Capturing My Mate *Rated R* (Book #1)

Chapter 29

*Reid's Pov*

I groaned as James barreled me into a tree.Pain sizzled in my left thigh as I shifted back to human form. Training was not looking good for me right now.

"Come on, don't tell me you've gone soft on us." James said as he stood over me. He offered me a hand up but I slapped it away and climbed  to my feet.

"What's wrong, the big bad alpha's son can't live up to his name?"He goaded. I tried to take a few steps on the leg but it stung, he'd done quite a number on it.

I shifted again calling for a fight. I made a careless rush at him to which he sidestepped. Before I could turn around his sharp teeth bit down on the same injured leg, and I fell to the floor again. I had been careless with this one, I never went for the head rush unless I was desperate, but it seems like I'd been doing that a lot more recently.

Training for the rouge attacks made the problem I was having painfully visible. I could no longer pretend that I wasn't feeling the effects.I was becoming weaker, Cara's initial rejection had weakened me severely. Even though our relationship was sort of mending,  it takes three months before the effects of initial rejection wear off on the body. I was not even 1 month in. I was becoming easily tired, simple tasks such as running the perimeter of the woods felt endless. It was getting tougher to go about daily activities.

I was definitely in no condition to fight, if the battle was tomorrow I'd be killed instantly. No amount of alpha's blood running through my veins could save me. That was how powerful love was, when it crushed you, it actually crushes you; physically, mentally, emotionally.

I wasn't blaming Cara at all. Everything was my doing, I broke her heart and in return she broke mine.

I had one job, one fucking job and that was to love her and protect her. Somewhere along the lines, things became skewed and I ended up keeping things from her. I thought the less she knew the better it'd be for her. God what a fool I'd been.

Then she ran off to New York of all places. She could have been kidnapped along the way, what the hell was she thinking? God if anything would have happened to her I don't know what I'd do. I frowned. I know what I'd do, I'd blame myself for eternity for causing two deaths. First my mother's and then hers, and I wouldn't be able to live with that on my conscience.

I thought we had made a breakthrough in NY. We talked about our relationship and she admitted that she wanted us to work things out. But then last week she doubled down and essentially took back most of what she had told me in NY. She even went so far as to ask we be friends. Although it may not have seemed like it, I had to truly restrain myself from yelling at her out of frustration.  We were mates and her saying that was a literal slap in the face.

It was a good thing I went to Washington after all. I had forgotten for a split second that she rejected me  and that it'd take so damn long for my wolf to heal from the effects. I needed to train hard and fast if I wanted to survive out there on that field.

The next three sparing rivals had beaten me easily, even Matt destroyed me. Things were worse than I thought, I couldn't fight like this.

I sat down under the shade of a trunk and drank from my water bottle. Matt came over and sat down.

"Man, what the hell is going on? "Matt said hitting me hard on the back. I almost spilled the water all over us.

I shook my head and tried to appear less troubled than I really was."Mate rejection, you're seeing it in the flesh buddy." I spat some water on the floor.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that, thankfully I've never had to deal with that." Matt leaned back and wiped the sweat from his face." You look terrible."

I forced a laugh."Thanks." I've already noticed my weakening state but for others to as well was simply mortifying.