Page 6 of Alpha's Rejected Mate
“It’s just that … I remember how hard it was for you when you first arrived.”
She walked over to Sheila and took hold of her hands. “It’s fine. I don’t even know what it’s like to be mated, or to have any of what you have. Trust me, I am so happy for you.” She pulled Sheila in for a hug. She didn’t squeeze too tightly. “So, anyway, good luck tonight on your anniversary.”
“I will, and I have to say, you’re right about this lip gloss, it is spicy. I love it.”
Sheila paid and then made her way out of the shop, leaving her alone, to which she breathed a sigh of relief.
Mateo was still in town. She sensed him close, and her wolf wasn’t exactly in a very receptive mood right now. Her wolf wanted to hunt him down and do all kinds of bad things, and not any of the sexy kinds of things either.
In the past seven years, she’d done well. She loved the Silver pack, and they had grown to love her. When she first arrived, she spent a couple of weeks just crying, and that had irritated her even more.
Why would she cry over a guy she barely knew, about circumstances she didn’t quite understand? It made absolutely no sense to her.
She hated crying.
She hated feeling hurt.
She hated the pain.
Eventually, it had faded, or she’d buried it deep down so she could function.
“Hey, girlfriend,” Franny said, stepping into the shop.
Harper smiled. Her best friend never failed to surprise her.
“Sheila is looking mighty fine,” Franny said.
“Well, thank you. It’s her and Thomas’s anniversary, and she wanted to do something special for him.”
Franny smiled. “That’s sweet. Don’t you think that is sweet?”
“I do, actually. So, what brings you by?” Harper asked.
“I came with a warning.”
“Warning?”
“Your mate—”
“He’s not my mate.”
Franny opened and closed her mouth.
“What?” Harper asked. “How can someone who rejects you and then banishes you so he doesn’t have to look at you, be your mate? Did I ever tell you that we’ve never even kissed? Just by looking at me, he didn’t want me. That man is not my mate. That man is nothing to me.”
The smile on Franny’s face fell. “You’ve never said anything like that before. Are you okay?”
“No, I don’t think I am.” She collapsed into a chair and felt exhaustion sweep across her.
“Anyway, what is it about Mateo?”
“He hasn’t left, and, well, I think he and my father are actually heading over here right now.” Franny quickly got to her feet and Harper couldn’t believe her friend, and followed suit.
Sure enough, seconds later, Silver along with Mateo stepped into her shop. Now she wished she had a ton of clients waiting to be seen. Today was a slow day. It was rare for a Saturday to be slow, but she’d also had a delivery of the latest stock, and the pack ladies liked to give her time to display it.
Being banished to a pack she didn’t quite know, not being able to see her parents, having the big question mark as to why her mate didn’t want her, she hadn’t exactly gotten the ability to blend in without too much trouble. However, what she could do was make many beautiful displays in her shop window, and around the small store.
The ladies loved it, and she already knew they were planning to come around on Monday. It gave her today to set everything up and try out a few of the products, before helping them on Monday. New deliveries of fresh products were always a hit.