Ryan
"I love you, Clarissa, but I can't just decide to reject Rayna tomorrow, even if you ask me to. It doesn't work like that; I'm sorry."
Those were my last words to Clarrisa before she packed up and left, and for some reason, I didn't try to stop her. I knew I should have found a way to stop her from leaving, even if I had to get down on my knees, but instead, I watched her walk past me without making any effort to keep her by my side.
It wasn't until after she left and I was alone in her room that her absence hit me. Clarissa has been a part of my life for years now, and I love her more than I have ever loved anyone. As far as I was concerned, she was my destined mate, and it didn't matter the games the goddess was trying to play by pairing Rayna and me as mates.
"Ryan! Ryan! Ryan!" a voice called out my name from behind, snapping me out of my thoughts. I looked behind me to see who was calling me, and it turned out to be Ariella, my beta.
"Hey, Ari. What's up!" I greeted her, wondering what she wanted.
"Is everything okay? I've been calling you from over there for over a minute, but you seemed lost in your thoughts. Is something going on?" she asked.
I sighed. "It's nothing you have to concern yourself about, Ari. I just have a lot on my mind," I responded, and she nodded in understanding before folding her arms across her chest.
"I've heard the rumors, buddy. In fact, I think it's safe to say that the entire pack now knows that you're having lady problems," she pointed out, and I groaned in frustration. "I've also heard about Clarisaa leaving the packhouse, and let me just tell you now that everyone is calling you a jerk because they think you dumped your longtime girlfriend for your mate."
I scoffed immediately at their ridiculous assumptions. "That isn't true, Ariella. Clarissa and I didn't break up, and you already know I'd never dump her for another woman," I quickly clarified.
"Are you sure, though? I find it hard to believe that. She must have left because she's afraid of getting intimidated by Rayna," she insisted.
I sighed heavily as I recounted the events to Ariella, trying to make her understand that the rumors spreading through the pack were far from the truth. "For your information, Ariella, Clarissa didn't leave because she's intimidated by Rayna. It's not like that at all. There's no reason for her to find Rayna intimidating."
I defended her, and Ariella scoffed at my response. "Not only is Rayna goddess-like in her appearance, but she's also the daughter of an Alpha and will be inheriting his position soon. I'm pretty sure Clarissa knows that in our world, similar to how things work in her human world, Rayna is the total package. Rich, beautiful, and successful," she praised, and I couldn't help the disgusted expression that clouded my face at the mention of a psycho like Rayna being considered a total package.
"First of all, Rayna looks nothing like a goddess. I mean, nothing at all. And secondly, my Clarissa is a confident woman, and I'm sure she won't be intimidated by such petty things. Besides, she's far prettier than Rayna is." I scoffed, eager to defend Clarissa's honor, even though I knew I sounded childish and stupid.
"I get that you can't stand Rayna, but let's not lie to ourselves, Ryan. Rayna Storm is a goddess, and Clarissa knows this," Ariella responded.
"I don't care. The summary is that Clarissa didn't leave because of Rayna," I retorted.
Ariella stared at me skeptically, her expression searching for any signs of deception. "If that's it, then why exactly did Clarissa leave the packhouse so suddenly, Ryan? If not because of Rayna, then what?"
I rubbed a hand over my face with a frustrated sigh. "Clarissa... she gave me an ultimatum," I began, my voice heavy with a bit of regret. "She wanted me to proceed with the rejection ceremony tomorrow and break the bond with Rayna. But I couldn't do it, Ariella. I just couldn't do it so soon. I can't stand Rayna, but I don't think it's fair to put her through the humiliation so quickly."
Ariella let out a chuckle, a mix of amusement and disbelief. "You let her go because of that?" she asked incredulously. "You know Clarissa isn't one to be easily deterred. Why didn't you try to stop her, Ryan?"
I hung my head, unable to come up with a sufficient answer. "I don't know, Ariella. I can't explain why I let her go. I wanted to convince her to trust me and stay, but I just couldn't. And now, all I can think about is figuring out how to resolve things with Rayna and find a way to bring Clarissa back."
Ariella patted me on the back, her touch both comforting and encouraging. "Well, good luck with that, Ryan, because you're going to need it. Dealing with Rayna won't be easy, that's for sure."
"Speaking of Rayna, I saw her arriving at the packhouse a while ago, and I think she went to meet you in your office," she informed me out of the blue.
My brows furrowed in confusion at the news. "Rayna's here?" I asked, surprise coloring my voice. Ariella's nonchalant response only added to my sense of urgency. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" I hissed, feeling both panicked and concerned.
Ariella shrugged innocently, her eyes dancing with mischief. "I thought you knew already, Ryan. Now, hurry up and go deal with your crazy mate. She's probably been waiting for you."
With one quick eye roll at Ariella, I rushed towards my office. As I approached the office door, I took a deep breath and pushed it open, bracing myself for the awkward conversation that awaited. Rayna stood in the center of the room, her posture relaxed but her gaze sharp as it landed on me.
"Ryan," she said, her voice cool and composed. "We need to talk."
"About what, Rayna? Why do you sound so serious?" I asked, not liking the seriousness in her tone, which contrasted with her rather cold and composed expression.
"We have to talk about our relationship, Ryan, because from today onwards, you and I are officially dating," she responded, and my face immediately contorted into a deep frown.