The Rejection (Luna of the Pack Series)

by S. J. Hayslett

  On my right side, is my soon to be second choice mate. I was thoroughly confused by him. When he let me into his cabin last night, did that mean he accepted that I was pregnant with another man’s pup or was he just doing me a solid for the night? And if it was the former, did that mean he was going to adopt him or her? Or would he attempt to kill my baby once it’s born? I fight to resist the urge to place my arm around my stomach protectively. Thorne is the only other person that knows I’m pregnant and I am determined not to draw any attention to the matter needlessly. Werewolf pregnancies only last about 4 months, and I’m already two weeks in. That means I’ll start showing within the next two weeks. Whatever I’m going to do, needs to happen before then.

  "How about we take a fifteen-minute break, and when we resume, we’ll discuss alliance renewals.” Alpha Storsant’s voice breaks through my thoughts and everyone begins to stretch about. Alliance renewals is going to be the fun moment of the summit where the packs will discuss which moves they’ll be making with other packs. It’ll also be the point in time when alliance announcements, like the one Thorne proposed to my brother would be recorded, should my brother accept it, that is.

  Someone from Alpha Storsant’s pack directs everyone to the lobby where there are snacks and other refreshments displayed for such a time as this. Thankfully, my brother and Julien don’t wait for me as I make a show of powering down and securing my laptop before I make any type of move from my seat. However, I’m not so lucky that Thorne would leave my side as well.

  "When do you want to come over to Stoneforest?” His deep velvety voice startles me, and I gasp in his direction. So many thoughts run through my mind that I can’t get them to calm down and allow me to focus.

  “What do you mean?”

  He takes a few seconds to laugh at me, but when he sees that I don’t appreciate it, my narrowed eyes being a major clue, he clears his throat and begins to speak. “I mean, when do you want to move your things into Stoneforest? You are still coming, aren’t you?” Thorne’s forehead crinkled with uncertainty. It was a look that was almost endearing on him.

  “It depends on what you intend to do about,” I look around and see that we are nearly alone in the meeting room and I don’t want to give myself away, so I whisper, “my condition.”

  "Am I supposed to do something about it? I'm confused. You’d be mine.” Thorne leans down to my ear, a smile on his face as if we were conspiring against the others. “Both of you,” he whispers with his lips grazing my ear, a hand also gently presses on my abdomen. Goddess, my knees just about buckled with his declaration. Or maybe it was the sizzling contact between us? Either way I can’t be sure because he’s rendered me speechless.

  In fact, I open my mouth to speak but quickly close it. I can’t think without close proximity to each other. However, after a few more seconds of silence and my mouth flopping open like a fish out of the water, I finally open my mouth to actually say something, what it was, I’m still not sure at this point. But whatever words were about to come out were slammed to the back of my throat when someone ran in and interrupted us.

  “Rogues! We need everyone!” I recognized the young wolf, it was the young lady who was directing everyone to the lobby for refreshments.

  “Are you okay to shift?” Thorne asked me.

  “Yeah, I’m only two weeks. I’m good,” I responded and cursed how breathless I sounded.

  "Good stick by me." Thorne grabs my hand and I follow him out to where the others are already stripping out of their suits and dresses. I vaguely register seeing Julien stuffing Natasha in a closet and roll my eyes. What good is a wolf who couldn't fight? I refuse to dwell on the fact that the wolf that the moon goddess saw fit to pair me with, choose a wolf who couldn't do her part to protect the pack. Could she even protect her pup if needed? Ugh, no I won't dwell.

  "Promise me that you won't leave my side." Thorne looks into my eyes and I can see specks of gold in his amber eyes. The intensity bears down on me and for the second time in his presence, I find myself speechless. All I can do is nod and begin to peel my own clothes off. The magic of our nature ripples through me as I shift into my reddish-orange wolf. I shake out my fur just as the rogues are breaching the tree line of the forest.

  On the far side of the room, my brother nods to me in his own black wolf form and I can feel him pressing into my mind for a connection. No matter how mad I am at Lincoln, I would never deny him from talking to me before a battle.

  "I love you sis," he says in the mind link and I quickly reply my sentiments back to him as I turn my attention to the oncoming wolves.

  I don't understand what the rogues hope to gain from attacking the pack. I briefly wonder if they were here for Alpha Storsant's pack or for the summit. If it was the summit, I really would be interested in knowing what they wanted to accomplish. Why would you attack a pack that had almost thirty alphas?

  It would be a massacre.

  Alpha Storsant's pack joined the fray and once their wolves were mixed in with the rest of us, Storsant leads the charge. Before I know it, there's a violent clash of fur and teeth.

  The first wolf that I collide with yelps when my teeth find purchase in ear. It's not much of a tactic on my part, but it was the only area that the she-wolf left unguarded during her attack. I tuck my neck in as she darts for me, maw was open and ready. I am prepared for her attack and drop to the ground to wrestle her so that can roll beneath me. My counter attack left her surprised and more importantly, her neck open. She seemed to realize that as well, but it was too late, I had already had my jaws clenched around the meat of her neck. I clamp down until I hear the tell-tale sound of the crunch of the bones in her neck. Just to be sure of her death, I wrench her limp body back and forth before dropping her and looking for my next target.

  I don’t need to wait for long as I track a brown wolf stalking my way. I've lost track of my brother at this point, but I won't risk asking him if he's okay. There's no sense in distracting him while he's fighting. All I can do is feel that the familiar bond is still intact and continue with my own battles.

  The brown wolf is about to pounce when a dark gray wolf catches him in midair. Both wolves come crashing down with the law of gravity and neither lets up from the fight. They circle one another, teeth baring. The brown wolf that wanted me first, makes the mistake of turning so that his back is now to me. There's an imperceptible nod from the gray wolf and I immediately hop on the brown wolf's back. He topples with me on top, my hind paws scratching into the sides of his hide while I'm trying to find anywhere that's vulnerable for a kill shot.

  The wolf beneath me struggles to hold my weight as he tries to stand. But the nails of my front paws are digging into his shoulders, that his legs are having trouble supporting the combination of our weights. However, he manages for all about two seconds to stand on his own four feet but, he never realized that the gray wolf never left. Those two seconds are his last, because the gray wolf goes for the kill. Red blood spouts from the gushing wound when the gray wolf's snout comes away with the skin and fur that was once the throat.

  The strength and life force of the brown wolf wanes as he slowly sinks back to the ground. On my own paws now, the gray wolf walks over to me and begins to lick my snout clean of blood. There's no mind connection between us, but I'm ninety percent sure that this is Thorne.

  My wolf wants to lick him back, but I hesitate and hold her back from doing so. It has nothing to do with a threat, the rogues that weren't killed, had retreated. The alphas and Storsant's pack were conducting a clean-up and looking for any of the wounded to find out some information. I just honestly don't know what is keeping me from accepting him. My wolf obviously isn't thinking about Julien anymore. Hell, it wasn't like I thought much about Julien before I found out he was my mate. He was always either my brother's best friend or my best friend's boyfriend. He was never "my" anything. So why do I feel a sense of loyalty towards him?

  I follow Thorne back to the pile of clothes and w
ait for the magic to return me to my human form. My bones shifting back seems to always hurt just a little more than shifting into my wolf. But it's a good pain, much like working out my muscles in the gym. I shimmy my dress over my hips and turn around to see Thorne watching me. I smirk at him, not even the least bit ashamed of being seen naked. Nudity never bothered me before, it sure as heck wasn't going to start now.

  "Like what you see Thorne?" I shamelessly make a point to look down at his body and oh my god! I sort of wish I hadn't. Obviously, my current condition dictates that I'm not a virgin, and he is by far not the first male that I've seen naked. However, I've always tried to not look at that one particular part. Julien's was the first that I'd ever really paid attention to and Thorne far exceeded Julien. Far exceeded.

  "Like what you see Kairi?" I squeak when he speaks my name. I feel every bit of my eighteen years old at the moment. Squeak? Wolves don't squeak, and yet I manage to make the most awkward of noises come through my lips. Because a guy shows interest in me and says my name?

  Oh, shoot me now.

  Since no one took me on my mental order, I do the only thing I can think of to maintain some sort of dignity. I walk away in search of my brother.

  Thorne's deep throated chuckle fades from my ears the farther I walk away from him, and I find Lincoln putting on his pants. He balls up his shirt and suit jacket before he turns to find me.

  "Are you hurt?" Lincoln drags me into a hug when I reach him, and I wrap my arms around him. His scent calms me, wood and wild grass, for the simple fact my father smelled similar.

  "No. A few scratches, but they healed already. You?" Lincoln shakes his head and begins to look around the lobby. “Where’s Julien?” I look around with him, not particularly interested where he is. But I still want to make sure that he and Natasha are okay. No one from our side seemed to be majorly injured and there were no casualties, except for the rogues. But Natasha is a bumbling idiot when it came to fighting and it wouldn't surprise me if she did something stupid and get Julien hurt trying to protect her.

  “Last I saw him, was before the fight. He was hiding Natasha in what looked like the utility closet.” I walk him over to where I saw our beta last. There’s no resistance on the handle when I pull it open. Yet, as soon as I do, I want to slam the door shut.

  “What the hell!” Lincoln’s voice rings in my head and from beside me. Natasha was cowed behind Julien. Thankfully we didn’t walk in on them making out. I don't think I would have been able to stomach the sight. No, we just opened the door to them hiding in the closet.

  “What’s the meaning of this?” Lincoln asked as Julien and Natasha crawled their way out of the closet and into the lobby with the rest of us. Lincoln’s strong and loud voice made sure that all eyes were on us. I could feel Thorne’s presence come up behind me, but he seemed to know that I needed some space between because he never touched me.

  Natasha and Julien looked at each other and I can see the two of them having their own private mind link. I glance at my brother sideways, I know he’s not going to be happy about them keeping something from him. Especially since there were a whole bunch of alphas and others looking on to the spectacle they created.

  “Linc, well you know Natasha doesn’t really know how to fight.” It wasn’t uncommon for female wolves to not fight. There were some packs, not many, that believed female wolves shouldn’t train to fight. Those packs weren’t as powerful as they could be. “Plus, with her pregnant, she shouldn’t be out there anyway, so I hid her in there. But when I went to shift, my wolf wouldn’t come out.”

  Julien all but whispers his last words, but I hear him still. Pretty sure everyone who cared enough to listen for them, heard them as well. I look around and see just about everyone ponder his statement. I’d never heard of someone not being able to call their wolf forward. Our second natures were normally concerned about self-preservation. Meaning if there was a sign of danger and our wolves had just one moment to slip through, they would, especially if the threat is something like a fight to the death. For Julien’s wolf to not come out for the battle, I wondered if Julien is sick and it’s effecting his wolf somehow.

  “I don’t feel sick, no. But maybe I should see the infirmary?” Julien looks back up at me and I realize stupidly that I asked that question out loud. His face is soft when he looks at me and for a small amount of time, I can’t take my eyes off of him either. That is until Alpha Storsant’s voice interrupts the moment.

  “Hell, you don’t need the infirmary. You need your mate.”

  “What do I need to do?” Natasha speaks up from behind Julien, almost proud that she can say that she’s needed for something official.

  “You’re his true mate?” Alpha Storsant retorts and I can see the two of them looking back at each other as if they were caught stealing. “Well you must be some special kind of stupid.” Storsant begins to mutter underneath his breath and I barely catch anything he says. Something about youth being stupid and not paying attention to history.

  “You mean to tell me you met your mate and then mated with this poor substitute of a wolf? It’s one thing if you chose her before your mate, I bet even your wolf was behind the decision to mate with this fine young thing. But then you met your mate, and everything changed. Suddenly, your wolf detested this one’s touch. But like an idiot, you marked her anyway. Ohhh, I bet your wolf railed against the idea something fierce. Your first mate must be someone strong if your wolf withdrew from you.”

  Oddly enough, I feel somewhat vindicated and validated with Alpha Storsant’s words. My eyes bare down on Julien as he watches Alpha Storsant with horror. Natasha whimpers and I wonder if she can even comprehend that Storsant pretty much just called her insignificant compared to me. My wolf is practically preening in my head with the knowledge that Storsant doesn’t even know just how accurate he is with his assessment of the situation.

  Julien shrugs away Natasha's touch and steps closer to Alpha Storsant as if he’s the savior that came to save him with merciful redemption.

  “Is there a way I can get my wolf back?” Hope floated to the top note of Julien’s voice.

  Alpha Storsant laughed in such a contagious way that made me want to laugh as well.

  “Well son, you’re not gonna like it. No, that’s not true. If you can pull it off, you’ll like it. But considering you just said this wolf that you chose is pregnant, after feeling every single time the two of you were intimate, you’ll have a hell of a time convincing your true mate to take you back. And if you manage to do that, once she marks you, your wolf should return.”

  ‘Oh, hell no,’ I think to myself. Nope, not going to happen. Julien pleads with Storsant, begging that there has to be another way. When Alpha Storsant tells him no once more, Julien looks up at me. Now I’m his only hope, but Storsant was telling the truth. Julien will have a hell of a time trying to get me back. My wolf wants nothing to do with him, and this entire conversation was the push that I needed to never want him either.

  Lincoln is beside me, his lungs are working double time to keep up with his tempered breathing.

  "Wait, you're his mate?” Lincoln asks, but I don’t look at him. My focus remains on Julien.

  “No.” In that moment, I couldn't be sure if I was answering Julien, or answering Lincoln. Those two little letters said so much.

  Would I mark Julien? Put him out of his misery and give him his wolf back?

  No.

  Am I Julien's mate?

  The long answer, not anymore. But I prefer the short answer.

  No.

  CHAPTER TEN

  The clock over the door is the only sound in the atrium when I reenter. Just one glance and I can see the brief rogue battle set us back from the summit meeting by twenty minutes. I unlock my laptop and try to begin reading the notes that I took since I had checked out of the first half of the summit.

  Lincoln followed behind me, his mind link was pressing on my head again. "You didn't tell me."

  I
mentally sigh as my brother takes his seat beside me. The other alphas and betas are energized partly because of the short battle with the rogues. But judging from the stares and whispers I think most are just gossipy by the drama they just witnessed. Thankfully, Alpha Storsant put a stop to everyone and started the meeting back up.

  "I didn't want to make it a big deal," I reply back to Lincoln. And I'm not lying, I really didn't want to. There is never a situation that I can think of that I would want the spotlight on me, especially this one. Not when I'm still in the throes of convincing myself that there was nothing wrong with me. I don't want to look behind me, I don't want to see the pleading face of Julien. Or maybe he's angry with me for denying him my mark, or just simply walking away from him.

  However, when I turn around, the two seats that are reserved for our Beta and his mate, are empty.

  "Where's Julien and Natasha?"

  "I sent them back to the cabin. I dismissed him. I'll deal with them when we get back to Willowhaven. We're leaving as soon as this session is over. Are your belongings packed?"