Page 27 of Rejected By The Alpha Heir

I let out a howl, long and mournful, releasing the pain and shock into the air. My wolf whimpers, nudging at my consciousness with his own sorrow. This pain is unfamiliar. I don’t know how to process it. I only know that Yelena’s absence feels like a physical wound. It’s a raw, gaping hole in my heart.

She’s gone. She actuallyleft. And with her, a piece of me is suddenly gone too.

I stagger to a rock and sit, unable to stand any longer. The agony washes over me in waves.

Reality hits me like an eighteen-wheeler. I love her. And now she’s gone.

Chapter Eleven

Yelena

Five years later

“Yelena!” My keys jingle in my hand as I turn to see who is calling me. Weston, one of the newest nurses on our team, comes running up.

“Did you need something, Wes?” I ask, curiously. Unlike most of the nursing staff at Ruby Clinic, Weston didn’t come to us from the university, but rather had experience as a medic in the military. He’s been a great addition to my team, but his knowledge of protocols and boundaries needs some work.

“I just wanted to know if you were free tonight,” he says, giving me a charming smile. “There’s live music over at the Marina Tavern and I thought you could come with me and get a drink.”

An uneasy feeling starts in the pit of my stomach, and I force a small smile. It’s not the first invitation I’ve received since I’ve worked here. My colleagues are nice enough, but as head nurse, I have to keep a firm boundary in place to prevent fraternization with my subordinates.

Weston is a nice guy, so I try to let him down gently.

“Oh, Weston. I’m sorry, I’m not available,” I reply. Due to my position, I can’t go out with colleagues.”

His face falls, and he nods, and the air between us suddenly feels awkward.

“Have you asked Kiera?” I suggest, thinking of my bubbly assistant. “She’s single and loves music!”

His face brightens a little, and he shoves his hands in his pockets. “Maybe I’ll ask her. Thanks, boss.”

I nod and keep moving toward my car. It’s been a long day and I’m ready to get home.

As I unlock the car door, I glance back at the clinic where I've spent the last half decade of my life. The Ruby Clinic is a small, but well-regarded private clinic. Known for our embrace of both holistic and modern medicine, we have patients who travel for hours to come see us. It took me a long time to adjust to the more individualistic life that humans lead. At home, the pack is always there for each other. But here, life feels more isolated and lonely. Sure, I’ve made friends, but the inherent closeness that my wolf craves is never present.

At least my work has been successful. In the time I’ve been here, I’ve studied hard and taken every class and training offered to me. I’ve worked my way up from nursing assistant trainee all the way to my position now, as head of nursing services.

Sometimes, when I think of the day I came here—fresh from the pack, untrained and nervous. It feels like it’s been a lifetime instead of only five years. It was so hard at first. What little money I had brought with me was hardly enough. My father tried to help where he could, but I never let him know just how bad it was. Without a job, I was unable to rent an apartment or even have enough money to buy food. Before I got the job at the clinic, I spent two weeks sleeping during the day in my car and working the clean-up crew at the local movie theater at night. I shudder as I remember the taste of the stale popcorn I salvagedfrom the buckets each night. I don’t think I’ll ever enjoy popcorn again.

When my situation became even more desperate, with two lines on a pregnancy test showing up when I least expected it, I considered returning home. Giving up. But the Moon Goddess led me to the Ruby Clinic by way of a job posting I saw by chance in a newspaper. It is only by Her grace that I was even granted an interview. I cried when they offered me the job as a nursing assistant trainee. The starting wage was enough to afford a small, studio apartment. I still remember the day I got the keys. I sat in the tiny, empty space, hugging my arms to my chest and praying that everything was going to work out.

I shake off the thoughts, finally sinking into my seat and starting the engine. The trip home is automatic, every movement stitched into muscle memory. My car glides along familiar roads until I park it in front of my modest townhouse. I step out of the car and immediately, my instincts heighten. That feeling of being watched makes a prickle of unease crawl across my skin.

I look around my quiet neighborhood, assessing it for threats. There’s movement at the window of my house, and a small, familiar figure disappears from view behind the curtain. I smile to myself and relax, ready for any surprise I will get. Before I can even put my keys away, the door bursts open and a little girl darts out, an impish grin splitting her lovely face.

"Mommy!" she shrieks before launching herself into my arms. “Did I scare you?”

"Easy there, tiger," I laugh, hugging her tight as her nanny hobbles after her, panting.

“Sorry, Miss Yelena,” the nanny gasps, her hand on her chest. “Cleo got away from me when I was in the kitchen.”

I smile warmly at the older woman.

“It’s fine, Susan,” I reassure her, holding Cleo on my hip. “This little rascal can be a handful.”

Cleo giggles and leans her head on my shoulder, making my entire body glow with happiness.

She is, by far, the best thing I’ve ever done with my life. I thank the Moon Goddess every day for choosing me to be her mother.

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