Page 15 of His Rejected Fated Mate

I stared outside the window at the street, waiting for her car to pull up. Had she decided she didn’t want to do this?

I looked across the space where her parents stood. They looked uncomfortable, neither saying much. I never thought ill of her parents, but I always wondered why Elize hadn’t been close to them. I knew that Elize loved them, but she also said their relationship wasn’t anything special.

“Why don’t you call her?” Ivan, my Beta, asked as he pushed off the wall next to me.

“I don’t have her number.”

He turned with his hands in his pockets. Ivan was a relaxed person with a cool edge. He said things as they were and gave his honest opinion. I picked him because I needed someone who would be hard when I didn’t know how to be.

“Why don’t you have her number?”

“Because she didn’t give it to me.”

He nodded toward her parents. “And why don’t you ask them to call her?”

I glared at him. “Because they don’t like me.”

He sighed. “So are we going to stand her and wait forever then?”

I rolled my eyes when I heard the doors. Elize came around the corner, and my heart sank a little.

I had thought she might dress up a little. But she was wearing a pair of sweatpants and a baggy sweater. Her brown hair was pulled up in a messy bun, and she looked like she’d crawled out of bed. She was holding a mug as she walked toward us.

“Sorry, I had a thing last night, and I didn’t sleep well. I’m here, though.”

Ivan scanned Elize and then smirked. “So, you’re the wife?”

Elize scrunched up her nose. “No. I’m what you call the mate, but that won’t include kissing, exchange of saliva, or sex. Call me Elize.”

Ivan smirked. “Ivan, Troy’s beta.”

Elize nodded and turned to her parents. “Oh, I didn’t think you guys were going to come.”

Her parents looked stunned as they looked her up and down. “You need witnesses,” her mom whispered.

Her father spoke softly. “And this is a ceremony, Elize. You could have worn something. Do you need more time to change?”

She shrugged as she took a sip of her drink. “It’s not that important.”

I bit my tongue from telling her it was. This ceremony was a big deal for shifters, but that wasn’t how she was seeing it. She was seeing all of this as a big mess.

“So, where to?” she asked as she looked back at Ivan and me.

Ivan had a wicked grin on his face, clearly enjoying this. “It’s this way.”

Elize walked past us, and her parents followed her. Ivan looked at me, and I smacked him on the head. He scolded, rubbing at it. “What was that for?”

“Wipe that smile off your face.”

“What?! I’m happy you’re getting married.”

“You’re smirking because of the situation.”

We headed down the hallway and into the altar. It was a small space that had a row of benches and a skylight. The room was light with flowers, with the priest already at the altar. I quickly spotted Martin sitting at one of the benches.

My stomach churned as Elize walked down the aisle and Martin pulled her into a hug. I could see the hurt expression on her parents’ faces as they took a seat.

“I’m so happy that you’re doing this,” Martin added as he leaned back. “This is a great thing for both of you.”