There Is No Us

[Leah's POV]

"What did you just say?" I asked, trying to calm my beating heart. "Wrong?"

How could he say that I was thinking wrong after discovering we were mates? What about what happened that night on the beach?

"I'm sorry if I led you to have misguided delusions about us." Asher responded evenly. "However, what happened then won't happen again."

At his words, all the warmth disappeared from my body, leaving me frozen to the core. 

He was rejecting... but why? Especially after what happened between us.

"I only came here to deliver something." Asher continues. "Here."

Remaining in place, I watched as Asher dug in his pocket and pulled out a small glass vile that had a swirling black liquid in it. However, that wasn't what shocked me. What got me was the rawness of the hand that was clutching it.

"What happened to your hand?" I demanded, surging forward. "How did it get like that?"

The skin that connected with mine in that instant was hot to the touch, and now that I was close enough, I could see sweat beading on Asher's forehead.

"Don't touch me!" Asher bellowed, yanking his hand away.

"I..." My eyes grew wide as I looked up into Asher's rage-filled face. "I'm sorry, I just..."

"I've delivered what I came to deliver." Asher spat. "Now I'm leaving."

"But you just got here!"

Taking a tentative step forward, I prepared to grab Asher's wrist, but was stopped by an invisible force that sent me sprawling to the ground.

"Did you just use your magic on me?" I gasped, watching him in disbelief.

"I told you to stay back." Asher snarled. "Who are you to even think that you can touch me?"

Who was I? I was his mate! Why was he even being this way?

"Just stay away from me."

[Asher's POV]

I stared at Leah's prone form on the ground and felt a thousand tiny needles stab into my heart. 

'Stay strong.' I reminded myself. 'This is for her own good.'

I needed to make sure that there was no hope left for her. Otherwise, I feared she would just be hurt in the end.

"When we meet again, we will be strangers." I sighed, dealing the last blow. 

"But we're mates." Leah murmured as her eyes began to fill with tears.

This was it. This would be where I could end it.

"I'm sorry, but I reject you." 

Each word hurt so damn badly to say, but I couldn't taint her any further.

"Why did you do it then?" She whispers so quietly I'm not quite sure if I heard her correctly.

"What?"

"Why did you do that to me if you don't want me?" She responded louder. "Why give me hope?"

"Because I was bored."

With this, she should hate me. 

"Bored."

The word was sharp as it left her lips. If she wasn't mad before, she definitely was now.

"You decided to do that because you were bored?" She hissed, getting to her feet. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

I didn't respond as Leah surged towards me, her eyes blazing red with rage. She was pissed and for good reason, but dammit, it really pained me to see that hatred on her face directed at me.

Balling her fist, she explodes, slamming it straight into my jaw, knocking my mask off in the process. As she begins to realize what she has done, I kneel down to pick it up and put it back in place.

"I-I didn’t," she stammered, her eyes growing wider. "I didn’t mean it."

"Doesn’t matter." I respond evenly. "Are you done throwing your tantrum now?"

"Tantrum..." Leah repeated, narrowing her gaze. "Do you think this is as simple as a tantrum?"

Of course it wasn’t, but if I wanted to protect her, I couldn’t let her back in.

"Since I’ve done what I came to do, I’m leaving." I sighed, beginning to turn.

"Please!"

Leah’s voice is full of emotion as she speaks, but I keep looking straight ahead. When I don’t turn around, she quickly wraps her arms around my waist and tries to hold me in place. Her body, which presses against mine, is shaking violently. I can feel every emotion she is feeling seeping into me, threatening to drown me, but I can't give in.

"Why are you pushing me away?" She whimpered, burying her face in my back. "What has happened to you?"

I can feel her agony through our bond and it is damn near killing me. However, I still reach down and grab her wrists. A gasp escapes her as I remove her arms from around me and step out of her reach.

"Touch me again and you will suffer the consequences." I hissed. "Go find someone else to shower your childish emotions on."

With that, I began to move. Behind me I could hear sobs escaping Leah, but I didn’t stop. This would be the last time I hurt her. As long as I reminded myself of that, I could keep going. 

I continued to move until I was deep in the forest where Aldina waited. Stopping in the middle of a clearing, I searched the area, trying to discover where the hell she was hiding. I knew that she had to be near by, watching and enjoying the show that was unfolding in front of her.

"You were quite rude." Her sweet voice cooed as her white arms snaked around my waist. "Did you really have to hurt the poor dear that badly?"

Tensing, I gritted my teeth as my body recoiled from her touch. Fuck, why had I promised her a favor for helping me?

"Are you still going to try to resist me?" She purrs, coming to stand in front of me, so I had no choice but to stare into her red eyes. "I gave you the choice to change your mind, and you didn’t. Now, you have to make good on your promise. "

"Of course," I hissed, trying to relax.

I knew what was coming and that if I resisted, it would be much more painful. I needed to try to relax. However, every time it happened, I felt the darkness beginning to stir. It was almost as if her venom brought it to life and pushed me that much closer to the edge. 

"Mmmm." I love the smell of your anger and resistance." Aldina giggled. "But I'm starving and am ready to eat."