They were all driven out of the pack to another pack just three hours away on the day of the full moon, and would be allowed to return 2 hours after the moon set. If all went smoothly, if not they’d been informed they may have to stay longer than necessary.
It did seem that the council was expecting resistance from The Rejected Pack members, at this mating ball. They arrived at a pack called Dark Harvest Moon where there were two council members standing waiting on them. Here to supervise themselves, she guessed, they were escorted directly to the pack’s ballroom.
It was nicely dressed up, set quite formally, she noticed, table cloths and small vases with flowers in them on every table. Soft music playing. There were already plenty of other packs here too. This pack was quite large, she did note, it had taken 30 minutes to drive to the pack house from the front gates.
They were all shown to their designated table, today there were 25 she-wolves and 10 male wolves in attendance from The Rejected Pack. They all sat and talked amongst themselves, as they sat and waited. They did not if they didn’t want to, have to get up and mingle with the others in the room. Saw many of the wolves already here looking at them at their table. None of the Rejected Pack members left the table, probably looked snobby and rude. None of them particularly cared, because none of them wanted to be here.
Mala turned her attention to Aston and his unit. They were all standing talking with other wolves, likely other Alphas and their units, she thought, by the size of them. He was smiling, as were his men. They looked happy enough to be out here, likely ready to bring the pack into the wolfen society, ready themselves to be recognised, and not considered rejects.
‘I don’t like this.’ Mala mind-linked to Netty.
‘Neither do I, feel like sheep to the slaughter.’ Netty muttered right back.
‘I’ll be doing the slaughtering.’ Mala sighed right back. ‘I will defend all of you, no-one will be mated off against their will on my watch.’
‘Alpha Aston and the council members might not like that, Mala.’
‘Then they can challenge me.’ Mala stated flatly, she would win or was likely too. Was much stronger now with Suki behind her every hit and speed too. Had been practically undefeatable without her wolf, was not likely to lose at all anymore, could and would issue a challenge, if necessary. It was her job inside the pack to protect them, and she would be more than happy to issue a challenge, or stand in as a proxy for anyone inside the pack.
As the top elite warrior, she also had the right to defend the pack. It was her and Ben that looked after the pack when Aston and his unit were not there. She and Ben were his two best fighters.
Mala saw four of the pack’s members stiffen as the moon set, including Netty, though she did not get up and go off to find the one she could scent, sat defiantly at their table with her hands clenched in her lap.
The other three got up and tracked what they scented, like any normal wolf would, might have all objected to being here, but the pull to a Goddess Gifted Mate could win out in seconds. “You’re alright Netty. If you don’t want to, you don’t have to.”
The woman’s soft grey eyes were steadfast on the plate in front of her, Mala knew that Netty didn’t want to be here, anymore than Mala herself. It should have been their choice to attend a mating ball or not. Not to be forced to come here. Like Mala; Netty had never left the pack, it was something many of them never did; Set foot outside the pack borders.
She knew now that Netty had been rejected by her mate for her twin sister. They were not identical and her Mate had actually been dating her sister for a year, when the full moon came after she and her sister had turned 18, she’d scented him out, he’d come from another pack after it had merged with theirs and he was the same age as her.
She liked him. He was good to her twin. When she’d scented him and they’d found each other he’d frowned, had been expecting her sister not her, she guessed. Frowned right down at her, was the merging packs future Delta, told her he was sorry but that he really did love her twin, he’d been nice about the rejection. Sat her down and even did it gently, but it had broken her and her wolfs heart, she’d accepted it, and he’d asked her not to tell her twin, begged her not to, in fact.
But seeing them together had just been too much, knowing he was supposed to be hers, she’d left the pack of her own accord one night, when she’d heard them have sex for the first time. Had to listen to him through the walls of her house as he made love to her twin, she’d come home from work early and been shattered even more by hearing her sister call his name.
Had left the house even more broken than the day he’d rejected her, when her wolf hearing had picked up him tell her sister he wanted to mark her, hadn’t even been a week since he’d rejected her, and had heard her sister say yes. Hadn’t told anyone she was leaving, just shifted and her wolf Coral had run right out of pack territory and she’d issued a rejection of her pack as they had left. She’d never gone back, never even once contacted her family.
Now here she was scenting another, had been broken by her first Mate and did not want that from a second, still felt she wasn’t good enough. That’s what his rejection had done to Netty, made her feel unworthy and undesirable, ugly even. Mala reached out and squeezed her hands. “I’ll be right here.” She whispered.
It didn’t take long for a man to be standing at their table, he stood staring down at Netty, he was tall and muscular with strawberry blonde hair and a very neatly trimmed beard, had hazel green eyes and was wearing a very expensive looking suit, scented of Alpha blood to her.
Mala watched him look down at Netty and frown. Most wolves would be scenting out each other, drawn to each other and find it hard not to make eye contact. He was quiet for a long minute and then walked away, but was only gone long enough to retrieve a chair and place it across from Netty.
Sat himself down and introduced himself “Hello, I am Alpha Chase Barrow of the Candescent Moon Pack. Do you have a name?” his voice was soft, and his eyes never left Netty. Mala doubted very much he was going to reject Netty, but who knew? They did have to know who each other was to reject one another.
“I won’t bite young lady.” He told her a minute later when she’d still not looked at him or answered him, half smiled as he spoke.
Netty flinched visually in response to his words and her head dropped even lower, and Mala felt pain roll off her friend almost instantly.
“Well, only once.” He added after seeing her reaction and realising she’d taken his words as he was going to reject her.
He could see and likely hear her heart rate, would be able to detect every reaction her body gave off, including the slight smell of fear which Mala was now detecting herself. She was likely not afraid of the Alpha, was a good, strong and fierce warrior now.
Was simply afraid he was going to reject her, and his words had not helped the situation. In fact, it had only been after he’d told her he wouldn’t bite that fear had crept into Netty. She’d felt the pain of rejection once, suffered it, for a week seeing her si"
ster with her own Mate. It was likely fear of rejection, not fear of the man himself.
She saw Aston walking this way, looked at the Alpha at the table and then at Netty and sighed. He knew just about everyone’s tale within the pack. He also knew that Netty didn’t want to be here, wasn’t looking to be Mated off, could be difficult for Alpha Chase. She had voiced loudly during their meeting she didn’t want to go.
Aston stood next to the Alpha and introduced himself, asked if he could have a word with him, away from the table, give the young lady a moment to breathe.
Alpha Chase looked up at Aston and leaned back in his chair, folded his arms across his chest, then turned his eyes back to Netty “Not until my lovely Mate, tells me her name, looks at me, I’d like to hear her voice, so would my wolf.”
Mala could feel Netty squeezing her hand now ‘I don’t know what to do Mala.’ Netty mind-linked to her, she sounded more than a little scared.
‘I don’t think he’s going to go away, until you actually look at him, speak to him. Maybe you could start there.’ Mala told her softly.
‘What does he look like? What if he’s too much and I can’t say no?’ there was a little bit of panic in her voice now.
‘Hmm, I’ll look at him for you.’ Mala told her, turned her eyes right to Alpha Chase and found him watching her. He wasn’t so dumb, knew they were talking, smiled right at Mala. Damned Alpha’s could all be full of charm, were all bloody good-looking bastards. Even Hudson had been, on the outside.
‘You’re screwed, he’s freaking gorgeous Netty.’ She answered honestly.
‘Don’t say that.’ Netty’s voice practically squeaked down the mind link.
Mala smiled ‘I think he more than likes you, knows we’re talking as well, watching everything about you.’
Finally, Netty lifted her soft grey eyes to him, practically crushed Mala’s hand with her grip, as she saw him for the first time. Mala watched as he smiled right at Netty, devastatingly handsome is what he was, when he smiled at Netty.
‘Introduce yourself.’ Mala prompted her.
Watched Nettty shake her head in response, couldn’t even talk, it seemed rendered speechless by the man before her. Who had gone from freaking gorgeous, to God-like with one smile for his mate. He seemed very amused by her reaction to looking at him as well, his eyes were all sparkling now.
He’d likely seen it many times before “Breathe sweetheart.” His words were gentle: “You need to breathe.”
Mala looked at her friend and realised he was actually telling her to breathe. She was not, was holding her breath, it seemed. Mala reached down and pinched Netty on the leg and heard her gasp “What the hell Mala, that hurt.”
Heard Alpha Chase chuckle “Thank you.” Finally, he’d gotten to hear her voice.
“Your welcome Netty.” She stated right back with a chuckle.
“Netty, is that short for something? It’s pretty.” Alpha Chase asked.
Watched Netty take a shaky breath in and then turned to look at her Mate once more “No, it’s not. That is my name. Netty Montero, of The Rejected Pack.”
Saw him raise an eyebrow at her words “Interesting.” He commented, watched his eyes slide down her neck. There was no mark there he would see, from what Mala could tell, Netty had never been with anyone.
“What idiot would reject one so lovely?” Shook his head. “Well, Netty sweetheart. His loss is my gain.” He smiled right at her, leaned forward and propped his arms on the table. “I’m going to claim you, you will be my Luna, and if you like, we can stroll into that idiots' pack, and show him your happy and got gifted someone better, if you like.”
Saw Netty frown. “I don’t want nor need that.”
“Fair enough,” he nodded “It’s just an option for you, to get a little pay back.”
“No, thank you.”
“I like that about you, some would want that.”
“I would.” Mala stated flatly “Rub it right in his damned face.”
Netty frowned right at her, and Mala waved her off. She didn’t know what had happened, no-one did. Had never once spoken of who he was or what had happened between them. “Go be with you Mate, he seems very nice. If he treats you wrong, call me I’ll come get you and kick his ass, right before his whole pack.”
Saw Alpha Chase’s eyes move to hers questioningly, he had no idea who she was. “Bold aren’t we.”
“Yes, and I don’t care, what I say to who. I can hold my own.”
Saw him laugh, and raised an eyebrow at him. He clearly thought she was kidding, was amused by her words. What he didn’t know was he would find himself on the receiving end of a fully ticked off Mala’s ass kicking if he hurt Netty. He just had no idea she could actually do it.
Watch a few minutes later, as Netty got up and walked with him, saw his hand fall to the small of her back, saw them ten minutes later dancing slowly on the dance floor and Netty was leaned into him, was not going to reject him, not that Mala thought anyway. The man himself was all smiles, kept calling her his lovely Mate.
Found herself a second chance Mate and he was willing to accept her, she was going to lose Netty, would be going home to Peta, and have to tell her the news that Netty was off to another’s pack. Likely this was just the beginning. It was going to happen more and more often, now that they had to attend mating balls. One by one, they would all get separated.
Sighed, well at least it wasn’t herself, though she had said she’d rub it right in his face, she still didn’t want to find another Mate. Still wasn’t ready for that. Suki was currently happy, they were happy inside The Rejected Pack. They fit right in, and everyone knew and liked them. Couldn’t guarantee that would happen elsewhere.
‘If he loves us, he’ll come to our pack.’ Suki told her.
‘Wouldn’t that be nice.’ Mala thought right back ‘but that’s not how the wolfen world works, she-wolves go to their Mate’s pack.’
‘We can refuse.’ Suki piped up.
‘Hmm,’ she highly doubted it, was likely not going to have a choice or they’d have to reject him. If he was out there, if there was another for her that was. Who knew, but was still hoping they wouldn’t come across any Mate.
Hoped that the Moon Goddess was done playing with them, once was more than sufficient.
Got home later that night and told Peta, who cried, she had known Netty longer than Mala, and even though Mala missed Netty. Mala did not cry. There were no tears inside of Mala Luca. She was strong and nothing would ever break her and make her cry.