Page 28 of Rejected Forced Mate
Okay...I would have been a little annoyed with him, too. But mostly myself.
Thankfully, he knew the right thing to do even when I was out of my mind with lust. That didn't stop me from fantasizing about what might have happened if we took things further, though.
Since Noah was avoiding me, I found myself getting out of the house more and more. The Silvervine pack was big on farming and nature, and I found myself drawn to the community garden near the center of town. It was a sprawling area that had been designated for gardening and growing the community's produce. There were also several community buildings and a few food stalls.
Noah was right about the place having a charm all its own. It was a little worn down and rundown, but it was filled with smiling faces, laughter, and the signs of a pack that had its problems, but was still strong.
By my third trip to town, I was no longer a novelty. There was still some fascination, considering I was the only magic user in the pack, but being the Luna meant I garnered a certain amount of reverence. The respect they had for Noah carried over, and while some of them appeared to be reluctant to give it to me, there wasn't much they could do. I was their Luna, even if I was a reluctant one.
It was a pleasant surprise. In the beginning, I was sure I'd wake up one day with the entire pack protesting outside of Noah's house, demanding that his new pet witch be sentpacking. Instead, there was begrudging acceptance. Maybe, in time, it would come easier...for them and for me.
With Noah spending so much time working, I needed either a job or a hobby. The local shops didn't turn their noses up at serving their witchy Luna, but none of them were chomping at the bit to hire me, either. I tried to get a job with the pack healers, but they insisted that all of the positions were full.
I didn't quite believe them, but there wasn't much I could do about it.
Finally, an option presented itself: the community garden. I signed up for an empty plot, determined to make it my own. It was fall, the wrong time of the year to start planting, but there were still a few things I could grow.
I also had magic to help me along, but I wouldn't mention that outright.
It took some time to find the right pack member to ask about getting a plot, and they hesitantly showed me to the shed that held the tools and seeds. The shed itself was run down, and the supplies were lacking, but that didn't matter. There was enough for me to work with, and it would give me something to keep my mind busy since no one else in town seemed to want me around.
A few hours later, I was elbow-deep in the earth, a pile of seeds next to me and a row of tilled soil before me, when a shadow fell across my body.
"Isn't there enough space for you to do that at the Alpha's house, witch?"
I'd had a lot of practice in keeping my composure, so I didn't flinch or give the person the satisfaction of knowing that they'd caught me off guard. I stood, the knees of my pantsmuddy and damp, and dusted my hands off before looking at the newcomer.
It was an older man, and he was looking at me with a heavy dose of ire.
"Yes," I answered, not willing to engage with him any further. "But I wanted to put some plants down here. So that's what I'm doing."
"It's bad enough that you're here, and you're using our resources." His upper lip curled in disgust.
"I hardly consider a hand trowel and some mismatched seeds to be resources, but I promise anything extra I go will be donated, just like everyone else's extras. This is a community garden, isn't it?"
The man was glaring at me, but he couldn't argue with my point. "Yes, but—" "Hey, Sage!" A familiar voice cut in.
The man and I both turned to see Summer, Noah's cousin, approaching. She was all smiles, and when she reached the two of us, she looped her arm through mine.
"Enjoying the weather?"
I was so relieved by her presence that I leaned into her and sighed. "It's been great. Perfect for working with the soil. Are you going to plant today?"
Summer was still grinning at the man who'd accosted me, but her eyes were cold. "I am. I'm just taking a break right now. Do you want to go look at the herb garden with me?"
"Absolutely," I said, not needing any more encouragement than that.
As Summer pulled me away, I looked back at the man. He was still scowling at us, but he didn't try to stop us or say anything else.
"Sorry, was he bothering you?" Summer asked, not sounding sorry at all. "A bit," I admitted. "He just didn't want me to use any of the seeds." "You're the Luna, you're allowed to use all the seeds you want."
"But I'm a guest. Maybe I was too enthusiastic..."
"They're not his, either." Summer snorted. "But it's a communal garden. Use what you need, donate when you can. Just because he thinks the Alpha shouldn't have taken you as a mate doesn't mean he can tell you what to do." She paused, looking at me with twinkling eyes, "Actually, let's ditch the garden. Noah mentioned showing you around the pack territory if I had the availability, so no better time like the present!"
"What?" Summer leapt from subject to subject so fast that it was hard to keep up. "You don't have to do that."
"Aw, but it will be so much fun! Besides, I'd like to know the person who's living in my Alpha's house, you know?"
