Page 1 of Rejected Mate

CHAPTER ONE

ThefeelingofdreadI could not shake for the past few months settled like a lead weight around my neck as I realized this was it. The time had come. The Mating Games were upon me.

How this archaic tradition of marrying off shifter females to males of power ever came to be, I didn’t know. If I ever did find out who started it, that asshole deserved a swift kick in the coin purse from me.

Still, I knew my duty, and I wouldn’t shy away from it.

Our rented black limousine pulled to a stop behind the vehicle in front of us while I glanced out the window at the waxing crescent moon. There was a tug in my chest as I stared at the yellow moonlight—a feeling that quickly paired with the twist of anxiety in my gut.

But I didn’t have to worry about the moon’s pull tonight. I had much bigger concerns.

Mainly the castle in the distance and those who waited inside.

“Stop picking at your dress, Wren.” My mother leaned forward and pulled my hands away from where they were strangling the silken fabric. She looked radiant, as always, in a modest silver dress, long sleeves tapering into gloves that covered her slender fingers. Her dark hair was pulled up and tasteful makeup applied, even though she’d likely not spend much time at the castle.Appearances, appearances.She’d always been a beauty, likely why she’d been able to land a marriage into a family as powerful as mine. She seemed so perfect, so prepared for anything. It made it hard to be her daughter. I felt inadequate in my own skin, let alone in a fancy dress.

“This thing is ridiculous,” I said, wishing I could shed the dress like a snake shedding too-tight skin. The floor-length evening gown with red sequins barely covered my body, but somehow managed to pinch and rub in all the wrong places, just like bad sex.

My mother glowered at me. She opened her mouth to scold, but my grandfather leaned forward, putting his wrinkled hand on hers to let her know he would handle it. As the alpha of our pack, and the Supreme Alpha over all shifters in this region, he had the power here, and we both knew it.

“Wren will wear the dress with pride,” he said, his voice a deep resonant tone that seemed to command not only us but the air itself. “She knows how important this is to all of us.”

Grandfather was dressed in a plain black suit with his silver hair slicked back. No fussy gowns or sparkling jewels for him. Yet, he wore the most eye-catching adornment of all, the Supreme Alpha necklace. My eyes flitted to it, the symbol that let all know he was in charge. And, as his granddaughter, that symbol meant I needed to do well here. No, better than well. I needed to be perfect.

I stared out the window, the responsibility settling over me all over again. I didn’t want to hear how important this was, how importantI was, to the survival of our pack. Not again. I knew it all too well, though that didn’t make things any easier. I was nineteen for moon’s sake. I barely made good choices on what breakfast to eat—Cocoa Pebbles was a winner instead of the bacon and eggs I was supposed to be eating—andIwas the best chance of our family’s survival? I had my doubts, but I had to trust my grandfather. Even if to me this seemed like the mother of all bad ideas, worse than the time my mom put me in a white dress and let me loose in a muddy backyard at my cousin Dolph’s tenth birthday party.

Despite my compliant mood, Grandfather didn’t appear satisfied, so he leaned forward until his face was only a short distance from mine. I stared into his lined face. Wispy white hair framed it. When had he aged so much? I knew he was well into his twenty-fifth decade, but werewolf shifters could live much longer than humans. Why, then, did he look as if he might break apart if the wind blew too sharply?

The worry in my chest diminished as he started his tried-and-true lecture.

“The mating ritual is sacred, a right of our people to pass on our traditions to the next generation. Strong bloodlines are what have kept us Ravenmoons alive. Strong bloodlines are what will keep us from succumbing to our enemies.”

I had heard this a million times from my parents and my grandfather. We learned it as pups in school, along with math and literature, and how to fight. Yet, now, as the castle loomed in the distance before me, I realized it had never sunk in.

It was my job to secure a strong mate. My job was to keep my family and bloodline going. It was even more important for me than the other girls here. My grandfather was the Supreme Alpha, head of all the packs in our region, a position that he’d held for over a thousand moons and took much strength and cunning—two traits I would need to use during the games to keep our family strong.

Except… I’d somewhat hoped this moment would never come, and I would, perhaps, get to marry for love. Or maybe, even better, I’d get to go to human college and blend in. I’d get to go to parties and dance until dawn and pretend I didn’t have to worry about pack fights and my family’s desire to hold on to the Supreme Alpha necklace and the power it wielded.

But deep down, I’d known there would be no escaping this, and regardless of all my silly dreams, I would not skirt my responsibilities.

I sighed again, my chest straining against the thin slip of fabric that covered it. “I understand, Grandfather. I’m going to take this seriously. But why this…” I gestured to the ridiculous gown, “Why the pageantry? Why the stupid dresses and hair? You know I hate all the fuss.”

My blond hair had been washed and blow-dried, and makeup had been caked on my face as if I was some sort of celebrity. I was practical, which included avoiding getting dolled up for anyone. I hated how this felt like a masquerade. Would the mates participating in the games expect me to look like a Barbie all the time? If they did, they’d have another thing coming. I preferred messy buns and plain-old cherry lip balm.

Grandfather patted my wrist lovingly, resting his wrinkled hand there. “It’s for the males, dove,” he said, using his pet name for me. “You know they are… a visual bunch, and first impressions are important.”

He winked as if we were in on a joke together, but I turned my head. I loved my grandfather, but he was “old school.” So I bit my tongue and stared at the castle as if I could peer inside. What would the males be like? Rude assholes? Knuckle dragging fools with dog breath? Hopefully not. They were supposed to be the most eligible shifter bachelors in this half of the country, and for my sake, I prayed they would be more intomerather than this glittery dress and shiny hair. Holding my judgment, I tried not to get my hopes too high. Better to be surprised than disappointed.

Mother pushed my hair back in a loving gesture while glancing past me out the window. “Raithborrow Castle is known worldwide as one of the most beautiful places on earth, even if it was once owned by filthy vampires. Still, I’d love to see inside. I think we’re only allowed to see you as far as the front door.”

I pondered this. “I wonder if their stink still lingers even if they’ve not been in residence for centuries.”

She shrugged, gazing longingly into the distance. “This year, the packs wanted to make these mating games special, and what better place than a castle with sprawling grounds? I hear the gardens are splendid.”

“The gates are opening.” Grandfather pointed. His finger trembled a bit, or so it seemed. He lowered his hand too quickly for me to be sure.

He was right. Huge iron gates swung open. The line of limos began to crawl through like black beetles being swallowed by a giant maw. I wiped sweating palms on my dress, not caring if it got stained or wrinkled. Let any male who wanted me know exactly the kind of person I was. It would do no good to start a relationship based on lies.

“Just be yourself,” my mother said.

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