004. Can't take rejection

~Jayan Salazar~

Froskarn and I spot our mate from across the hall.

She glances our way, and for one fleeting second, I can’t help the smile that tugs at the corners of my lips, just imagining that I have this ounce of her attention.

But then she turns to Zadrick Gulon, and my smile dies on impact.

I think I like her already. She's like a pretty little riddle that needs apt attention. My pretty little riddle.

Since the entire evening, Froskarn and I have been tortured with need, knowing our mate was nearby.

We'd caught a whiff of her scent along the hallway and followed it till we got to a lifeless vampire on a staircase.

He was reeking of our mate. We followed her fragrance up the stairs. But at some point, it was no longer sweet and subtle. It was mixed with the scent of blood.

It could have been the Vamp's blood, but the idea of our mate bleeding had set Froskarn's asshole inner werewolf off.

I'd managed to keep my dragon at bay.

However, when we lost her scent at some point, it got Froskarn so mad that he lost control and froze the Vamp's body out of frustration.

He didn't stop until the Vamp's skin shrank and dried up.

Then we found a place to lie in wait, while we hope that our mate heads back out to the freshman welcome party at least.

Olyon and Asad tracked us down and joined us. As a Caster and a Siphon, Asad and Olyon could not scent our mate.

Such could only happen to shifters like Froskarn and me. So, our friends believed they were only here to offer us some moral support.

Not until our mate passed by and everybody's mark started to glow. It was a crazy moment for all of us.

When Asad finally pulls her over at the Alpha Hall to speak to us, my heart wants to skyrocket as I glance at the beauty the gods have decided to bless my life with.

I've never seen her around Crestbane, never even heard of her, and now she's about to be the center of my world.

"Mine." My inner dragon growls possessively, and I smile in agreement.

What a beautiful final year present. The gods are indeed smart. I have a semester and a half to learn everything there is to know about my mysterious mate.

When Froskarn breaks the news to her that we're mates, she pretends like she didn't know already.

She's hiding it well, but I'm sure she's excited to have a rare dragon shifter like me all to herself.

I'm going to covet the fuck out of my mate. Keep her safe and very sated. We'll be perfect together, even if the rest of her mates are intolerable pricks.

Asad, Olyon, and Froskarn have been my no-so-friends for the longest time. Our families run in the same elite circles. So, I've known all of them since we were practically toddlers.

But of the four of us, I'm bound to be our mate's favorite. They’ll all be jealous motherfuckers, I can't wait.

Since our marks are glowing so hard, it's only right that our mates' own should be doing the same.

Only we're in for a rude awakening when she proves to us that not only is her mark not glowing, she doesn't even have one.

How?

Her friend says something about my mate being a Proselyte. But that shouldn't matter, should it?

From what I know, Proselytes bear their own marks. They are only considered the weakest Nobles ever. So, no one wants to be mated to them, as most powerful Nobles regard them as liabilities.

 But she doesn’t need to worry about that. Having her as a mate is enough for me. I’ll take care of her.

But when she says she wants to reject us, I thought I was going crazy.

Maybe she's overwhelmed. And that's not surprising. I’d be overwhelmed if I were a sweet, quiet little angel being mated to such notorious Nobles like us.

Maybe she’s intimidated by my over-flexed muscles, but I can show her just how gentle I can be if she just forgets about this rejection clause she's throwing around.

But instead, she reaffirms her stand that she doesn't want us.

There’s not an ounce of nervousness in her expression. She has the perfect poker face. I’m intrigued; she doesn’t sound like a shy little angel. I must have been reading her wrong.

I’m like a goddamn crack addict, already sniffing the air to try to get another hit of her delicious scent.

I don't need to look, but I know Froskarn is doing just the same.

"Appeal to the gods for another mate, I'm rejecting all of you." Our mate speaks so casually, like she’s just informing us what she'll have for dinner later.

That’s why it takes my brain a second to catch up with why my inner dragon is suddenly losing his fucking mind.

The statement shook Froskarn as much as it did me. "Rejecting?" I ask.

"Yes." Our mate replies, and my heart threatens to shut down.

My mate is rejecting me.

Unexpected pain blossoms in my chest, but I know why. It is because shifters like Froskarn and I start developing a bond with our mates right off the bat, and the idea of that being wrenched away so soon... it hurts so much.

"Hang on. Let me get this straight. You are really rejecting us?" I ask her, refusing to accept that she would do that to me.

The reality of her words makes me feel like a failure. It doesn’t matter that I’ve never heard of her or that she’s not one of the top-ranked Nobles at Crestbane; she’s meant to be mine, and here she is, telling me I'm not enough.

I stare at her. Froskarn and Asad are staring, too. Meanwhile, Olyon is smiling. The psychotic fool thinks this shit is amusing.

I clench my fists to try to calm the heat under my skin. I can’t tell if I’m more perplexed, offended, concerned, or pissed.

But my dragon is ready to claw his way out and throw a fit over this.

Since I have never been turned down by anyone before, it hurts too much and feels even more taxing to keep my dragon in check.

She'd turn down a rare gift from the gods?

Not to sound pompous, but I come from a line of rare dragon shifters, and I'm gifted with more power than normal.

Asad is a one-of-a-kind Fae that can cast the deadliest and toughest spell, and he'd do it without blinking an eye.

Olyon was born as a miracle. He is the only ‘Vel Morin’ (protector of dreams) incubus we've had in a thousand years.

And Froskarn is the wealthiest heir to the Froskarn empire. Not only is he an ice elemental, but he is also a wolf shifter. A combination that has never happened since the creation of the world.

We are what can be regarded as a blessing to any woman either of us gets mated to.

Shockingly, we got mated to one, and instead of being over the moon with excitement, she wants to reject us.

Unacceptable!

"It is best if you appeal for another mate. There’s no point dragging this on. Let me know when you're ready for the rejection rituals. I’ll be on my way. Let’s not cross paths again unless it's for the ritual." She says, and then my pretty perfection of a mate just walks away, leaving the four of us to gawk after her in disbelief.

It takes me less than five seconds to decide that I reject her rejection. She is supposed to be my mate, and I’m meant to belong to her.

Rejecting one’s mate happens, but it's always the men doing the rejection, not the other way round.

Appealing for another mate is possible too, but it might take years, months, or even days to get another mate. It all depends on our luck.

"Well, there's always a first," Froskarn says as we watch our mate go.

"She thinks I’ll just drop her and hope the gods find someone as perfect for me as she’s supposed to be? Yeah right. I’m not letting her go without getting the chance to know her. Not happening. You fuckers can appeal to the gods all you want, but I’m not interested in anyone but her." I gritted, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in my chest from the rejection.

Froskarn gives me a disgusted look. "Appeal for what? She's definitely bluffing; there’s no way she was serious about rejecting mates of our caliber. She’s just playing hard to get, trying to get our attention-"

"She has all my attention," Olyon says as he gazes in the direction our mate went. "I'm not appealing for shit."

"Why not?" Asad asks with a bitter grin. "You all can't take rejection, can you?"

Olyon rubs his jaw in thought before shaking his head. "It makes no sense for her to turn us down."

"Or maybe she just doesn't want to be mated to any of us," Froskarn mumbles. "I have to say, it's nice to see Jayan lose his sweet boy charm for a minute."

I give him a droll look. "Real fucking mature, Mr. Icicle. We all know if it were a competition between the four of us, our mate would pick me first."

Froskarn scoffs. "Over me? Good luck with that thought. I can give her anything she wants, she can co-own Crestbane with me, I can take her all the way to the top, and keep her right at the number one spot for the rest of her life. Meanwhile, what can any of you do?"

I go nose to nose with him, and smile when the body difference seems so glaring that I'm positive I can beat his icy ass.

Aside from Crestbane, we can all give her everything you mentioned, Icicle. We'll substitute Crestbane for something bigger."

"I don’t mind if you engage in a fire and ice combat.” Asad blurts out, “But we have more pressing matters at hand.” Since none of us is ready to accept our mate’s shenanigans. Let's all put on our pretty-boy socks and see who wins her over, properly." Asad suggests.

I raise a brow. "You mean... like a bet?"

Olyon lets out a low whistle. "What, like… who she falls for first?"

Asad shrugs, "Or who she lets close enough to matter."

"I'm in." Froskarn shocks us. "And she’ll be mine, once she knows that I can give her the world."

I grin darkly, stepping closer. "You don’t win her over with offers, Icicle. You earn her heart. Her trust. And then..." I let the pause speak volumes. "Everything else comes naturally."

"I'm in too." Asad keys in. "But the rule is she must choose you willingly. No tricks, no force. Just her choosing.”

I nod, jaw tight. "I’m in. But I’ll warn you now, don’t act surprised when she chooses me over all of you." "

Olyon just smirks, "She won't choose the one who wants her most."

I frown, "What the hell does that mean?"

But Olyon is already walking away like he didn't say a word.

"Oly?" I call to him, but he flips us a bird,

“Don’t fucking call me that. I'm no buddy of yours.” He says, continuing on his steps