The Rejection (Luna of the Pack Series)

by S. J. Hayslett

  "Borrowed time?" I'm not sure why I continue entertaining her tirade, but this particular phrase caught my attention.

  "I know that Wes won't mark you until after the pup is born. Everyone knows it. That's plenty of time for me to reclaim what's mine from your grubby little hands. So, get used to seeing a lot more of me."

  I give her a quick and unbothered once over. "I can't imagine seeing any more of you when you wear clothes way too small for your body or age, for that matter." I can't help but give her one last dig. No matter the fact that she's only two years older, it has to bother her that Thorne chose someone younger than her to replace her.

  "Tuh!" She sucks her teeth. "This is Dolce & Gabbana!"

  "More like 'Trashy & A-whore-a.' If that's all you wanted, you can be excused." I give her a hint of the alpha that's within me. There's a slight bend of her head that reacts instinctively to the little bit of power I bestow upon her. Vanessa quickly leaves my office after that. She scurries just as fast as a squirrel running from a hawk. I didn't even give her half the power of my alpha heritage and she ran scared.

  In one way, I'm glad Vanessa paid me a visit. She reminded me that I didn't want to end up like her. Granted I think I could handle being on my own with my kid. Despite my earlier fears, I know that eventually I would have put my big girl panties on and handled my shit. However, I realized that I didn't want to be the type of she-wolf that wouldn't even tell the biological father of my pup that he had a son. That's beyond petty, and a whole new different version of evil. No. I'll tell Julien, though after the birth of my son. Whatever his decision will be, whether he wants to have a relationship with his pup or not, will not cause any drama or stress that will complicate my pregnancy. For that matter, I'll wait until after Natasha had their pup.

  But her words still had some effect on me. Not in the way that would have me feeling the hit to my self-esteem. Just, now more than ever, I wanted to push for Thorne to mark me. Vanessa wanted someone who no longer belonged to her. I have every right to claim Thorne as mine, we chose each other.

  With my mind made up and wholly determined, I lock my office up with only one thing on my mind. I'm going to seduce Alpha Wesley Thorne.

  |||

  Kairi was honestly just too perfect for me. Since meeting her, only a little over month ago, I find myself wondering how we both were moon fated to selfish wolves? It's so obvious to me that we were the better pair for each other. Where had the moon gone wrong?

  "I can't believe we didn't find any trace of the rogues in the southwest. Where do you think they went?" Jackson's voice interrupts my train of thought. The wolves that I took out for a quick scouting trip, including Jackson, were all scrambling to get our clothes back on after our run through the territory. I didn't bother with my shirt, just the basketball shorts that I had discarded haphazardly about two hours earlier.

  "If I knew, we would have gone there and not to the southwest," I didn't mean to growl at my cousin. I don't even know why I did to be honest. No, I knew. The rogue situation was frustrating at best. Usually they moved in packs of three, no more than four. But after the fight that broke out during the Alpha Summit, rogues have been a major concern of mine. They were banding together for a reason. A much larger reason, and I wanted to know what. Something in my gut told me that this was something I should be proactive on, and not caught unawares.

  "Sorry, I'm just a little stressed out. Come with me to the office. I have something I need to discuss with you." I wave to the wolves that accompanied me on the run and start making my way to the pack house without waiting for Jackson. In the distance, I make out several she-wolves walking towards the training center and gym. It was one of the areas that I purposely kept from showing Kairi when I took her on a tour of Stoneforest. I could see her eyes curiously look the building over, but I distracted her as much as possible. She is an excellent fighter, and it was obvious that she took her training seriously. I just didn't want to rub it in that she couldn't shift or train for the moment.

  The strong scents of wolves and warm food assault my senses when I walk through the patio doors of the pack house. A cacophony of noises collides of the numerous wolves that try to escape the heat by staying in the air conditioning. I hear a bunch of teens in the movie screening room as I head straight for the office where everything is soundproof. I leave the door open so that Jackson can follow through and pour two glasses of whiskey for the both of us at the bar.

  "I need you to compile a list of names. Our top eight female fighters and our top six male fighters. I want a schedule made for the protection of Kairi for the duration of her pregnancy." I hand over his glass and take a sip of the amber liquid from my own cup.

  "She's not going to like that. I saw her fight, she looks like she can take care of herself, Wes."

  "She can, I'm not denying her that. But for the next month and a half, she's vulnerable."

  "And with the rogues being unpredictable, you want to keep an eye on her." Jackson nods his head as he thinks over the idea. "I'll start working on it. I'll instruct the males that they're to stay out of sight and in the background. At least then that way Luna Kairi can be protected without feeling smothered. I take it, that this means she's off of bedrest?"

  "Yeah. I can't be with her twenty-four seven. Plus, with Vanessa back here, I don't trust that wolf." I confide to Jackson. "You know, the other day she proposed that I could keep Kairi on the side if I took her back. She said that Kairi was the price she had to pay for breaking my heart. Practically threw herself at me."

  "What did you say?"

  "Nothing, I threw her out." I place the empty glass on the coffee table and sink into the leather couch. "She purposely turned her back on Stoneforest. I don't want that for my Luna. And I don't want her for Stoneforest.

  "I just don't know if she'll try anything. And while Kairi is pregnant, she's defenseless."

  "Something tells me that you don't want her to hear you say that," we both chuckle because we know It's true. My little Luna was a spitfire when she wanted to be. And I really didn't want her any other way. "I'll get right on the schedule and notify everyone of their new duties. I take it that you'll guard her while you're sleeping?" Jackson wiggles his eyebrows suggestively up and down and I can do nothing but shake my head at him.

  "Yes, I will guard her at night in our bedroom. But I still want one or two guards posted at the stairs to our floor. In fact," my finger goes to my chin as I think of something. "Make sure there is a guard in the tunnel to the barracks. And I want the elevator disabled from nine in the evening to seven in the morning. If anyone wants to use it, they can be told it's down for maintenance. Other than that. I don't want a formal announcement made."

  "Alright, I'll get right on that cuz. I'm gonna cut out early today and check how things are going at the rental properties on the way home. I'll see you tomorrow." I give Jackson a quick bro hug before he walks out of the door.

  Leaning back into the couch, I stare at the ceiling and think about Kairi's doctor's appointment. I mentally replay how beautiful she looked sitting on the examination table, asking me to go ahead and mark her. I also can't help but think of my statement to Jackson, 'I can't be with her twenty-four seven.' If I marked her, it would give me the opportunity to know something was wrong. It's true I still wouldn't be by her side round the clock but marking Kairi was the next best thing.

  My mind is now made up.

  I'm going to seduce my Luna, Kairi Samuels.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  I had to dig at the bottom of my underwear drawer before I could find what I was looking for. A few weeks before my eighteenth birthday, Natasha and I had gone to the mall to do some shopping. We had been standing in the middle of Victoria Secret for their semi-annual sale, when I had the idea that I wanted something sexy for whenever I met my mate. As I started to look over their lingerie sets, Natasha had the bright idea to leave the bright pink store and drag me to the much darker and sensual Agent Provocateur. Leave it to me t
o fall in love with an all red, see through body suit that was nine hundred dollars.

  But it was gorgeous. It was made out of sheer tulle and had embroidered flowers that covered my breasts. The flowers ran down the sides of the body suit, leaving my stomach uncovered, excepts for the tulle. There was a short soft skirt of the flowers at my waistline and I just found it so beautiful. The price tag was enough to make me almost put it back. I loved it, but not that much. However, Natasha convinced me that I wasn't technically buying it for me, but for my mate. And really who could deny that logic?

  I never got the chance to wear it for my mate, but I really hoped I could wear it for Thorne. Of course, this baby bump was going to be the first hurdle of getting this blasted thing on.

  I quickly grab my robe and a spare bra and pantie set that I can use in case the bodysuit doesn't fit. I'm about to exit the closet when a sharp knock draws my attention. I could hug Lydia for being so prompt, and I do so as soon as I open the door.

  "Thank you so much Lydia! I really appreciate this on short notice."

  "It's my pleasure Luna. Have fun!" Lydia hands me the two small boxes that I requested and walks back down the hallway. I place them on the bed and rush to the bathroom. As much as I would love to hurry through a shower, I know my nerves could benefit from the slow pace of soaking in a bath. I've never had to seduce someone before and I wanted to make sure I was doing things just right.

  Warm water cascaded out of the faucet and into the deep tub that sat by the window. With a few drops of rose oil in the water, I slipped beneath the rising water levels and let the scent of oils and warmth envelope me. Desire swelled within me and I couldn't wait until Thorne came back to the room. The urge to touch myself was strong but I wanted a note of desperation and anticipation for the moment that Thorne's hands were finally on me.

  Thorne never gave me a definitive answer on whether or not he would mark me as his. I truly hope that he will. My wolf feels isolated from everyone with there only being myself in my head. Without the ability to shift, or communicate with others, it felt like my wolf, and ultimately a piece of me, was slowly withering away.

  It was time to get out of the water when I felt the temperature drop. I would have loved to stay in the tub and trade the lukewarm water for hot, but I still needed to set up the bedroom and try to squeeze my pregnant belly into lingerie that was bought with a flat tummy in mind. I stare at the draining water from the huge tub briefly before turning away to start the task at hand.

  I hold the sheer article and slowly begin to put my legs into their respective holes before bringing the fabric up my body. So far so good, I think to myself though it does nothing to boost any hope. The body suit isn't even at my waist yet, so of course there's a fake optimism there. The fabric meets the junction between my legs, and I know its crunch time. Almost literally.

  One deep breath later, I'm carefully rolling the remaining fabric, careful not to accidentally rip the tulle, over my torso. I slip my arms into the straps and readjust my boobs. So far it definitely looks good, even with my belly poking out with the tell-tale sign of a growing pup. But I just have to zip it up in the back. I can't believe this is a task that I need to actually mentally prepare for.

  And it fits! Well sort of. The zipper goes up but stops short almost halfway up the track. I don't even care, I'll take whatever I can at this point. And oh, my goddess! When did my boobs get bigger? They're practically spilling out of the lingerie as it is. I throw my robe on over the bodysuit and tie my hair up in a messy bun. Looking at the clock, I realize that I spent longer in the tub than I thought I did. There is no time to blow dry my hair, so a messy bun is the route I'm going to have to take.

  I open the first box that Lydia handed to me and remove the white taper candles, the second box has candle sticks that I place around the room on different flat services. A lighter sat in the second box and I'm about to start lighting the first candle when the door to the bedroom starts to open. I quickly tear the robe off and throw it on the floor by the bed just as Thorne walks in.

  I don't have time to pose or second guess how ridiculous I may look because Thorne is here. I look him up and down and notice that he has a bag of Reese's Pieces and popcorn in his hands. I feel slightly deflated that he wanted a movie night even though there's no reason for him to ever suspect that I had planned on seducing him tonight.

  "You look," Thorne swallows hard and seems hard pressed to remove his eyes from my body before turning his attention to the candles. "You...what is all this?" I hide the smile that threatens to ruin the seduction aspect that I'm going for, but my wolf is practically squealing with joy. I managed to make the big bad wolf, Alpha Wesley Thorne, speechless.

  But now my dilemma was, I didn't know what I was supposed to do from here. I am ashamed to say that I thought, well, boobs.

  "I kind of thought, that maybe, you wanted to relax tonight."

  Thorne looked like he was giving my reason some thought before he looked amused. "And the lingerie?" He slowly begins to stalk me where I'm standing, frozen like a deer caught in headlights. More like the deer that knows it's about to get caught by the wolf. Running away is futile at this point.

  "I was just trying it on."

  Forget stalking, two large steps later, Thorne is standing right in front of me. His heat is radiating the entire front of my body and I nearly cave. Images of his weight on top of me flood my mind, and I can't get over how much I want this. I want him. Badly and now.

  "And the candles?" Hmm? Oh, does he mean the ones I haven't had a chance to light? I can't breathe or think when he's near me and his voice gets all husky and low. Thorne's entire being leaks sex appeal and I had a sneaky suspicion that he knew the effect he had on me.

  "The better to see you with?" A low chuckle ruminates from Thorne's chest while I stand there mortified that I even said that. Even worse that it came out like a question. Thorne raises a hand to play with the flower skirt of the body suit and I try to calm my racing heart. He's not even physically touching my skin and I want more. Of course, I should just stop asking for things mentally.

  "Is that so Little Red?" I'm so into my musings that I have to think back to what he was asking me. I don't get very far when I hear a ripping sound.

  "Hey!" My red body suit was hanging off of me in pieces, completely ruined. Nine hundred dollars wasted for only thirty minutes of wear time. And only five of those minutes were in front of Thorne. But at this very moment, I couldn't care less what it cost me.

  Thorne's right hand rises to cup my left breast, fitting nicely within his grip. My body trembles at his gentle but probing touch. Thorne kneads my breast and playfully tugs on my nipple while his other hand is desperately trying to remove his pants. When they're at his ankles, Thorne sweeps me up into his arms, my legs wrapping around his waist. I rest my elbows on his shoulders, my hands naturally curling around his shaved head.

  Without warning and without preamble, Thorne lifts me up by my butt slightly just to impale me with something that feels bigger than Julien. Why didn't I remember what Thorne was working with?

  'Probably because you knew he was going to be so much better than Julien,' my wolf coos under Thorne's pounding. How he's managing this while still holding on to me, without the aid of the bed or a wall, is beyond me. My walls clench each time he enters me, and I can feel my apex getting slicker with each thrust.

  "Baby, I'm about to come," Thorne whispers in my ear before dipping me on the bed to continue his thrusts into my apex. "Are you sure you want this?"

  'This what? This D?' I mentally ask and then scold myself for being so childish and immature. I mean, technically, he's already giving me the 'D' so why would he wait to ask me in that moment? However, my brain doesn't want to play catch up in real time and it's not until I feel Thorne's canines pierce the skin of my neck that I realized he was asking me if I was ready for his mark.

  I cry out my answer as everything comes down around me while I float high in the clouds. This
was everything that I dreamed my first time would be like; though I wasn't pregnant in those idle daydreams. I can feel every pulse and throb of him inside me and just before I come, I bite into his neck, marking him as mine.

  My skin tingles beneath his soft kisses and caresses. The smell of iron, our blood, slowly wafts to my nose as I begin to get my body under control. It's not a lot of blood, just a slow leak from the bite that Thorne placed on me. It is nothing to worry about because the wound will be healed up in just a few minutes. The quick peek at the mark that I placed on Thorne, looks to be healed already, a small trickle of blood on his skin is the only indication of a former wound.

  Thorne kisses up my neck and onto the corner of my lips. To me, it was a subtle reminder that I had yet to taste his lips during this interlude. His kisses leave a tiny trail up my cheek and to my ears where he nibbles on them for a few moments.