Rejected By My Mate novel Chapter 83

As the sun set on the horizon, it blew me away by its beautiful rays that illuminated the vast ocean. We are now out of the forest and stumbled again into the small clearing which Darius is waiting for us. Luke was so surprised upon seeing my dragon. Because of excitement, he requested to ride Darius. And now we are lying at Darius’ back while watching the dark sky filled with stars and the two moons.

Meanwhile, Eros was still asleep peacefully beside me. Right now, I still can’t believe the kids got separated from their parents. What if I was too late to save them? What would happen? I let out a loud sigh.

I sat up and saw my darling still grilling the rabbit he caught earlier for our dinner while the cute little thing was watching the fire in awe. He tried to touch the fire but squeaked at the heat. I heard Azrael laugh. So I silently chuckled.

Eros suddenly stirs and wakes up. The first thing he mumbled was the word ‘mommy’ and cried.

“Shh, it’s okay, baby boy. You’re now fine...” I coaxed him, and he looked at me with tears rolling down his face. His gaze fixated on me and his mouth formed an ‘O’ shape.

“M-Mommy?” he asked while choking on his tears.

I shook my head. “No, baby. I’m not your mommy. Well, we will look for your mommy, okay?” I said while stroking his head.

His eyes watered, and he was about to cry. I quickly pulled him into my arms. “Shh, everything will be alright.” he sobbed and hugged me tightly.

Luke scooted closer to us and said, “Eros, we’ll be going to see our mommy soon! So stop crying, okay?” Then he nuzzled Eros’ head with an assuring smile. Eros looked at him with a small smile and hugged Luke while sniffling. That put a smile on my face. At such a young age, Luke knew how to comfort the little boy like he was his little brother.

Then Eros turned and clung to me like a little koala, which I didn’t mind because I know he’s missing his parents.

Azrael waved his hands and called us, “Come down and let’s eat!” I nodded and took the kids down from Darius’ back to join him below.

The fire he made keeps us warm on this cold starry night. It feels so nice. Eros looked so surprised when he saw the adorable baby water fox sitting obediently beside Azrael. His eyes twinkled in awe and grinned. “What’s his name?” he asked excitedly.

“Oh, shoot! We haven’t named him yet. What do you think, Luke?” I said and looked at the little boy beside Eros. He put his hand on his chin while thinking. This little boy looked too cute right now, and I couldn’t help but pinch his chubby cheeks. He pouted and giggled.

“Hmm, his name would be Blue!” he half yelled with a wide smile.

“That’s cool!” I said with a smile. Then I looked at Blue and he wiggled his tails. It looks like he loves his name.

“Blue!” Eros uttered and Blue jumped into Eros' little arms and licked his face cheerfully. Eros and Luke giggled while Blue danced around us enthusiastically. Azrael and I laughed at the scene.

“Okay, let’s eat!” Azrael announced, then handed us a stick with grilled meat. We happily devoured our food, and I just noticed I’m so hungry. Azrael and the kids laughed when I burped loudly after I finished my part.

After eating, the kids and Blue played with each other around Darius. They really got along well. Azrael stood up and sat beside me with a huge smile on his face. “Alex, how many children do you want in the future?” he asked out of the blue while smiling dreamily, and I almost choked with my saliva. A blush crept on my face, and I cleared my throat to hide my flustered self.

“Hmm, two is enough,” I answered after giving it a thought, and he pouted his lips.

“But I want a dozen children,” he said while grinning, and my eyes widened. I swear my face is like a tomato right now. I coughed as his answer startled the sh*t out of me. A d-dozen? Is he for real?

“What?! That’s a lot!” I said and laughed.

He laughed too, but still insisted on having a dozen children since he was the only child and he always wanted to have a lot of siblings. I stopped laughing and stared at him. I remember something that I forgot to tell him.

“Hm, Azrael, I have something to tell you…”

“Yeah. What is it?” He looked at me with a smile.

I let out a deep sigh and said, “Can you stop calling me Alex and call me Alice from now on?”

“Why?” his brows furrowed.

“It’s just that, I’m not the same Alex you knew before. That was not the real me. I mean, we are six in one body, which was our vessel, and that body already died. I don’t want to confuse others for having two names.” He gave me a small smile with an unfocused gaze and held my hand subconsciously. By the look on his face, I know he reminisces about the past. He let out a sigh.

“Okay. I understand. I respect your decision, my love.” he brought my hands on his lips and kissed them. That brought a smile to my face.

“Thank you. I just wanted us to start all over again without thinking about the horrible past, which still haunts me sometimes in my sleep. I want to be called by my real name all the time because sometimes I remember the bad things that happened each time I heard the name Alex or Alexandria. Because the past 18 years of my life seem like a blur, full of lies and secrets. So I wanted us to start all over again in this world.” ...as long as I could.

He nodded. “Hmm, let’s start all over again. I will always be here by your side. From now on, I will only call you Alice.”

I smiled. “Thank you, Azrael. Nevertheless, the name Alexandria will forever engrave deeply in my heart because mama Leia and papa Alexander give it to me. That name will always be special.”

“Likewise, Alice. Well, your two names will forever be engraved in my heart, too, and in my memory. By the way, what is your last name?” His words had a strong impact on me. It really means a lot. My stomach churned, seeing his warm smile.

“I have no last name. My name is just Alice.” I said, and his brows furrowed.

“What? How is that possible?” he asked, still with furrowed eyebrows. I chuckled.

“Darling, I’m a goddess and I have no last name as well as all the gods,” I said, still chuckling. He smiled cheekily and his eyes sparkled.

“Well, in that case, you should add mine as your last name. You would become Alice Shepherd from now on. Oh damn, my last name suits you well.” he said grinning from ear to ear.

“And why would I take your last name?” I said, while raising an eyebrow.

“To make you mine permanently. Don’t you want it?” he said, still grinning.

“No, thanks..” I rolled my eyes.

“Nah. You don’t have a choice. You are stuck with me, remember?” he said confidently.

“Well then, marry me first.” I blurted out.

Azrael’s eyes widened.

Oh damn! Did I just blurt it out? What the hell am I thinking? My face flushed in embarrassment and Azrael was now grinning from ear to ear. Then his expression becomes serious.

“Then, I will marry you, Alice,” he said while smiling genuinely. My heart pounded in my chest so fast, like it would burst out in my rib cage. He held my hands and stared at me lovingly. I’m speechless as I felt my stomach do a somersault. We just stared at each other with a smile.

After some time, we lay some big leaves on the grass Azrael gathered earlier for us to sleep for a night because we will depart early tomorrow to continue collecting the orbs. Using my magic, I turned the leaves into a comfy mattress and a tent for us to sleep comfortably. Luke and Blue fell asleep quickly while Eros was still wide awake and clung to me tightly. I think he misses his mom. I’m still trying to coax him to sleep. Azrael smiled while looking at me admiringly. I rested my head on his shoulder, then he put his arms around my shoulder while stroking my hair lightly. Then he hummed a song.

“Close your eyes

Let me tell you all the reasons why

Think you're one of a kind

Here's to you

The one that always pulls us through

Always do what you gotta do

You're one of a kind

Thank God you're mine”

My heart pounded in my chest like crazy. I didn’t know he could sing well. He sang the lyrics full of emotions that almost melted my heart. His voice is like a lullaby that warms my soul.