[GRANT]
Gideon looked at his little wolf, a similar sad smile on his face, before asking him, "What is it, little wolf?"
He knew this was risky, because the wolf could literally ask for anything, and it would be cruel for him to deny it. But what if the warrior asked for his hand? What if the warrior told him to choose Acrod?
"Will you at least kiss me before you reject me?" Grant pleaded, his common sense and dignity leaving his body in the presence of the man he was yearning for. Goodbyes sure did hurt, but goddamn, none of that had prepared him for this.
He could as well face his new reality, right?
"What? Oh, love," Gideon sighed sadly, before slamming their lips together, without so much as a warning. He knew if he gave the warrior a chance to think about it then they wouldn't do shit together, and that wouldn't be fair.
Gideon knew the warrior was trying to feel better, but there was never anything good about seeing a rejection coming and being forced to accept it. So he wanted to make things right for the warrior.
At least then, he would have a better life, but would he?
"You have to make me a promise, little wolf," Gideon voiced and Grant let out a sad low laugh.
The warrior looked at Gideon, trying to understand whatever the fuck was going on in his mind, before giving up, and closing his eyes. He didn't want to remember their last goodbye as a bitter one. He wanted to relish this taste.
"What now? Don't tell me to be happy, because you know I won't be. Rejection hurts, but it's not like I can avoid it anyway," the little wolf said, having given up on hearing this man say his name out loud.
He wasn't even sure why he was still hoping that Gideon would call out his name as they kissed, and the more they stood in this hallway under the sun, the more he was sure he would never get to hear his name from his mate's mouth.
"When your true mate comes, please love him or her. Be kind to yourself then. Don't worry about me or anything. I won't tell you to be happy because frankly, I don't know what it means to be happy. I just live my days as they come," Gideon said.
Grant just sighed.
This wasn't what he expected, at least not when he was a few seconds away from the ultimate rejection.
"I can try," the little wolf said, unsure of what he was supposed to do.
It wasn't like he could sit here and wait forever anyway. They were both warriors and had responsibilities to their people. Maybe the fates would let them be together after a given period, but until then, it would be hell.
"That is more than enough. But if ever you need me, not for sex though, but if you truly need a friend, I will always be a whisper away" Gideon said and the warrior laughed sadly.
"A whisper? That's funny," Grant said sadly even though he somehow knew that there was a truth to that. The last time, he had heard Gideon tell Criselda that he was just a whisper away. Maybe that was supposed to mean something, but it was beyond him.
Perhaps there would come a time when he would need Gideon and he would show up, right?
"It's not a lie. If you need me urgently, just whisper my name," Gideon said, his tone serious and assuring the warrior that it wasn't a lie. even if the warrior ever needed him and whispered whatever the fuck they needed to, what right did he have over Gideon?
What would be his reason to depend on a man who had rejected him?
'Wow, that's some fucked up way to give me closure,' Grant thought angrily even though he tried so hard to smile at Gideon. Grant had understood that Gideon was so desperate to keep him safe, that he was even putting in an effort.
He knew for a fact that this witch would have made a good mate because, even though the man never knew how to express himself, he was trying to make things right. He was worried that the reaction would affect the warrior's mindset and he would risk his life.
Gideon giving him the whispered secret was not just a tip. This was someone who thought he would make it better, and the werewolf's heart fluttered at that thought. He was being rejected and loved at the same time, on the sweet taste of broken goodbyes.
"What will I say? like, 'Gideon of Greroth, come save me?' That sounds corny," Grant said, making Gideon raise his eyes at his mate.
He could tell that the little wolf was trying to make the conversation light, but that would have been better if Gideon wasn't turned on by everything this werewolf warrior did. The man didn't even have to do anything and Gideon was already at his mercy, damn.
"Oh yeah? Don't worry, little wolf, when that time comes, I will show up for you, as a FRIEND," Gideon said, insisting on the friend bit. He didn't know why he did that, but he felt like a dick afterward.
"Okay friend, let's get this over and done with then," Grant said, the pain in his heart increasing tenfold. He had tried to be strong, but damn, the ripples in his heart and the sparks he was feeling by just being this close to Gideon, was screwing with him.
"Yeah," Gideon said sadly, before adding, "I'm nervous about doing all this. I wish there was an easy way out through this. Oh, wait, what if you reject me first, so it won't hurt you as much? That should minimize the damage to me."
The little wolf just laughed at him.
"I see you truly have no idea how this works, eh? It will still hurt the same, no matter who says it. Don't worry though, I think I was mentally prepared for this," the little wolf said and Gideon let out a whimper.
He hadn't expected that his mate was expecting his rejection.
This wasn't how shit was supposed to go down. Maybe it wasn't too late for him to reconsider the rejection and just hug his mate, and apologize for being a coward, yeah?
"Okay, fine. Here goes nothing," Gideon said nervously, unsure of whether there was something he needed to say first. Maybe a speech about being a dickhead or being a tardwit mate?
"Are you always this nervous? For someone who wanted to murder the lycan king, you look different," Grant said and Gideon just laughed sadly, again.
"Matters of the heart, young wolf. Matters of the heart scare me a lot," Gideon admitted.
"Okay then, let's do this, yeah," the werewolf warrior said.
Breathing in a deep sigh, Gideon took a few steps from his mate, because he couldn't do this while looking at him or even holding him. If he did it, then he was the one who wouldn't have been able to let go.
And that would be a shitstorm into the weird.
"Okay. I, Alanor Gideon Wynter, lycan of Udrad, and the house Wynter, reject you, Grant Hindley, wolf of Acrod as my fated mate. May the bonds we shared not hamper you from meeting your true mate—"
"Ala— the rogue lycan...the beast...you—"
Grant looked at Alanor, unsure of what he wanted to say or express. He had been mated to a monster, a beast that everyone was scared of. He was fated to be beside the man who was killed without mercy.
This man right here was the reason the whole convention had happened and yet he had managed to ensure no one had found out his secret?
Grant finally understood all his anger, and frankly, he couldn't blame him.
The Midlands knew what had happened to the house Wynter. Hell, it wasn't a fantasy.
His mate was the broken lycan kid of the realm, the kid that everyone wished to help but couldn't for fear of what Edison would do to him, and Grant felt the need to protect him. But how was he supposed to protect the deadliest beast of the midlands?
"Wh— Alanor Wynter?" Grant asked again, his voice full of pain, not from the rejection, but from the fact that the man in front of him had gone through hell and back alone.
Grant wanted to hug him, but he had already been rejected, so it just didn't make any sense.
He wanted to connect with Alanor and apologize on behalf of everyone, but that wouldn't be of any help to Alanor. He had already been broken by the same people who were supposed to protect him. He had seen hell and they all had watched.
"You're intelligent, Grant, otherwise the werewolf king wouldn't trust you with his life. I have to take my leave. I'm sorry, for everything," Alanor said as he walked away from his mate. Alanor saw the way Grant had looked at him.
Grant still had love in his eyes for him.
"I'm so sorry, love," Alanor heard just as he was about to take the final exit out of the Acrod castles.
'I love you,' Grant whispered, and Alanor heard him.
"Goodbye, my little wolf," Alanor said one last time.
'I'll be fine, right?' Grant asked himself as he stared into the distance, before he forced himself to smile when he saw his grandma, Aurora coming in his direction.
'Grant won't accept another mate, ever,' Grant promised himself, not aware of the plans the moon goddess had for him. But would he accept his after or would he fight it?
"Oh, hi, Nana, you're back," Grant greeted enthusiastically.
But Aurora knew.
"The fates really chose this path, damn," Aurora whispered sadly as she watched her grandson fight his tears.