Awakening (2 book series)
Awakening – Rejected Mate Chapter 50

"What good is gathering us all in one place. Like Matteo said, they set off that machine and every one of us, corralled in the valley, will be rendered useless. No one will be able to turn or fight back. It's easier to massacre a race when we're all laid like fish in a bowl, and no one'll be free of its effects if the only area we patrol is the valley. I'm sure they can make bigger, or use multiple, to hit us all at once." Jesus is now on his feet pacing, agitated, and getting worked up by the second. I'm starting to feel the restless unease spreading through them all like a virus, as they mumble their agreeance and I keep looking to Colton to say something.

"This is pointless... you think I don't think the same and that I didn't try and reason with him? Nothing I said made a difference. It never does." Colton stands up, losing his temper, agitated too, and utterly drained. I can feel it coming off him intensely, and his eyes lock on mine again as he catches me across the room, ignoring Carmen throwing her own his way.

"Come on, Lorey. I need to show you to your new room. I'm too tired for this, and we all need to meet down at mess hall for dawn. Go to bed, you reprobates. Stop arguing with me because it's futile, and it's not my place to make you obey him. We need sleep." I don't need to be asked twice. I jump up, suddenly a little too excited at being alone with him again and know it's because I've mentally taken another path and have a plan in place. One that hopefully involves those beefy arms around me and the sexy mouth on mine once again. I go to follow him as soon as he makes a move towards the door and almost gloat at the way Carmen's face crumbles.

"One of us could show her." She snaps bitterly, and he spins his head back, stares down at her with a blank expression and doesn't move a step further.

"Yeah you could... but that isn't what's happening. I want to do it." He shrugs with one shoulder, his tone icy cold and it seems to shut her up. Recoiling back as though she's been burned, and I can tell he's in no mood for more defiance or squabbling. Her eyes mist over with what I expect are fake tears, maybe not this time, and I really try hard to figure out what it is he ever saw in her. Carmen's a horrible person with a selfish spoiled attitude, and I really don't like her.

At least I now know why he's this way with her. The indifferent behavior and biting tone. Colton's ego's wounded, his pride dented, and as much as I don't want to believe he had any feelings for her after we imprinted, I can feel the hurt in him radiating outwards. He maybe doesn't love her anymore in the way he used to, but he cared enough that he thought he could salvage their pairing until she hurt him. Her betrayal in that way cut him deep, and he's lost all respect and trust for her, which doesn't bode well in a sub pack. Colton walks past me on the way to the door, catching my hand in his as he does so, making me jump as I was too busy looking at her and leads me out amid the happy joyous coo of Meadow

"Don't stay up too late... go to bed. Hers or yours, either is optional and fine by me, Chicas." She laughs in that raunchy cheeky way she has when she's being brazenly s****l, echoing behind us as we leave the room, and I blush crazily, trying not to look his way as I catch his eyes flick to me. Nervousness envelopes me once again and instantly I'm back to being awkward and shy.

Soon as we hit the corridor, he shuts the door and gives me a proper smile, swinging my hand in his like we're children and tugs me closer so we rub arms as we walk. Working our way out before hitting the main passage.

The closer I am to him, the more aware of how truly drained he is. It's seeping from every pore and despite the smile and the playful behavior, I can feel his stress levels are elevated crazily and his body is emitting a low depressive mood.

"You look really, good." He says it with a half-smile, one dimple on show and I shrug childishly, still not 'owning it' as Meadow would say.

"I'm not sure about the look, it feels kind of weird to be wearing such tight clothes." I squirm as I try to unwedge the jeans from my butt gracefully, and he throws me a cheeky look as he watches me attempt it.

"Want some help?" it's a grin, a smooth move kind of flippant comment made by the males who walk around like cockerels in a hen house, and not an actual serious question. It's obvious he expects my usual rebuff, but instead I throw a smile back his way, swallow down the utter nerves and butterflies he's hitting me with and nod, in the way Meadow showed me. She gave me a crash course in simple flirting, while doing my hair earlier, and I throw on the sexy smile and flutter my lashes, butting in against him coyly. "If you like." I bite on my lower lip, not sure if I'm doing it right, but his reaction, I guess, says I am.

Colton trips over an imaginary piece of carpet, and coughs, to cover his clumsy response, immediately less confident, perplexed, and failing at Mr smooth, all in one fell swoop. Cocky but not actually willing to follow through.

"Not the response I was expecting." He frowns, swallows a little obviously, and fixes his eyes ahead of us while he regains his previous composure.

It's not like I couldn't tell, and I throw a one shouldered coquettish shrug, absolutely dying inside with how weird and fake this feels. I've never flirted or played games with boys. I never had any interest in doing it before Colton. Colton turns away, seemingly putting a little distance between us and the opposite of what I was going for as he points us up a flight of stairs.

"This way, you should memorize the route so you can replace it again." His tone is distant, his mood not exactly what I expected, and I sigh at the deflated mood that hits me heavily.

We're away from the main hall and the grand sweeping staircase, and in some back corridor with narrow steps to the next floor. Every wall painted beige, dark wood floors, and potted plants dotted around prettily. They have even started replacing windows up here, and one newly glazed one is letting light shine through. Colton begins leading the way, his hand no longer in mine as he slides in front of me to climb the stairs, and I suddenly feel awkward and shy that my attempt at flirting backfired badly.

I don't get it. He's meant to be completely hot for me and yet acts like a coy virgin who doesn't do well with girls at my first attempt of encouragement. I know for a fact he's not a virgin, and not inexperienced with girls, I have all his memories. He seems all too hyper focused on where we're going and no longer on my presence. His mood still weird and now he's making me feel the same way. Sort of sad, depressed, and a bit tetchy and unsociable.

"Here, this door on the right. This used to be Taryn's room, but she mated up and now lives with Franko, her mate on the third floor. Room's all yours." Colton steps in front of a large dark wood door, tucked into a tiny alcove in an airy part of the hall that widens out, using a keycard and motions for my hand when he slides it into the machine.

"Hand here, and it'll save your print for future use. No card or key necessary." He throws me a courteous quick lipped smile, takes my wrist, lifts my hand, and holds it on the smooth black panel, pressing in digits as he does so and then yanks the card out before it flashes red and beeps. He lets my hand go quickly, as though he doesn't want to be here holding it anymore, and I can sense his urgency in wanting to leave. It brings me down with a thud and a seriously painful ache in the chest.