Page 9 of Rejection on the Full Moon

"Hey, Amberle, why the new change of clothes?" A voice calls out as I turn to stare at Matt—future Alpha to Glacier Pack—as his eyes rove up and down my body. Leo stands beside him and just stares at me with a peculiar look in his eyes.

"I'm eighteen today, so I figured I would dress up in case I meet my mate," I answer with a wink and twirl around to show off. Kevin and Kent walk up to me as the jocks wish me a happy birthday, whisking me away from the football players and towards our friends.

“Happy Birthday!” Ivory exclaims, her petite frame wrapping around mine as she hugs me. I could not help the chuckle that escapes my lips as I hug her back, feeling the four-foot-tall wolf try her best to stand on her toes to reach my shoulders.

“Stop laughing. I’ll be your height in no time.” She pouts as Kent pats her head gently. Ivory was considered a genius. At fifteen, she had already surpassed the other grades and would be graduating with us soon. She was the future Alpha of the Harvest Willow pack as the only child to the Alpha and Luna, and she could be the most serious wolf. But in our group, she is like our little sister.

“And when that day comes, I’ll personally step down as your Beta and be your errand boy,” Kent says, Kevin nudging me with a wink.

[Twenty bucks says they’re mates.] I link Kevin, a challenge in my eyes, as I stare into his.

[Deal.] His voice enters my head as a smirk shapes his lips. Without warning, he takes my Frappuccino out of my hand and walks away, sipping on the creamy drink.

“Give that back!” I yell, rushing after him and trying my best to take back the drink. Realizing my drink was long gone in the hands of the food thief, I resign to my fate and head into class with Kevin and Kent as Ivory heads off to hers.

The scent that’s been enticing me all morning was back and lingered in the room as I scan the wolves, noticing the jock squad was early as I handed in my paper and take my seat. I couldn’t help but nervously bounce my leg and lose focus in class from time to time as I kept trying to find the source of the scent.

“You good?” Kent whispers, poking my shoulder with his mechanical pencil. I shake my head no and sigh quietly as I try my best to focus on the lesson. Luckily, the classroom phone rings and Mrs. Marrywind stops the lesson.

“I think my mate is close,” I grumble as the teacher excuses herself to take a phone call and exits the room. The class starts to hum as wolves turn to talk to each other. It was clear that Mrs. Marrywind wouldn’t be continuing the lesson, so I started to pack away my things and get ready for the bell to ring.

“Try to stay calm. You will eventually meet your mate. How long have you sensed them?” Kevin asks, moving his chair to sit in front of me.

“All morning. I’m positive that my mate is from my pack.” I admit, catching the twins smirking at me. But Kevin is right. If my mate is from my pack, then I will eventually run into him in no time. The bell rings, signalling the end of class. We make our way out and head towards our next lesson. The twins split from me, and we agree to meet at our usual lunch spot. Once again, I catch the tempting scent and heave an exasperated sigh. The rest of my morning went well, other than having a hard time focusing on classes, wondering who I was mated to. Would I be mated to an Alpha or a Beta? Could it maybe even be a Head Tracker, Head Hunter or even a Head Warrior?

At lunch, I head to the usual spot by the forest, my friends surprising me with a round vanilla cake. I couldn’t help the smile that spreads as I focus on them and watch as Dawn—Matt’s sister from Glacier Pack—tackles Kevin to the ground, smashing a piece of cake in his face.

“Your Alpha invited all of us and some of our pack members to your party. We’ll be there with you and hopefully, watch you ditch us for your mate.” Dawn calls out, a smug grin on her face as she looks at the mess she made on Kevin. Those two were always fighting to see who was stronger or faster. It was entertaining, to say the least. With a promise to talk later tonight, I head to class.

My school day ended with my art teacher holding me back after class to wish me a happy birthday, handing me a sketchbook and high-quality art pencils and charcoals.

“You’re just like your mother, you know that? I was happy to have taught her years ago and even happier to teach you.” She praises with a sad smile on her face. I knew Mrs. Wright had been teaching for years. Her gray hair showed her age and wisdom. She was the one teacher in the school I trusted wholeheartedly.

“Thank you.” I stay back and talk to her before making my way out of the school and towards my Mustang. I couldn’t help but feel slightly sad as the scent that has been frustrating me was no longer around. But hope ignited inside me as I remembered that there was a possibility of running into him at my party. As I drive back to the pack, I bypass the pack house and head straight for the shed that housed the trailer with things from both my bedroom and what I had packed away after my parents’ death. I packed away the gifts I received in the trailer and sigh. I would be leaving soon, sometime this week, either before or after school ends. I’ll probably buy a house for myself or go off to a college or university to get away from the pack for a bit.

I spend some time wandering the pack on foot, leaving my car in the shed, ready to be hooked up to the trailer. I know that Blue was letting me decide where to move. He would understand if I left the pack for a bit to figure myself out and make my life more fulfilling. My mind wanders as I start to think about my future. The fact I would most likely meet my mate today also plays into what I would do. Would he understand my need to leave for a few years to follow my desires, or would he force me to stay? Would my mate be kind and understanding or clingy and demanding? All these questions swirl in my mind, causing my mood to dampen. My future is unknown, but I just hoped that the Goddess would bring some light to me tonight.

Soon, I find myself in a familiar setting as I walk past the old mailbox that was battered and filled with weeds. The driveway showed the ageing of the place as cracks were filled with dandelions, milkweed, and ragweed. Nature has taken over, as most places held new plants and bushes as well as relatively new saplings. But the scent of charred wood still lingered in some places, even if it was minuscule. My legs took me to the stone bench that stood in the front, where a garden used to be. The roses and wildflowers my mother used to love were overgrown and taking over the yard. Nothing remained other than a hole in the ground where the basement used to be. Everything is overrun by plants, moss, and trees. Even the shed where my father would butcher our kills was gone. The stench of blood no longer lingered near there as a fluffy little bunny hops across the front. Mia and Zack had done an excellent job of burning this place to the ground.

Music drifted in on the wind as a signal that the party was starting, and as the guest of honour, it’s time to make my way towards the field and make an entrance. I stand from the bench and slowly look around at my childhood home, a sad smile playing on my lips before I start walking in the direction of the music. A sense of excitement courses through my veins as the music grows louder the closer I get to the meadow. A hum of energy has me moving faster until a crowd greets me. The scent that’s been haunting me all day grows stronger and much more powerful.

My mate is here.

“There’s the girl of honour!” A loud voice exclaims as I am pulled into a bear hug by Blue. Many pack members greet me, wishing me a happy birthday, but those who were under Mia’s command stand as far away from the crowd as possible. No one from my generation wants anything to do with me as their disdain and scornful looks bear down on me. Even on my birthday, I am still an outcast.

Turning away from the group of young adults, I come face to face with many pups who run around the field, chasing each other between tables and wolves who mingle about. Many pups come up to tug at my hand to wish me a happy birthday and give me hugs, while other pups beg me to join them in either tag or soccer. I always loved their innocent views in life, only wanting to play with the older wolves as many of us have shifted. Being members of the packs, their parents grew up with my own parents and knew of my unfortunate circumstances. They gave me a chance as a babysitter for their pups, leading to the little ones being close with me. I used to take the children off the hands of the older wolves to play in the field and give their parents a break.

“Now, Miss Amberle, you aren’t going to run off before seeing your little sister,” Serena says as she pulls me away from the children and hands me a smiling little girl. I cuddle Claira for a moment while I pass the elders, stopping to greet them with the one-year-old in my arms. I may be an adult now, but disrespecting an elder of the pack would lead to a punishment, and I was not willing to face one from them.

“How does it feel to be a fully-grown wolf?” Elder Sylvia asks, taking Claira from my arms to cuddle the pup.

“It’s strange, but a good strange,” I answer honestly, accepting a cookie from her mate Elder James.

“Have you sensed you mate yet?” Elder James asks, getting a warning look from his mate.

“Actually, I’ve sensed him since this morning. I am positive my mate is in our pack, but I haven’t been able to find him yet.” I sigh at the end, taking an angry bite out of the cookie. Knowing that my mate was so close yet out of reach all day has started to irritate me. It’s bad enough knowing that my generation hated me, but what if he were one of those that used to push me down the stairs or use illegal moves during training that would lead me into the pack hospital for weeks on end? What if my mate hated me?

A hand reaches out and grasps mine, and I am met with Elder Sylvia’s gaze as her eyes hold sincerity and hope in them. I could feel her worry for me and couldn’t help but send a reassuring smile her way.

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