Chapter Twenty Six - No Rejection - Maya's POV

Darkness squeezes me as my vision swims. It's almost like walking through a heavy fog, and it's pulling me under. I can't breathe. I can't even think. My body feels awkward and heavy. Any minute now, I should be hitting the floor. But all I'm greeted with is warmth. Strong arms catch me before I hit the floor. My ear is pressed against him, allowing me to hear his deep, steady heartbeat. The scent of something that reminds me of cedar fills my nostrils. It feels too good. Entirely too good. 'Maya, I have you. It's going to be okay," he says, trying to soothe me. If I had the energy, I would be shoving him away and telling him to stay back. I want to tell him none of this is real and I'm just trapped in a never-ending nightmare. My eyelids flutter as I struggle to keep them open. My view is minimal at best, with most of it in darkness. Everything feels distant and my ears are ringing. He's my mate. That's what he said. It's only a word I've read in books when I had the time to read or when I was in school, when we studied the animal kingdom. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think mates would be in the real world. And oddly, this kind of mate means I have no say in it, at least if the books are true. A low growl rumbles in his chest, drawing my attention to his throat. It's not threatening in the slightest and almost feels protective. 'You're burning up, Maya," he whispers as he leans down and presses his lips to the shell of my ear. 'Breathe." Even though he says I'm hot, I don't feel it. I actually feel cold, which makes no sense. My breathing comes out in shaky gasps as I try to breathe to bring myself back to reality. Instead, I'm just a trembling, cold mess that can't even stand up. I try to speak, to tell him that I'm trying, but I can't even get the words out. Even when he pulls back, I'm still trying to tell him. He gazes down at me while his arms tighten around me as if he'll fix it just by holding me. 'Come on. You can't do this to me when I just found you." I finally catch a breath. Then another. As I get my breathing back in order, my vision starts to become clear. My vision no longer swims and I can finally look at his face. And from this angle, it isn't so bad. His dark eyes lock onto mine. At any moment, I expect tears by the way his eyes fill with water, but he fights it back. 'My gosh, you scared me," he says as he closes his eyes. 'You have no idea how hard it is to scare me like this and make me nearly crumble." I don't know what to say or if I can even speak. This is shocking. From what I've heard about him, he's ruthless, cruel, and downright scary at all times. But this…. This is not what I expect. He's too caring and so unlike anything I heard. Could it be they are really just rumors spurred because of the mystery surrounding him? 'Please know that I wasn't going to tell you like this, but my wolf took over and I had no choice once I shifted in front of you. I was going to wait a while, and bring you into this world slowly." I almost laugh. The poor man is breaking down right in front of me and I'm just lying in his arms, wondering what in the world will happen next. Silence stretches between us for several long seconds. I feel as if staying here any longer may be my undoing. Once I feel strong enough, I push against his chest and try to get away from him. And get away from his overwhelming warmth. His arms loosen around me, yet he doesn't pull them back all the way until he knows I'm not going to finish hitting the floor. 'I don't know if I can do this," I whisper. 'Just send me back to my father and he'll find another way to pay off his debt. You surely don't want a human walking among your kind." His expression darkens. 'It's too late." 'No, I promise I won't tell anyone about you," I say as I finally stand again. 'That's not what I'm worried about. Rumors have spread like wildfire and the humans already think I'm a monster anyway," he says as he looks toward the door. 'You can't leave because I need you for other things." I shiver at the word other things. What does he possibly need with a human? 'What if I refuse?" He stands beside me, still naked and uncaring about what I see. 'Listen, your father owes me. I accepted you as payment. This is a done deal. As for refusing, do you want everyone to die?" I think of all the unsuspecting people of the city and wonder what if he went on a rampage? So many people could really be killed, and I'd be the one to blame. 'One day, you will understand. This is only the beginning. Soon, you'll find your place and accept what you are," he says, finally taking a step back from me. 'I get a choice, though, right? I don't have to accept you as my mate. There can be a rejection." 'You read too many novels." 'What?" I ask, unsure of what he means. 'You heard me. You read way too many novels," he repeats. I'm still confused. 'How did you know that?" 'Because you probably read that we reject mates and can do that easily before we're bonded. That is only found in books and not what really happens. We are driven by need and, well, we're not going to reject what fate gives us. It would be too hard to do. We'd probably die without them. Actually, we would die," he corrects himself.