The Rejection (Luna of the Pack Series)

by S. J. Hayslett

  "I know, I'm sorry. I'll do better." I think of my unborn child waiting for sustenance that it needs but hasn't come yet. I can't let my emotions rock me to the point that I neglect my own child. Too busy chastising myself, I don't even realize I'm already making my way to the door.

  Thankfully, there is no one in the hallway, but I notice that neither are Thorne's clothes that I dumped either. I'm tempted to go back inside the room to make sure Thorne hadn't re-entered the room somehow and put them back, however, my stomach senses my thoughts and I quickly amend my focus on finding the kitchen again.

  I still don't run into anyone in the hallways, but the smell of food quickens my pace and makes it easier to find in the maze of stairs and halls. I hear the easy and laid-back chatter of the pack as they sit down to their meals. I stand nervously outside of where the room is. I haven't been properly introduced to any one so I'd just be a random stranger just walking into their space.

  "Luna Kairi?" I startle at the sound of my name being called behind me and turn to see Beta Jackson standing behind me. "Why are you just standing here? You should get something to eat."

  "I, uhh, was just about to but I wasn't sure about how to walk in on my own."

  "Oh, that's easy. You put your right leg in front of your left, then your left in front of your right. Don't forget to repeat." A playful smile lifts the corners of his face and I teasingly hit him on his arm.

  My nerves are somewhat subdued by his humor. Or it could also be the possibility that I won't be entering the room alone. Though I know some nerves are lingering heavy because of who I might see and definitely don't want to. Vanessa.

  No that's not even true. I can handle Vanessa. One thing I know about myself, is that while I may knock myself down temporarily when faced with an adversary, it isn't them that knock me down. And once I realize that I can take them, I do it. That's all Vanessa is, she's my latest adversary. She's not any better than me, and I'll definitely handle her the same way I handle everything else.

  It's Thorne that I don't want to see at the moment. I'm scared to see regret in his eyes, whether it's for hurting me or because he would rather be with Vanessa, I don't care. And even scarier, I'm afraid that I won't see regret. It wouldn't even matter what his eyes said, whether it was pity, shame, regret, hell even love. I really just didn't want to see him. But again, my stomach reminded me that I didn't have the option to wait.

  "Fine funny man," Beta Jackson was laughing outright now when he heard my stomach roar like a dinosaur. "Let's go get me some food."

  Beta Jackson seems to sense my nervousness and enters the huge dining room first. The walls are painted a dark hunter green, a color I would have thought made any room look smaller, but somehow it works with the big wall of glass that showcases the forest. Four long tables line up parallel to each other with at least 25 chairs on each side.

  Just my luck, the only two seats that were open were right next to Thorne who was sitting at the head of the first table.

  I'm led to the chair on his left, while Beta Jackson heads to the chair on Thorne's right.

  "They're just about to bring out dinner, perfect timing." Thorne whispers in my ear but I keep my focus on Beta Jackson as he settles into his seat. Whether he knows that I'm watching him, I can't be sure, but he doesn't look at me as he fidgets with his utensils.

  "Good to know Alpha Thorne. I'm starving." The sigh that leaves Thorne's lips is noticeably loud as several of the wolves closest to us looked back at their alpha. I however, remained stoic and rediverted my attention to the dinner time crowd. I didn't see Vanessa at any of the tables, but I definitely would have preferredd sitting next to her than the man beside me.

  "You know you can call me Wesley, or even Thorne. I rather like hearing you call me Thorne." His voice is low, no one else seems to be able to hear him. At least if they do, they are very careful not to look our way.

  "Considering I'm nothing more than a visiting dignitary, it would probably be best if the formalities are kept in place. Alpha Thorne." I remove the cloth napkin and place it on my lap and finally look at Thorne. Pointedly and with enough scorn that he flinches back a little.

  "You know you're much more than that to me." I feel Thorne's hand on mine as it rests in my lap.

  I casually remove my hand and manage to push his from falling on my lap and bring my elbows to rest on the table. "You sure about that?"

  Thorne doesn't get an opportunity to reply because he's interrupted by the opening of the doors to what I presume to be the kitchen. About a dozen servers come out with large trays of food and place them in the sternos on another long table on the far-left side of the room. The scent of succulent meats permeated the air and I couldn't wait to dig in.

  "Kairi?" I look over at Thorne who I see is holding his hand out as if he expects me to grab it. However, now that people are looking at us, I know it will be too disrespectful to deny him in front of his pack. So, I do the only diplomatic thing I can do in this situation: I grab his hand. However, while I try to simply grip his hand, Thorne takes advantage of the connection and laces our fingers together.

  Thorne helps me to my feet and I look around as the women who brought in the trays stand against the wall. Just waiting.

  "Stoneforest warriors and staff, thank you for coming to dinner in the main house on such short notice. I know you normally choose to eat dinner in the caves, but I wanted you all hear tonight to be the first to hear the important news. Tomorrow, at our weekly pack dinner, I'll make a more formal announcement for everyone. It is my honor to announce that Kairi Samuels, daughter of the late Alpha Daveed Samuels, and sister to Alpha Lincoln Samuels of the Willowhaven pack has not only agreed to be my mate and your Luna, but we are also expecting a pup."

  Exuberant applause and congratulations were lifted in the atmosphere of the room and though my smile was big and hopefully looked genuine, I was livid! How dare he try to mollify my obvious disdain for being reduced to a guest of the pack in front of his ex-mate but proclaim me as his mate proudly to everyone else. I want to flick my hand out of his and storm out of the room. However, the ingrained politeness of my alpha training and hunger wouldn't let me do either. It is so frustrating having to thank everyone for their warm and genuine wishes while my blood is boiling and the only thing that can calm my anger is Thorne's head on a stake.

  Once the applause dies down, Thorne leads me to the buffet tables where the ladies load up our plates with loads of ham and roast beef and plenty of pasta. My ire is temporarily tempered to reasonable measures by the appearance of food in my life. Participating in idle chat with everyone near me isn't something I particularly want to do, but no one seems to get the hint that I just want to stuff my face.

  They all want to know how we met, and did we instantly click. Also getting to know me seems to be a priority as well, so I tell them about helping my brother at Willowhaven and completing my freshman year of college. Though they really seemed fascinated with me and the stories I told about my life, it was a bit overwhelming and off-putting.

  And it didn't help that the only person that could best reassure me, was someone I didn't want to talk to.

  However, talking was inevitable.

  Strawberry Shortcake was brought out for dessert, but it was easy for me to decline the sweet treat because I didn't like strawberries.

  "I'm going outside for a quick walk. I need to clear my head," I tell Thorne while I'm already half way out of my chair.

  Thorne simply nods his head and places his napkin on the table. "Wait up a second, we need to talk." He whispers something to Jackson's ear before quickly leaving the table with me. I follow Thorne to his office and smirk. So, the fool wants to talk somewhere soundproof it seems.

  "I'm sorry," his first words after locking the door behind us shock me. I can't even hide my surprise correctly. I came in prepared for a fight and two words quickly disarm me. I feel my eyes blinking the disbelief back several times as Thorne moves in front of me and gently grabs my
wrists. "Blame it on a brain fart or something smart sounding. I don't know why I said what I said to her. I don't know, just the shock of seeing her standing there made my mind go blank."

  "Do you feel anything for her?" I ask. Partially, I don't want to know. He told me once that he doesn't even feel the bond with Vanessa anymore. It's an attribute that I've longed to aspire for since the moment Thorne told me this. But if there's no hope, that one day I won't feel anything for Julien then I didn't want that kind of knowledge to be a burden on me.

  However, there was a part of me, as a woman, that wanted to know that the man that I was starting to crave, didn't want another.

  There is a hint of hesitancy and I pull my wrists from Thorne's grip and start towards the door. "No, I don't feel anything." My feet seem to be the only part of me that wants to listen as they stop while the rest of me, my wolf included, want to be out the door and halfway down the hallway.

  "While I was staring at her, I was wondering why my wolf wasn't stirred at the sight of her. I never thought I would see her again, and when I caught her with the wolf she left me for, I walked away devastated. I never even thought to formally reject her, so I felt every time she was intimate with him. Though the distance between us helped, it wasn't as intense as that first time. But even still my wolf longed for her, my mate." He said the word with such scorn that it almost sounded like a curse.

  "And yet when she was finally standing right there, at the point that if I wanted to touch her I could have, my wolf didn't move. The mate pull was nothing. But my entire being, wolf, body, and soul, didn't function until you walked up behind me and placed your hand on my back. I don't know when that happened, but you are my mate and every match possible."

  I can feel Thorne's breath displacing the fine hairs on my neck as he holds on to me; his front to my back and a firm grip on my bicep holding me to him. His heady scent and close proximity is almost too much. I know there is so much more to talk about, but all of these external stimulants are too much to bear.

  My feelings match his, almost. I've spent so much of my time hating Julien for what he did to me, that I don't think the mate bond is there at all. The few times I saw him, I was so disgusted with the sight of him that I always turned away. Or simply never even acknowledged his presence. Yet when I see Thorne, I feel all sorts of things, from butterflies to sparks when we touch, to warmth in my core when I think about one day mating with him.

  "Umm. Thorne? Do you mind if I get some air? I know we have other things to talk about, but is it alright if I get some air? I feel like the walls are caving in on me right now."

  "I can come with you if you like, just-" I turn around to face him and place my hand on his lips.

  "No, I just need to think on my own. Just a few minutes." I try to assure him and I'm not even sure I succeed. Thorne stares at me, his amber eyes bore into my own. There's no discomfort in holding his gaze. He's my equal, and I am his. My wolf coos with his arm snaking now around my waist as he pulls me towards him. But even he knows he can't hold onto me forever and finally releases me.

  "Can you do me a favor? Don't go into the woods yet. You don't know this area and I wanted to be the one that takes you on a tour of the territory." I remember how much fun we had on the tour I took him on back at Willowhaven. I'm sure he would like to recreate that fun here and I don't want to deny him that, so I simply nod and move towards the door once again. I'm just about to step over the threshold when Thorne's voice calls out to me.

  "I instructed Vanessa that she is to treat you with the respect of the Luna of the pack. When she didn't immediately submit, I commanded her to stay away from you. You shouldn't have any trouble from her."

  I didn't expect him to say anything about banning his former mate from contacting me. Certainly, I can take her. Anyone who rejects their mate in favor for someone else, will always be beneath me and weak. That's just my opinion. I give him a single nod and walk out the door.

  At the end of the hallway, there's a glass door that clearly leads to the backyard. Everything is so lush and green here that it takes my breath away. Cultured flower beds line the walkway, flowers of all different varieties and colors lead the way down a slight decline in the terrain. I follow the path to a fast-moving creek a few yards from the pack house.

  One look back and I wonder if there is more than meets the eye with the pack house. They had no trouble carving rooms and practically a whole house into the mountain. The grassy hill is tall and slick with rain that must have come down during my nap. But since I don't smell rain, my suspicion is that there is a sprinkler system in place.

  I turn back to the rushing water and my thoughts feel like the ripples that were crashing against the rocky bank. There is a small part of me that wants to go back home and forget this stupid plan. Mates belong with mates, and the only reason I agreed to being luna of this pack was because Thorne swore to me that his was out of his life. And yet here she is.

  But going home... I don't think I can do that either. Though I don't want Julien and want nothing to do with him in my baby's life, I can't see myself happily living in the same vicinity as him and Natasha and their happy little family. Natasha would be petty enough to taunt me with her child every moment she got. Our children would be born probably weeks apart so we'd see each other at school functions, all the while I'd be hoping that they wouldn't become best friends. No, that thought paralyzes me to the core.

  More so than the developing feelings that I have for Thorne. Feelings that he obviously returns back to me, and then some. Could I really override my heart and leave his broken? Maybe even more than when Vanessa broke his?

  My confusing thoughts rack my brain to the point that I feel like screaming.

  But no, that's not me screaming. That's an actual scream.

  I turn my head left and right to find the source of the scream before my eyes finally settle on a child on a sled, barreling down the hill towards the river. There are kids that are chasing after him, trying to catch him, but not only is the hill too wet, but it's too steep of a decline for their feet to find purchase. Their little feet are tumbling underneath them as they begin falling and rolling down the hill also. Only, they don't have the momentum as the little boy on the sled and can easily stop themselves.

  No one is going to get to him in time, I quickly tell myself and begin shedding my clothes in favor of shifting to my wolf. The boy is still quite a ways distance from me, and I know I'd never make it to him before he crashed into the river, while on my own two legs. But my wolf, I know she'd make it to him faster.

  I feel light headed when my bones crack into my new form but quickly shake it off as I begin my run to the child. My paws pound against the soft soil of the ground as I make my way. Even my tongue is out, tasting the air as I run in my wolf form for the first time in weeks. A breeze displaces some of my fur as I experience a freedom like no other, with only one thought on my mind.

  Save the boy.

  Just as the sled was about to go into the fast-moving river, my jaw latches a tight grip on the screaming child's shirt and I jerk him from the sled. The extra weight of him trying to hold on for a second too long throws me off balance and we go crashing to the ground. My legs wind themselves around the boy to lessen his fall from him and allowing me to take the brunt of the impact.

  My wolf yelps as my head smashes into the ground and I lay still for a moment. My eyes drift open, and all I can see is the late afternoon sky giving way to pinks and purples watercolors.

  "Whoa! That was so cool!" A voice cries out beside me. For a split second I forgot about the boy I saved. I roll my eyes as I shift back in to my human shape. As soon as the shift is complete, I rollover onto my stomach so the child can't really see anything important. Up close I can see he was probably four years old, though he's speech pattern may place him younger. He's not looking at me, he's more interested in the commotion he caused and watching all of the children he was playing with and some adults running towards us. Thankfully so
meone had grabbed my clothes that I threw across the ground and was bringing them to me.

  "Cool huh? You could have gotten seriously hurt going down that thing!" I gently scold him. "Hey what's your name, kiddo?" When he finally turns to look at me, I freeze up. Staring back at me with a smile as big as the ocean, is an exact clone of the kid I only saw in pictures. Amber eyes and all.

  "Marcus. But mommy calls me MJ."

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  "Luna! Luna Kairi! Are you alright?" I look around the chaos at the few running towards me and Marcus. The sudden flurry of busyness made me feel a little lightheaded, but I shook it off and gratefully grab my clothes from the person who brought them for me. Hastily, I shove my body in the clothes, covering myself up from MJ's eyes, though it makes no difference because he's already run off.

  I can't believe Thorne already has a son! I wonder if he knew? No of course he didn't know. A three or four-year old kid was not something that can be easily kept from someone you're trying to court...right?