A Rejection For Christmas

Chapter 2: Isabella is gone

Jared's POV

I can’t believe Isabella decided to reject me. My wolf Thane kept growling, angry that I let our mate reject us.

“I should leave; I have caused you enough trouble already,” Kathy’s eyes filled with tears, making my heart clench.

She was always so kind-hearted. I don’t understand why the Moon Goddess decided to pair me up with Isabella. She might be a beauty, but that is all she is.

“Kathy, you don’t have to worry about Isabella. She is gone, and I accepted her rejection. We can focus on your recovery now,” I said as I remembered what Kathy had endured because of me.

Kathy and I had been in a relationship for years when I met Isabella. I had sworn to her that I would always stay by her side, and I planned to reject my fated mate to keep that promise. However, when I saw Isabella…

She was the prettiest woman I had seen in my life. She had black wavy hair that went up to her waist, blue eyes that shone in the light like two crystals, white porcelain skin with rosy cheeks, and plump red lips.

Thane was over the hills when he saw her, but then I remembered my promise to Kathy. My father, Alpha Mason, realized what I wanted to do and immediately prohibited me from doing so.

All the attraction I could feel towards Isabella was gone at that moment. My resentment grew, and I thought that would be enough to keep me away from my mate, but it wasn't.

After a few months, I began to feel attracted to my mate. I wanted her close, so I mated with Isabella, hoping that would end my obsession with her. The problem was that Thane took control of me and marked her. Fortunately, I was able to regain control and avoid her mark.

I was furious at what my wolf did, so I decided to stay away from Isabella. During that time, I found out that Kathy was in the hospital. I immediately rushed to see her; she had tried to take her own life because Isabella told her I had marked her willingly and wanted nothing to do with Kathy.

I couldn't believe she had done something so cruel. My anger toward Isabella grew stronger, even more than my resentment toward the Moon Goddess for forcing this bond on me. Kathy was my light in the darkest of times, and seeing her fragile body hooked up to machines shattered something inside me.

I still needed her, of course, so I told Isabella I broke things with Kathy and would never be with her. I even promised to give the bond a chance, but that was a lie. Isabella was not fit to be my Luna. She was an orphan; we had no idea what her breed was, while Kathy was a Beta. She was weak at the moment, but she could produce strong pups.

“I never wanted to hurt you,” I whispered to Kathy, my voice thick with guilt.

She gave me a small, sad smile. “I know, Jared. But it’s not just you. This world isn’t kind to people like me.”

Thane growled in protest. "She isn't our mate, Jared; Isabella is; go find her and take your rejection back!"

When I confronted Isabella about what she had said to Kathy, she denied it, claiming Kathy was lying. Of course, I laughed; Kathy would never do that. She was not Isabella; she was kind, innocent, and a good woman. Everything my Luna should be.

I made sure Isabella understood that I would never believe a word she said over Kathy, and since that day, I avoided her.

My Dad noticed and started to threaten me again. You are handed the pack when you turn 21, so he was supposed to give it to me that year. However, he said I was too immature and that he would wait until my mate and I figured things out.

After that, I had to speak to Isabella. I told her I was ready for a truce and wanted to get to know her better if she helped me out with my Dad. She wasn't convinced at first, but then she agreed to do as I asked. Again, I had to make that stupid promise, one I never intended to keep.

Things were getting better between us. I could feel how the bond pushed us closer to one another, but my heart still longed for Kathy. No matter how strong the mate bond was, it couldn't erase years of love and loyalty. Isabella had a great body, I liked to f**k her, but that was it. If it were up to me, I would have rejected her the moment I marked her, but I couldn't do that.

Thane, however, was relentless. "Isabella is our true mate, Jared. Kathy will never complete us like she can."

“Shut up,” I growled under my breath, earning a confused glance from Kathy.

“Are you okay?” she asked softly, her concern breaking through my internal war.

I nodded quickly. “Yeah. Just… thinking.”

Her recovery had been slow but steady. The sparkle in her eyes was beginning to return, though the shadows of what she’d endured still lingered. I’d made it my mission to be by her side, even if Thane protested every step of the way.

Isabella and I pretended to be a happy couple, that was until my father died, and I had to stop pretending. I tried not to touch her after that, but it was impossible.

I called Kathy to tell her that the bond between Isabella and I couldn't be broken. I had already marked her; if I rejected her, I could kill Isabella, considering she was only an orphan. I never expected her to reject me first. She was not supposed to do that; she was the weak one in the relationship, and yet she acted as if I were nothing to her.

Enough of Isabella. She made her choice.

"We can finally have the life you wanted, Kathy," I cooed. I wanted to focus on her, but I could only think about Isabella. She must be packing.

"I don't want to drag you down," she said, dropping her gaze. "After that incident, I am not the same wolf."

That's right, I am the reason Kathy is so weak. During a fight with rogues, she had been gravely injured, and her recovery had been slow and incomplete. The guilt of that incident weighed heavily on me, knowing she had gotten hurt protecting me. I couldn't save her then, and now, I wanted to do everything in my power to give her the life she deserved.

But her words cut deep.

“Kathy, you’re not dragging me down,” I said firmly, reaching out to take her hands in mine. Her fingers felt fragile, but her presence had always been my strength. “You’re everything to me. I owe you everything.”

She smiled faintly, but the sadness in her eyes didn’t fade. “I know you mean that, Jared, but I’ve seen the way you look when you think about Isabella. She’s still in your heart, even if you won’t admit it.”

Thane stirred in my mind, his growl low and insistent. "She’s right. Stop lying to yourself."

I clenched my jaw. “I don’t want to talk about her, Kathy. She’s out of my life. I accepted her rejection—there’s nothing left to discuss.”

Kathy sighed and pulled her hands away. “You may have accepted her rejection, but that doesn’t mean the bond is truly severed. You’ve marked her, Jared."

"Yes, I did, but I don't have her mark; she will find a second chance, mate, and then my mark will be erased." I tried to remain calm, but Thane kept growling, telling me to stop this nonsense and find Isabella.

"Do you think she will truly let you go?" She asked with tears. "She might be tricking us; I don't want her to hurt me again," she mumbled.

"What?!" I roared because I had no idea Isabella dared to lay a hand on Kathy.

"Please, don't get angry," she whispered, so I forced myself to calm down. I was scaring Kathy.

"I won't, please, tell me what happened."

Kathy hesitated, her hands trembling slightly as she clutched the blanket on her lap. Her tear-filled eyes met mine, and I could see the fear lurking in their depths—fear she didn’t want to relive. But I needed to know.

“Kathy,” I said softly, trying to keep my voice steady despite the rage bubbling under the surface. “I need you to tell me everything. What did Isabella do?”

She bit her lip, looking away as if gathering the courage to speak. After a moment, her voice came out barely above a whisper. “She… she cornered me one day when you were out. I don’t know how she found me. She told me to stay away from you, that you’d never be able to love me the way you love her. And when I didn’t agree…” Her voice faltered as tears slipped down her cheeks. “She pushed me, Jared. I fell, and I hit my head.”

"Yeah, f*****g right," Thane huffed, so I shoved him at the back of my mind.

“She what?” My voice was sharp, and I saw Kathy flinch, which only added to my self-loathing. I forced myself to take a deep breath, unclenching my fists. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

“I was scared, Jared,” she admitted, her voice trembling. “You were trying so hard to make things work with her. I didn’t want to be the reason you hated me.”

“Hated you?” I scoffed, incredulous. “Kathy, you could never be the reason for anything like that. I’ve been blind to so much, but now I see just how far Isabella was willing to go to keep me tied to her.”

“Do you believe me?” she asked, "I thought you wouldn't since she is your mate-"

"Was, my mate," I cut her off. "And she won't ever interfere again."

That was a promise, one I planned to keep. I only had to wait for the divorce papers, which never came. Instead, I was given her death certificate.

Isabella was gone, or so I thought.