What's one of the most popular plot devices used after mates in general? That's right: rejections! There are so many possible ways that this can go. Note the heavy sarcasm. 

1.) Special Mate Magic Bond is Really Simple to Break

Due to whatever lore that the author decided to borrow *cough steal *cough* from another story, mate bonds can't be broken. Unless, of course, the person rejecting the other states this exact thing:

I, [insert generic white boy name], Alpha of the Silver Moon Razor Fang (other wolf sounding words) pack, reject you, Raven Ember Sparkles™.

And then then she has to repeat the same exact thing to make it official.

I'm sorry, WHAT? Let me just make this clear, they not only have to say a very specific thing that's pretty simple, but the person who's getting rejected has to CONFIRM they get rejected?

I get that the person you got matched up with is dog shit (no pun intended), but shouldn't you at least try since it's a special mate bond.

2.) Second Chance Mates After Rejection

This cliché has always baffled me to be honest. If the Moon Goddess was truly good at her job at pairing people up, shouldn't she put you with this second mate to begin with? If this person was really a better match for you, then why bother with the first person that'll reject you?

We should probably reconsider why we treat this lady as a Goddess. I think she's purposefully trying to do this so y'all stop worshiping her or something.

That or she's just incompetent at her job. I'm leaning towards the latter. 

Lastly, if the mate bond is such a sacred, special thing, why is the Moon Goddess just giving out second ones all willy nilly? Really makes you question things. 

3.) Pain ... Oh the Horrible Pain

Rejection always comes with pain for some reason. I get that a bond that's blessed by a literal goddess (who I mentioned before might not be good at her job) is not something to take lightly, but come on. It shouldn't result in physical pain. 

It also makes no sense for the pain to be on the person getting rejected. Seems like bad design. The person who initiates the whole thing should be the one bearing all of that. At the very least make them both experience it.

The victim of it all shouldn't be the one to bear it.

4.) I don't want you ... but I also don't want anyone else to have you

Sir, you can't reject someone then turn around and block them from trying to find the very thing you're denying them. The kicker is that they're usually "dating" someone else while they put their mate in this rejection limbo. 

This is another one of those cliches that confuses me too. The main character can't initiate the rejection for whatever reason. They almost never do. If they do somehow work up the courage to do it, the child that is known as their mate doesn't "accept" the rejection. 

It makes no sense.

5.) I know you bullied me my entire life then rejected me, but I forgive all of it!

I don't even call these types of main characters Protagonists. They don't deserve that title since they lack basic self respect. I mean come on. This man-child treated the gum on the bottom of his shoe better than he treats you, a living breathing person. If you don't grow a back bone, I'm throwing your story right in the trash. 

A minute or two of "fun" is not worth getting treated that way, and I'm being generous on the time. You can find someone better who can treat you like the person you are and who can actually get the job done if you know what I mean. 

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If you couldn't tell by now, I obsoletely hate stories that include rejections. If a story includes them in any way, I almost always don't finish them. There are a couple that I stuck through, but that's the exception to the rule. There are more ways to cause tension and conflict for your characters other than putting them through this shit. If you don't want your main couple together right away/want them to be apart for some reason, find literally any other way to do it. Until next time :D