Page 15 of Rejection on the Full Moon

"Sure." Dominic smiles up at me, a smile that nearly takes my breath away for a moment. Whoever ends up as his mate will be one lucky she-wolf. Standing up and taking my hand, Dominic and I walk hand-in-hand through the forest towards my house. Along the way, I point out different wild herbs and vegetables his wolves can keep an eye out for to help them in the future. I couldn’t believe it when he told me that no one in his pack was trained in survival knowledge, as no one had ever turned rogue in his pack. He figured his pack wouldn’t need it, and I call him an idiot for it—which he agreed he is and stated that everyone would be starting survival training as soon as possible.

We stop walking when my property comes into view. Dominic’s face is in awe as he stares ahead at what I call my home, which I have been slowly renovating over the last few months. The house is enormous: a three-storey, two-thousand square feet property with a portion of the forest within the perimeter of a silver-plated fence. The fence was something I had completed last month as an extra security measure for myself, living in neutral territory with many rogues and Soulless in the area. The building itself is a mini-mansion made to look like it belonged in the woods, with most of the walls being glass panels to allow in as much light and view of nature as possible.

The first floor is open concept, with each “room” in plain sight. I had renovated it so that the dining area is to the left of the kitchen, taking in the view of the backyard as it’s furthest from the window. The living room is closest to the wall of windows, allowing in more light during the day. The door to a small powder room is situated by the front entrance, as are the door to the garage and the mudroom that led to the greenhouse. The large, extended structure is my absolute pride and joy, housing many plants in a space just half the size of my house.

The second floor held four bedrooms—each with its own bathroom and small walk-in closet—, and a library and study area. This space held more floor-to-ceiling windows to let in the most natural light possible as I work on my store paperwork and business deals, as well as have a cozy place to read my precious books.

The top floor is one that I deemed my favourite and personal space. The entire floor held one master bedroom with two large walk-in closets and a full bath, complete with a shower fit for two people, a large clawfoot tub perfect for soaking in, and a his-and-hers vanity sink set. I left one closet empty and closed for the day I am granted a second-chance mate.

The final touch is the large basement I had put a lot of effort into renovating. When I first bought this place, the basement was nothing but bare concrete flooring and unfinished walls and ceiling, with a laundry area that held a washer and dryer, furnace, and hot water tank system. At the time, I figured I needed specific areas for when winter hit or if I decided to start my own pack, so I started with the basement as one of the first major long-term home renovation projects, along with my greenhouse. What was once a boring, cold basement soon held a bright and clean laundry room with state-of-the-art equipment for clothes washing and a station for clothes ironing, lined with shelves of cleaning products and extra linen, in case I decided to have guests over. Next to the laundry room is an area taking up half the basement which I took great pride in designing: a large home gym, complete with free weights and exercise machines, to help keep me in shape when the snowy winters make it hard to workout. I always loved working out, and knowing I would need a place for both my wolf and skin form, I knew the basement would be the best place to create said space. Finally, the very far end of the basement housed a large walk-in fridge and freezer as a storage area for food and other goods I could keep in bulk. As a werewolf, the amount of food I needed to keep up with my fast metabolism sometimes tripled or quadrupled that of a human. Having a large storage space made it easier to maintain a healthy supply of extra food and even store fruit and vegetables from my greenhouse.

Since it is summer, the garden is full of flowers in bloom, and the new pool that I had built last month reflected the various plants and berry bushes. The swimming pool is something I loved spending time in when I wasn’t running around by a lake or river, as it was shaped to be a natural pond with a deep end and shallow end. The filtration system flowed through an area where large aquatic plants filtered the particles through their roots, leaving my pool crystal clear and clean, with no chlorine treatment needed. And as a werewolf with a strong immune system, I am more than happy with a pool that fits in with the surroundings. The idea came to me one day in January when the area I lived in faced a brutal snowstorm. I was cozied up on the couch watchingAnimal PlanetwhenPool Mastercame on.

A wraparound porch snaked around half of my house, starting from the front of the house, along the wall of windows, towards the back where the pool is. Just steps from the pool, the end of the porch gave way to a large, wooden gazebo fitted with furniture I had made in my four-car garage during the winter. Only one car sat in the garage, the Mustang convertible my father left to me.

"For a rogue, you’re doing pretty well for yourself." Dominic states as his eyes scan the property as best as he can from where we’re standing. He continues walking towards my property, his hand still clasping my own, and I couldn’t help the proud smile that spreads across my face.

“Thank you. Believe it or not, between opening my store and buying and renovating this place, I was actually broke for a while. It wasn’t until the store started doing well for itself and gaining popularity that I finally had a stable income.” I state, taking my hand out of his. I push open the only non-silver spot of the fence line, an iron gate, revealing a small path that leads from the paved driveway to just outside the sliding gate that allowed me to drive my car in and out of the property and into town.

I lead Dominic into my house, instructing him to take off his shoes at the front door or risk being skinned for making my floors dirty before guiding him into the kitchen. The smell of baked chicken and roasted vegetables fills the air as the oven keeps the meal warm. I motion for my guest to sit on one of the stools beside the kitchen island as I take the food out of the oven and place it in front of him. I then pass to Dominic plates, cutlery, and a bottle of wine before joining him to serve ourselves and dig in.

We continue getting to know each other, talking about our likes and dislikes, and it makes me wonder if the many Alphas of the Blood Moon Pack are as ruthless as the rumours make them out to be. So far, other than growling at me when Dominic first found out I was Fire Foot last year, he has been nothing but friendly; and maybe a little too tempting to be with.

With dinner finished and the clear night sky providing a view of the gorgeous stars, I suggest eating dessert on the patio on a lounge set by my pool. Dominic agrees readily to this idea. I show him where to take out the plates and cutlery we will need and glasses, then I grab another bottle of red wine and the cake from the fridge and head over to where he sits waiting.

"Wow." I laugh at his expression as I place the New York cheesecake with white chocolate drizzle and chocolate chips before him on the wooden table and begin to cut nice-sized slices for us to enjoy. I lean back into my chair, my eyes watching Dominic as he takes his first bite and lets out a delighted moan, his eyes closing in absolute bliss. The pool water bubbles gently in the quiet night, the only sound between us, and the scent of all the flowers swirling around from the breeze creates an intimate atmosphere. This probably is the best birthday I’ve had in a long time.

“To be frank with you, Amberle, I am glad I ran into you today.” Dominic starts, ending the comfortable silence as he reaches for another large slice of cheesecake, practically making out with it as he shoves the fork into his mouth.

"Why's that?" I inquire, a bemused expression on my face while I watch my new friend. It seems like I’ll have to hide this cheesecake from now on if he becomes a regular at my place.

"My Head Tracker is retiring to raise her pups, and I was hoping I could run into you again to ask you to join my pack and take her spot. You can still stay here and run your store, but the Trackers normally train from Fridays to Saturdays. I know you have employees and normally use those days to work on paperwork, so it wouldn’t cut into your business.” My eyes widen at first from his implied stalking me, then from his proposal to join his pack. For a moment, I stare silently at the wolf before turning my gaze to the water, my thoughts swirling. I am Fire Foot, the notorious rogue who loots powerful packs, yet, he wanted me in his pack. I couldn’t lie to myself and say that the idea of finding a pack and being a member in a community once again didn’t call to me. I wanted to be with other wolves once again and feel connected, but the fear of what happened back at Forest Paw held me back some days. But something in Dominic’s eyes as he stares at me, without the pride and arrogance of an Alpha, causes a flicker of hope to burn bright inside me. Maybe this could be a new beginning, a new chapter in my life that I needed. The prospect of my dream job being handed to me on a silver platter on my birthday added to my decision. After a long silence, all while Dominic leaves me to my thoughts, I smile and nod.

"One month. I will train them for one month and tell you if I plan to stay or not afterwards." I answer firmly. If I felt like I belong in a month and that Blood Moon could become my new family, then I would stay. But if I felt like an outcast once again, then Dominic will have to find someone else.

"It’s a deal. We can do a test run tomorrow and see how it works out since I know you closed the store this weekend.” Dominic adds, and I couldn’t help but chuckle at his enthusiasm. We shake hands, and I lead him to the study to make a contract of the terms for the month to come, and he leaves shortly after signing both copies—one for each of us. I spent an hour gathering things I would need for training and coming up with an idea that tested their abilities. As a Tracker, myself, being quick and quick-witted is an asset, and I needed to comprehend just how much work needed to be done tomorrow with the Blood Moon wolves.

Tomorrow, I would be training his wolves, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t excited.

Chapter 11 - Training Blood Moon Wolves

“Seriously, guys, it’s only been an hour, and you’re all out of breath. Ten kilometres should be a warm-up for Trackers.” I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at the scene before me as I casually lean against the sturdy maple tree behind me. An hour ago, Dominic had called all of the Trackers and Trackers-in-training to the training field and introduced me to all of them as the Head Tracker candidate. At first, some questioned his decision to bring a rogue into the territory, but when he mentioned my name and the fact I owned Fire Heart Bakery and Gift Shop, they soon quieted down and gave me the respect of an Elite wolf.

Some wolves groan and fall to the ground as they try their hardest to catch their breath, while others start to puke whatever they had eaten for breakfast this morning. All I could say is how sad this sorry bunch of wolves looked with just a simple run that should have been a walk in the park for them. Clearly, this answered my question as to why a top pack couldn’t catch me when looting their territory in the past.

"How is training going?" A deep voice catches my attention, and I turn to face Dominic, an easy-going grin on his face causing me to glare back at him. I call a water break for the Trackers, rolling my eyes as they cheer for a rest and start planning how to bring their stamina up. Before I start them with advanced training, these so-called “Trackers” need to up their stamina in human form then wolf form.

"They all suck. I normally do a loop around the forest in Neutral Territory that lasts about ten kilometres, and honestly, some are still showing up after falling way behind. I’m scared to see the shape of your Hunters with how bad your Trackers are.” I watch as Dominic’s face falls with my answer, his eyes scanning his Trackers guzzling water like it’s the last drink they’ll ever have, as some continue to lay on the ground, their breath finally evening out. I knew my words worry him with how furrowed his brow is and his gaze filled with thoughts swirling in them, but it is the truth. As an Alpha, Dominic needed to hear it, even if the truth is hard to handle. I leave him to his silence and turn to gaze at the group of wolves I agreed to train. It is clear that they needed a true Head Tracker who can bring out their potential.

"Well, how about training the Hunters as well?" My eyes widen in surprise as I turn to look at Dominic. A proud grin is spread across his face as his eyes sparkle with more hope. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at him as I turn back to the Trackers, who were slowly readying themselves to get back to training. His idea seemed logical, though. For missions, Trackers and Hunters were paired up sometimes. Even during times of war between packs, the Hunters rely on Trackers to scout the area ahead and bring back a report to form a plan for victory. Maybe the Head Hunter and I could formulate a training schedule where all the wolves could learn from each other to improve the pack and their defences.

"First things first, the same rule applies. One month, then I let you know if I am staying." I catch Dominic jump from my sudden words. I knew that agreeing to this would make my weekends even busier, but something felt right to agree to this anyway.

"Of course, I understand." Dominic agrees quickly, a relieved expression on his face.

"And I’ll make them focus on stamina first before anything else. This also includes you, Dominic DeValorse. The pack is only as strong as its weakest member, and you’re the Alpha. You need to be the strongest." I add. Dominic’s smile falls as he eyes me for a moment, checking if I was joking, but I guess he soon realizes that he too would be at the mercy of my training if he wants me to stick around. His eyes gloss over as Dominic looks into the distance, a look of seriousness crossing his face. I couldn’t help but enjoy ogling at him for the moment when I realize he’s linking someone. Soon, a group of wolves appear at the far end of the training field and makes its way towards our group. A wolf I remember all too well splits from the new arrivals rushes over to where Dominic and I stand.

"What’s up, Dom? All we were told in the link is to be here.” Christian the Beta asks as he turns to look at me for a brief moment.

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