Rejected, but not Broken
Chapter 48

Tanner’s POV

We passed Taylor’s table and everyone went quiet and watched us pass by, with Gabi in the lead and one of us on each side, and me behind her. I don’t think Taylor was stupid enough to think that she could fight Gabi, but anyone with a brain would know that she would lose that battle.

I think that Heather was telling them about how the old Gabi was and didn’t know how strong the new Gabi was. Gabi was strong, inside and out, and I love her so much already, that I cannot imagine my life without her.

Taylor slides out of her seat and runs after us, as I am behind the group, and she grabs my shirt to stop me. “Can I get my birthday gift now Tanner?” Taylor asks me.

“I didn’t get you a gift. You have more than what you could possibly ever need, and I only showed up for your birthday in respect to your parents. I saw last night how misplaced my judgment was in that and our pack’s relationships have forever been ruined because you cannot tell the truth to save your life.

I have not decided if I will still allow our treaty to continue, and our being Allies is still up in the air as well. Please, never speak to me again. I cannot stand the sight of you.

I have nothing for you, and you have to be the worst sister on the face of the planet to want to take your sister’s mate”, I told her and turned to walk away and catch up with the group who were already going up the stairs, but as I wasn’t being quiet about what I had said, the whole dining room had heard.

“You can’t mean that, Tanner. I love you and I was meant to be the Luna of the B***d Rose pack. I was created to be you Luna, Tanner. It is the only thing that I want in life.

I was only doing what was best for you. I would be the best Luna. I am beautiful. Think of how cute our pups together would be”. Taylor said to me.

“You, Taylor, are beautiful on the outside, as your mother and sister are as well. But Gabi is beautiful on the inside too, which is something that you will never, and can never, be.

Because you only care about yourself, and what you can get, how things look to others, instead of actually caring about others. That is where you and Gabi are totally different. You will continue being the spoiled, entitled, little brat that you are.

You have no incentive to make any changes for the better. I really pity whoever ends up with you, because you are no prize. You need to start preparing yourself now for the rejection that is coming to you, because even if he decides to give you a try because of the mate bond, it will not last.

I pray he is strong enough to go ahead and reject you and find his second chance mate”, I told Taylor and watched her jaw fall open in surprise.

“OK, you have it your way, for now, Tanner. I hope you are happy with Gabi in the short time that you will have with her. But make no mistake about it, I will be here for you when she leaves you, and she will be leaving you. Because if it is the last thing that I ever do, it will be to destroy your and Gabi’s little “happily ever after”.

Oh, and just remember, when it happens, that it will be because you chose wrong, and didn’t choose me to be your mate, Tanner. I have a feeling that one day when you are desperate and still pining for Gabi, you will accept me in her place. For you, I would be willing to dye my hair and wear contacts to get my dad’s eye coloring for you, if it would make it easier for you.

Gabi and I would be twins then”, Taylor said in a low tone to keep everyone else from hearing what she said. She then turned and walked back to her table.

I am now a little concerned, as she was perfectly honest with what she said to me, and I already know that she has a plan in place to make her words become a reality. I am now taking the stairs two at a time to speak to Gabi and then mark her.

I cannot let Taylor be a vindictive b!tch and take my mate from me, no matter what. I get to Gabi’s room, and she is almost done packing. I sit at the end of the bed and try to figure out how I am going to start this conversation.

Gabi was so open and raw last night, I just couldn’t tell her about me going crazy with the girls when I hit 17. It wasn’t the right time, and to be honest, now wasn’t exactly the very best time either. But I wanted to be completely honest with her before I marked her, so we had no secrets between us, just the knowledge of our bond and that we loved each other very much.

“Gabi, can you sit down for a minute. I would like to talk to you first before we mark each other” I said to her, and I saw her head snap towards me as she heard the emotion in my voice.

“Sure, what is wrong? What did Taylor say to you?” Gabi asked me. “She threatened me and said that I would be sorry for not choosing her to be my mate and that she would be there for me when you left me. I am actually concerned as she was perfectly serious and acted like she knew exactly how to get that done.

She has to be a little off her rocker, as sane people don’t go around trying to ruin other people’s lives. Who does that? She is more spiteful and malicious than I ever thought possible. I don’t know how she could, as I love you completely and I would never intentionally hurt you.

But what she said to me, I have to be honest and say that I will be watching out for problems in the near future, for both of us. But that wasn’t what I wanted to talk to you about. I just wanted to warn you as she could just come after you and if something happened to you, that would kill me.

So please take care baby”, I told Gabi and she smiled and gave me a hug. “Well, if that wasn’t it, what was the problem?

I love you, Tanner, so you can tell me anything. We can get through it together” Gabi told me, and I hugged her back harder and put my face on her neck to take in her scent to calm me down. “OK, just remember I am older than you and also remember that I have not been s*xually active for the last three years while I looked for you, OK. Please let me explain first and give me a chance.

I love you and I want to be with you”, I told her, and I felt her stiffen up a little in my arms like she was bracing for something really bad, and I hated that l even had to have this conversation with her. “When I was a teenager, I kind of went a little wild for about a year.

I slept with several girls, and at 17, I couldn’t have known if they were my mates or not, it was just, well, hard to say no at the time. These girls were throwing themselves at me, wanting to be Luna of the pack, and I slept with 4 girls, several times each.

I never promised any of them, Luna, they just wanted to be with me, and it was just s*x with them. Now three of the four girls have all moved on, found their mates, and are living happily with their mates. Except for Dana, have been avoiding her for a while now, as she is clinging on to the hope that I will make her my chosen mate. I won’t.

I have been looking for you for over 3 years now. My mother, when she saw me sleeping with the girls, stopped me and told me how much it would hurt my mate to come into the pack and be faced with a bunch of jealous ex-girlfriends, so I stopped. Dana is one of the top female warriors in my pack, and she did meet her mate, and then she apparently rejected him, because she wanted me. I do not want her, and I will not make her my Luna.

That position is only for you. I just wanted you to know about my previous partners, as I want us to start our relationship on the same page, and with no secrets between us. I know you were waiting on your mate, and I am so sorry that I didn’t wait on you too, baby”, I told her, and Gabi sat there absorbing the information that I had given her.

“Does your pack allow for true mates, or will I have to fight her to become Luna, Tanner?” Gabi asked me.

“You are my true mate, and the position is yours. We do not allow girls that want to be Luna to come and take it from their true mate. Only you can reject the title, by rejecting me. But please don’t baby. I love you. I am sorry l messed up. I was young and made some dumb choices, and never even thought about how you would feel about it until mom sat me down for a talk. I stopped it right then because I always just wanted you, my mate.

I didn’t want the other girls, they were only distractions, and I never wanted them to be my Luna. It was only just my mate that I wanted. So, I stopped sleeping with the other girls and told them that I was waiting for my mate, and I had. I have waited for you for over three years and I haven’t slept with anyone for over 3 years”, I told her and looked deep into her eyes so she could see the honesty shining in my eyes.

I am getting more nervous as the second ticks past, as Gabi still hasn’t answered me started praying to the Goddess for her to move Gabi’s heart to me and make me the happiest man in the world to have Gabi accept our mate bond. I promised the Goddess that I would take care of Gabi for the rest of her life if she would just let her accept me and allow me to mark her.