Page 1 of That's the Way Rejection Goes

Chapter One: Sam

New Year’s Day

Igroaned as I came awake, my alarm blaring beside me. Reaching over, I slapped the shit out of it, wishing it would never go off again. But it was six in the morning, so that meant it was time to get up as always, no matter how much of a hangover I had. As much as I knew helping rogue werewolves was my calling, sometimes I wished I could just sleep in. After over a decade of being up early and late to bed, I was starting to get a little worn out. Not to mention, I wasn’t twenty-three anymore. My body needed rest.

Ugh… I sounded like such an old person.

Grumbling to myself, I threw the blankets aside, the warmth flying from my skin the moment it was gone. Even with the heat running, there was still a sting of cold in the air. Although, it wasn’t like I could expect much else of January in Michigan. It was going to be cold as fuck for the next three months at least, if not more. I’d get used to it. Maybe.

Usually, I wasn’t that grumpy about getting up in the morning, but today was special. Last night I threw a party for everyone in the hotel and then some. It was a habit I’d been getting into the past couple of years. I was starting to feel like I had created my own little pack, a family that I truly belonged to. Hell, we even had a human in the family now, with Cory’s friend David joining the ranks. It was everything I’d ever dreamed of when I started this little hotel in a nowhere town.

And somehow, without meaning to, I’d become the beating heart of that little family. So, I felt it was my duty to throw parties and give everyone a reason to get together. We didn’t have things like pack meetings or an Alpha to follow, but standing unified as a family was more than enough. In fact, I thought it was even better than a pack.

I had to admit though, I was a bit jealous of my family. Last night, when the stroke of midnight chimed, everyone had someone to kiss. Hell, even David found a random hotel wolf to shack up with for the night. But not me. No, it seemed that while I was good at meddling with my friend’s hearts, I was inept when it came to my own. The only company I had were my smutty romance books, and they didn’t kiss me at midnight on New Year’s Eve.

It made it hard sometimes when I saw all these perfect mated couples, happy and joyful in their new lives in Shifter Grove. Everyone’s dreams were coming true in one way or another. But I felt…stuck. All my wolves were moving on, building lives, and living blissfully. Meanwhile, I lost myself in another book as I babysit a desk all day, waiting for love to walk into my life.

I should’ve just been happy. After all, none of them would’ve found their mates if it hadn’t been for me and my hotel. And yet, that didn’t make it better. I still wanted somethingmore. I wanted that special someone in my life that would make every single day a dream come true.

A part of me wanted to close the hotel and go searching for him. I knew he was out there. I could just feel it. But I knew that wasn’t possible. Shifter Grove wasn’t just a place with a werewolf friendly hotel anymore. It was a beacon of hope for all those that had nowhere else to go and those that had been ousted from their packs just for being… different. The hotel’s popularity had risen in recent years and wolves came for hundreds of miles when they had nowhere else to go. It was the heart of the town just as much as I was. I couldn’t just walk away from it and go on a vacation. I had to be here for those that needed me.

If that meant I had to put my own wants aside, so be it. I truly believed it was more important to save wolves like me than tohopeI’d find a man while I was out wandering about the country. Besides, the internet existed now, so there was really no reason to go wandering. I was just feeling a bit glued down, I guess. And, so far, all the apps and websites in the world weren’t helping me. It wasn’t like they had an app for gay werewolf dating. The closest thing I could get to that, was looking for guys into Puppy Play or Furries. Even then, I’d had zero luck finding my mate.

I was starting to think I just didn’t have one.

With a sigh, I stood up from the bed, my naked skin breaking out in goosebumps as I stretched. I was half hard with morning wood, but I ignored it. I didn’t have the energy to deal with it at that moment and my head was still throbbing from all the booze the night before. It would have to wait until tonight after the hotel was closed for the day. Or maybe, if everything stayed nice and quiet, I could sneak in a little fondling session down at the front desk. I was getting to the spicy parts of my most recent book and there was a good chance we wouldn’t be busy thanks to the holiday. Almost everything would be closed, anyway. Well, except for Andy’s bakery. He made it a point to be open on holidays so the hotel residents could get hot coffee and pastries. The man was probably the leading cause of diabetes in this town, but I don't think anyone had lodged a formal complaint yet.

After a quick shower and a large glass of water to help flush the excess champagne out of my system from the night before, I dressed, grabbed my book, and headed down to the lobby. The front door was already unlocked as usual, and I dropped my book at the desk before heading into the kitchen. There, I gathered up coffee supplies and brought them out to the front, flipping the switch on the coffee pot in case anyone came down for their complimentary coffee at six in the morning. Why they would, I had no idea. All the rooms had coffee pots.

So, with my hands wrapped around a hot mug and a book laid out in front of me, I began to read, letting myself get lost in the love story that I so desperately wished was my own. This one in particular was about a man who’d been transported back in time by accident and was swept off his feet by a hunky Viking with bad manners. They’d hated one another at the beginning of the book, but the chemistry between them was undeniable. And now, at about the halfway point, they were fucking like mad, the Viking destroying this little twink of a man on a nightly basis. I wasn’t actually sure how he could still walk after the description of the Viking’s cock, but he was figuring it out. Granted, he was barely twenty, so I supposed he was a lot stretchier and supple than I was now. If I had to take a dick that big every day, I’d probably need a wheelchair.

However, I didn’t get very far before my hangover seemed to intensify and my vision began to blur. With a groan, I put the book down and leaned forward, placing my head on the cold countertop. It felt good, but it wasn’t enough to make the headache go away. I knew I should probably take something, but the idea of walking all the way back to my room made me want to puke.

Being a werewolf meant I could heal from anything. But hangovers? Those I had to deal with the old-fashioned way.

I wasn’t sure how much time went by before I heard footsteps coming down the hall. I cracked one eye open as Liam, Cory’s new mate, stepped into the lobby. He took one look at me, grinned, and walked over.

“You look like shit.”

He soundedwaytoo fucking chipper.

“Thanks,” I grumbled.

“I’m going down to Andy’s. Want me to get you anything?”

I grumbled again, keeping my eyes closed.

“Well, your coffee is cold, so I’ll get you something better.” He gave me a little pat on the shoulder. “I’ll be back in twenty minutes or so.”

Another grumble and Liam was on his way, the door ringing as he stepped out. A whoosh of frigid air swept in and while it should’ve made me shiver, it felt kind of nice against my flushed skin. I sat there for a few moments, trying to will myself out of my hangover. As much as I wanted my throbbing headache to go away, it just didn’t want to go. Finally, just when I was about to give up and force myself upstairs to get some medicine, the lobby door dinged again. It hadn’t been long enough for Liam to go down to the bakery and back, which only meant one thing. A customer.

Forcing myself up, I ran my hands through my long dark hair, pulling it back into a messy bun before forcing myself to smile. I looked up just in time to see not one, buttwomen dragging their suitcases in through the front door. They spotted me almost immediately and headed my way, both of them looking rather run down.

One was shorter and muscular, with ginger hair and a well-manicured beard. He would’ve looked kind of pale if not for the splash of freckles across his face, giving him a boyish look. Although, he wore a gruff expression. The other man looked much friendlier, but he was all dark hair and hard lines. His skin was tanned, he was fashionably scruffy, and his short black hair was messily spiked. He didn’t seem as muscular as the shorter one, but his height made him rather intimidating.

“Good morning,” the taller one said, placing his single suitcase on the floor in front of the desk.

“Good morning,” I replied automatically in my best customer service voice. “Checking in?”

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