Chapter 4

“Rejection”

Amara’s POV          

Heading up to my room I start to think about what my life will be like when I am gone. Suddenly I bump into what feels like a wall. Falling on my ass, letting out an “oof” I look up ready to say something since I’m leaving anyway. What’s going to happen? I’m going to get punished.?.  I laugh to myself…

Once our eyes make contact, I know who it is or at least I think I do. The same person, the same feeling as before just a tad more intense.  Feeling my body start to heat up, I get tingles, little sparks of electricity. How?? I asked myself, “Why am I feeling this. Cesare has hated me for as long as I could remember, why do I feel this way around him. “Where are you off to you wolfless?” he says to me. Picking me up by the arm like a child, he pins me against the wall.  Green to black and gold. His wolf is pushing through. My eyes widen and that’s when it hits me. “no I say to myslef in my mind, I cant be his mate. I don’t even have a wolf or lycan!” Cesare’s eyes go back to his natural green color, letting me know he stopped his wolf from coming forth and marking me. His eyes change from Looking at me with serious intent in his eyes, taking a deep breath. This is it, this is the moment he is going to reject me, I feel it in my bones.

Then, he says to me “I Caden Reynolds, the next alpha of the Munnin pack, reject you Amara Reynolds the adopted daughter of Victor and Lina Reynolds” letting me go he both weakly falls to the floor.  His eyes change back to the black with the gold hugh, grasping his chest, he looks up at me with, pain in his eyes. Looking down at him, thinking to myself “how could this be, why would the moon goddess pair me with someone so mean and evil” standing up, he is trying to look strong. At this point I have the advantage.

Looking at him with disgust, I say “I cannot reject or accept what I do not feel. You are mistaken about who your mate is. and you’re not even 21 yet. Not until midnight!” “Accept it now!” he commands, wanting to whimper I take a deep breath. Looking at him right in the eyes, I cross my arms over my chest, “well if it makes you happy then fine. I Amara Reynolds accept your rejection Caden Reynolds, the next alpha of the Munnin pack.” He clenches his chest, harder than before. as if he is feeling the pain 1000 times worse than before. While I feel nothing! Standing tall I turn on my heels and walk away.  “such a puny alpha” I scoff at him as increase the distance between us.

Only a few more hours until dark, I go to my room, checking to make sure that I have everything I needed before my departure. Never hurt to double check, right? Knowing everything I have is ready, I look at my busted old clock that barely works. Its 6pm letting out a sigh, I relax to take a nap. My eyes slowly close and I think to myself.  I need some rest before I take this journey knowing I won’t be able to stop for a while. This sleep will help me mentally prepare.

My eyes start to open, blinking a few times I realize it is dark outside. “Shit!” I think “I probably overslept” I say out loud. Looking at the clock its 9pm.  Swiftly moving to the door, slowly opening it so it doesn’t creak; I peak outside. I can hear the party is going. I know I have lost time. I must act quickly. Grabbing my satchel in haste I toss it over my shoulder and head for the door. Grabbing the handle, looking back at my room. 12 years of my life has been spent here; I must let it go. Heading quietly out of the room I make sure not to hit the floorboards that will make the slightest bit of noise. Even though there is music playing, the wolves may not be able to hear but the lycans will. I know I’m doing great as no one has noticed my absence nor have they heard me moving through the pack house.

Making my way outside, the music grows louder, you can hear the festivities and everyone enjoying them. Birthdays here are a big thing; however, to have the next alpha’s birthday celebration and a mating party at the same time was something that has never happened in any pack. Luna Lina out did herself with this one!! Making my way to the border line of our pack territory, looking back, I felt something inside of me. As much as I felt like I hated this place, this was my only home and I’s difficult to leave your only home no matter how bad the circumstances.

Taking a few calm but deep breaths, I know this is it; this is my chance, my only chance. Gathering all the strength I dart towards the southeast. I’ll take the long road. Go southeast then make turns towards the north and move towards the middle of the packs. Since there are about 5 human towns in between, I’ll stay at them each for a few weeks then keep moving until I hit the eastern packs. My goal is to move as far east as I can. The southeast is the least monitored side of the pack territory, its my best chance. Moving as fast as I can, dodging and darting tree branches and bushes. Making no noise I realized my self-training has paid off. The only thing deep in my mind is my scent. Others will be able to smell me when I cross over into their borders. I must figure this out quick. To be honest I’m moving faster than I thought. I have three hours to get as far away as possible. Good thing is, since Cesare rejected me and I “so called accepted” he wont be able to feel the distance between us and my scent shouldn’t be as strong.

Caden’s POV

As I walked through the hall, I couldn’t help but notice a scent that was utterly intoxicating. The rich, warm aroma of pecans and waffles filled the air, making my mouth water despite myself. I found my steps unconsciously following the trail, drawn further by the delicious fragrance. Suddenly, my path was blocked as I collided with someone—a familiar presence that always managed to irritate me.

Looking down, I realized it was the good-for-nothing adopted sister of mine, Amara. A smirk crossed my lips as I sneered, “Where are you going, wolfless?” The words came out sharper than intended, but I didn’t care. She stood up, pushing her hair away from her face, defiant as ever.

That’s when the scent hit me again, stronger this time, making my wolf surge restlessly beneath my skin. “Mate,” my counterpart growled inside my mind, the word echoing with impossible intensity. The idea filled me with confusion and something dangerously close to panic. No. I would not accept this. I forced myself to block out my wolf’s instinct, steeling my resolve.

I can feel my counterpart clawing at the edges of my mind, desperate to take control. His need to claim our mate is overwhelming, but my resolve to go through with this rejection is stronger. Gritting my teeth, I force him back, determined to keep my actions my own.

I grab Amara by her arm, my grip firm as I pin her against the wall. The scent of pecans and waffles fills the air one last time—sweet, warm, and achingly familiar. I close my eyes for a moment, taking in the rich aroma, knowing these are the final seconds before everything changes.

“I’ve waited too long!” I feel him pushing through. Before I know it I’m at the back of my mind but as quickly as I got there is as quick as I was back. I guess because I haven’t fully shifted yet my counterpart be it a wolf or a Lycan, doesn’t have enough power to overrun me. Looking at her I quickly say “I Cesare Reynolds, next alpha of the Munnin pack, reject you, Amara Reynolds. The adopted daughter of Victor and Lina Reynolds.” suddenly there is in crippling pain in my chest, forcing me to my knees.

The pain is sharp and unrelenting, tearing through me with every heartbeat. I clutch at my chest, gasping for air as the world spins around me. The rejection isn’t just words—it’s a severing of something deep and primal, a bond I barely understand yet can feel being ripped apart inside me.

Amara stands there, her face a mask of shock and something else—hurt, maybe, or disbelief. For a moment, neither of us speaks. The air is thick with the fading scent of pecans and waffles, now tinged with a bitterness that was never there before.

As the clock struck midnight, I found myself amidst the revelry, surrounded by laughter and celebration. Yet, my heart felt strangely empty. This was supposed to be the night I met my mate, the person destined to be my other half. But I already knew who she was, and I had rejected her. The thought gnawed at me, casting a shadow over the festivities.

Frustrated, I decided to retreat to the packhouse, seeking solace in solitude. As I made my way through the lively crowd, a faint scent caught my attention – the unmistakable aroma of pecan waffles. It was Amara's favorite, and it lingered in the air like a bittersweet memory. But it was faint, almost as if she were no longer here.

A sense of urgency gripped me. I had to find her. I searched every corner of the packhouse, each room echoing with the ghosts of our past. But she was nowhere to be found. Panic began to set in as I realized the gravity of the situation. I needed help.

Mindlinking my father and mother, I conveyed my fears and suspicions. "Amara is gone," I told them, my voice tight with worry. "We need to send out a search party."

My father, ever the stern leader, responded swiftly. "We'll gather the best trackers and start immediately," he assured me.

My mother, her voice filled with maternal concern, added, "We'll find her, Caden. She can't have gone far."

The pack mobilized quickly, our unity a testament to the strength of our bonds. As we set out into the night, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was all my fault. I had rejected her, and now she was lost to us. The weight of my decision pressed heavily on my shoulders, but I knew I had to find her. For her safety, and for my own peace of mind.

The scent of pecan waffles lingered in my memory, a haunting reminder of what I had lost. And as we ventured into the darkness, I silently vowed to bring her back, no matter the cost.

Amara’s POV

It's been two days and no one has found me yet. I finally reach a human town where I can get a room and rest for a day. No one has found me yet, so either they don’t care, which is most likely, or they haven't noticed, which is unlikely. Noticing I have a major headache, I needed the time to rest. The Alpha and Luna were probably trying to mindlink me, but I blocked everyone out. After a while, you get a headache. That is when I realized I forgot to renounce my loyalty to the pack. Which worked in my favor because no one would know that I was gone. The Alpha can feel the tether break when someone renounces his pack as he is connected to everyone within his pack.

The humans here didn’t even notice me, that’s because this is a tourist town so people come and go all the time. With what cash I do have, I book a room at a hotel called Sunny Skies Inn. For the little bit of money I spent, this is not too bad. Queen size bed, a tub and a stand-up shower, balcony, and a pool. Downstairs they have a restaurant which I'll probably eat at tonight if the cost is low enough. I have to make my money stretch. Laying down, I fall asleep within an hour.

Waking up at about 8 at night, my stomach growling, I head downstairs to grab a bite to eat. Twenty dollars for a burger and fries – this better be good. While I am waiting for my food, I notice a few men walk in. One has a woman on his arm. Suddenly, I'm hit with a scent that almost knocks me over. Losing my thought as the waitress brings me my food, I look at her and say thank you with a smile. My food is in a to-go container, since I can’t risk anyone seeing me, I will eat in my room. As I walk past the group of men, the smell intensifies. One of them is staring at me intently, I don’t know why because he has a woman on his arm. However, he is rather cute. Tall, caramel skin, jet black hair, and grey eyes with a hint of hazel in them.

Blake’s POV

Walking into this poor looking hotel, I smell something intoxicating. Waffles and pecans. My mom would make me waffle with toasted pecans all the time as a kid. Thinking to myself, I'm so glad I'm only here for a day, heading to the Munnin pack to agree to a treaty. Suddenly this woman, with brown skin and hazel eyes walks past me. The smell is increasing, I cannot help but to look. My beta, Jason, gives me a look of confusion wondering why I'm looking at someone so ragged. Brushing it off we book our rooms.

The waitress that handed the lady her food seats us at a table that fits five people but there are only four of us. We each order food and patiently wait for the orders to come out. But I can’t help but to think about the scent I was smelling. It was the main thing on my mind. As the conversation around the table drifts to the upcoming treaty negotiations, my thoughts keep wandering back to that woman. There was something uncannily familiar about her scent.

Jason finally snaps me out of my reverie. "Alpha, everything alright?" he asks, concern evident in his eyes. I nod, trying to focus on the matters at hand, but the scent lingers, weaving through my thoughts like a persistent thread.

We finish our meal, and as we head back to our rooms, I can't shake the feeling that this trip might be more significant than I had initially thought. The treaty with the Munnin pack is crucial, but now there is another mystery to solve.