they want to wait to see if he comes around.”

“He probably doesn’t feel worthy since he hasn’t been here like the rest of the warriors,” I say as I think through why Ryn doesn’t want his birthright position.

“Maybe, I thought that too. So, wanna spar?” Quai asks as we turn to face one another now that we have reached a clearing on the field. “I’d like to see for myself where you are at.”

“There is more to life than fighting, brother,” I teased and he narrowed his eyes as he got in position. I can't beat him, but if I’m lucky, I might be able to land a punch.

Quai and I enter the kitchen together after a few hours of sparring and bullshitting on the field. The kitchen staff greets us as we sit at the island and within minutes grilled cheese sandwiches and fruit are placed in front of us. We are halfway through when our parents enter the kitchen.

“Well, I see that you’ve given your sister a goodhearted welcome home,” Dad jokes as he gives my brother a slap on the shoulder and me a kiss on the forehead.

“She started it”

“He started it”

We answer at the same time and our mother rolls her eyes as she reaches us as well.

“Have a productive day, love?” She asks me.

“I suppose,” I answer as I fork another piece of watermelon and put it in my mouth

“Good, can I steal you away for the rest of the evening?”

“Of course! Give me a few to shower?” She nods in agreement and I take the steps two at a time until I reach my room. After a quick shower I’m back in leggings and a baggy shirt with my slippers on and knocking on my mom’s office door.