Chapter 3

Elena.

At that moment my heart was pounding. I could hear every heartbeat beating in my ears and feel it throbbing in my fingertips. Was this man my mate?

I blinked my eyes a few times before I averted my gaze. Staring at my desk, I clenched my hands into fists and took a long, deep breath. It was not helping at all, because every time I inhaled, I was again assaulted by the sweet scent of his body.

Then he moved from the door to his desk. Every sound of his footsteps made my head feel heavy, and every time he breathed, his voice sounded loud like a pot being smashed. The wolf inside me, Lexi groaned with excitement.

"Alright, first I want to check your attendance list. Please say the word 'present' when I call out each of your names," he said in a stern voice. His voice was so deep and smooth, that it made my stomach burn. I glanced up, swallowing when I saw him again. He was not looking at me, his eyes instead fixed on the whiteboard.

He was checking the first few names. Every name that passed, he would look up and his eyes would meet mine until he confirmed that it was the right person. His posture was rigid as he scrolled through the list. It was not long before he found my name, and he called it.

He had observed me at that moment and immediately called my name. I was forced to say the word "present" with my tight lips, my voice sounding low. His gaze remained fixed on me for a moment before his gaze returned to the whiteboard.

Once he finished calling out the attendance list of the students, he put down his paper. Then he picked up a cow figurine from Mrs. Lawson's desk and placed it in his hands while frowning, his brows furrowed in confusion. He looked back up, putting the statue down.

"Okay, my name is Mr. Lockwood, starting today I will be your substitute teacher for this semester as Mrs. Lawson is recovering from her leg injury," my mate said. Some of the children chuckled, but under his dark gaze, they instantly fell silent.

"I was told that you all have notebooks to do your preliminary work," he said, "I want you to write a paragraph about yourself." He looked back at the sheet of paper once more, before his eyes met mine.

"Ms. Brown, can we talk for a minute?"

Everyone stifled a groan as they reached into their bags for notebooks. While I gulped, gritting my teeth as I looked into his eyes. His gaze was quick, and for a moment he scanned the class before leaving.

I hesitantly stood up, holding my breath. My nerves were getting the better of me as I walked after him, my heart thundering in my chest. Lexi started to calm down, curious about what was going to happen.

On the wall next to the door, he leans against it, tapping his foot as he waits for me. As soon as I stepped out, he closed the door softly, pressing his back against the door once he heard the click. I clasped my hands together, anxiously looking around, waiting for him to speak.

Truth be told, I never expected what he would say to me.

He stared me up and down, gritting his jaw before speaking. "I, Killian Lockwood, reject you as my mate."

His voice sounded cruel and his gaze was cold and unfeeling, yet I could only watch him for a moment before everything went to shit. My heart broke, and I let out a sharp cry as my hands cupped my chest. Lexi was silent, curled up in anguish and whimpering as her mate heartlessly rejected her.

My breathing was labored and shaky as I clutched at my shirt. Every moment my chest felt like it was one second closer to splitting open. While Killian was still the same, but his breathing became shaky.

At last, after a long time, my voice came back and I looked up at him once more. "Why?" I asked. My voice was soft and weak. My steps were staggered back, and my throat choked.

He just stared at me, showing no expression on his face. "I'm sorry." That was all he said, so cold and heartless.

I knew I would not get anything more from him, I knew that with those two words was the end of our conversation. Turning away from him, I then made my way towards the glass doors that divided the classroom.

I did not want to run away - it felt cowardly, but my body felt like it was falling apart. Tears started streaming down my face, making my skin wet and sticky. I ran until I reached the parking lot, with sobs shaking my body.

I caught a glimpse of myself as I opened the car door, and it only made me cry more. My face was bright red, covered in white.

I stayed in the car for an hour, wasting gas before I finally drove out. My tears had stopped for a moment, but my head was still throbbing. I tried to control my trembling as I drove home, trying hard to forget. Every moment I was distracted with the realization that this was real. He was real.

My family was already gone when I arrived home, so I took off my shoes and walked painstakingly up the stairs. I felt a swelling pain in my chest as I collapsed on the bed. I thought of Sasha and Jane, and guilt welled up in my chest. They must have been curious, perhaps worried about my sudden departure. It was all too much to think about, so I put my head in my hands and closed my eyes.

Many hours passed in silence. My limbs began to stiffen from hours of lying in the same position. I was sure that my tear sockets were completely dry because my tears stopped flowing. Not because I felt better, but because I was tired.

Zayn was the first one to come home at night. He entered the house as he did every day, by breaking down the door. I heard him drop his bag on the floor and groan.

"Elena?" He called out. Most likely he was staring at the ceiling, waiting for an annoyed reply from me. Instead, he was greeted with silence.

"Elena, you just can't ignore me!"

His footsteps thundered through the house as he strode upstairs. My room was across from his, down the hall. I shifted on my bed, stretching my aching muscles.

"El," he called in a sing-song voice. He tried to open the door but it was locked. I never lock my bedroom door, usually because I'm too lazy.

"Hey, are you okay?"

He felt worried. He tried again to open the door as if the lock would open in an instant. I looked at the doorknob, and a sigh caught in my throat. My body was too tired to move, too sore to open the door.

"Elena, please, open the door!"

"Go away," I muttered, burying my face in the blanket. He did not hear me, his voice growing louder and louder.

"Open the door or I will pull the hinges off!"

I lifted my face and looked at the door. It never occurred to me that he would do that, but I was sure he would.

"I'm coming," my voice was soft and almost inaudible. I pulled my legs out from under the covers and stood up from my bed, my muscles groaning at the sudden change. I walked towards the door, each step stronger than the last.

Then I turned the key and opened the door, squinting my eyes at the light coming from the hallway. My bedroom was dark, the window blinds tightly closed and all the lights off.

Zayn checked me out, and his face went from worried to confused. He looked me up and down, from my disheveled clothes to my flushed face.

"Elena..." He whispered, a look of sadness on his face. I knew he had no idea what had happened to me, but I also knew that he had never seen me like this. Even though I'm a crybaby, I have never cried like this. Not even on my worst days.

I was silent for a moment, letting him completely watch me. Then, he walked into my room, hugged me and that was when I started crying again. The tears that I had believed had dried up had not, and it just took something to trigger them to reappear.

He took me into his arms, holding me tightly. He walked a few steps forward until he was on my bed, sitting on it with me still in his arms.