Page 2 of Rejected and Regretted

“Ugh! Great,” I groaned, scratching the spot in hopes of relieving some of my discomfort. It barely helped, only irritating my skin and making it turn even redder. “Not even a full day packless and I already managed to poison myself.”

However, I had little time to worry about the rash. The rustling of leaves stole my attention, and my head snapped toward the sound, my heart stopping. As if they had materialized from the dirt, big, brawny wolves surrounded me. Horror sank in as I realized I was about to become their dinner.

There was no way Kea could fight them, and I doubt she’d be able to outrun them. The beasts were almost twice our size, standing as tall as beta or gamma wolves. Come to think of it, I had never seen rogues this big. And strangely enough, they all shared the same coat color as me. They were all gray, though some were lighter, appearing almost ashen, while others had darker fur.

What do I even care what they look like?I scolded myself. Instinct kicked in at last, and I jumped to my feet. As the beasts all inched closer, growling menacingly, I desperately searched for a way to cheat fate, but there was none. I couldn’t escape them if I tried.

It didn’t matter anyway. My whole life had been a waste. There was no place in the world for someone as unwanted as me. I was doomed to meet my end in the most miserable way possible - alone, devoured by feral monsters.

I was ready to embrace my imminent death when the creatures suddenly ceased their advance. What I couldn’t have foreseen was them stepping aside, making way for a wolf who was even taller, as well as visibly older than the rest. Frozen in fear, I watched as it neared me. To my shock, when he was merely a foot away from me, the animal shifted into a man. A smile adorned his face as he stretched his hand out to me.

“You’re one of us,” he announced, further confusing me. Regardless, I took his hand; I was in no position to deny help. As I did, he pulled me into an embrace, continuing, “We have been waiting for you, Alpha.”

2

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A V R I L

- five years later -

If someone told mefive years ago that I, Avril Fletcher, the pathetic ostracized omega, would one day find my place in this cold, lonely world, I would have deemed them insane.What a funny thing destiny is, I thought to myself.

Alone in my expansive chambers, I readied myself for my mission. As I faced my reflection in the mirror to tie my long, dark ash brown hair into a high pony, I took a moment to notice just how drastically my physical appearance had changed after I turned eighteen.

I still had a lean build, but I wasn’t starving-thin anymore. After putting on some weight by eating healthier and training hard, my previously non-existent curves and muscles were accentuated. My skin wasn’t sickeningly white as it had been while I grew up locked inside the packhouse doing chores; it had changed from a pale ivory to a warm sand color as a result of spending most of the day outside, sparring under the sun. My blue eyes, once dull and hopeless, had acquired a new glow, strong and clear as flowing rivers.

Subconsciously, I straightened my posture, proud of who I am - who I was always meant to be.

“Alpha.” I heard someone call from the other side of the door, which I had purposely left half-open. Of course, my beta was too polite to come in without knocking, even though I had given him permission to do so.

“Yes, Theo,” I answered, encouraging him to step forward.

Through the reflection in the mirror, I watched him immediately lower his head in respect as soon as he had walked inside. “We’re ready to leave. Should we wait for you outside?”

With his reminder, my confidence wavered as I recalled where we were headed to. My former home - if I could even call it that - Whispering Hills Pack.

A half-sigh, half-grunt broke through my lips. It wasn’t that I was afraid of being around the people who bullied me my entire life; I knew how to defend myself now. However, I couldn’t say I was thrilled about reuniting with them, especially when I had to hide the truth about who I turned out to be. Revealing it would compromise our mission, as well as the identity of my new pack as a whole.

Still, I knew it had to be done. Whispering Hills was in possession of something we needed, and I was certain they wouldn’t hand it to me willingly.

“The faster we retrieve the ashes, the sooner we can leave that hideous place behind,”Kea chimed in, slightly more optimistic than I was.

“You’re right,”I agreed. As she retreated to the depths of my mind, I rose from my feet, turning to face Theo. “No, that won’t be necessary. I’m almost done here.”

Shifting my attention to the dresser, I grabbed a few bandages, quickly wrapping them around my forearm. Once my unique mark was completely covered, I lowered the sleeve of my gray hoodie. It had appeared shortly after I was banished frommy former pack, which meant they didn’t know about it - and I intended for it to stay that way.

“Ready,” I announced, grabbing my backpack before leaving my chambers with Theo following right behind me.

My Gamma, Elijah - who was also Theodore’s fated mate - was standing at the end of the hallway. He greeted me with a short nod, exchanging subtle, loving glances with my beta afterward. It was sweet how their eyes still sparkled whenever they looked at each other, even after being together for years. If I were ever to believe in love again, it would be because of those two.

As if I would let myself believe in something that doesn’t exist. I shook my head, regaining my focus, and assumed my usual neutral expression. Well, maybe it did exist, but certainly not for me. There was no room in my life for a partner, neither did I want one after what my fated mate, the one person who was supposed to love me unconditionally, did to me.

Distracted, I was taken by surprise when we stepped outside the packhouse to notice almost my entire pack gathered there, waiting for me. It was true that Azure Smoke Pack wasn’t nearly as big as other groups, with just under thirty members. Still, I didn’t expect them all to come just to wish me a safe journey and good luck on my mission.

“They don’t just respect you, you know,” Theo whispered to me as we climbed into the car that would take us to Whispering Hills.

“They love you, Avril,” my Gamma concluded.

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