Three Fated Hearts

Chapter 52

~Mark~

The silence is deafening. Jenna is staring at me, and there is nothing I can do other than stand here and take it. I honestly didn’t think I’d run into anyone out here. After talking with Tia for a while, I just needed to get some fresh air. I needed time to think about everything, and it wouldn’t work if I stayed home. Too many people can come and disturb you.

I often come to this pond to think and get away from the pressures of my future positions. It is calm and quiet out here, and I always love to sit at the pond and take in the surrounding nature. I decided to come out here, thinking I would be alone, but here Jenna is.

Looking at her, I can’t deny how gorgeous she is. Jenna stands at about 5’9, and she has long reddish brown hair. Her eyes are emerald which just makes her hair color bolder. She keeps herself put together in designer clothes, usually, though today she has on an oversized hoodie. You can tell Jenna spends some time at the gym, though I’d imagine it isn’t to learn to fight for her pack.

This is starting to get awkward. Jenna’s staring at me and not speaking. I can either go back to the house or take a seat and see what happens. I look out over the pond with longing. I was truly looking forward to sitting in my spot and figuring some things out.

I take a deep breath and start to walk past Jenna. I make it to a moss-covered log, the one I usually sit against, and I dig into a hole on top. I pull out a ziplock bag and get comfy against the log. “What are you doing?” © 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“What does it look like? I’m sitting down with a snack.” I open the bag and pull out a piece of beef jerky and go to town. I find that beef jerky is a good snack when you want to contemplate things. You have to chew on it a bit before it can go down. It also tastes really good, depending on the flavors you get.

I look out over the pond and chew on the jerky, letting the movements lull me and allow my mind to explore. I hear a huff behind me. “I was here first. I really don’t want you around right now.” That’s interesting. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think this is her territory, her private property. That’s exactly how she’s acting as if she has all the authority to tell someone where they should and should not be.

“Look, princess…….This is actually open to the public, well the pack anyway. This is my pack and I’ve been coming here for years. There is enough pond here that you can sit away from me and we can do our own thing.”

“You need to leave now. I don’t want you here. I came here to have some time away from others, and I intend to do just that.” I chuckle and shake my head. She is an entitled little thing, isn’t she? I have to admit, though, the more she goes on, the more she changes my mind. Her little attitude leaves much to be desired when it comes to her personality. This may just be an easier decision than I thought. “Well?! You aren’t moving.”

“And I won’t.” I don’t move or try to look at her. I continue to eat my jerky and think. I hear rustling behind me and see Jenna out of the corner of my eye. I guess she finally figured out I wasn’t going to budge. She takes a seat on a separate log and faces the pond. She’s a stubborn thing; I will say that. That can be an endearing quality, but it can also be a pain in the a*s.

“You’re chewing loudly; do you mind?” Now I’m sure I’m not that loud, seeing as how my mom used to go ballistic whenever Lynn or I would smack during meals. Growing up, mom made it a point to get us to learn how annoying that was. I break off another piece of jerky and pop it into my mouth. ‘Please forgive me, mom,’ I say to the universe then I smack the hell out of the jerky. I make sure every chew is announced along with all movements inside my mouth. I can see Jenna flinch and cringe with each sound.

I finish up the piece of jerky in my mouth. I reach into the hole again to pull out a bottle of water. “Now that’s what chewing loudly sounds like…..just so you don’t get it confused again.” I take a few sips of

water and sit back against the log.

“Well, aren’t you going to offer me some water?” Jenna speaks after a while of silence. I really thought my little display was enough to have her quiet for a while.

“No, I wasn’t planning on it.” Jenna scoffs.

“That’s rude, you know. What kind of gentleman doesn’t offer a lady water? And add to that the fact that I’m your mate….” Hell no! She isn’t about to use our bond against me.

“What kind of lady tries to pursue men who already have their fated mate in their lives?” A small shriek escapes Jenna’s lips, and I smirk a bit. I guess that landed precisely how I wanted it to.

“Just who the hell do you think you are? You don’t question me in any way. I AM a lady, and you’d do well to remember that. As if your opinion carries any weight anyway. You’re just a Beta. I’m an Alpha of the highest caliber.” Now I’m just getting mad. She really thinks very highly of herself, and it’s sickening, to be honest. I’m not sure what the Moon Goddess was hoping for with this pairing, but I’m no longer interested in finding out.

“You have a lot of nerve, you know. I came out here to think about what I should do about our situation, to decide if I should stay with it or let it go. Your attitude is enough for me to know what to do now.” I stand up and dust my shorts off. “I, Mark Ross, future Beta of the Emerald Lake pack, reject you, Jenna Brenner, Alpha female of the Moonlight Pack, as my mate.” I feel a sting in my chest, and I turn to walk back to the packhouse.

“Whaa…..where are……I…..I DO NOT ACCEPT YOUR REJECTION!” I turn and look at Jenna. She is standing with her hands on her hips. Her face is red, she looks flustered, and she’s breathing heavily. She has to accept my rejection. I was about to argue that point but decided against it. She will come around soon enough. I turn and walk back to the packhouse alone.