Alpha's Regret: His Wrongful Rejection

Eileen hustled me off to the kitchen to help her with the dishes. The past decade hasn’t been kind to him. His knuckles are gnarled, and the hair on his head has receded, although his mutton chops are as bushy as ever. Lochlan is his nephew. Eamon raised him. They’re two of a kind. They…

“Why are you smiling?” He stalks closer, but not too close. Maybe three clown feet away. I shake my head and literally bite my tongue until my eyes water. “Are you crying now?” “No.” “Have you gone mad?” My gaze flies to his. He’s serious. He doesn’t really joke. To be honest, back in school,…

Killian gently tilts my head from side to side. “I didn’t hurt you,” he murmurs. That’s such a lie. For so many reasons. “Alpha!” A voice booms from the head of the path. Eamon, Lochlan, and Finn. The three douche-kateers. I step back, but Killian’s already dropped his hand and turned toward them. He holds…

I raise my shoulder and look at Annie. She shrugs in return. I’m not fearless enough that I’m going to ignore an alpha command, and I’m grounded, so Annie’s going to have to make the delivery after all. This rejected mate debacle is not costing me three hundred bucks in addition to all my dignity….

Abertha gives me a wry smile. “The same way you do anything. One foot in front of the other. One day at a time.” My shoulders slump. I’m so tired. “He’s my mate.” “He was.” “I just don’t get it. How can he reject me? Mates are fated. Am I wrong? Is this moon madness?”…

“No bears around here. Just wolves and rats.” Abertha stands and crosses the kitchen to the fridge. A wave of exhaustion crests over me. “It was humiliating,” I confess to her back. “He asked what I’d done to earn the rank I claimed.” He’s an asshole, but in the end, he’s right. I’ve won no…

I meant for it to be a quick lesson, but I guess my wolf’s got the taste of blood. I have my fist drawn back again when Tye grabs my forearm. When I snarl, Tye immediately drops his hold and shows his neck. I growl from the chest. My wolf flashes his fangs. Tye lowers…

In my grandfather’s day, she wouldn’t have gone to school. My generation was the first to send the females, and only because Moon Lake Pack wouldn’t let the males go if the females didn’t. At least my father saw the value in education. There were plenty of packmates who thought schooling was a waste of…

UNA I wake up in a bramble. I’m not me. I’m her. Us. There are stickers in my fur. Our fur. There’s a thorn in the pad of my paw. It hurts. Everything hurts. The light is too bright. The sun is directly overhead. I’m hot. Burning up. Cramps seize my belly, twisting tighter and…

Abertha scoots back, giving me space. “Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Now, shift!” There’s power in her voice. I have no choice. My body buckles, limbs unfolding, and I bow with the intensity and scream. I’m ripped from my own hide. I’m dragged from my form, and there’s no way to stop or…