Evie groaned and rolled over to snuggle down under her blanket. There were a short few moments of bliss before she remembered the rejection. Pain ripped through her body as she recalled the events of yesterday.

Our souls will never be one

'Please no! Aaaaaaaah!' A scream was ripped through her throat as a sweeping, burning pain spread out from her chest. The door slammed open, and her mum and Joanne rushed into the room to hold Evie close waiting for the pain to subside.

After an hour, Evie was finally able to suck in a deep breath and turn to face her mum. They did not speak and simply stared at each other with tears and hurt filling their eyes. After a few minutes Joanne spoke.

'Come Evie, let's get you something the eat and drink. You must keep your strength up and begin to move around soon otherwise you may never leave that bed.' Joanne said with determination and a look that did not invite disagreement. As much as she wanted to sink into the bed and go for an eternal sleep, Evie knew that Joanne was right. She did not want this to be the end of herself.

With a stoic nod, Evie turned so her legs hung over the edge of her bed and brushed the wooden floorboards. As she was about to stand, Joanne held out a hand to assist Evie to stand.

'You can't stay in bed, but that doesn't mean that we can't help you through this. Take my hand and I'll steady you.' Joanne spoke trying not to let her voice crack.

Together, Evie and Joanne made their way to the kitchen as Marie trailed behind them with a worried expression ever present on her face. Gently, Joanne sat Evie down at the dining table before moving to the kitchen to grab a bowl of broth.

As the steaming bowl was placed in front of her, Evie gave an appreciative smile to Joanne. Together the three of them sat at the table in silence until Evie pushed away the bowl with only a dribble of broth left in the bottom. Joanne nodded approvingly before clearing away the dishes before sitting down again.

'Pumpkin, I know that you are in immense pain right now. But I think that you ought to tell us exactly what happened. I know that is the last thing that you want to discuss but I think that is important we know in order to keep you safe.' Evie's mother reached out gently to grab her daughter's hand as she spoke.

'I'm scared mum.' Evie whispered.

'I know Pumpkin. But you are strong enough to overcome this. And if sometimes you are not strong enough, I will be strong enough for you.' Marie stated with absolute love for her broken child.

'Okay... I was on my walk, and I went to the field. The one with all of the pretty flowers. I laid down to rest and I fell asleep for a second or two I don't know...' Evie began with encouraging nods coming from her mum and Joanne.

'I woke up because I sensed someone coming. Future Alpha Blake and Beta Adrian. Adrian he... h-he is...' Evie choked up not being able to say the words.

'He is your mate.' Joanne stated what Evie had been unable to say.

'All he did was reject me. Nothing else. He said I was not his mate and th-that he was sorry. I-I tried to stop hi-him but Blake grabbed my hand. He said that I was not strong enough to become a leader of the pack - not strong enough to be Adrian's mate. Am I that weak mum?' Evie cried out to her mum.

'Of course, not baby. The leaders of this pack, they just don't understand what real strength is Pumpkin. You are strong. You are the strongest person I know. If anything, it is those idiots that are the weak ones.' Marie comforted her daughter, venom leaking into her voice.

'What do I do now? I'm scared that I am not strong enough to carry this with me for the rest of my life.' Evie questioned her mother with big, tearful eyes.

'Oh baby, I wish I could tell you what comes next, but everyone's story is different. But I think that it is time I told you my story. I haven't always been truthful with you, but only because I wanted to protect you from the world.' Marie confessed to her daughter.

'What is it mum?' Evie asked confused.

Joanne placed a comforting hand on her cousin's shoulder giving a nod to continue.

'It's about your father...'

***

A young Marie ran through the woods laughing and giggling with glee as a young Joanne chased her through the trees as light filtered down around them.

'Come back cousin!' Joanne called out to the figure in front of her that seemed to glide across the ground ahead of her.

'Haha you have to catch me silly. Or are you too slow?' Marie called back with a teasing laugh at the frustrated girl behind her.

Soon the two girls broke through the tree line revealing a large lake close to the territory border of the Emerald Eye pack. Marie finally slowed down to a stop which allowed a panting Joanne to catch up.

'You are just too fast. I don't understand how you do it!' Joanne panted out as she bent over to rest her hands on her knees.

'Haha don't be silly - wait, can you feel that?' Marie's nature quickly changed as she stood alert, her eyes darting all over the place trying to locate the source of this feeling within her.

'What are talking about? I can't feel anything.' Joanne gave her cousin a quizzical look as she too began to look around in an attempt to identify what Marie was talking about.

Suddenly, a large reddy-brown wolf emerged from the tree line and approached the cousins.

'Mate.' Joanne spoke clearly with a grin coming across her features.

'Oh wow. Okay. I'll wait for you back at home.' Joanne quickly turned and left her cousin with the wolf.

'Hi, my name is Marie.' The brunette stepped forward to greet her mate with open arms. He transformed back into his human form to reveal the future Alpha of the Emerald Eye pack - Darren.

'Hello my little mate.' Darren said as he quickly stepped forward to wrap his mate up in his arms and plant a breath-taking kiss on her mouth. Marie melted into the arms of her mate, relieved to have met her soulmate so soon after her eighteenth birthday which had only been a few days ago.

***

Marie awoke in the morning and looked around to locate her mate. After a few seconds of panic, she spotted him standing at the edge of the lake with his back turned to her.

'Darren...' Marie called out to her mate whilst clutching her clothes in front of her to cover her chest and bottom half. Startled the man turned to see his mate sitting up looking at him.

'We can't be together.' Darren stated harshly.

'What...? But we slept together. You took my virginity. We are mates. It has been determined by the Moon Goddess.' Marie stuttered out in confusion.

'Well, you shouldn't have been a slut and opened your legs up straight away then you would still have your virginity wouldn't you.' Darren snarled causing his mate to cower away from him.

'You are too weak to lead this pack and there is no way that you can make me happy. I'm going to accept an offer the mate with the daughter of the Raven Ridge Alpha. She will lead this pack and give me strong pups. You will never be able to do that.' Darren determined looking Marie straight in the eye.

'I, Darren Jonas, future Alpha of the Emerald Eye pack, reject you, Marie Hammons. Our souls will never be one.' Darren stated before turning and retreating back into the woods. Marie sat there naked until the pain hit and she started thrashing around on the ground screaming in pain.

***

'Joanne found me a few hours later.' Marie finished looking at her daughter how appeared to be in shock.

'But I thought that my father, your mate, ran away and you never saw him again.' Evie looked at her mother in confusion.

'Alpha Darren is your father Pumpkin. I'm sorry that I lied to you all this time, but I just wanted you to be safe.' Marie cried out as tears began to overflow from her eyes.

'It's okay mummy, I understand. I understand.' Evie quickly wrapped her mum up in her arms.

'No baby it is not okay. You have been burdened with rejection and the pain that accompanies it. I will not let you suffer as I have suffered all of these years - watching my mate love another and raise children with another. I stayed foolishly thinking that he would come back to me and the child he left me with. But he didn't and I have had to watch from the sidelines with my only respite being you. You will not go through the same thing - I won't allow it. Pumpkin, you are not going to like the idea, but I think it is best if you leave the pack. The further you can go, the more stretched the mate bond will be and it will become weakened. My body has become weakened after years of enduring unfulfilled mate bond. You can not go through the same thing. You have to leave.' Marie stated with regret but determination.

'No mummy! I can't leave you. How could I possibly ever leave you!' Evie jerked back from her mum's grasp in shock.

'Evie, I have seen your mum wither under the pressure of the bond. But she did not leave even though I begged her to - begged her to save herself. I could not bear to watch you suffer the same fate.' Joanne interjected reaching out to hold onto Evie's hand.

Looking back and forth between her mum and Joanne, Evie knew she had to leave but the thought pained her almost as much as the rejection had.

'I know... but how will I survive without your guys.' Evie stated.

'Oh, Pumpkin you will always have us. We will call every day and we will come and visit you wherever you are as often as we possibly can.' Marie stated as she threw her arms around her daughter and cousin.

'It's going to be okay Evie.' Joanne whispered in Evie's ear.