Chapter 3: His Mate.

(Aiva's Pov)

"Ah…" I huffed, catching my breath while my legs continued to move on their own, fastening each step with fast paces until I finally reached my home. 

"Sister." A soft voice entered my ears as I opened the door and flinched.

I turned back hesitantly with a pale face, and saw a little figure by the doorsteps. I heaved a sigh of relief, and forced myself a smile, "Ryan, it is you." 

"Sister, are you okay?" 

I paused my gaze on him for a second, my lips parted as I was speechless.

"Was I okay?" I questioned myself, gritting through my teeth as tears threatened to stream down. I gulped, swallowing down all the tears and continued to smile at him. 

"I'm okay as well. How did your day go?" I said reassuringly yet my teeth continued to stutter. I had lied to him several times but this time the pain was unimaginable to ignore anymore.

He paused for a moment to look at me, and then ran away toward the living room as I stood confused. "W-what happened to him?" I questioned, raising my brows as I followed him, and reached the living room just as he was about to leave the room with his phone.

"You are lying, sister!" I flinched at his words as he handed me the phone, crooking his brows. "Lucas betrayed you, and you just got rejected! Doesn't it hurt?"

I gulped, my body trembling as I turned my gaze toward him, my vision turning blurry. "What are you saying? Who told you this nonsense?"

He frowned, playing a video on TikTok as I watched it amazedly. 

I flinched at the familiar figures and the place. It was a video of me, Lucas, and the she-wolf from before. My body shook in horror yet my gaze was fixated on the phone.

***

"Look, something is going to happen now."

"It is definitely going to be funny!"

"I, Lucas Larson, reject you, Aiva Red as my mate."

"Fuck, he rejected her in front of the entire academy? Was she so bad?"

"You got it wrong. Look at her, and Laura. They're heaven and hell different! If I was him, I'd have chosen Laura as my mate as well!"

"I, Aiva Red, do not accept the rejection." 

"The heck, who does she think she is? She is such a dumbass. Wouldn't it be better for her to just accept the rejection and leave it as is!"

"Damn, she has nothing at all and is still trying to leach him off at this time even after he told her he didn't love her anymore."

"Aiva! What the heck are you trying to do!"

"You. Do you not find yourself pathetic? He doesn't want you anymore and why the fuck are you trying to bother us? You should just accept the rejection!"

 "I, Aiva Red, reject Lucas Larson as my mate. Henceforth, we shall have nothing to do with each other."

"What the heck is with this plot twist? Doesn't she feel shameful?"

"She is just trying to be proud even at this moment!"

"Such a shameless wolf."

***

My tears dripped down continuously. Even when I tried to control them, it continued to fall down my cheeks. 

I didn't even know the fifty percent of those students, and never had I heard their scorns at the hall before. 

Was Lucas the only one I could see, the only one I could hear?

I bit my lower lip, looking up at the ceiling when I ran upstairs directly to my room as I threw myself on the bed.

I put on a blanket as silent tears continued to drip down. I had controlled my tears the entire day but now, it was uncontrollable. 

"Why did this happen to me? To us? To our dreams?" I mumbled, continuing to wipe my tears. 

My heart clenched tighter, as if ripping to a thousand shreds when I picked up a pillow and threw it over. "I do not want to cry so… so, why do I feel like crying so much?" I asked, digging my head over the pillow as I continued to wail. 

"Sister, sister, open the door for me."

"I am sorry, sister."

I gulped, my tears flowing harder as it started to itch around my eyes. I wanted to answer the door, and hug him at that moment but I did not want him to see me in this state.

I huffed for a breath when my tears dried up and opened the door when Ryan entered, hugging me. 

"I am sorry, sister…"

I gulped, massaging his cheeks still silent when we went to have dinner.

The dinner was awkward as the silence continued but I broke it when I glanced at him with my hazy vision.

"Who posted the video?" He flinched, biting his lips, almost unwilling to speak when I pressed him harder. "Who was it?" He paused for a while when I raised my voice a bit louder, this time trembling, "Was it Ryan?"

He shot up his guilty gaze at me and denied furiously. "No, no, It wasn't him. It was the she-wolf beside him. That, Laura."

I chuckled, shaking my head. There was no way he wouldn't know his girlfriend posted the video when he was always curious about everything, and sometimes almost controlling.

I bit my lips again, gasping for breath as I was unwilling to make a scene in front of Ryan again.

"Sister, you should take a day off tomorrow."

I shook my head. "Tomorrow I have work, so I won't be going to the academy tomorrow. And, I will drop you off."

His gaze dropped to the table, faltering and shook his head. "I… Y-you do not need to. The school has suspended me…" Ryan stuttered slowly.

I gazed down, dropping down the spoon and massaged my forehead anxiously. "Because of the school fees?"

He paused, his fingers tapping on the table chaotically when he gave a slight nod.

I frowned as I got up from the table, Ryna following me when I bent down on my knees and patted him on his head, pulling him closer for a hug. "I will pay for the school fees in a few days, do not worry. Just take the time off as a vacation."

Ryan clutched into me harder when I felt his hand move slightly. A small smile spread across my lips and I distanced myself from him. "Go to sleep now."

"You too, sister."

I nodded when he went back, and I stood there helplessly, my heart feeling stuffy, yet no tears dripped down. It was as if all of my tears dried up.

I took a deep breath as I did the dishes, went in the shower before I went to bed, and took my phone.

"What is my bank balance now?" I muttered, checking up my account balance when I was devastated. It could only cover our food for a week.

I slapped myself on my forehead and sat up, cuddling myself, and putting my head down. "How am I going to arrange all of the money within such a short time? Ryan needs to study. I can't leave him uneducated."

My heart continued to beat faster at each passing second as my anxiety kept increasing. "Moon Goddess, what is going to happen to me? Wh-Why did you make things like this? Lucas was the only one… my only mate, and now…"

I gasped, unable to finish my sentence as a low whimper escaped from my eyes, and I laid back on my bed again, trying to shake away all my thoughts.

Yet, as I continued to count my debts, my thoughts kept getting messier. I had to pay for my brother's school fees, the debts, the electricity bill, and also I had only money left in my bank account which was going to only last for a week. Can things be any worse than this?

I bit my lips as I gulped down a whole bottle of water before shutting my eyes. For a while, I continued to turn over and over, unable to fall asleep until the pain of the rejection wore me off, and drowsiness kicked inside, and my consciousness wore off.

"Hmm…" I turned over, hugging my side pillow when my eyes itched in pain as I fluttered them open. I flinched at the alarm's sound and shut it down and sighed. "I do not want to get up…" I complained, whimpering as my head ached and my eyes stinged in pain. "Uhmm…" I moaned, raising up and letting my head rest on the headboard. "I have to go to work…"

Work… A blush immediately spread over my rosy cheeks as I recalled work. Yes, Work! How could I even forget it?

I shut my eyes close in embarrassment, covering my entire face as I shook my head, now wide awake. 

"Why do I have such bad timings?" I muttered, tears coming out in embarrassment as I got out of my bed. "I have no other choice… I have to go to work today."

My heart thumped ferociously while I got ready for my work, the whole time the scenes of Leo getting a blowjob flashing through my mind. The weirdest part was when he muttered my name, "Aiva…"

I gasped, looking at myself in the mirror while I brushed my fingers over my lips, swallowing deey. "How could I forget about that…?"

My heart pounded heavily when I looked away. What did he mean by it? Why did he moan my name, or was it just a mere coincidence? I gulped, anxiousness crippling inside me when I shook off all these thoughts away, and hurried out of the house, determined to ask my advance payments today.