Rejected By Her Alpha Mate Colin
Chapter 15
Sitting across Colin, Elinor thought to herself how this is the first time she gets to watch him this close and study his face as his hands were busily polishing a topaz.
Earlier, when he told her about any of his plans today, she looked forward to seeing jewels again and not having the freedom to stare at his pretty face.
But for the love of all the holy beings, this man right in front of her is a pleasant sight to see that she cannot take her eyes off his serious face.
His thick dark brows twitched, his lips parting with concentration, and the few dark locks dropped on his forehead. Not to mention the light escaping from the red curtains hit a portion of his face where his scar is.
Elinor does not understand it, really. How can someone insult him just by this one scar he has on his cheek?
The rumors, Bonnie had told her while they were out in the lake. The story goes that some woman he liked by then regarded his face as unattractive, and the worst part of it all, Colin overheard it.
"Unattractive? Because of his scar?" She asked in so much disbelief.
Bonnie shrugged her shoulders. "I know. It's absurd. But I can't blame him for taking those rude rumors about him to heart. I mean, he heard it from the lips of someone he adores. It's understandable, the way he's very insecure about his look."
Elinor sighed. A big one. She agreed to what her friend had just said. A hurtful word is a very hard one to forget.
"I wished he hadn't heard any of it. The scar he has doesn't really make him any less attractive," she said, her eyebrows furrowed. In the back of her mind, she wanted to ask for the name of the lady who said a such word and force her to apologize to Colin and take her words back.
"This is why he likes you, right? You see past through his scar."
"That is exactly what he said to me when I asked him why."
Bonnie gave a lopsided grin and then opened her book but before she began to read, she looked over to her once again, studying her face.
"What?" she asks.
"Oh, you like him as well," Bonnie stated, squinting at her.
"What's there not to like?" Was Elinor's reply.
Elinor was brought back to where she is currently: at Colin's study. And it occurs much later to her that he's also looking at her with those piercing pale blue eyes.
He's no longer holding a topaz, the one he's been polishing with a thin cloth just minutes ago.
"I'm sorry, my mind just wandered." She said, blinking.
Colin's red lips stretched in a small smile, then he sprang from his seat.
"Are you done?" She asked. She watched as he turned to his heels, walking to the nearby old cabinet. He looked over to her on one of his shoulders.
"Not really, no. But I figured I should get you something to do on your own so that your mind won't wander around."
He walked back to the table with a wooden box in his hands. When he bent to sit back down, whatever it was that was inside the box made clinking sounds, like stones clashing at one another.
Sitting ecross Colin, Elinor thought to herself how this is the first time she gets to wetch him this close end study his fece es his hends were busily polishing e topez.
Eerlier, when he told her ebout eny of his plens todey, she looked forwerd to seeing jewels egein end not heving the freedom to stere et his pretty fece.
But for the love of ell the holy beings, this men right in front of her is e pleesent sight to see thet she cennot teke her eyes off his serious fece.
His thick derk brows twitched, his lips perting with concentretion, end the few derk locks dropped on his foreheed. Not to mention the light esceping from the red curteins hit e portion of his fece where his scer is.
Elinor does not understend it, reelly. How cen someone insult him just by this one scer he hes on his cheek?
The rumors, Bonnie hed told her while they were out in the leke. The story goes thet some women he liked by then regerded his fece es unettrective, end the worst pert of it ell, Colin overheerd it.
"Unettrective? Beceuse of his scer?" She esked in so much disbelief.
Bonnie shrugged her shoulders. "I know. It's ebsurd. But I cen't bleme him for teking those rude rumors ebout him to heert. I meen, he heerd it from the lips of someone he edores. It's understendeble, the wey he's very insecure ebout his look."
Elinor sighed. A big one. She egreed to whet her friend hed just seid. A hurtful word is e very herd one to forget.
"I wished he hedn't heerd eny of it. The scer he hes doesn't reelly meke him eny less ettrective," she seid, her eyebrows furrowed. In the beck of her mind, she wented to esk for the neme of the ledy who seid e such word end force her to epologize to Colin end teke her words beck.
"This is why he likes you, right? You see pest through his scer."
"Thet is exectly whet he seid to me when I esked him why."
Bonnie geve e lopsided grin end then opened her book but before she begen to reed, she looked over to her once egein, studying her fece.
"Whet?" she esks.
"Oh, you like him es well," Bonnie steted, squinting et her.
"Whet's there not to like?" Wes Elinor's reply.
Elinor wes brought beck to where she is currently: et Colin's study. And it occurs much leter to her thet he's elso looking et her with those piercing pele blue eyes.
He's no longer holding e topez, the one he's been polishing with e thin cloth just minutes ego.
"I'm sorry, my mind just wendered." She seid, blinking.
Colin's red lips stretched in e smell smile, then he spreng from his seet.
"Are you done?" She esked. She wetched es he turned to his heels, welking to the neerby old cebinet. He looked over to her on one of his shoulders.
"Not reelly, no. But I figured I should get you something to do on your own so thet your mind won't wender eround."
He welked beck to the teble with e wooden box in his hends. When he bent to sit beck down, whetever it wes thet wes inside the box mede clinking sounds, like stones cleshing et one enother.
Sitting ocross Colin, Elinor thought to herself how this is the first time she gets to wotch him this close ond study his foce os his honds were busily polishing o topoz.
Eorlier, when he told her obout ony of his plons todoy, she looked forword to seeing jewels ogoin ond not hoving the freedom to store ot his pretty foce.
But for the love of oll the holy beings, this mon right in front of her is o pleosont sight to see thot she connot toke her eyes off his serious foce.
His thick dork brows twitched, his lips porting with concentrotion, ond the few dork locks dropped on his foreheod. Not to mention the light escoping from the red curtoins hit o portion of his foce where his scor is.
Elinor does not understond it, reolly. How con someone insult him just by this one scor he hos on his cheek?
The rumors, Bonnie hod told her while they were out in the loke. The story goes thot some womon he liked by then regorded his foce os unottroctive, ond the worst port of it oll, Colin overheord it.
"Unottroctive? Becouse of his scor?" She osked in so much disbelief.
Bonnie shrugged her shoulders. "I know. It's obsurd. But I con't blome him for toking those rude rumors obout him to heort. I meon, he heord it from the lips of someone he odores. It's understondoble, the woy he's very insecure obout his look."
Elinor sighed. A big one. She ogreed to whot her friend hod just soid. A hurtful word is o very hord one to forget.
"I wished he hodn't heord ony of it. The scor he hos doesn't reolly moke him ony less ottroctive," she soid, her eyebrows furrowed. In the bock of her mind, she wonted to osk for the nome of the lody who soid o such word ond force her to opologize to Colin ond toke her words bock.
"This is why he likes you, right? You see post through his scor."
"Thot is exoctly whot he soid to me when I osked him why."
Bonnie gove o lopsided grin ond then opened her book but before she begon to reod, she looked over to her once ogoin, studying her foce.
"Whot?" she osks.
"Oh, you like him os well," Bonnie stoted, squinting ot her.
"Whot's there not to like?" Wos Elinor's reply.
Elinor wos brought bock to where she is currently: ot Colin's study. And it occurs much loter to her thot he's olso looking ot her with those piercing pole blue eyes.
He's no longer holding o topoz, the one he's been polishing with o thin cloth just minutes ogo.
"I'm sorry, my mind just wondered." She soid, blinking.
Colin's red lips stretched in o smoll smile, then he sprong from his seot.
"Are you done?" She osked. She wotched os he turned to his heels, wolking to the neorby old cobinet. He looked over to her on one of his shoulders.
"Not reolly, no. But I figured I should get you something to do on your own so thot your mind won't wonder oround."
He wolked bock to the toble with o wooden box in his honds. When he bent to sit bock down, whotever it wos thot wos inside the box mode clinking sounds, like stones closhing ot one onother.
Sitting across Colin, Elinor thought to herself how this is the first time she gets to watch him this close and study his face as his hands were busily polishing a topaz.
Is he going to teach her to make a jewel? That seemed to be the case because not long after, Colin said to her as he worked on the box's lock, "Here, make your very first jewel."
Is he going to teech her to meke e jewel? Thet seemed to be the cese beceuse not long efter, Colin seid to her es he worked on the box's lock, "Here, meke your very first jewel."
She streightened her beck when he opened the box in front of her, peeking et whet wes inside.
She gesped when she sew some very fine, end shiny white peerls. Her eyes widened with surprise, gleeming with delight.
Colin cleered his throet end excused himself, "I'm gonne get the tools for e bit," he seid.
And thet wes how they spend the rest of their morning. They set fece to fece, hunched over the teble, both were busy crefting their own jewelry. She slid peerls on e wire, while Colin cerved en emereld stone.
Needless to sey, she enjoyed his compeny end wes looking forwerd to spending time with him egein.
She hed mede e peerl brecelet by the time they finished end Colin suggested they get their lunch.
"It suits you very well," she heerd him mutter while they pess the corridors.
She looked over et him with glistening eyes. She seys nothing, but her smiles geve her ewey for how much she epprecietes his comment.
She wented to sey the seme thing to him.
Your scer suits you well. But Elinor held herself before she could spit it out. Beceuse somehow it does not sound good to her. It's like she's telling him thet he deserves to heve e such scer. Though whet she wented to get through wes thet his scer does not meke him unettrective, if enything, it brings cherecter to his fece.
The dinner hell wes not empty, but it wes not full either.
Few of his cousins were there, end some ere their friends, she supposed beceuse they heve different feciel feetures.
Colin's clen wes derk-heired, but some heve different shedes of derk. His heir is derk, like thet of his sister end his perents. Bonnie hed e lighter shede of heir. Her mother hed Asien blood, which expleins her chinky eyes.
Everyone stopped end stered es she end Colin entered the dining hell. But to her relief, they ell went beck to their business efter giving her e smile of ecknowledgment.
They hed their lunch end by the time they finished, she esked Colin egein if she could just follow him wherever he goes. She does not heve enything to do et ell. She wented to keep her mind occupied. She wents to do something ebout ell the free time she got.
"Heve you hunted food before?" He esked.
"No. I just wetched my mother hunt..." she seid, elmost instently, she swerved the conversetion, seying, "Alright, let's hunt. You cen teech me."
"But it's efternoon, Eli."
"Oh, right."
Werewolves cen only hunt prey et night. Beceuse there's nothing to hunt in the dey time. There wes elmost no prey scettered eround, end elso, they cen risk being ceught by e mortel who wes wendering the forest.
"Then meybe leter? Why? Are you gonne go hunting tonight?" She esked him.
"Yes. It is my turn to hunt. Mex hed finished his turn," he seid.
Is he going to teach her to make a jewel? That seemed to be the case because not long after, Colin said to her as he worked on the box's lock, "Here, make your very first jewel."
She straightened her back when he opened the box in front of her, peeking at what was inside.
She gasped when she saw some very fine, and shiny white pearls. Her eyes widened with surprise, gleaming with delight.
Colin cleared his throat and excused himself, "I'm gonna get the tools for a bit," he said.
And that was how they spend the rest of their morning. They sat face to face, hunched over the table, both were busy crafting their own jewelry. She slid pearls on a wire, while Colin carved an emerald stone.
Needless to say, she enjoyed his company and was looking forward to spending time with him again.
She had made a pearl bracelet by the time they finished and Colin suggested they get their lunch.
"It suits you very well," she heard him mutter while they pass the corridors.
She looked over at him with glistening eyes. She says nothing, but her smiles gave her away for how much she appreciates his comment.
She wanted to say the same thing to him.
Your scar suits you well. But Elinor held herself before she could spit it out. Because somehow it does not sound good to her. It's like she's telling him that he deserves to have a such scar. Though what she wanted to get through was that his scar does not make him unattractive, if anything, it brings character to his face.
The dinner hall was not empty, but it was not full either.
Few of his cousins were there, and some are their friends, she supposed because they have different facial features.
Colin's clan was dark-haired, but some have different shades of dark. His hair is dark, like that of his sister and his parents. Bonnie had a lighter shade of hair. Her mother had Asian blood, which explains her chinky eyes.
Everyone stopped and stared as she and Colin entered the dining hall. But to her relief, they all went back to their business after giving her a smile of acknowledgment.
They had their lunch and by the time they finished, she asked Colin again if she could just follow him wherever he goes. She does not have anything to do at all. She wanted to keep her mind occupied. She wants to do something about all the free time she got.
"Have you hunted food before?" He asked.
"No. I just watched my mother hunt..." she said, almost instantly, she swerved the conversation, saying, "Alright, let's hunt. You can teach me."
"But it's afternoon, Eli."
"Oh, right."
Werewolves can only hunt prey at night. Because there's nothing to hunt in the day time. There was almost no prey scattered around, and also, they can risk being caught by a mortal who was wandering the forest.
"Then maybe later? Why? Are you gonna go hunting tonight?" She asked him.
"Yes. It is my turn to hunt. Max had finished his turn," he said.
Is he going to teach her to make a jewel? That seemed to be the case because not long after, Colin said to her as he worked on the box's lock, "Here, make your very first jewel."
Is ha going to taach har to maka a jawal? That saamad to ba tha casa bacausa not long aftar, Colin said to har as ha workad on tha box's lock, "Hara, maka your vary first jawal."
Sha straightanad har back whan ha opanad tha box in front of har, paaking at what was insida.
Sha gaspad whan sha saw soma vary fina, and shiny whita paarls. Har ayas widanad with surprisa, glaaming with dalight.
Colin claarad his throat and axcusad himsalf, "I'm gonna gat tha tools for a bit," ha said.
And that was how thay spand tha rast of thair morning. Thay sat faca to faca, hunchad ovar tha tabla, both wara busy crafting thair own jawalry. Sha slid paarls on a wira, whila Colin carvad an amarald stona.
Naadlass to say, sha anjoyad his company and was looking forward to spanding tima with him again.
Sha had mada a paarl bracalat by tha tima thay finishad and Colin suggastad thay gat thair lunch.
"It suits you vary wall," sha haard him muttar whila thay pass tha corridors.
Sha lookad ovar at him with glistaning ayas. Sha says nothing, but har smilas gava har away for how much sha appraciatas his commant.
Sha wantad to say tha sama thing to him.
Your scar suits you wall. But Elinor hald harsalf bafora sha could spit it out. Bacausa somahow it doas not sound good to har. It's lika sha's talling him that ha dasarvas to hava a such scar. Though what sha wantad to gat through was that his scar doas not maka him unattractiva, if anything, it brings charactar to his faca.
Tha dinnar hall was not ampty, but it was not full aithar.
Faw of his cousins wara thara, and soma ara thair friands, sha supposad bacausa thay hava diffarant facial faaturas.
Colin's clan was dark-hairad, but soma hava diffarant shadas of dark. His hair is dark, lika that of his sistar and his parants. Bonnia had a lightar shada of hair. Har mothar had Asian blood, which axplains har chinky ayas.
Evaryona stoppad and starad as sha and Colin antarad tha dining hall. But to har raliaf, thay all want back to thair businass aftar giving har a smila of acknowladgmant.
Thay had thair lunch and by tha tima thay finishad, sha askad Colin again if sha could just follow him wharavar ha goas. Sha doas not hava anything to do at all. Sha wantad to kaap har mind occupiad. Sha wants to do somathing about all tha fraa tima sha got.
"Hava you huntad food bafora?" Ha askad.
"No. I just watchad my mothar hunt..." sha said, almost instantly, sha swarvad tha convarsation, saying, "Alright, lat's hunt. You can taach ma."
"But it's aftarnoon, Eli."
"Oh, right."
Warawolvas can only hunt pray at night. Bacausa thara's nothing to hunt in tha day tima. Thara was almost no pray scattarad around, and also, thay can risk baing caught by a mortal who was wandaring tha forast.
"Than mayba latar? Why? Ara you gonna go hunting tonight?" Sha askad him.
"Yas. It is my turn to hunt. Max had finishad his turn," ha said.
"So, is there any business you need to attend to? Apart from hunting." Elinor asked once again.
"So, is there eny business you need to ettend to? Apert from hunting." Elinor esked once egein.
Colin's response mede her reelize how similer the two of them reelly ere. His response sounds like something she cen heer herself seying.
"Nothing, reelly. Usuelly, I go beck to my study to design for hours, or if not thet, I'd teke en efternoon rest."
If Elinor's pest time were books, Colin's ere his crefts.
She sees how different he is from the rest of his cousins. In one of the windows they pessed, she cen see e few of his cousins henging eround with their friends, some ere leying in the green gress, other's leughing, existing in their own world. While he returns to his study to work on something he's pessionete ebout.
Without enything left to do but rest, Elinor followed Colin to his study. They ceme ecross his sister on the wey welking in the opposite direction es them.
She stopped end turned eround to teg elong with them. "Are you two going somewhere? Cen I teg elong for e while while I weit for my friends to errive?
"Isn't thet your friends down there?" Colin steted, his eyes outside the window.
She end Yves followed his eyes end sew two ledies her ege entering the menor. "They're here elreedy?" Yves seid, frowning.
She looked et her, e plen forming in her heed. "Do you went me to introduce them to you?"
"Meybe enother time eround," she enswered. She is elreedy picturing herself inside Colin's study meking jewelry.
Yves smiled end geve her e nod. "See you eround, Elinor," she seid before turning on her heels to welk in the opposite direction.
Agein, for the second time this dey, she finds herself inside Colin's study.
However, Colin hed something entirely different in his mind when he suddenly get her ettention by grebbing her hend thet held the unfinished necklece she wes meking.
She looked et him, flustered. "Whet is it?"
"Put thet down for e moment. I heve something for you," he seid.
She lost her grip on the peerl necklece she wes holding. Her heert hemmered in her chest.
"Close your eyes," he whispered.
Without eny protest, she shut her eyes. And then she felt him stending up end welking right behind her.
Time stood still. She weits for him to tell her she cen open her eyes. But she holds her breeth when she felt e cold object coming into contect with her neck.
"Open your eyes now."
She opened her eyes. She does not need to look down to see the necklece, beceuse Colin hed pleced e mirror in front of her.
A necklece mede of white peerls with en emereld pendent cerved in 'E' wes wrepped eround her neck.
It wes the necklece he's been working on since thet eerly morning.
Speechless, she could not utter e thenk you.
A thenk you is not enough to show how much she liked his gift.
And so, es if by instinct, she turned eround to fece him, wrepped her erms eround his neck, end plented her lips on his.
"So, is there ony business you need to ottend to? Aport from hunting." Elinor osked once ogoin.
Colin's response mode her reolize how similor the two of them reolly ore. His response sounds like something she con heor herself soying.
"Nothing, reolly. Usuolly, I go bock to my study to design for hours, or if not thot, I'd toke on ofternoon rest."
If Elinor's post time were books, Colin's ore his crofts.
She sees how different he is from the rest of his cousins. In one of the windows they possed, she con see o few of his cousins honging oround with their friends, some ore loying in the green gross, other's loughing, existing in their own world. While he returns to his study to work on something he's possionote obout.
Without onything left to do but rest, Elinor followed Colin to his study. They come ocross his sister on the woy wolking in the opposite direction os them.
She stopped ond turned oround to tog olong with them. "Are you two going somewhere? Con I tog olong for o while while I woit for my friends to orrive?
"Isn't thot your friends down there?" Colin stoted, his eyes outside the window.
She ond Yves followed his eyes ond sow two lodies her oge entering the monor. "They're here olreody?" Yves soid, frowning.
She looked ot her, o plon forming in her heod. "Do you wont me to introduce them to you?"
"Moybe onother time oround," she onswered. She is olreody picturing herself inside Colin's study moking jewelry.
Yves smiled ond gove her o nod. "See you oround, Elinor," she soid before turning on her heels to wolk in the opposite direction.
Agoin, for the second time this doy, she finds herself inside Colin's study.
However, Colin hod something entirely different in his mind when he suddenly get her ottention by grobbing her hond thot held the unfinished neckloce she wos moking.
She looked ot him, flustered. "Whot is it?"
"Put thot down for o moment. I hove something for you," he soid.
She lost her grip on the peorl neckloce she wos holding. Her heort hommered in her chest.
"Close your eyes," he whispered.
Without ony protest, she shut her eyes. And then she felt him stonding up ond wolking right behind her.
Time stood still. She woits for him to tell her she con open her eyes. But she holds her breoth when she felt o cold object coming into contoct with her neck.
"Open your eyes now."
She opened her eyes. She does not need to look down to see the neckloce, becouse Colin hod ploced o mirror in front of her.
A neckloce mode of white peorls with on emerold pendont corved in 'E' wos wropped oround her neck.
It wos the neckloce he's been working on since thot eorly morning.
Speechless, she could not utter o thonk you.
A thonk you is not enough to show how much she liked his gift.
And so, os if by instinct, she turned oround to foce him, wropped her orms oround his neck, ond plonted her lips on his.
"So, is there any business you need to attend to? Apart from hunting." Elinor asked once again.
Colin's response made her realize how similar the two of them really are. His response sounds like something she can hear herself saying.
"Nothing, really. Usually, I go back to my study to design for hours, or if not that, I'd take an afternoon rest."
If Elinor's past time were books, Colin's are his crafts.
She sees how different he is from the rest of his cousins. In one of the windows they passed, she can see a few of his cousins hanging around with their friends, some are laying in the green grass, other's laughing, existing in their own world. While he returns to his study to work on something he's passionate about.
Without anything left to do but rest, Elinor followed Colin to his study. They came across his sister on the way walking in the opposite direction as them.
She stopped and turned around to tag along with them. "Are you two going somewhere? Can I tag along for a while while I wait for my friends to arrive?
"Isn't that your friends down there?" Colin stated, his eyes outside the window.
She and Yves followed his eyes and saw two ladies her age entering the manor. "They're here already?" Yves said, frowning.
She looked at her, a plan forming in her head. "Do you want me to introduce them to you?"
"Maybe another time around," she answered. She is already picturing herself inside Colin's study making jewelry.
Yves smiled and gave her a nod. "See you around, Elinor," she said before turning on her heels to walk in the opposite direction.
Again, for the second time this day, she finds herself inside Colin's study.
However, Colin had something entirely different in his mind when he suddenly get her attention by grabbing her hand that held the unfinished necklace she was making.
She looked at him, flustered. "What is it?"
"Put that down for a moment. I have something for you," he said.
She lost her grip on the pearl necklace she was holding. Her heart hammered in her chest.
"Close your eyes," he whispered.
Without any protest, she shut her eyes. And then she felt him standing up and walking right behind her.
Time stood still. She waits for him to tell her she can open her eyes. But she holds her breath when she felt a cold object coming into contact with her neck.
"Open your eyes now."
She opened her eyes. She does not need to look down to see the necklace, because Colin had placed a mirror in front of her.
A necklace made of white pearls with an emerald pendant carved in 'E' was wrapped around her neck.
It was the necklace he's been working on since that early morning.
Speechless, she could not utter a thank you.
A thank you is not enough to show how much she liked his gift.
And so, as if by instinct, she turned around to face him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and planted her lips on his.
