kevin garrett, it don't bother me at all.

Days passed and he still hadn't shown up and I for one was not complaining. My life was fully back to normal even though it had only been about three days. I took my spot at the hospital much to Kea's excitement. Went out with my best friends finally getting to see and spend time with them all.

I kept in touch with Raheem and luckily it wasn't that hard to seeing as he was only two hours ahead. Our phone calls would turn into hours of FaceTimes, I left all the serious questions for face to face and I think he could tell.

"When are you coming back?"

The question that has been caught in his throat, I knew he wanted to ask me it but never did. I turned off my Bluetooth and stepped out the car with the phone by my ear. Grabbing my bag and shutting the door, I turned towards my house.

I began walking on the path leading to my porch steps, "I'm not sure yet, I haven't really thought about it. I've just been submerged in work and that in itself has been so amazing. I missed it so much."

"Oh," is his only response.

I chuckle, "Why don't you come down here?" I sit on the bench on my porch, "Come see my world, it's not as exciting or breathtaking as yours but it is something different and fun."

I heard him laugh, "You can't go around comparing everything to my home now, it isn't fair."

"Well, cocky much."

I still hear his laughter which only makes me smile, "You started it, really. Come down to South Africa, huh? I'm sure I could do that." My smile broadened, "As long as you're my tour guide."

"Of course I will be," My smile turns into a frown when I spot Micah walking towards my house, honestly he's already reached it. How did I not see him this whole time?

Just as his foot hits the first step I speak into the mic, "Hey, Raheem, I'm sorry I've got to go."

"Is everything okay?" He asks, "I'm about to find out." I answer before we say our goodbyes and The King is stood before me.

He looks good just as good as he did when I left him, no worry lines or anything that could physically say he's been rejected. I suppose that's the good that comes with having a Bounded.

Even though they are not mates bonded by the Moon, they are still Bound in her eyes. Therefore he is still strong and can still stand tall with no physical indication of the severed bond.

"Well are you actually going to say something or did you just come here to invade my space?"

He looks awkward, as though he doesn't know what to do with himself, doesn't know what to do or to say and quite frankly it was annoying me. He shouldn't have come here if he was just going stand like a duck and gawk at me.

My sigh is heavy with annoyance, "Micah –"

"I'm sorry," He shakes his head as he looks at the ground, "I'm sorry, you didn't deserve any of this and I wish, I really wish it could be different –"

I get to my feet in an instant, "Micah, I don't care. If you only came here to apologise, I really don't care to hear it. Life goes on wolves in the Arctic Pack reject their mates and live on with other wolves all the time, I'm fine. I don't need all of this." I gesture to him, to show I don't need his apology.

"Is it because of Raheem Jamil?"

My brows furrow, "You heard my call?"

He shrugs, "Just the end."

With my brows still creased I cock my head to the side, "How many Raheem's do you think there are in the world?"

"There's probably millions, however, there's only one that sounds like that."

I roll my eyes, "You were really working hard to hear who was on the other side, huh."

"Can I sit?"

I move completely to the other side before so I don't have to touch him before taking a seat once more, "Sure."

"Don't go back there." The nerve of this wolf, "Don't go back to Dubai, the Jamil's will just pollute your mind. They might seem nice but I assure you they aren't. Have they even told you why we don't invite them anywhere?"

"No, they haven't. I assumed it's none of my business."

"Well, if you're having phone calls with one of them I assume you're close enough for them to tell you. You should ask him."

I chuckle, "Oh, you're just going to try and plant a rotten seed in my mind and not water it? Okay."

He shrugs, "You're not going to believe me when I tell you."

I shake my head, "No, I have a feeling I will I just know it won't change anything. You'll always be the worst wolf I know."

His head hang low, "I guess I deserve that." He looks over at me, "Well, I want you to be happy Lerato. I really do." He rises to his feet before he walks away, I watch him disappear beyond the tree line and I can't help but feel relieved.

I really expected him to scream and kick like a baby, everyone was going on about how much he was looking for me I thought he'd lock me away in the Royal City or something. This went far better than I could've ever imagined.

Heck, I feel far better. I don't feel broken, I don't feel torn – I feel just fine.

◇

Raheem and I spoke a lot more about him coming down here and the last we spoke he said he'd book his ticket. When I asked when he wouldn't tell me so I guess it's 'a surprise,' even though I lied and said I don't like surprises. He still wouldn't budge so we haven't brought up the topic since.

The all mighty King hasn't shown his face again, although, you know when I said I feel fine? I think I might have lied.

Perhaps being so many kilometres away from him, seven thousand six hundred and forty-seven comma six kilometres to be exact, was so much better. I was slowly beginning not to feel a thing but now that I'm so close, one hundred and eighty kilometres to be exact, it's really messing with me.

I've been home two weeks and I already feel so weak. Since the King's visit last week my mood has slowly been deteriorating as the hours pass, Kea has noticed it and my patients have sensed it. I'm not happy here, the longing for my mate strips away any emotion just leaving me so melancholy.

The same feelings from right before I left have returned, although not as powerful. They were still there and it made me sick, I didn't want to feel this way. I didn't want to be weak, I didn't want to cry and feel this way over a wolf that does not care about me at all.

If I was cared for, I would've been chosen — dammit, there wouldn't have been a competition. There wouldn't have been another. I'd have been swept off my damn feet from the very first day into forever but no, I couldn't be his first choice. I had to be thrown away like cold McDonald's chips.

My doorbell jingled throughout the house and my head finally raised. I realised I had been staring at my hardwood floor, the television playing an old episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashian's. I got up from the couch and made my way to the front door.

I opened it only for my heart to skip a beat? Micah stood there with a sheepish smile on his face. I furrowed my brows, not understanding why he'd be looking at me like that.

I noticed his hands were overflowing with items and I nearly fell down in shock!

He had a bouquet of red roses and sunflowers, a circular black box filled with different Lindt chocolates, a light brown teddy bear the size of his torso and the famous orange paper bag from Louis Vuitton.

The emotions pilling on from the past few days must have caught up with me because tears started to flow from my eyes. Not a single word made it out of my mouth, I couldn't formulate a sentence, couldn't remember a single word in the vast English dictionary.

What did he take me for? Why would he do this? Why am I here?

Micah reaches his hand out in an attempt to comfort me "Lerato, —" I pull back before he can even make contact with me.

I look at the gifts again and the confusion builds and I look up at him again and shake my head. His eyes soften and he looks regretful, if it's for the pain he's caused me or for the useless gifts I don't know.

What did he think this was going to achieve? How would this make anything better, this is something you get your girlfriend on Valentine's Day, not someone you've left behind and thrown to the side.

This is something you bring to someone accompanied with an apology and changed behaviour. He cannot change anything, he is Bound to someone else. He chose her, watched me pick my heart up from the floor and leave whilst she sat pretty by his side.

He welcomed my family into his home as he celebrated his union with that imposter. Convinced the community that she is his one true match, convinced them that she is me.

A strange and distasteful feeling bubbled inside of me, a feeling I did not know well but one that I could oddly recognise.

Before I can do anything with the feeling, I see a car pull up behind Micah, the windows are tinted and I don't recognise it as a car anyone I know drives. Micah turns his head when he sees my new found confusion.

The door opens and I see a Balenciaga snearkered foot land on the ground and I already know it's him. My heart fills up with joy and I suddenly forget Micah's existence as I see Raheem step out from behind the car door.

There's a scowl on his face from the moment he shuts the door.

"What's going on here?" He says as he takes quick strides towards me. When he finally notices my tear stricken face his brows crease in an angered manner, "Lerato, what's wrong?" I know he's not angry at me but angry at the tears.

I feel disappointed that his visit starts off like this, I feel disappointed that he wanted this to be a surprise, I was meant to be over the moon to see him. I feel disappointed that at his first moment here he has to deal with my drama with The King.

"This is none of your concern Raheem. This is between mates."

Raheem scoffs, "Mates? You lost that right the day you lied to your kingdom, to your community and accepted Madeline as your 'mate'." He uses his fingers as air quotes.

"It is still not your concern! Whatever happened between us has nothing —"

I finally found my voice, "Us?"

Micah's eyes softened, "You know what I mean, the two of us."

I shook my head, "What was the plan, Micah? What was the purpose of coming here with all of this? Do you enjoy torturing me? Why would you do this? You know my wolf is weaker around you, you know she longs for you when you're near. Why would you come to my home with all of this? What are you trying to do? You have someone, why can't you just leave me alone?"

"Because..." He scratches his head, "Because," He looks at Raheem as if not wanting to speak his truth with him around, "I don't want to lose you."

I took an involuntary step back, "You want us both?" Can he hear what he's saying or has Raheem made him nervous. Doesn't want to lose me? He already has.

"I... Well... No, can we not speak about this in front of this oke?"

I shake my head, "We're not going to speak about this at all. You made your choice, deal with it. I will not allow this,"

I push his chest and the chocolate falls, "You can't just come to my house with all this junk,"

I shove him again and the flowers fall, "You cannot possibly think that material items like this," I push the teddy to the floor, "Will erase all that you've done! Will bring me back! Will take away the Queen sitting in that castle! In my castle, in my bed, with my mate! You can never, ever take that shit back!" I shove him one last time.

"I hate you! Just leave!" I try to push him away, down the steps and out of my life but Raheem holds me back. He encases me in his arms and takes steps back and I involuntary move with him.

"I think you should leave, Motheo."

His eyes are thick with unshed tears, "This is not over, I won't stop Lerato. I can't."

"Just leave me alone." I shrink into Raheem's hold.

"I can't do that, now that you're here you're all that I want, all I long for. You're all I need."

I kick the chocolate that's on the ground towards him, "You should've thought of that before you left me! You didn't even try to stop me at the airport! You came into my life as a prince, you wined and dined me. You swept me off my fucking feet just to throw me to the ground! To roll me in the mud and feed me to the pigs! I hate you, Micah. I fucking hate you!"

The tears are fresh and hot when they tumble down his cheeks, "I'm sorry, Lerato, I am so sorry. I will make it up to you, I will, I promise you that, I will."

—

T for Tense. 💀

Should she forgive him?

Do we forgive him?