Rejected

“I know. What I need you to tell me is…why is she calling to me in my dreams?” Sandy and I both wear the same confused look as we stare at the two women, waiting for answers when we don’t even fully understand the question.

“I…I thought we would have more time. Nadia, I thought YOU would have more time. It is why I sent you here. It is why I let you leave. You need to find your mate.” Nadia’s face falls in despair while I still struggle to grasp what is going on.

“I did mom, but he rejected me. What will happen if I don’t have a mate?” The pain in her mother’s eyes is heavy and the regret is rolling off of her in thick, agonizing waves.

“The enchantress blessed you, but the enchantment will end on your 21st birthday, with it, the blessing of the moon goddess will end as well.” Nadia chokes back a sob, hands clenching the blanket tightly and pressed firmly against her chest.

“What does that mean for my wolf?” None of us fail to catch the way her mother winces at her question.

“She will cease to be.” Nadi’s head drops as tears spill steadily onto the blanket.

“So, I will become mortal? A…a human?” Though Nadia is not looking, her mother shakes her head in response.

“Once the enchantment fades, so will it’s effects. It will be as though the enchantment never existed.” I feel the air shift around us as Nadia draws in a deep breath, wipes away her tears and gives her mother a stern look.

“So, I will die.” It is not a question, it is a statement that carries with it more weight than her mother can bear and a sense of resignation that she is accepting her fate. The mere thought of it has my wolf howling in agony.

“Please don’t think like that, Dia. There is still time! You are only about to turn 19!” While her mother poses a great argument, I can see the distress on Sandy’s face and the cold, broken look in Nadia’s eyes.

“I am going to go get cleaned up.” She rises from her seat and without a single glance at any of us, she makes her way to a room in the hall that I can only assume is the bathroom. Once the door is closed, her mother breaks down, completely shattering in front of us. The woman in front of me is surely worthy of being comforted and reassured, but I leave that to Sandy as I exit down the hall, searching until I find the room with the heaviest concentration of Nadia’s scent. I find a pair of black leggings, a light grey sweater, underwear, a bra and socks then lay them out on her bed.

I patiently, well, mostly patiently, wait for her to exit the bathroom and enter her bedroom. Without a word spoken, I remove her towel, gently dry her body and then slowly dress her with as much tenderness as I can muster. I grab the black slip on shoes at the edge of her bed, slide them on her and then look around her room until I spot her hairbrush on her dresser. I carefully brush through her wet hair, put it into a ponytail using the elastic band on the handle of the brush then take her hand and lead her out of the house. I can see her mother’ desire to protest, but she wisely chooses to remain silent.

I take her to the car and ensure she is safely strapped in then climb in the driver’s seat, pulling away from the curb and following some unknown instinct to a destination that will hopefully pull her out of her current state of bitter defeat. We pull up in front of the hospital and she gives me a look that is mostly empty, but the faint hint of confusion gives me hope. I drag her through the hospital, her hand firmly held in mine, weaving through corridors, around patients until we reach the room with my secret weapon hidden behind its door. I look her in the eye as I grip the handle, slowly pushing open the door and watching as her eyes come to life when she sees Rose and Danny inside.

She rushes over to rose, who is still laying in a hospital bed, and throws her arms around her. The sound of an infant crying grabs the attention of both women as Edmund rounds the corned with their infant son in his arms. Nadia’s eyes fill with emotions I had feared I may never see again. She walks briskly to stand in front of Edmund and relieves him of the screeching bundle, his eyes conveying how grateful he is for the reprieve. We all watch as the infant quickly settles, his tiny brown eyes staring up at her in wonder.

“You truly have the magic touch, Nadia. We want to thank you for what you did for us…for our children. Saying thank you can’t even cover the gratitude, love and respect we have for you. You not only saved us, but you put your life on the line to save what is most precious to us.” Edmund’s voice breaks as he speaks words that he clearly feels are inadequate for what he wishes to convey.

“You don’t need to thank me. I would do it again without so much as a second thought.” Her eyes are fixed on the tiny brown ones of the infant in her arms. The broken emotions from her mother’s revelation still lie within her eyes, but at the forefront are emotions of love, peace and contentment. After several minutes, she returns the, now sleeping, child to its mother’s arms. They say their goodbyes and we both exit the room, both feeling a little lighter. When we make it out of the hospital, we begin walking aimlessly down the sidewalk, neither of us ready to allow the reality of the day set in. We walk for almost an twenty minutes before she finally speaks, her words warming the cold air around us.

“Thank you for that.” I glance over at her, observing how her eyes focus on the sidewalk as we continue pushing further to the edge of town.

“For what?” While I can assume I know what she means, I am not ready for the silence to return.

“For being there. For caring. For taking me to see Rose and the boys. For reminding me that there is something worth holding onto.” Her eyes meet mine and our feet stop moving.

“You have a lot to live for, Nadia. You are worthy of so much happiness. So, you are different…that doesn’t make you any less deserving. Any wolf would be lucky to have you and I have no doubt that the goddess has plans for you.” She smiles half heartedly and lowers her gaze.

“Well, she has two years to act out her plan.” She begins laughing and it catches me entirely off guard.

“Are you ok?” Her laughter has quickly reached a point where she is teetering on the line between laughter and hyperventilation.

“I…never…thought…I would…have an ex…expiration date!” While it is a dark thought, I cannot prevent my laughter. It answers hers, echoing the heavenly sound as I find myself grateful to see her feeling anything that puts a smile on her face.

“That is messed up.” I am gasping for air as my laughter dies down, but she continues to struggle to control hers.

“If I am going to be standing toe to toe with the reaper, I may as well find the entertaining side of it.” She shrugs, her emotions the polar opposite of what she felt just two hours ago. As I open my mouth to speak, Kyle opens a pack link and when his emotions hit me, I know I am not going to like what he has to say.

‘Alpha, there was a breech at the south border.’

‘Status?’

‘Threat still not contained. We…we can’t track it.’

‘On my way.’

I sever the link to be met with the cautious and stern blue eyes of Nadia.

“Go. I will be fine.” I want to question how she knows , but brush it off as her reading it from my expression since I made no attempt to cover it. I give her an apologetic half smile before pushing my wolf forward and rushing off to the southern border.