The Rejection (Luna of the Pack Series)

by S. J. Hayslett

  I can see the uncertainty clouding Lincoln’s face and I know there is only one thing that can make him see my way.

  The truth.

  “Lincoln, Natasha isn’t the only one that’s pregnant.” Lincoln’s whole countenance changes and I rush to calm him down. “It’s a long story, and I’ll tell you later. But right now, I can’t be near Natasha or Julien. Once she finds out I'm pregnant, Natasha will try to kill my baby, knowing he or she would be Julien’s true heir. And I can’t watch Julien try to split his time between his children. Not while he’s pining for me and still going home to her. Alpha Thorne offered me a place in his pack as his mate. And he’s going to adopt my baby as his own. This is the best option for my baby to live and for me to keep my sanity. Please, Lincoln?”

  Lincoln's face softens when I tell him everything that I've been holding on to. He finally nods his acquiescence and soon we’re all out the door.

  Thorne insists that he ride in the vehicle with me and Lincoln, and even told his Beta and his guards and little brother to go ahead back to Stoneforest. He is planning on coming to Willowhaven alone.

  Am I ready for this?

  I’ll soon find out.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  "Why were guards placed around Natasha Jone's house?"

  "What did he do?"

  "Why is the Alpha of Stoneforest here?"

  The questions are non-stop and everyone in the pack is crammed in our own meeting room. I stand next to Lincoln pouring a glass of water for the both of us while Lincoln was calming the fears of the pack.

  It's safe to say once everyone began to notice Alpha Thorne standing in the back of the room, panic set in and all anyone heard was that we were losing a beta.

  "Everybody Quiet!" Lincoln yells above the chatter with the command of an alpha. "Julien is no longer the beta of Willowhaven. As you all know by now, he has chosen Natasha as his mate despite their not being true mates. Now that is not a punishable offense that would result in his demotion. Unfortunately, just before they marked each other as their own, Julien met his mate."

  Lincoln looks to me before continuing and pauses. Just before we came downstairs for the meeting, I met Linc at his bedroom door. I asked him if he could keep my name from being mentioned as Julien's mate. I just wanted a fresh break from this mess that Julien and Natasha created for me. Lincoln reluctantly agreed and commanded Natasha and Julien from mentioning me as his mate. I have no doubt that Natasha would have been able to do that without the alpha command. Yet, Julien would never be able to control himself once it was formally announced that I was leaving Willowhaven.

  "As a result," Lincoln says looking back at our pack. No, his pack. "As a result, his wolf has left him. There is a way for his wolf to return, however, his true mate has stated she wants nothing to do with him.

  "My initial judgment was to banish Julien and his mate, however my sister showed me the error in rushing into judgment as Natasha has since announced that they are expecting a pup. So, with all this to consider, Julien and Natasha are welcome to stay at Willowhaven or any of our towns under my protection, if they so choose to do."

  Some members in the pack looked sideways at Julien for such a high demotion. He went from beta to ward of the pack, essentially. Natasha's eyes caught mine, and narrow in. I smirk at her and raise an eyebrow. "I told you, you would be his downfall. And now you're lower than what you were before. What did you expect?" I ask her through the mind link. It's the first time I spoke to her willingly and the shock or maybe the realization that I was right causes her to gasp.

  Julien looks at her and then passes his eyes to me. I feel him trying to poke into my head, but I've closed myself off from him. There's nothing he could possibly say, and I have nothing to say to him. I refuse to be his consolation prize and most definitely, I will not be his way back on the good side of grace.

  Not happening.

  "This leaves a vacancy in the Beta position. In such a case, I formally announce that any wolf who thinks they have what it takes to lead as Beta of Willowhaven must submit his or her name with my sister by six this evening. The competition will for Beta will begin tomorrow at noon. However, as I have other pack business to attend to and will need to be away, I have asked Kairi and Alpha Wesley Thorne to oversee the competitions."

  My heart swells with pride when Lincoln opened up the title to females. Willowhaven has never had a female beta ever in its history. I was glad that Lincoln wouldn't limit the accomplishments of females to just what they can do as warriors. I look out in the crowd and see a few females perk up with the possibility of having a high position within the pack. And not because they mated into it, but because they felt they righteously deserve it. I severely hope that one of them comes out on top to beat the male competitors. I've seen some of them train, and it was a huge possibility.

  "Now," my brother continues, "while I am gone, you may report to Kairi or Alpha Thorne. I trust they will not only find and train the best wolf for the job of Beta but also lead the pack in my absence."

  It took about half of the car ride back to Willowhaven to convince my brother that I would need help running the pack. And I get it, he wasn't particularly keen on letting another alpha anywhere near his files and most definitely his office. Thorne had to swear to Lincoln several times, that he wouldn't go anywhere near his office unless he was invited in by Lincoln.

  "Lastly, there are some other changes that will be taking place here at Willowhaven. The reason that I will be away from home is to find my mate, your Luna. My sister has convinced me that it is time that I find her and bring her home. I will be touring different packs, neighboring allies first, before venturing further out. I hope and pray that this will not take longer than two weeks. When I return, we will host hopefully, not only a welcoming ceremony for my mate, but also a goodbye party for my sister, Kairi. She will be leaving Willowhaven with Alpha Thorne, her mate."

  To say that I was shocked at the announcement was an understatement. I knew the announcement of my pending transfer was going to be made today. I just had no idea that Lincoln was going to make it seem as though Thorne was my true mate. Predictably, Julien is nowhere near a happy camper when Lincoln pronouncement went forth. At least my brother had the foresight to have guards standing a hold of him throughout the proceedings. Thorne for his part, also looked as surprised as I was, however, there was a hint of amusement that danced behind his eyes.

  "Again, if you need me for anything pressing, please do so before six p.m., as that is when I'll be leaving for my tour. Otherwise you may direct your questions to Kairi or Alpha Thorne, thank you."

  The meeting was short and to the point. I take a deep sigh and turn to my brother, but he's already engaged with Julien's parents. I catch snippets of the conversation and try not to feel bad about their son's predicament. I'm glad they aren't pleading with Lincoln. John, Julien's father was the Beta for my father, so I know he understands. Well, he understands Lincoln's position, not what his son was thinking. You and me both, John.

  "Did you know your brother was going to announce us as mates?" I jump with the nearness of Thorne's voice as his left-hand slips around my body. I tell myself he's doing this since supposedly we're mates. Ohh, I can't wait to talk to my brother about this tiny stunt he pulled. It's all an act, I tell myself. I'm not craving such a simple touch. At all.

  "No. I'm sorry for that. I'll have a talk with Linc later." We're interrupted by several of our warriors who want to participate in the beta challenge. I'm loving the amount of our wolves are ready to step up. It'll be a great competition tomorrow. I've seen some of these young warriors sparring during training, so this will be great.

  I'm still writing down names and their rankings down so that I can best match them up for the challenge when the corner of my eye saw three she-wolves approaching Thorne. I've already taken their names down, so I'm especially curious what they need with Thorne.

  Once people started approaching me to be added to the competition, Thor
ne had moved away from my side so that he wasn't in the way. I ignored the way I felt unbalanced when he did, but I never considered him in the way either. And now with three she-wolves on the prowl, I wanted him back next to me.

  Brittany, the ring leader of the three ran a finger down Thorne's arm and I just about lose it. Thorne may not be my true mate, but he's definitely mine. And the fact that she was in the meeting when my brother announced that he was mine, and she still had the audacity to try to play me was beyond insulting. I strike her name off of the list and I'm about to walk over to the four of them when Thorne's words stop me.

  "A date? That sounds like a plan. What time should my mate and I be ready?" Brittany coughs when she hears his statement, and for a split second I don't blame her. Though, I take some satisfaction knowing that she's swallowing her tongue right now.

  It's in that moment I walk over to take my moment of claiming Thorne in front of the bitches acting like they’re in heat. I'm fairly tall, but Thorne still towers over me so that I need to rise up on my toes to peck his cheek. "Where are we going?"

  "These little kittens wanted to take us on a date in town sometime before we leave for Stoneforest. I think that’s sort of sweet.” The amusement behind his voice lurks in the air above us and if I wasn’t so livid at the nerve of these girls, I know I’d see the humor in the proposition as well. Then again, I begin to wonder if Thorne is amused because I’m showing jealousy.

  I’m not jealous. I’m not.

  ‘Keep telling yourself that baby cakes,’ my wolf replies back with the same amount of mirth that Thorne has. If I wasn’t so angry, I’d take great pleasure in how uncomfortable Brittany and crew are at the moment. The flirty smiles that once lit up their faces are gone now, and instead they’re either pressing their lips together into a thin line, or they pulled their lips into their mouths. I honestly didn’t know what they had hoped to accomplish with this stunt, other than to piss me off.

  "Oh well it probably won't be a good idea for the next three to four days. We’ll all be busy with the competition. How about two days after? That way we’ll be recuperated and rejuvenated.” The three girls utter non-committal grunts and walk away. Thorne draws me closer into his arms and lays his chin on top of my head.

  “Did you just get jealous for me?” I start to shake my head but still at his next words, “It was kind of hot.” My face feels flushed with heat at the sultriness of his sentiments. There’s a husky undertone beneath his voice that has a direct connection to my body.

  I cannot lose myself to him.

  “I’m going to get a head start on the matchups for this,” I hold up the sheet of names for the Beta competition. “I’ll be in my office if you need me.” I duck my head from underneath his own fight for some space between us. Thorne doesn’t let me go quite so easily, but there is an odd sense of relief and regret when he finally does.

  Our meeting hall is on the opposite wing of the pack house from the offices, but since everyone is still mingling there, the walk doesn’t take long. I welcome the peace and quiet serenity that my office offers up. A moment of nostalgia hits me when I realize that soon, this won’t even be mine anymore. Not that I ever thought I had a permanent claim here.

  I sit in the chair behind the desk and take a quick look around. I wonder how my brother’s mate will redecorate the office. I pretty much left it as a blank slate for her arrival. I pray that Lincoln finds her sooner than later. I want to be away from Willowhaven before I start to show the signs of pregnancy. Plus, I’d like to get to know her before I just bounce on out of here. Not to mention, I’d need to show her the ropes of what she needs to oversee while in this office.

  My moment of levity is gone, and I look at the sheet of names for the Beta competition. On one hand, I’d like to just do a royal rumble style and whoever comes out on top would be the new beta. One competition, and it’ll be done with. But that’s not feasible. Individual competition is the best way to determine the new beta and I have to set up the matches to reflect that.

  It’s been several weeks since I’ve seen anyone in training, so I have to base the matches on what I remember from then. I’m about halfway done when I’m interrupted by a knock on the door. “Come in.”

  “Hey, I brought you some dinner. You’ve been holed up in here for hours.” I look up and smile at Lincoln. One glance at the clock and I see that it’s almost time for Lincoln to head out. His first stop is going to be at Thorne’s pack since it’s in the next territory over. Jackson, Thorne’s beta, and his mate are going to welcome him for dinner, where he’ll meet all of the she-wolves. They’ve set up a place for him and two of our warriors to stay the night, if Lincoln can’t find his mate. In which case he’ll head out to another pack in the morning.

  “Thank you. Are you packed and ready?” I move my papers to the side of the desk and Lincoln places the plate in front of me.

  “Yeah. I’m all set.” A sad smile flashes on Lincoln’s face before he runs his hand down his face. “Listen Kai, I’m sorry how I treated you this weekend. I was an awful alpha and worse an awful brother. I should have noticed that you were in pain this whole time and I didn’t.”

  “Linc, Linc, stop. I didn’t give you a chance to see me or what I was going through. Yeah, I was hurt, but I don’t hold it against you. I swear it.” Lincoln pulls me, more like yanks me out of my chair and draws me into a fierce hug.

  "Somewhere along the lines, I forgot it was me and you versus the world. I love you sis.” Wetness prickles my eyes but I’m not afraid to cry in front of Lincoln now. He is my true best friend and it’s crazy that I allowed my troubles to keep me from seeing this. This is the type of reconciliation that could never take place with Natasha because it’s not something I want with her. My brother never set out to purposely hurt me, while Natasha seemingly couldn’t wait to find the opportunity to stab me in the back. And unwittingly, I handed her the knife, Julien. Well she can keep him.

  “I love you too big brother.” We stay like this for a few seconds longer, his scent is calming to my wolf. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a comfort to me either. Reluctantly, Lincoln pulls away from me and wipes the tears from my cheeks.

  “You sure you can trust Thorne?”

  My tired and most likely red eyes look into his own and nod. “Right now, in this world, he’s the only one I trust after you. I have to look out for this baby and as much as I would love to, I can’t do that here. Thorne promised me that he’ll help raise him or her as his. I have to hold onto that, or else,” the tears and I fear a little snot start free flowing out of their respective ducts as I struggle to finish my thought. “Or else, I don’t think I can do this.”

  “Kai, you know you’re the strongest she-wolf I know, right? First, look at how you conducted yourself after mom and dad died. After we mourned, you went right into the thick of things and took on the role of student and Luna. You didn't have to, I sure as hell didn't ask you to. You saw a need and stepped up to task. You trained the hardest of all of the females here. And I know about the secret training you were doing with Gavin." I gasp when he mentions my sessions with Gavin, the Gamma of Willowhaven. Essentially, Gavin was third in the line of command, and trained all of the warriors. He mainly reported to Julien, or rather to the Beta, but sometimes acted as the war commander for Lincoln when we were up against another pack or rogues.

  I had started my training with Gavin about a year before our parents died. Mostly because I was a brat and hated that my brother was so far advanced in his training despite the both us being born with the alpha gene. It was my way of playing catch up without Lincoln knowing we were even playing a game.

  "Gavin told you, didn't he?" Lincoln pulls me back in for yet another hug, but I don't mind. My head rests on his chest as his chin uses mine as a headrest. Jerk.

  "That's not the point." Lincoln brushes off my mock anger with a kiss to my forehead. "The point is, you've taken everything life has thrown at you head on. Other she-wolves in your positi
on would have been weepy the last two weeks. Not Kairi Samuels. You went to school and killed your exams. You've always managed to pick yourself up. This is no different. I'm proud of you baby sis."

  Oh, my goddess, the tears trickle down again, but at least I'm not sobbing. I feel Lincoln's lips on the top of my head lightly, before he pulls away again. I immediately feel the loss of comfort I had gained from my brother.

  "I can't believe you're gonna be a mother. I'm gonna be an uncle!" I laugh when I imagine Uncle Lincoln spoiling his niece or nephew. "Are you sure you're going to be okay while I'm gone?"

  I open my mouth to answer, but there's a knock at the door, disrupting our brother-sister moment. "Come in." Both Lincoln and I turn to the door and await to see who is there.

  Thorne pokes his head and arms in, holding out a tray of food. I smile thinking of the food that Lincoln brought me that I never ate. "I didn't see you at dinner, so I saved you some food."