Page 5 of Rejected Broken Mate

I loved her, and I'd loved her since I first met her months before we started dating. I remember she had looked over her shoulder at me, wiggling a finger and calling me to her. I swung out of the bean bag and pulled her into my arms, swaying to the music.

She was my mate, and I would give her anything she wanted. And that night was the first night we had slept together. Slightly intoxicated but hot and heavy. It was the first of many that we shared before I ended everything.

"This is not going to work," she said, shaking her head, looking defeated.

"You don't know that," I said.

She nervously laughed, shaking her head as she took a step back. "Nope, I'm pretty sure I do. We've tried this before unless you forgot."

I didn't.

I had broken up with her a few days before summer. It was my senior year, and I was moving back home, and it was her junior year.

My folks would never allow me to be with a human, and when I tried expressing she was my mate, they explained I was mistaken and that their son would never be allowed to love a human. And because I wanted to be accepted by my folks so badly, I believed them.

She looked good. She still had that soft skin and the complexion that came with caring for her body. However, her eyes didn't look at me lovingly like they used to. They looked at me with pure irritation and maybe a little contempt.

I suddenly remembered Ayden's words. You're in charge today, so make sure things run smoothly. "Laura, this is only a problem if we let it be one."

She made a face. "How is this not a problem, Miles? We slept together. We had a relationship that didn't end great."

I couldn't help but wince. I could suddenly remember how she screamed at me—accusing me of using her to have a good time. She could have been with someone who cared about her rather than someone who was using her for sex.

"We are both grown up," I quickly added, squaring my shoulder. "We can move past that."

She raised an eyebrow at me, crossing her arms. "I don't think so."

I take a deep breath in and decide to go another route. "I know how hard it is to find a decent job, much less one that pays as high as we do. You'd be stupid to leave without even giving it a chance."

She glares at me, seeming to think about it for a moment.

"Laura, what we had was a long time ago…like seven years ago. I'm sorry about how it ended, but you would be stupid to leave this job because we have history."

I watched her chew on her lip for a moment, still thinking. After what felt like forever, she took a deep breath and nodded. "Fine, but if you make things difficult, even once, I'm leaving."

I snorted. "Really? Do you know me at all?"

She glared. "I mean it, Miles. You said to yourself. It's hard to find work. If I'm staying, you need to act like we don't have a history."

I snapped my mouth shut. "Why would I do that?"

"Because I don't want to lose this, and I don't want anyone to be uncomfortable around me. So, just…act like we don't know each other."

I wasn't sure about the idea, but I got her point. If the guys knew we dated and broke up, they would want to know why and would likely pick sides.

"Fine, shall I show you around now?"

She nodded, and I pulled the door open, letting her step inside. I quickly showed her downstairs where the trucks and storage were. Once we headed up the stairs, I could hear all the other guys watching TV.

"Ayden and Owen are away at a meeting right now, but they will be back later."

"Ayden is the one who interviewed me, right?" she asked, glancing at me. "He's the head firefighter, correct?"

I nodded, "Yeah."

I whistle, making all the guys turn. Laura paused beside me, growing stiff as I waved a hand towards her. "Guys, this isLaura. She's going to be working here as the administrator and coordinator."

Everyone waved, and Laura waved back.

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