Secrets of His Rejected Mate

THE FULL MOON AND THE WOLVES

The full moon was out. Glowing silver. Casting shadows. Helios felt the effect of that moon in his bones. He was free to run and howl all he wanted. This was the first time a full moon rolled around Elmwood since they came. He pulled up at the foot of the woods, got out of his car, and removed his shoes first. He heard the howl of other werewolves nearby and was sure his brothers had shifted already.

He looked around the lonely road, there was no one in sight, and the moonlight was so bright one could see someone feet away. But the humans knew better. They were scared of the wolves and not all humans knew about werewolves. Some of them were oblivious of the fact that supernatural beings existed, some were simply ignorant while others didn't believe at all. The night was quiet and perfect for him. He threw his shoes into the backseat of his car and started to pull his shirt up. There was a time the humans and the supernatural beings couldn't live together, but those times were gone the world had changed so much and people have become more sophisticated. Everyone did their thing without interfering in another's business. But every supernatural being had it in the back of their minds that whoever finds the Moon Blood becomes the greatest and rule over others. That was when another war would likely break out.

He loved nights like this and he loved what he was, but he didn't want to appear like a beast to anyone, so he was careful and made sure he was well hidden beside his car. He removed his shirt and tossed it into the backseat too, trying to shove the nagging thoughts of the woman he had met, whose name was Rain. It's been a few days since they bumped into each other, but she lived rent-free in his head. Not just because she was beautiful, but because she looked so familiar and there was this mystery about her that he felt he needed to solve.

He also couldn't seem to forget that sharp glare in those hazel eyes of her, the flash of recognition, and the twist in her lips. She knew him and she had said his name in full. He made it a point of his duty to find out who she was and what she knew about him. Sometimes, since he met her, he stood by his floor-to-ceiling glass window, looking out into the night, at the thousand households on display, knowing that she was there, somewhere, in one of those many houses. Was she also thinking of him? But if the look in her eyes that night was filled with resentment, then she would probably be fighting to forget him.

When he was stark naked, he went farther into the woods. He felt his bone crackling and changing shape as he shifted into his wolf. Furs sprouted on his skin, his fingers changed into claws, his face changed and his nose was replaced with a snort. He landed on his paws with a thud and began running into the woods. The pale moon glimmered down at his beautiful white fur and his sense got sharper as he ran into the woods, letting his wolf take absolute control.

~~~~~

Rain woke up with a start and a gasp. It was morning and the morning sun streamed into the room through the ragged curtains. She could hear the clang of plates and pots from the kitchen and the television in the living room. She got out of bed stretched herself and yawned.

"Good morning, sleepy head," someone said behind her.

She was startled a little and she turned sharply and found Jenny standing by the door with a broad smile on her face.

"Damn you, girl, you startled me."

"I am guessing you just woke up from a horrible dream," Jenny said walking into the room. She flopped down on the nearly battered couch and crossed her legs.

"Not a really horrible one," Rain pulled her sweater away and sat on the bed. "I dreamt about a wolf." She threw her hands up.

"Wow," Jenny said casually, but Rain could see it in her eyes that she wanted all the details.

"You know my mom won't hear me discuss werewolves."

"Then we can talk all we want over coffee at Crunches."

Rain huffed and fell on the bed. "It's Sunday, Jenny and I need to rest."

"No, you can't. We need to go over to Jake and Javier's this morning for the rehearsals of those songs you wrote for us to perform tonight at Sunset."

"Good lord." Rain hit her forehead. "Can a girl get her rest for a day?"

"So, tell me about your wolf dreams, I just want to hear it already, you can speak in low tones," Jenny glanced toward the door.

Rain sat up again. She had not told Jenny that she knew the guy they met outside Sunsets the other night. She wanted to know his mission and what he was doing in Elmwood. She has not even told her mom about Helios Castillo. Even thinking of his name, made her heart skip. She had dreamt about his wolf. She knew him, such white and fluffy furs made him stand out amongst other werewolves as much as he stood out amongst humans when in his human form.

She knew him well. She had been so much in love with him back then that she stalked him. Even though she knew he could sense her, he could feel her. When she found out he was a werewolf, she researched everything about wolves. She had followed him on that moonlit night and had lied to her mother that she was sleeping over at a friend's for an assignment and had watched him shift. The process almost unnerved her, but the result had been beautiful. He had emerged as a big, white wolf and he appeared so harmless, so stainless and so sinless that her heart had fallen five times deeper. She snapped out from walking down that memory lane and its aftermath.

But last night, she had dreamt of him. She had seen him coming to her in her dreams and she had reached out to touch him she had almost hugged him when she was interrupted by a loud unusual howl and on turning back, she had woken up.

"I dreamt about a wolf. A white wolf."

Jenny's jaw dropped to the floor. "I heard that his name is Helios Castillo." Jenny leaned closer, lowering her voice.

Rain's brows furrowed into a frown. She hoped her face didn't give her away. She knew that fact before Jenny did.

"He is the Alpha of the Blood moon pack and he has a beautiful and special white fur."

"Who?" Rain feigned ignorance.

"Your wolf lover. The guy you met outside Sunset. He is a wolf remember? But the intriguing thing is that he is an Alpha of the most ancient wolf families and his pack is special. Last night was his first night of turning since he came to town..."

Rain stared blankly at Jenny as she rumbled on and on about the man that was the love of her life, seven years ago. She knew all the facts Jenny was saying but it was marveling to hear it from someone else and how Jenny made it sound like he was a god.

"Okay, Jenny, Jenny, Jenny, pause for a moment. What am I supposed to do with all of this information?" She didn't need a reminder of how great Helios was or how powerful and influential his family was, both as wolves and as humans. She was no longer in love with him and she didn't want to hear anything about him again nor see him at least that was what she told herself.

Jenny stared at her like she had gone nuts. "You bumped into Helios the other night, girl. I saw the way he looked at you. You might be his mate, I heard he has not found his mate yet."

Rain chuckled sarcastically. He has not found his mate yet? Who was feeding Jenny that bullshit? She restrained herself from spilling to Jenny the truth that she was the mate he rejected seven years ago and was just waiting for a second chance mate, not his true mate.

"I don't think I want to hear any of it again, I have heard enough for this morning." Rain stood up from the bed and walked toward her closet to fish out clothes to wear to the rehearsals at Jake and Javier's.

"No, you haven't. You dreamt of him last night, something is juicy here." Jenny would never give up.

Rain exhaled deeply and turned to face Jenny. The last thing she needed was a constant reminder about Helios. He was her past and she wanted it to remain like that. "Jenny, I am human and I think you trying to matchmake me with werewolves is unethical, at least for them."

Jenny scoffed. "Unethical my foot. How? Werewolves marry humans, they have human mates, yourself was once a mate to one."

Rain rolled her eyes. "And then they reject humans because they feel we are weak. So in my opinion, having human mates is unethical for them and that's final."

"That's not final," Jenny pressed. "Because you were rejected doesn't make it a norm. Do you by any means hate werewolves?"

Rain scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. If I did, we wouldn't be best of friends."

"But you bear a grudge against us because of that incident."

Rain sighed in exasperation. The whole discussion was beginning to wear her out. There were times she liked that Jenny was adamant, but it was frustrating her right now. "I don't really get why you are bent on matchmaking me with werewolves. I don't bear any grudge against anyone or any species whatsoever. But one incident is enough to make me know my place."

"The wolf that rejected you was a foolish one and I hope his pack goes extinct," Jenny quipped and relaxed back into the couch, finally giving up the conversation.

A smile tugged at Rain's lips. Only if she knew that her almighty Helios Castillo was the foolish wolf that has rejected her. She turned and sorted through clothes to wear, not that she had enough clothes though.

They finally arrived at Javier's studio later, after receiving so many stern warnings from Claudia about being careful and returning home in time. Phoebe was already there laughing loudly. She was the loud type and that was why she and Rain were not really the best of friends. Rain might be a perky person, but she was not loud and she hated hearing what was discussed in secret outside. Phoebe was petite, not as tall as Rain and Jenny, but she was beautiful too and always accentuates it with makeup. She had unnatural pink curly hair, in appearance, she was the real rockstar.

"They are here!" Phoebe squealed when Rain pulled up in the driveway on her scooter with Jenny clinging behind her like she was clinging for life.

Jenny got down first and huffed with relief. She never liked the idea of going in Rain's scooter, she was scared of the damn bike and feels she would fall off of it when they ran. She removed her helmet and gave it to Rain before she headed toward the studio where the boys and the girl were waiting for them.

They ended the rehearsals an hour later and were leaving chattering loudly as Jake and Javier saw them off.

"See you at Sunset later guys!" Rain called over her shoulders as Javier closed the door to their studio.

Phoebe was talking about how scared she was last night when the wolves were howling, Jenny was quiet, and Rain could tell she didn't like the topic.

"Say we go to Crunches and grab a bite?" Rain cut in changing the topic.

"I am so in, I am famished," Jenny concurred, only glad that the topic was changed.

They walked past Rain's scooter. She was going to leave it there and come back later for it since it won't carry the three of them.

As they walked down the alley that was the Randall brother's driveway, a car drove up speedily, making them flee in different directions. It drove past them and they watched as it went straight and crashed into Rain's scooter. Rain stood there glaring at the car, but her jaw dropped when the driver came out.

Helios Castillo!