The cold air caressed Isla's skin as her body trembled in ragged sobs,her breath coming out in short pants. She had mentally prepared herself for this day but when it finally happened it was too hard for her to bear. She cursed at the moon goddess for bestowing such fate upon her and she cursed Damon for rejecting her.
Her vision was blurry as she stared ahead with tear-filled eyes. She could hear the crickets and toads around her.
*Why does my life have to be this way*
She thought as she sat quietly on the ground. She knew that she didn't really like Damon, it was just the matebond messing her head but it still hurt to see your mate get mated to another. She had thought that finding her mate would make her life a little bit better, she didn't mind what status he'd be and she didn't expect the alpha to be her mate. But he had chosen a perfect Luna –lyla to be by his side.
She sat still for a long while enjoying her little sanctuary. This had always been a place she came to when things got too overwhelming for her. There's an old cabin which the pack healer had let her stay in. The pack healer was like a mother to her, even though they didn't see each other often because of how busy being the healer of a very big pack is,they still cherished the little time they got to spend together. She sat quietly for thirty minutes, one hour, one hour thirty minutes. She didn't realize how time flew as she sat quietly. Her body trembled from the cold causing her to run her palms up and down her arms.
Then… she heard a faint sound. She thought she had imagined the slight snap of a branch or the footsteps coming towards her direction,but that scent. His scent.
Isla breath hitched as she sat upright. *What's he doing here?*
She whipped her neck too fast to the left, she was worried that they'd snap. Her heart pounded in her chest as she stared at him with a tear stricken face. "Alpha"
He stood a few feets away from her,his silhouette framed by the low light of the moon. He stared at her,his eyes glowing with a faint amber sheen. He was still dressed in the traditional mating attire, leaving his body in full display. She didn't know what he was doing here when she should be with his "mate".
"Isla."
That is her name. She hadn't even thought that he knew her name. The way it rolled off his lip was like a freshly sharpened dagger, sweet but sharp at the same time.
She stood up slowly holding the tree for support as her legs shook beneath her for staying in a crouched position for too long. "Wha… Alpha?"
He stood silently, he didn't try to get closer to her but his eyes never wavered from hers. Her chest tightened under the intensity of his gaze.
"What are you doing here at this hour?" He finally said in a rough voice. "Why did you leave the ceremony?"
Isla almost scoffed at his words. How could she stay when watching it made her feel like her heart was being shredded to a million pieces. She wanted to tear him off for coming after her but she was kind of relieved that he thought about her. *I hate you* She wanted to say out loud but didn't.
"What did you expect?"
She wanted to shove a stake through his heart for causing her pain and then coming back like he's worried about her. She wanted to curse at him until her throat burned but no words could leave her lips. Her eyes slowly welled up with tears as she stared at him waiting for him to reply. She wanted to leave but she also needed to end this,she was ready for the rejection because she knew that was why he came to find her.
"You really didn't have to come find me" she said, her voice laced with bitterness. "But since you're here,you can carry on, It's better that way"
Damon took slow steps towards her until he was directly in front of her. Something flashed through his eyes but it was gone as soon as it came. Isla could feel the warmth radiating from his body and her heart shook,she wondered what it would be like to be held in his hands just one more time.
"You don't have to act tough," he said in a dangerously low voice. "If anything you should blame the moon goddess for mating an alpha and an omega. You knew that this was never going to work, right?"
Isla let out a bitter laugh, the sound harsh In the quiet of the woods. "I don't really care anymore" She said in a low voice, her throat tight with emotion. "You already chose your Luna in front of the pack. It will be easier if you reject me now since nobody knows that you have an Omega as a mate"
Damon's expression hardened at her words. He reached out to her, making her flinch out of instinct but he didn't stop. He cupped her face gently, stroking her cheeks slowly. She leaned in unknowingly to his touch.
" I'm sorry that you'll have to go through this" he whispered as though trying to coax her. " In another life, I'd choose you if you weren't an Omega. As an alpha, I'm forced to put the interest of the pack first"
Isla harshly pulled away from his hold, her body trembling with anger as it tried to overtake her. "Forced? You could do something about it. You just don't want me. You––"
"Don't! Don't forget I'm still your Alpha" He cut her off,a growl lacing his words. " This is all a political match. I see you're not in the right frame of mind so I'll give you time."
" I don't need time. Just reject me so that I can move on please, I beg" Isla begged, her voice barely above a whisper as tears rolled down her cheeks. " I want this to be over now"
"I'm still your mate and I care about you. But like I said I have responsibilities. I have to put the pack first. It hurts me more to ignore the bond"
*Liar* Isla wanted to shout. He'd heal faster from the rejection because he had Alpha blood flowing through his veins.
"So I'm supposed to just wait for you until you're ready to reject me?" Isla said in a defeated voice. "I'm just supposed to move around knowing that my mate is with another while I wait to be rejected?"
He pulled her close and she obliged. His hands slid to her neck and down to her waist pulling her closer. " Let's forget about all that and be in the moment, okay?"
Isla wanted to say no,she wanted to leave but she couldn't–she didn't want to. The world around her seemed to go still as she remained in his arms. She had always wondered how being in his arms would feel like and it was better than anything she had imagined.
And then, before she could stop him, Damon kissed her.
She hadn't expected the kiss but somehow she felt like she had been waiting for years. His lips moved against hers with desperate intensity and her body reacted immediately to his touch. She wrapped her hands around his neck pulling him closer. She could feel her heart racing wildly in her chest and she was worried that she'd die of a heart attack. The pain she had felt earlier seemed to have disappeared as they all melted away in this heated moment.
Damon pulled back, giving her time to catch her breath. "I've always wondered what your lips taste like" he said after a few minutes of silence. "It's better than I imagined"
Blood rushed up her neck and she looked around avoiding his gaze. "I… You…"
His eyes glinted,a dark look crossing his feature, sending shivers down her spine. " You don't have to think of any other thing, you just have to think of me"
Isla knew that she was only going to hurt herself but she couldn't stop herself. She already had a taste now she wanted all of it.