My Promised Rejection (Olivia and Ace) novel Chapter 17

Olivia POV

“Are you alright, Becca asks me as everyone around us starts to head back toward the pack house. Yes, why Wouldn’t I be? You just seemed weird when we were talking to Ace and Candace,” she says. “No, I’m fine their daughter is beautiful.” “Oh, you’re my best friend, my sister. Don’t lie to me, please, she says. “Becca, it’s nothing.” I can feel Danica’s sadness. “Becca, you told me once that mates don’t usually reject the bond. That has to mean that you can reject your mate.”

I watch as my words sink in before her eyes snap to mine. “He’s your mate, isn’t he,” she says. “Becca, just answer my question.” “Oli, you can’t. You don’t understand everything about why Ace married Candace. He believes,” she starts to say, but I cut her off. “You are right, I don’t, but the fact still remains they are married and they have a daughter. A daughter who deserves not to have her family ripped apart. I won’t have her suffer the way I have.”

“Oli, Ace is the other half of your soul. The goddess chose him for you. You can’t just walk away from that.” she says. “I have to. I promised myself I would never do what Evelyn has done. I will not rip a family apart for my own happiness. Besides, he is human. He acted like he didn’t even feel the bond. He’ll never know that I was his mate.”

“That’s not true. He may not feel it as strongly as you do, but he feels it. Right now he is probably wondering why he is missing you when he doesn’t even know you. The more time you spend around him, the stronger his feelings for you will become,” she says. “Then it’s a good thing I won’t be here.”

“Oli, you don’t understand how much you’re hurting your wolf. How much you are hurting yourself. Della is little. It’s not the same as you growing up with two loving parents and having the carpet pulled from under you” she says. “You are wrong, it’s exactly the same. I’m going to deprive that little girl of the family she was meant to have. I need you to tell me what I need to do, Becca. Even if you don’t agree with my decision, its my decision to make.”

I can see she is torn, but I won’t break the promise I made to myself. Danica whimpers and my heart breaks knowing my decision affects her. “I’m sorry Danica. It would destroy me to be the reason Della’s family fell apart. I’m sorry the goddess chose me as your human.” “Hey, I’m not. I wouldn’t want any other human, Oli. I may be heartbroken, but that doesn’t mean I don’t understand why you’re doing this. I love you, no matter what, Oli,” she says.

My eyes meet Becca’s again. Tears run down her cheeks. I reach out and pull her into my arms, hugging her tightly. She really is my sister, despite not sharing blood. “You need to speak the words of rejection to him in order to sever the bond between you,” she says. I let my own tears fall as I grieve the bond I’ll never share with Ace. I pull back and wipe my tears quickly. “So, I just have to say I reject you, Ace, and our bond will be gone.”

“No, you have to say I, Olivia Crocker, reject you, Ace Morris, as my mate. I know you have your mind set on this Oli, but you need to understand you’ll never get a second chance if you reject Ace. You will always feel like a part of you is missing,” she says. “I guess I’ll just have to do what humans do. Find someone, date, and fall in love.” Even thinking that thought makes my chest ache. I smile at Becca despite my heart breaking. “It still feels weird to say humans when I’ve always thought I was one of them,” I say with a chuckle, trying to bring some levity to our conversation.

I just wanted to apologize for Collette She had no idea that Rain was your mate, Kevin‘ she says. “You know damn well that I never said Rain was my mate, Candace She doesn’t have her wolf yet and that would be against the rules for me to claim her. Having said that your sister shouldn’t be starting sh*t with anyone in this pack, especially Rain and the alpha’s daughter, Kevin says.

I’m just about to correct him when Candace speaks again. “We both know she isn’t of the Alpha’s blood. He may be claiming a human child, but that doesn’t make her anything more than another member of the pack, she says. Becca clears her throat and three heads snap in our direction.

“Becca and Oli, it’s good to see again. I was just apologizing to Rain and Kevin for Collette’s behavior,” she says. “I heard you perfectly fine, and you are absolutely right. My father was human, just like your husband.

“No, I have my own home and I never wanted this life. I need to get back to reality. Xavier insisted I join the pack, so I wouldn’t be considered a rogue or, honestly, I wouldn’t have been here last night.” “I’m sorry to hear that. I know that Connor and Becca will be sad” he says. “I’ll still see Becca and Connor. I really need to get going. Take care of yourself and your family Ace.” “Of course,” he says. He looks like he wants to say more, but instead he turns back toward the fridge.

I look up towards the heavens and straighten my spine. I look back at Ace, who is once again rummaging in the fridge. “I, Olivia Crocker, reject you, Ace Morris, as my mate” I say, forcing the words out barely loud enough to be heard. When the last word leaves my mouth it feels like my heart is being ripped in two.

Ace groans and braces himself against the fridge. Everything in me wants to comfort him, but instead I force myself back to the room. It’s over. Now it’s time for me to figure out how to forget him.