Scarlet Stains: An Emotional Rejected Mate Werewolf Romance, page 1
SCARLET STAINS
KULSUM
All global publishing rights are held by Umme Kulsum.
Published in 2021
Content Copyright © Umme Kulsum
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system, in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the Author.
The moral right of the Author has been asserted.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the Author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated, without the Author’s prior consent, in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published.
Trigger Warning
This story contains the mention and description of themes and scenes of depression, suicide, sexual assault, violence and trauma.
Chapter 1
"How do you expect to find your mate without meeting new people?" asked Jenna.
I don't.
I had turned eighteen barely two days ago and Jenna was already on my case. Even if I failed to find my mate, Jenna would probably find him for me. I was sure about that.
"You don't seem even the least bit enthusiastic about finding him," she said, placing a hand on her hip. "Don't you want to fall in love, Alana?"
I do want to fall in love. I hope to. But I don't expect to.
"Don't give me that smile. You always avoid this conversation." She frowned. "I'm starting to worry about you now."
This whole talk had started on a completely different note and had been focused on an entirely different topic. Jenna, my older sister, had been telling me all about the proposal her boyfriend had planned for her last night. Now, somehow, the trail of words had ended up with the arrow pointing towards me and my love life.
"If it's supposed to happen, it will happen, Jen," I said, smiling, "you focus on Dave and your relationship. You're engaged. Enjoy your life, don't bother about me."
Jenna's eyes flickered with hesitancy. She did not want to close this topic here, I knew that. However, she eventually gave up and went back to telling me all about the arrangements that Dave had done and how he had surprised her.
I listened in silence, glancing at the delicate platinum ring on her finger.
Jenna had gone through a hard time last year when her mate had died. She had barely turned eighteen and had hardly met him once before he had been forced to take his last breath. The death had been a result of a freak accident. His head had split open. Since he had been home alone, he had bled out in the absence of timely help.
Within a month of his death, Jenna had met Dave and the two of them had clicked together. He had courted her for a year and showered her with love, surprises and gifts. And, last night, he had proposed.
Seeing Jenna this excited was quite relieving and I was genuinely happy for her. She believed in love with all her heart and Dave upheld her trust with the utmost care.
"He makes me feel so special," she said, her eyes adorning a misty look.
Special.
I had never felt special.
This was the difference between our stories. Jenna's story was filled with acceptance and love. My story, on the other hand, was a story of rejection.
Even before I was born, my father rejected me. After I was born, my mother rejected me. At school, I was rejected by the other kids.
I still believed that it was a miracle that the Jades adopted me. A meek, unsociable, ten year old girl. What had they found so special about me? I did not know. But I was glad and deeply grateful.
The Jades had accepted me into their family and given me their name. I had been blessed with parents who cared about me and an older sister who took me under her wing.
Of course, I considered myself blessed to have been gifted this family. I did realise that a lot of other kids at the orphanage were not as lucky as me.
I had always tried my best to accept the love and care that was showered upon me. I tried to drill the concept of unconditional love into my mind. But I could do neither of these two things. I found it easier to give rather than to take.
I knew that there was no hidden motive behind my family's love. I understood that this was how families worked, how love worked. But rationality could not fill up the gaping wounds inside me that were swallowed up in loneliness.
I reciprocated the care, the love and everything else. However, deep down I always felt like I was being pitied upon and that the Jades were doing me a favour, that I somehow owed them. I knew this was not true, but I could not rise above this insecurity.
"Dave's going to be here any minute," said Jenna. "Let me go and grab my handbag."
The moment the words escaped her lips, the doorbell rang.
"He's here," said Jenna, rushing out of the den.
I smiled and shook my head. She was as excited as she was on her first date with Dave.
Unlocking my phone, I glanced at the time before going on to check my messages. I was running late.
Last month, I had started to volunteer at the old age home. The reason was simple; I needed something to do that would fill up my time before I started college and the old age home was a peaceful place to spend time. Life was slow moving there, just like I liked it.
I heard Jenna open the door and greet Dave. Then footsteps followed.
"I'll be back in a minute," Jenna's voice sounded from the hallway.
Soon after, Dave appeared at the door of the den.
"Hey Alana," he said.
I had stood up to leave and was about to reach down for my handbag but his greeting made me turn around. "Hi-"
The rest of the words got caught in my throat.
The world stood still.
His eyes mirrored mine, horror reflecting and intensifying each second.
His presence incited warmth within my heart. Butterflies danced in my stomach and my skin tingled.
"No - No way," he whispered, taking slow steps towards me.
I stumbled back, shaking my head. "Don't come near me."
The proximity was making my skin burn.
My eyes frantically looked down at my wrist, hoping that this was some kind of a weird phenomenon and not what I thought it was.
But I was wrong.
A small maroon mark, like a half moon tattoo, was steadily appearing on my wrist.
Dave held up his wrist and I saw an identical mark appearing on his.
I sucked in a sharp breath, willing myself to wake up. This nightmare had to end. This could not be my reality.
Please no.
But it was pure reality.
This can't be happening.
No.
How?
Through blurry vision, I saw Dave swallow.
As the realisation sunk in deeper and deeper, the warm and fuzzy tingles in my chest were admixed with dread and searing ripples of pain.
"I can't-" he said. "I love Jenna. I- We're engaged. I-"
I held up a trembling hand, not allowing the sound of shattering hopes and dreams inside me to drown out the last bit of clarity remaining in my mind.
"I know," I said, swallowing the lump in my throat.
"Let's go, babe," Jenna's voice floated into the den.
"She can't know." I wiped away my tears and grabbed my handbag. "We'll do this tomorrow."
He nodded, sighing helplessly. "I'm sorry."
I rushed past him, his cologne making my stomach churn.
"Bye," I called out to Jenna without sparing her a glance.
Then I rushed out of the house, every inch of my body mourning the loss of my mate.
I had lost a chance at love again. Another rejection was added to my already heavy bag.
My mate was rejecting me as well.
There was no hope left now. I had been right all along. Love had never been written down for me. Never.
Chapter 2
Dave was about Jenna's age. He too had turned eighteen last year.
I had assumed that the matter of his mate had been done and dusted with. Jenna had never spoken about it and I had never asked. However, I had not in my wildest of nightmares imagined that I would be his mate. Never.
"It's not that emotional, you know," said a voice.
Brought out of my thoughts, I glanced sideways at the person sitting next to me.
Noah. The new volunteer who had joined the previous day.
"What?" I stared at him.
We were seated in the last row of the screening room. An old movie was being played for the elders and they were all deeply engrossed in the same.
Except for the screen light, the room was covered in darkness. Nobody made any sound and time seemed to have slowed down along with the dull-paced plot of the movie.
"You've been shedding a little too many tears. The movie is not that emotional," he said, a warm smile playing on his lips.
I blinked and realised that my cheeks were wet and the tears had even stained my phone which was lying on my lap.
I wiped away the tears, trying to erase the thoughts clawing
My soul was in pieces. The last thread of hope that I was hanging onto had snapped today. The tiny speck of excitement and heart-throbbing ache that I had been harbouring inside my chest had dwindled away. My mind had won over my heart.
"It's not the movie, is it?" said Noah, his eyes following the mark of my mate on my wrist.
"Huh?" I cleared my throat, not meeting his eyes.
Why was he staring at the mark? He was not a werewolf. He probably had no idea... or did he?
"You're crying over something else." He sighed. "You can talk to me if you want. People have told me that I'm a good listener."
I sat still for a moment and then slowly stood up, a little taken aback by his frankness.
"Thanks," I said, giving him a weary smile. "I just need a few minutes alone."
He nodded at me and an understanding passed through his eyes.
Get a grip, Alana.
I walked out of the room.
You're used to this, right?
Yes, you're used to this.
***
Dave had texted to inform me that he would drop by the old age home in the evening. He wanted to talk and sort out the issue at hand.
Of course.
He could not even wait until the next day. He wanted to get rid of me as soon as possible. At least, that's how I saw it.
My phone buzzed with Dave's text.
I'm here. Please come out.
Pocketing my phone, I took in a deep breath.
Noah's gaze was fixated on me as I walked out of the games room where we had been spending time with a group of ladies. The game of carom had been over long back and gossip had taken its place with a more enthusiastic stance.
Dave was leaning against the wall by the gate, his car keys dangling in one hand and his phone in the other.
As the distance between us shortened and I approached him, the tension in his posture became blatantly apparent.
His shoulders were tense and his hands were restlessly and awkwardly changing positions. His jaw was clenched and his lips were set in a tight line.
"Hi," he said, when he saw me. A small smile made his lips curl up.
"Hi." I tried to smile back but I was not as casual about this situation as he apparently was to succeed in it.
"I'm sorry," he said, taking a step towards me, "I truly am."
I stepped back, keeping the distance between us intact.
Did he not feel this warmth in his chest? Did his heart not hammer crazily? Did he not feel this yearning? Did his skin not tingle and want to be touched?
The answer was clear. No. Otherwise, he would not have attempted to come closer. He felt nothing.
"Just - Just keep Jenna happy, okay?" I said.
"Always." He placed his palm on his chest in a solemn promise.
I nodded. "Let's get this over with then."
He sucked in a sharp breath. "I need to hold your hand to do it."
I swallowed. There was no choice left now.
I clenched my jaw and moved towards him, holding out my hand.
As his hand wrapped around mine, my blood ran cold. This was really happening.
"Ready?" he whispered.
No. I don't want to lose you.
"Alana?" he said.
Even if I did act selfish and somehow convinced him to not reject me, I would probably never earn his love. He only loved Jenna and I could not take her place in his heart.
Forcing myself to shut out these second thoughts, I hastily nodded, swallowing back a sob.
"I, Dave Fields, reject you, Alana Jade, as my mate. In all consciousness and without hesitation, I have made my decision. I pray for us to part ways. I pray for us to no longer be mates. I reject you as my mate," he said.
I bit my lip hard but held my ground.
He let go of my hand and I immediately brought my wrist up to my eyes and saw the mark fading away.
Soon enough, it was completely gone, leaving behind no essence of ever having existed.
"It's done," I murmured. "The rejection is complete."
"The rejection is complete," he repeated my words, shifting nervously on his feet.
Rejection. The word tasted so foreign and yet so familiar on my tongue. All my life, I had lived knowing that this word was my reality. But today, when I heard someone actually say it out loud, it hurt. A lot. Something died inside me today.
"I'll see you around," said Dave, awkwardly moving back and avoiding my gaze.
"Yeah," I said, stepping back myself.
He hurriedly walked over to his car, got in and then drove off the next minute.
My knees had turned to jelly but I managed to turn around to go back inside, choking on the cries that erupted from the depths of my heart. I could not hold them in any longer.
Walking without much thought to the path ahead, I collided with someone's chest.
I flinched and then looked up to find myself face to face with Noah.
His eyes were hesitant.
"Are you all right?" he asked, gently holding me by my arms.
I said nothing, knowing all too well what a mess I probably looked like.
"I-I didn't mean to eavesdrop. But I heard the last bit," he said. "I'm sorry."
A small cry escaped my lips when he squeezed my arms reassuringly. The wall crumbled down and a flood of defeat washed me over. I could see all those dreams that I had painted over the years being torn apart and the childish pictures of a perfect life with my mate falling to the ground.
Noah opened his arms. "A hug can help sometimes."
I did not want to take a second and think about his offer or what it meant or what its consequences could be. I just wanted some comfort. I craved it. So I leaned on him and cried into his chest, my arms going around him.
Life was a cruel joke. A pathetic, cruel joke.
Chapter 3
"Here," said Noah, extending a bag towards me.
I snapped out of my thoughts.
The night had fallen and we were still at the old age home. Our working hours were long over but I had neither had the heart nor the will to go back home.
I stared at the bag.
A few hours ago, Noah had let me cry on his shoulder for a good half hour. Then he had patted my back and led me into this empty room to calm down and regain my composure. Somehow, he seemed to know what I wanted.
He had left the room soon after to give me the space and alone time that I needed.
I had assumed that he had left for the day since his shift was over anyway. But that was apparently not true because here he was in front of me now.
"What's this?" I asked, clearing my throat.
I was sitting cross legged on the floor with my back to the wall.
"Something to make you feel a little better," he said, placing the bag in my lap and sitting down next to me.
I bit my lip and looked down at the contents.
A tub of ice cream, some chocolate bars and a bottle of juice.
I blinked. "For me?"
He nodded. "A full stomach makes everything seem better. Even better if it's full of sweets."
Why did he care? Apart from names, we did not even know each other.
"Thank you. This is very thoughtful of you," I said, then sighed, "but I can't take it."
He rolled his eyes, resting his head against the wall. "Why not?"
"I just can't." I gave him a gracious but a no-thank-you look.
"If it's going to help your ego, then you can pay me back later. Okay?" He closed his eyes, exhaling deeply. "Gosh, today was tiring."
Beneath his calm and composed exterior, he had a sense of empathy and understanding. He had offered me a shoulder to cry on, even though I was almost a stranger to him. Then he had bought ice cream and chocolates for me.
Nobody else had thought so much about me, maybe except the Jades.
I took out the huge ice cream tub and a pleasant smile made my lips curl up. He had bought salted caramel. My favourite flavour.
"There are spoons in there as well," he said.
He had now opened his eyes and was looking at me.
I nodded and fished out the spoons, handing him one as well.
"Thanks." He smiled sheepishly. "It's my favourite flavour."
I moved back against the wall again, keeping the tub between us on the floor. "Mine too."
We ate in silence for a few minutes.
