Page 32 of Rejection on the Full Moon

“Blood Moon, Avery speaking.” I smile at the sound of my assistant, homesickness kicking in as I’ve missed my pack.

“Hey Ave, its me. How is everything over there?” I respond, sipping on the hot drink.

“Everything is going good. Camile and I are holding down the fort, and Silver is being an annoying little shit as usual.” I chuckle as Avery continues, telling me that training is still going strong as usual and that my store has been profiting greatly these last few weeks, with Christmas being just a couple of weeks away.

“Have you killed anyone at Forest Paw yet?” I hear Silver’s voice cut into Avery’s report and another chuckle escaping my lips.

“No, but Miles recorded me kicking the shit out of my so-called sister, Mia.” I reply, getting a “Hell yeah!” out of Silver. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes, hearing Avery yell at him for interrupting her. The two were like cats and dogs, always at each other’s throats.

“Look, I called to let you guys know we’re expecting a blizzard here. Can you get Blood Moon ready in case it heads up home?” I speak up over their bickering, stopping the argument as I hear a chuckle from the other side of the call.

“I’ll make sure everything is ready, just in case, and we’ll let the pack know. “Camile’s voice answers. Christian would be proud knowing his mate is handling the pack alone perfectly.

“Thanks, guys. I have to go now.” I end the call, reassured that Blood Moon is doing fine, and head back into the kitchen to check on the cooking. The team with the stews and soup are just watching the pot, having nothing better to do. So, I decide to teach them how to bake cookies. Serena and Lease come in just as we start filling the empty ovens with trays of cookie dough ready to be baked. They give me an update that the teams who went out to buy food and firewood would be returning soon, and I realize two hours have already passed since all our work began. The Omegas were bringing out the cooked food and setting up the dining tables.

“We should call everyone in for dinner and just bunker down then,” I suggest, taking the clipboard from Serena and noticing all the tasks were done. Wolves from the wood-cutting task were filing in, with some helping to carry wood into the pack house, while others were seeking the warmth of the fireplace in the living room. The two she-wolves’ eyes glaze over, relaying my message to everyone while I look scurry over to the oven to check on the cookies. Cold hands pull me into a warm body as Dominic’s scent fills my nose.

“Everything is done. We can relax now.” I nod, snuggling into my mate. Maria assures me that I can go sit down as the teens and the Omegas have everything under control. This finally gives me an excuse to head to the dining hall and relax. My body is still sore from the last few days, but due to having to take the lead and make sure the pack house is ready for the storm, I have had yet to really relax.

“How about after dinner, we go to bed? You look like you need it.” Dominic suggests as he sits beside me and takes my hand.

“That sounds like a wonderful idea,” I reply with a yawn. Soon, more wolves enter the pack house carrying bags from various grocery stores into the dining room, where Omegas swiftly carry them away to be stored. From where I sat, I can see the doors to the pack house left open, the snow blowing in as the wind picks up. The storm is getting closer, making it hard to see past the first three feet in front of the wooden frame. When the last wolf enters and everyone is accounted for, the doors are shut and locked securely. All we can do is wait.

Everyone begins to settle down. Mia and Leo are absent from the room, which brightens my mood. Zack and Abby join Dominic and I at the table with their three pups. The pups are asking Dominic and I about Blood Moon and what our pack members are like. They are excited to hear that I own my own house with a pool, already begging their parents to go swimming in the summer there. Suddenly, the lights begin to flicker, causing everyone to go silent.

“Do not be alarmed, everyone. This is just the blizzard. It has now hit our territory. Please stay inside where it is safe and parents keep an eye on your pups. Have a good night.” Blue’s voice calls out to the crowd. The lights return to normal, but Abby and Zack still look a little tense. I guess after having Lilly-Ann in the pack hospital, they really feared losing a pup.

Dominic suggests we call it a night, and helps myself, Zack, and Abby carry their pups up the stairs and into their room. I promise to spend more time with everyone, and say goodnight to Maxwell, Mathew, and Lilly-Ann before Dominic and I head to our own room.

The exhaustion finally takes over, and after changing into some pyjamas, I fall asleep.

Chapter 20 – A Soulless Storm

The days blur into an endless routine as the blizzard rages on: Wake up to Dominic and make love to each other, go downstairs for breakfast, train Forest Paw in the pack gym that Blue thankfully connected to the underground tunnel last year, eat lunch, train Scarlet as the new Head Tracker of Forest Paw, eat dinner with Dominic, my brother and his family, sleep, and repeat. Being trapped inside all day was making me anxious. My nerves were on edge as a foreboding feeling kept creeping in. Dominic did his best to keep me sane, using the nights and morning to exhaust my restless mind. Chocolate also seemed to keep me calm, as whenever I felt like my nerves were about to fry, I would find a chocolate treat to enjoy and bring back down the agitation.

By the seventh day of being trapped inside with everyone, Mia tried her luck at attacking me with everyone present. I promptly knocked her drunk ass down, causing more broken bones than the first time I fought her and sending her back to the pack hospital. Blue disappeared for a few hours, and Forest Paw and Blood Moon wolves alike stayed away from me, having my guard up and mood unstable from the sneak attack. Dominic brought me food as I preferred to stay in our room, my body filled with unease. I was happy for the TV mounted on the wall, as Netflix became my best friend with all the shows to binge-watch. The next morning, I felt calm enough to go down to breakfast, when Blue announced Mia will become an Omega who will be sent to another pack for attacking a guest. No one but Leo protested this, cursing his father for making this decision without consulting him. This prompted Blue to threaten Leo’s status as Alpha before storming off to his office, away from his screaming son. After that, I kept my eyes glued to the weather station, ready for this blizzard to be over so my pack and I could return home.

It was the night of the tenth day when the news channel broadcasted a breaking news report. At the sound of the alert, everyone rushed into the living room to watch with anticipation. We were all ready to stretch our legs once again.

"Great news!" The weatherman states, his face looking cold from the winter air yet displaying a huge smile on the TV screen. The camera pans to the spot above the weatherman’s shoulder, where light snow falls under a street lamp. All of us are watching with childlike excitement.

"The blizzard is over, and cleanup will take place over the next few days. We have received about five feet of snow, so for all those children wanting to go outside and enjoy the snow days for the next few days, stay safe and make sure your parents know where you are at all times. Stay away from the roads, as snow plows will be working hard to clear all roads and sidewalks." This was the announcement we all needed, as everyone shouts and cheers happily. Judging from the report, the front door to the pack house would be snowed in, so our best bet would be to head outside through a window on the second floor.

Scarlet is the first to leave the group, her feet pounding up the wooden stairs with everyone closely following after her. The two of us reach the bay window at the end of the hall, this spot being the largest window on the second floor where we would be able to enter and exit in both wolf and human form. The two of us manage to pull the window open, only to struggle with the storm shutters. Dominic and Zack push their way to the front of the crowd, gesturing for Scarlet and I to step aside while they rush at the shutters, moving the wooden pieces out of the way. Eventually, we are greeted with the cold air of a quiet night. Snow falls slowly in the air, the blizzard now gone.

I rush out the window, jumping off of the roof much to the shock of my mate, and shift mid-air, landing in the snow in wolf form. I hear Zack chuckle, motioning for Dominic and Scarlet to go out next, the two landing beside me. Dominic’s ice-like fur instantly blends into the snow, causing me to lose sight of him as I hop my way further from the pack house.

[You look like a bunny on fire, Amberle.] Dominic sends through our pack link, causing everyone to laugh. I roll my eyes, sniffing the air, trying to find where Dominic is. It was hard to move through five feet of snow, but I felt like I was on his trail when I find myself being tackled. Ice-blue eyes stare into my own. Dominic kisses my snout, sending tingles of pleasure into me as he nuzzles against my body.

[Anyone want to play tag?] Miles calls out, with everyone voting a unanimous yes as long as he is ‘It’ first. Dominic and I quickly bound away, making sure to put as much distance between us from the group of wolves as I invite Zack, Abby, and Scarlet into our link to play. We were like pups once again, tackling and running away from each other. Many colours of wolves continue to pour out from inside the packhouse, seemingly those who were asleep now getting the news that the blizzard is over. Even Blue came out, his blue fur just as easy to spot as my own flame-like fur. The reason why I hated winter is that it’s hard to conceal my wolf form.

Lease turned out to be ‘It’ after being tackled by Scarlet’s black wolf. I knew that my friend would be after me next, and my paws were having a hard time getting away from her when Dominic tackles me first, causing the pursuing she-wolf to back away with a knowing smirk. Dominic’s wolf is about twice the size of me, his body intimidating when we stood side by side.

[Lease, you're still it, I’m taking Amberle somewhere.] His voice fills the link, getting a few wolf whistles from everyone. I was about to protest, but Lease's reply came quickly.

[Okay, make sure to make some future Alpha pups for the pack.] I roll my eyes at her cheerful tone, watching the young Tracker run off in another direction in pursuit of her next victim. Dominic gets off of me, his tongue lolling out to the side like a tamed puppy as he leads the way away from the pack house and towards the forest. A few times I find myself losing Dominic, his fur blending in with the snow perfectly. I was envious of Dominic, having the best fur to blend in with during winter or underwater.

[Grab my tail, Fire, so you don’t lose me anymore.] Dominic sighs, finding me waiting for him under a large oak tree. I wag my tail happily, licking his snout before taking his tail gently between my teeth. The two of us head deeper into the forest, the snow on the ground easier to manage with the branches from the massive trees holding the majority of what has fallen. We come across a small lake just inside the pack border, a waterfall frozen in time with ice above it. I thought we were going to stop here, getting ready to release my hold in Dominic when he continues to move, guiding me behind the frozen waterfall, revealing a hidden cave. There, we settle down, away from everyone else, where we can be alone without worry.

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