Chapter 007

Kael's face was pale as fuck when I came out of the bathroom and considering how long I had spent in there, heaving over and over, throwing up every content of my stomach, I was willing to wager that my face was just as white as his - maybe worse.

As my eyes bore into his, my insides fluttered accompanied by that godforsaken urge to just get close to him and …

Ugh!!.. so pathetic.

My stomach turned again, and it took all I had left to not run back into the toilet and haul my intestines off.

Why?

I lifted my gaze slightly to my ceiling with a wince.

Why was this happening? How could this be happening...how could it be even possible?

How was it possible to be mated to the same bastard over and over again.

This has to be a universe playing some sort of twisted game with me.

"Sera I..."

"There's nothing to say. Come on, reject me now." I interrupted.

The goddess might want to play around with me but I fucking want no part in this game - whatever it was and I will definitely not idly participate in it.

"What?"

Kael stood up from the chair he had occupied, approaching me with slow steps and I didn't...couldn't step away or ask him to stop, to stay as far away from me as possible.

"You heard me right Kael," my words came out weaker than I had intended, "reject me now. I don't know what the hell is going on, but I'm not interested. So, Reject. Me. Now."

But there was a defiance in his eyes that made my heart skip a beat.

"For how long, Sera, are we supposed to dance round that circle? This circle of mating and rejection?"

"As long as it takes because I swear to whatever gods are watching - I will not spend a fucking day mated to you!”

Kael shook his head, "Sera, listen to me..."

"If the next words coming out of your mouth aren't the rejection vows then no, I do not fucking want to listen!" My voice rose and I was shivering, literally shivering, in anger, rage.

How could he stand there and try to convince me to accept this?

How dare he?

After everything he has done? After brushing me aside, abruptly tossing me to the side like some piece of trash?

How dare he?

"Rage and scream all you want, Sera...but my answer is no and you cannot force me either."

I froze, and looked into his eyes calm as fuck but I could feel the tornado of anger whirling inside me threatening to break free.

"Excuse me?"

"Each time I reject you, you get hurt and that's not something I'm willing to keep doing, I'm sorry." He took a few steps back, eyes determined.

"The hurt is definitely better than having to live through the reality of being your mate. And you certainly weren't so concerned when you did it for the first time."

He closed his eyes, "Sera, whatever happened between us in the past, I'm very sorry for it."

True.

I could see just how he meant it, see the pain in his eyes, the remorse.

And I paused for a moment, eyes locked onto him.

"So," I Said breaking the silence, "it took my sister dying for you to be sorry. If she was alive would you regret it? She's dead and bam! You remember the toy you once tossed aside. FUCK YOU, KAEL!!”

“It might be hard to believe but I am. And no, I'm not rejecting you again.”

I striked. I had no idea what it was that had me moving, reaching for his throat, I had no idea what made me snap, but before he could blink, I was lurching at him, fingers aiming for his throat.

But Kael was too fast, because he shifted making me lose my balance and grabbed me by the waist tightly.

I screamed, a growl as he threw me on the bed so easily like I was just a bundle of clothes.

“Sera…” his warning growl only irritated me more and I flipped myself to a crouching position with a snarl.

Kael put his hands in his pocket looking at me and to my dismay, the bastard looked amused. Amused like I was some clown entertaining him.

“Stand down Sera and don't hurt yourself.”

“I'm going to kill you,” I hissed, “you fucking bastard!”

He only shrugged as if to say 'have at it.'

"You can try - you are welcome to try, but if I were you I'd calm down, tame down that rage and hear me out."

My eyes drifted to his throat again and I allowed myself to imagine what it would be like, to have my fingers around that annoyingly sexy throat and slowly squeezing the life out of him, or making him choke in his own blood.

But I knew that I couldn't take him.

I sighed, sitting down with a glare at him.

Perhaps I'll wait until I have the opportunity to slit his throat in his sleep then.

Whenever I have that opportunity.

As if he could read my mind, he chuckled, shaking his head.

"Listen to me Sera. I understand how you feel, I know just how much you must hate me right now - but what I'm not going to do is put your life at risk and that's exactly what I'd be doing if I keep up this rejection dance."

"My life or what happens to it is none of your business."

His eyes flashed, "right now you are my mate so I'd say it is."

I rolled my eyes, because I knew he only said that to test my anger.

Fucking bastard, that's what he is.

"I won't reject you, but I'm going to promise you one thing Sera - the bond is going to be there and that will be all there is to it. Nothing else. I will not be your mate in any manner nor will you mind. I'm not ever going to touch you - unless you want me to, I'm never going to act on this bond. It is just going to be there and it won't mean that there's anything more between us.”

I tilted my head and said nothing, not from lack of what to say though.

I had no idea what to think of that, but one thing I'd never do is believe or trust Kael again.

"Why should I trust your words, Kael? You know, fool me once...etcetera etcetera."

"I'm giving you my word and it's your decision to trust it or not. Either way, the rejection won't happen so I'd openly suggest you agree to my offer and promise."

There was a look in his eyes that told me I shouldn't dare challenge him.

It was that look which told me that Kael would stand by his word and even though a knife was held to his throat, he wouldn't do what he doesn't want to do.

And I know what a fucking stubborn he goat he could be.

"Fine!" I snapped, "but just a piece of warning. Any second you maybe forget your words, I'm going to cut off your balls and feed them to you raw."

He grinned, "I'm counting on that, Sera.”

༺༺♡♡༻༻

Much to my dismay, Kael didn't have any sort of information to give me before he left.

Which means he had only come because I was unable to answer his stupid calls.

I was still seething in anger thirty minutes later even after a hot shower that should have at least made me feel more refreshed.

I hated him, hated everything happening between us.

I hated this fucking mating bond that was making my life a living hell.

And most importantly, I hated myself for the tiny flickers of joy and relief I felt at Kael not rejecting me, and hated myself for allowing myself to be a little bit happy.

Pathetic.

Pathetic.

With a shake of my head, I went to my laptop and opened it, deciding to just get into business.

The message on the wall - the one my wolf had left me, swept through my mind again.

The zoo.

The ancient zoo.

Perhaps I could research and see if there was anything out of the ordinary to find out about it.

I went to my email first and smiled when I saw that I had gotten a response from Derek - my friend.

I carefully scanned through the content of his mail - and I felt my blood freezing and my heart dropping more with each word I read.