44

The silence was thick between them after Neliyah made her suggestion. It was as if Colsin could not believe that this was what she wanted. Even though it made all the sense in the world that she did.

“So that’s...that’s what you truly want?” he asked. “You want us to reject one another.”

“I’d rather be rejected than hurt again.”

“And what makes you think that you won’t hurt me first?!” Colsin snapped.

“What?” Incredulously, Nel looked at him. She couldn’t believe what he was saying. Shaking her head, she walked around the young alpha. “What are you talking about?! Unlike you, I don’t even have a boyfriend-”

Colsin snatched Nel up so quickly, she stumbled into him. “Like hell you do!” he hissed.

“Wh-Col, I don’t know what you’re talking about-”

“That Liam guy!” he spat. “I’ve seen the way he watches you. How he lurks close by whenever you’re nearby. He’s a freaking stalker and you are just too blind to see it!” he growled.

Nel had nothing to say because it wasn’t like she was completely ignorant of the fact that Liam was attracted to her. He made it no secret.

“If he forced himself on you once, Red, he’ll do it again.”

Her relationship with Liam was intense, Nel could not deny that. She just could not bring herself to believe that he would do something so heinous.

“I don’t believe that.”

Colsin was getting irritated at this point. “I refuse to believe that you are honestly that naïve.”

“There’s a difference between naivety and simple trust.”

“Well, where he’s concerned, Red, I can’t help but feel like you’re treading a fine line here.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Exactly what I said!” Colsin snapped back. “Do you really believe he’d be this understanding and slow-going with you if I wasn’t around?”

“You…are you freaking kidding me?” Before Nel could stop herself, she shoved Colsin. “So, I’m an idiot who can’t take care of myself now? It’s all about you?”

“He’s trying to get between us, so that you’ll run to him when-”

“Well newsflash, Col, there isn’t much to screw up when it comes to me and you. It’s not like our relationship is on a strong foundation.”

“That’s not the point-”

“That’s the whole point!” Nel griped angrily. “We are mates and we just can’t cut it! We can’t even talk for a long period of time before the conversation turns sour. Do you really think that is how it’s supposed to be?”

After she said this, they both stood there in silence for a moment. She thought about everything that had transpired between them up until this point, and suddenly, Nel realized that Colsin may have been on to something.

“Maybe you’re right,” she said. “Maybe the goddess did make a mistake.”

Colsin was thrown aback by what she had said. “Red, I-”

“Listen,” she interrupted him. “My mom is expecting me.” Nel walked toward the door and opened it. “Whenever you make your decision, just let me know.” She left the laundry room and closed the door behind her, leaving the young alpha contemplate what his future would be. Was it with Neliyah Larken? Or without?

Neliyah was glad to be away from the packhouse and with her mother. It was a pleasant surprise that Manari had shown up that day.

“I thought it would be nice to have us all here in the garden today,” said Leana as they all settled in their specific parts of the widespread garden nestled between the diner and Leana Larkin’s home.

“You’re right,” Nel countered as she found her spot in the garden. “I’m glad to be here with you all.”

Leana moved her and grabbed her daughter’s head to kiss it. “Diddo, sweetheart,” she said and then continued to the center of the garden.

“Just like old times!” Manari exclaimed as she used her power to move every tool that she was going to utilize into the places where they best suit her.

“Yes, and just like old times, no…powers!” Leana said with amusement.

Manari immediately stopped and then looked away sheepishly. “Oh right,” Manari stopped. “Sorry, Ms. Larken.”

“Nel, would you go show Manari where the gardening gloves are located? I have a fresh pair hanging on the back of the shelf in the shed behind the house.”

“No worries, Ms. L,” said Manari. “I remember where they are.” Before another word could be spoken, Manari wandered off toward the back of the house.

After she left, Nel continued on with the gardening, the small smile that once graced her youthful face had disappeared into something more similar to concern.

Leana watched her for a moment, and then continued gardening as she asked, “How are things? At the packhouse?”

The inquiry caught Nel off guard. She looked at her mother, caught off guard for but a moment before she returned her attention to the hole that she’d been working on seconds earlier.

“Fine,” Nel sufficed with a one-word answer but deep down she knew that it wouldn’t be enough of an answer for her mother.

“Ah, so in other words, you’ve been having problems?”

Leana’s sentence was worded as a question, but Nel knew that it was more of a statement. When Nel no longer heard her mother’s hand shovel hitting against the dirt, she stopped and just as she suspected, Leana was staring at her waiting for an answer.

“Things are complicated, mom.”

“And how so?” asked Leana. “Is it that boy that you’re mated to?”

Nel sighed but she didn’t answer. Yes, things were complicated between she and Colsin Stone but that did not mean that she wanted to get him into trouble with her mother. Nel believed that while it may take some time, she could handle this problem on her own. Still, she was never really keen on lying to her mother either.

“Mom, everything is going to be fine.” Nel finally decided on a vague answer.

At this point, Leana stopped gardening altogether, and turned to face her daughter. Manari had returned from the shed, but she did not stop the conversation. There was no doubt in Leana’s mind that either Manari knew what was going on or she would know sooner rather than later.

“Nel, sweetheart…please be honest with me. Has he done something else? Has he betrayed you again or…”

“No, mom, no.” Nel sighed and then she faced both her mother and her best friend. “I told him…” she said. “Who I was and…”

“What?!” Manari incredulously exclaimed. “What in trailblazers did you do that for?”

“I don’t-I didn’t mean to,” she said. “It just…it came out during an intense argument. Then…something happened the other day and, he let slip how he really felt about my kind. I…” her eyes turned to the floor as she thought about the conversation and the accusations that Colsin threw around during it. Nel didn’t want to delve deeper than she had to, so she didn’t. “Things have just been…turbulent is all.” She turned her gaze up to her mother and Manari again, this time with a small smile. “He has not betrayed me since the first time. He…he is trying.”

“Have you both talked about rejection?” Nel’s mother asked and then began working on the gardening again but her attention was only partially on it.

“Yes,” Nel exhaled. Sure, Colsin Stone was not an ideal mate in terms of character, but that didn’t mean that rejecting him would be easy. Nel never imagined that she’d even have to consider something like that, let alone follow through with it.

“Well?” Leana stopped again, all attention on her daughter.

“What did he say?” asked Manari, finishing the sentence.

Silence lingered in the air for a moment or so, Nel pausing on the question posed by her mother and her best friend. Then she started digging into the dirt again.

“It’s complicated.”

“That answer will only go but so far, Neliyah.”

Nel knew that her mother was going to get tired of such vague answers.

“I didn’t give him much of a chance to say anything,” Nel finally confessed. His facial expression stuck to her memory like bubblegum to a shoe. It was only as Nel was practically forced to recall the conversation that Nel remembered the look on his face when she suggested this.

“I told him that if it was that hard to choose between his girlfriend and his true mate, then maybe he should just let me go…I don’t think he was in agreement of that idea.”

“Greedy bastard!” Manari hissed under her breath. She rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe he would choose a wretch like that over you?”

“Now, now, Nari,” said Leana. “I fear it’s a bit more complicated than that.”

“Yes, well, it shouldn’t be.”

“I agree,” said Nel concerning her best friend’s comment. “I think the goddess made a mistake with this one-”

“What?!” Leana incredulously looked at her daughter. “Neliyah Larken, you can’t speak like that! It’s blasphemous!”

“Is it though?” Nel looked at her mother and then at her best friend. Manari’s expression made it clear that she was not going to get in the middle of this.

“What? Yes! To question the goddess?” Leana expressed worrisomely. “Yes, it is!”

“To ask a simple question to the one who did this? I just want clarification, mom. Nothing more. I…I just want to know…”

Nel struggled not to cry. The wind around them began to pick up and she knew immediately that it was her fault. It wasn’t till lately that Nel realized how much that necklace her mother gave her truly helped her control herself. Suddenly, she wished that she had it around her, but she didn’t want to ask Manari for it back. How would she look in doing so.

“Are you alright, love?” asked Leana breaking her daughter out of her reverie.

“Yeah, yes, I’m fine.” Nel lied.

Leana knew that Nel wasn’t fine at all, but she didn’t go against what her daughter had said. If Nel ever wanted to talk about it, she would. So for now, she’d leave it alone.

“I’m going to go for a walk.” Nel stood and started to leave. “I’ll be back.” She paused and turned to her mother. “You’ll still be here,” her hopeful stare shifted between her mother and her best friend.

They both smiled. “We have a lot of gardening to catch up on,” said Leana. “Of course we will be here.” She stood and kissed her daughter’s forehead. “Now go.”

“Thanks mom.” Nel smiled and then walked away.

She was just outside of the yard when Manari caught up to her. “Hey, wait!”

“Is everything alright?” asked Nel.

“Sure!” Manari smiled. She then went into her pocket and took something out. She grabbed Nel’s hand, turned it over and placed something inside.

“Nari?” Nel watched her friend with mirthful curiosity.

“It was never mine to keep. But I still wanted to give it a few tweaks for you. With mom and daddy’s help of course.” She gave Nel a small smile and then she headed off back to the garden with Nel’s mother.

She smiled when she saw what it was that her best friend left in the palm of her hand. “My necklace.”