Chapter 150 Reject Her
Chapter 150 Reject Her
TESSA
I couldn’t say I didn’t see it coming. After my parents died, it felt like nothing in this world was truly for
- me.
But knowing it was coming didn’t make the blow hurt any less.
It still hurt. In fact, it really, really hurt.
There was a bond between us now, so the pain transcended mere emotional pain, also becoming physical. In that small space, I felt like I had no place between the two of them. The race hadn’t even started yet, and I already lost.
In fact, I had no right to compete.
My heart began aching.
I told myself not to make it obvious. Don’t let him see. Don’t let anyone see.
Every single time I hinted at how I felt, make it emotional or physical, I was accused of “acting up” again. Until now, my heartache was nothing more than a childish tantrum.
My pulse was racing in panic and pain, even though I tried to keep my face calm.
In the end, it didn’t work, especially with Rowan’s eyes on me like this.
He continued looking at me, and as much as I liked his attention, I wished he would look away.
“I think you’re already aware,” he said, “that I’m serious about Ellana. That I want her to be my Luna.”
Those words were the cherry on top of my heart ache.
“My parents would also want that,” he added softly.
I let out a shallow breath. Why did that have to be the last part? It felt like even his parents had already decided that I wasn’t enough.
I felt my throat burn. I swallowed it down, or tried to, because what right did I have to cry? What right did I have to expect anything else from him?
I had told myself I was prepared for whatever he would say. But hearing it was different.
Was he going to reject me?
The thought alone made my chest feel like it was caving in. My heart was already aching too much to keep up with my own breaths. I could feel myself becoming lighter and lighter, my body swaying like the ground was trying to slip from beneath me.
“I hope you understand,” he said quietly. “I only see you as Zaria’s sister.”
Even here, in this moment when it was supposed to be just us, my identity was still tied to someone else.
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Chapter 150 Reject Her
It hurt so much I could barely hear him over the pounding in my eare
“It really hurts now,” I whispered, though I wasn’t sure if I’d actually spoken out loud or if the se only lived in my head. My voice felt like it was shaking even if I hadn’t used it
“So, I…” His voice faltered. For the first time, he seemed unsure.
I could barely focus. My vision had gone blurry, and not because of tears though they inurned at the corners of my eyes–but because something inside me was shutting down, telling my body it was too much, too much to keep standing here and taking this.
“Tessa?” he said.
I couldn’t answer. My heart couldn’t take it anymore.
The edges of my vision darkened, and I felt my knees buckle before I even realized I was falling
The last thing I felt was Rowan’s arms catching me, solid and warm against the cold that had crept into my skin, holding me up when I no longer could.
***
I woke up.
For a long moment, I didn’t move, afraid that if I did, the pain would come rushing back. But there was nothing.
My head felt heavy, my limbs sluggish, but I was breathing. I wasn’t dead.
It took me another moment to notice the softness beneath my cheek and the scent that engulfed my entire being.
This whole room smelled like Rowan.
Before I could stop myself, I curled into it, pressing my face deeper into the pillow, drawing in another breath. Goddess, I really liked his scent.
But did the rejection push through?
The thought made my chest tighten again. I reached instinctively for my heart, expecting the familiar thread of pain that came with knowing it existed between us, but… I wasn’t sure. I couldn’t tell if it was still there or if I was just imagining it.
My ears picked up faint voices beyond the door. I froze.
I pushed myself upright, ignoring the pull in my muscles, and padded softly across the floor. The door was slightly ajar, and the sound drifted through.
“I told you, nothing will change, Rowan said with certainty.
I leaned closer, the cool wood against my ear, and listened.
They were arguing.
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Chapter 150 Reject Her
Ellana’s voice cracked, the sound edged with a tremor. “Everything changes, Rowan, she muttered.
“You’re her mate,” Ellana continued, her voice gaining strength. “You need to treasure her
“I treasure you the most,” Rowan answered without hesitation.
I bit down hard on my lip, tasting the faint tang of blood. My fingers curled into the fabric of the sleeve I was wearing. I only realized now that I was wearing Rowan’s sweater.
Ellana’s next question was hesitant. “You’re not planning on rejecting her, right?”
“For you,” Rowan said, and I could hear the sincerity in every syllable, “I could.”
There goes the nail in the coffin. There was no armor in the world thick enough to stop that pain from getting through.
Ellana’s reply came sharper, panicked even. “You can’t.”
Silence stretched for a beat before she went on, her words tumbling fast. “I’ll hate you if you do that. The bond is sacred and given to us. To find your mate this early in your life is a blessing.”
She sniffled. “But I wanted it to be you.”
I could picture it, even without seeing–her head bowed, eyes red, shoulders shaking.
Rowan’s voice softened, but I could still hear the tension threaded through it.
“You can’t reject her… for me,” she added.
Their voices grew more distant, footsteps moving away down the hall, until I could no longer make out the words.
I let go of the doorframe, my fingers numb, and stumbled back toward the bed. My knees hit the edge, and I sank down hard.
The room was quiet now, but my chest wasn’t.
It felt like someone had reached in and squeezed my heart until the edges splintered. I pulled my knees close, my chin resting against them as though making myself small could somehow make the ache hurt
– less.
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