Refusal

Celine POV

My body is tired, and I'm in Dolton's arms. He holds me against him. His fingers stroke along my spine. I'm too tired to move, to talk or anything.

I would be asleep, but their whispered voices kept me awake just enough. They seem to be arguing over whether they can keep me here.

"Father may agree," Dolton says. His voice is full of hurt, and I want to tell him I'll be fine. I want to say to him that I'm getting my life back. He may not see me again, but I'll have a life and always remember him.

"Father will not agree. Remember why she was sent here? Remember why she is different? Do you think Father will agree?" Alex argues with him. I'm glad their father won't agree to keep me here. I want to be free. It wasn't until I came here that I learned my mother had hidden me. We moved often, and she would keep me locked in houses or similar.

I never had a life, I never had freedom; she told me that the thoughts I had and the images I saw made me a target. She warned me people would kidnap me and use that power to better their lives, and if it meant chaining me down in a basement, they would.

I guess that's why when I realised I was locked away and hidden, I didn't hate her. She was protecting me.

"Then...What if we go with her?" Dolton suggests. He's fighting to keep me in his life. His father won't let him leave here, even I know that.

"How? Come on, Dolton, you know that tomorrow she is gone. How can you go with her? Are you going to go to the highest bidder and ask them to let you go because you're her mate?" Wes laughs slightly.

"You were warned, Dolton. Don't get close; don't give in to the bond so much that you feel you need her to live. She's gone tomorrow. It might not even be a werewolf that buys her," Alex argues.

My mind reels. Am I getting sold? I want to sit up and demand answers, but I can't. I'm tired. They entered the room before the sun had fully set and stopped using my body when the sun rose.

"She's special," Dolton whispers, and I feel his fingers stroke down my spine.

"Special or not, she's gone. Think Dolton, you know everything. If things weren't shielded or if she wasn't tied down in the ways she was, we would be dead." Wes argues, and I wonder what he means.

Some of this makes no sense. I thought I was being set free, let to walk away and go wherever I wanted. They were just careful with their words, careful not to say that I would be sold.

"People may hurt her," Dolton whispers.

"We can't stop it. She's not ours. We have no power to keep her, Dolton. You don't listen. Why? You were repeatedly told that she is not our mate to be kept. She is different, and we don't own her. We were watching her until her father found a way to get rid of her," Alex sighs.

"This hurts us all, Dolton. The difference is we didn't let her in that far. She's going, so get used to it!" Wes argues. I feel Dolton's hands tighten on me, and his wolf growls.

"She could die," he whispers. "She could end up with vampires," he says louder.

"Then she dies or ends up with vampires. Enough, seriously, Dolton. We reject her in the morning, and she is gone," the door slams, and the room falls quiet.

Dolton's hands stay on me, and I drift to sleep.

The loud bang has me jumping up.

"Say your goodbyes, now!" Richard shouts and glares towards Dolton. I watch as Dolton goes to speak, but Richard raises his hand. Wes and Alex are standing behind him with their heads down. "I know about the bond. Get it done," he looks towards Wes and Alex.

Wes walks in and pulls me up. I stand confused as he glares at me. "I, Wes Elune of the Risewater Pack, reject you packless rogue Celine Destiny," his words hurt. He looks at me, waiting.

"Say you accept," Richard shouts.

"I accept your rejection." I almost fall at the pain that surges through me. Wes grips the side to steady himself. Why does that hurt so much? I barely feel the bond, but the rejection certainly hurts.

Wes steps back, and Alex stands ahead of me.

"I, Alex Elune of the Risewater Pack, reject you, packless rogue Celine Destiny," Alex says flawlessly, as if it means nothing.

"I accept your rejection," tears spill from my eyes as the pain spreads. It's too much. It hurts too much. The pain from the first rejection hasn't finished, and now I have the pain of a second rejection on me. They turn and look at Dolton.

"No!" He stands up and moves towards me. "I can't, and I won't!" He stands shaking.

"This is your fault," Richard turns to Wes and Alex. "Had you said you were her mate, I would have stopped him from getting so close to her!" he shouts louder.

"Just let her stay, please," Dolton looks at him. Richard steps forward and pulls him.

"Reject it now!" He shouts, and Dolton shakes his head.

"No, and if she leaves, I will follow her!" He's crying now, and I want to help, but it's impossible.

He screams and falls to the floor, and I look around, unable to see anything. His body quakes, and he goes pale; something is wrong with him.

"You're forgetting that I can use her to cause you pain," Richard shouts, and Dolton screams and falls more.

"No!" Dolton shouts.

"Fine, if your being hurt doesn't make you reject her, then maybe this will," Richard turns to me, and I crumble to my knees and scream. I feel like I'm being engulfed by fire.

"Stop!" Dolton runs for me, but Wes and Alex stop him. "Please," he cries, and I scream louder. My body curled up. How is this happening?

"Fine! I, Dolton Elund of the Rosewater Pack, reject you, packless rogue Celine Destiny," his words are quick, and I realise what he's done. They haven't, probably because my screams are drowning him out.

"I accept your rejection," I cry, and the burning sensation stops. He didn't reject me. He said rosewater, not risewater. He said Elund not Elune. I look at him in shock.

"Say goodbye, she's leaving." Richard storms out.

"Goodbye, Celine," Wes and Alex say together before leaving. Dolton rushes to me and hugs me.

"Dolton," I whisper.

"Shh, I'll find you, Celine. I'll watch for who wins, follow them, and then find you." He whispers into my ear. He grips my face and kisses me.

"I love you, Celine," his words are quiet. "Focus, really focus, Celine. You have a wolf. You're not just a werewolf. You're the Queen Goddess."

I laugh slightly. He grips me harder. "It's not a lie. You're all species together, Celine. Please fight. Don't forget this conversation. Try and remember. Try and force yourself to feel your wolf and magic," he begs and steps back as the door opens. His eyes plead with me to remember, and I nod.