Chapter 3 : Heartache

*** Triton's POV***

I lay in the forest, allowing my wounds to heal a little before continuing on my way. I smelled the shawl on my shoulders. It had the scent of daffodils lingering on it. It was the same girl I had smelled earlier. The beautiful girl in the blue dress with silky black hair; I knew her scent. It seemed like I had known that scent for a long time, even though I knew I had never known such a scent before. It took my breath away.

I slowly stood up and limped through the woods with her shawl still on my shoulders. I knew this must mean something. The shawl made me feel completely safe in a way I never knew before. It was a small feeling, like it was not the complete feeling I could handle. It was like the feeling I was home or reaching home. Not a physical home. A feeling that I was going to belong someplace.

The moon was waxing high in the midnight sky when I finally came to my doorstep. I did not have the energy to morph back into my human form. I just slept on the doorstep with the girl's shawl on my shoulders.

*** Ariana's POV***

"Ariana! Ariana!" I heard Alex's voice calling me as he came closer to me. I slowly looked up from the untouched cake sitting alone on a paper plate. I did not start crying yet, but I had a feeling I would start crying at some point this evening. I did not tell him I saw him gazing at Patty. I didn't know what it meant, but I had a nagging sense that it was not good.

"We need to leave." He said to me, grasping my hand and pulling me along with him. He led me out of the door and to his car. I could make out the shape of his black Jaguar beneath the dim parking lot light. He did not bother to open my door like he always did.

He just jumped in the front of his car and started the engine. I stood there shocked, outside his car feeling my hopes dashed to pieces. He looked over to me from the driver's side and seemed to be wondering if I was ever going to get in the car. I sighed and opened the door despondently.

I sat down and buckled my seatbelt but did not look at him.

We kept quiet the entire ride home. I wanted to say so much and ask so much, but I didn't know where to start. My stomach was just one giant knot as I waited for the ax to fall. Finally, when we got to my house, I said nothing. I just started unbuckling my seat belt and stood to leave. At the last second, he reached over and grasped my hand.

"Ariana." He said softly with a lot of pain in his voice. "I need to tell you something."

I turned and looked at him. I could not speak. I just wanted to get this over with at this point. I started solemnly down at our entwined hands. I knew it would be the last time we ever did hold hands like this.

"Listen, I need you to know that you've been the most amazing girlfriend." He said slowly as he looked down sadly. "But, while we were at the dance, I felt nothing for you. I knew that you probably felt the same way. We aren't soulmates. We aren't meant to be together, Ariana. I felt something for someone else, Ariana. I found my mate, but it was not you. We need to stop pretending."

"I get it." I said simply, "but our love is more than that. We have two years of a passionate and loving relationship. We love each other, honey. You're going to just let that go?"

He swallowed several times before he looked me in the eye and said, "I am not letting it go, Ariana. It is destiny. We don't choose our mates. I felt that tonight. And, it was not for you."

I did not know what to do, so I just jumped up and left him. He called me once, but I did not look back. I tore the moonstone necklace from my neck and threw it on the ground. I dashed inside and cried myself to sleep. My mother came into my room at some point with some soothing tea, but I did not say anything. She left me alone after a while, and I continued to cry.

The following day I woke up early and made my way to school right away. I met my best friend Carol as I walked into our first class. No one else was there yet except for Carol and me. I stared at the wall while Carol ranted on and on about all the gossip she heard about what happened to Triton and his girlfriend. I didn't want to gossip about anything. I was way too preoccupied dealing with my own heartache. But I didn't tell her that.

After listening to her rant forever, the rest of the kids finally arrived for class. I saw Patty enter the room, looking pretentious as ever. I knew deep inside my heart that she was the one who stole my boyfriend. It made my blood boil.

"Well, maybe if you Shining Moon packs would get your act together, the neutral pack wouldn't have to keep jumping in to save you," Patty yelled at one of my pack members. She was a young 15-year-old, and I couldn't stand to see Patty pick on her. But, I was in the mood for a fight. And, nothing would be better than to get those snobby Black Sky packs caught in a fight.

"Leave her alone!" I shouted at Patty, giving her a shove. "She didn't do anything to you. Leave her alone and fight someone your own age!"

Patty glared back at me. I could see a spark in her eyes. I was glad. I wanted her to get mad.

She looked me over and said, "Don't be ridiculous. I don't need to fight a stupid shining Moon pack member."

Just as she turned away from me, I saw her sneak a flirtatious smile at whoever had just entered the classroom. I spun around quickly to see Alex enter the room. I did not want to see him. All I wanted was to never see him again. But, I had to ask him about his mate. I knew it had to be Patty. But I wanted to hear it from him.

After lunch, I pinned him in a corner in the hallway.

"Alex, I need you to tell me who your mate is," I said to him, unable to meet his gaze. My stomach was a knot, and I did not want to see what he looked like. I assumed he was feeling much better than I was today. He found his mate. I did not.

"Ariana, it's best you don't know." He answered slowly. I glared at him. He had a shadow cross his face.

"Fine," he said with a gulp, "Patty is my mate."

I looked down at my hands. They are empty now. No one held them. They were alone. I was alone. My hands were alone all day.

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