Unwanted Rejection

Episode 4

The Meeting Room

Nicklaus's POV

The morning sun slashing through the tall windows of my private chambers like golden daggers as I tightened my blood-red tie, studying my reflection. I looked every inch the feared Alpha they expected—perfect. The door clicked open, and Martins’ reflection stepped in behind mine.

“Greetings, Alpha Nicklaus,” he said, as formal as ever.

I literally rolled my eyes back into my head. I know Martins for the love of the Moon Goddess, lose the 'Alpha' when it's just us. Kottke wrote, “You make me feel like I’m a hundred years old.” I smiled to myself in the mirror. Or is this your gentle way of reminding me that, next month, I’m turning thirty?’

His expression, always so stoic, broke with a rare smile. Nick. Old habits die hard…

"There you go! Was that so painful?" I slapped him on the shoulder. "Now, are they here? And don’t sugar-coat it — I can smell your anxiety from here.”

Martins' smile vanished. “The council is waiting in the meeting room, but...” He paused, drumming the fingers of one hand against his thigh on the semi-regular beat of a nervous tic I’d seen twice in fifteen years.

I turned, eyebrow raised. “Say it before you choke on it.”

“The elders intend to dispute your betrothal.” He dropped his voice. “Elder Voss is rallying an effort to block the union. He is calling it “sleeping with the enemy.” "

That ancient f*****g fossil,” I growled, my wolf thrashing violently underneath my skin. “He’d prefer that we engage in a senseless blood feud for another century than give our children peace.”

"He has four votes already."

“Son of a—” I struck my fist against the wall, cracking the plaster. Martins didn’t so much as flinch — he’d encountered worse. “I’m sorry,” I muttered, wiping dust from my knuckles. “Give me something I can work with, Martins. I need a win today."

His eyes gleamed suddenly. “They sent an advance party with their Alpha’s seal well, the Silver Moon Pack. Tracy could be coming sooner than we thought.”

My mood lifted instantly. Tracy — my battle-ax, warrior fiancée. Okay, sure, our betrothal had been arranged for political purposes, but the fact that she was a known warrior made my wolf purr with approval. “Well, I’ll tell you what I call good news. All right, let’s go put down this insurrection before lunchtime.” I have sword training at two o’clock.”

As we walked toward the meeting room, Martins cleared his throat. “Oh, one more thing — don’t scare them this time.” “Do you remember what happened to Elder Kwan’s heart last month?”

"That wasn't my fault! How was I supposed to know he had a heart condition?” I stopped in front of the colossal double doors. "Fine. I'll be on my best behavior. Scout's honor."

"You were never a scout."

"Details, details."

I walked into the meeting room and it immediately fell silent, twelve pairs of eyes following my every move like I was prey and they were predators. Their anxiety smoothed the air, thick enough to taste.

I sat at the head of the table, and they stood, waiting for permission. A mischievous mood struck me.

"Did I miss something?" I asked innocently. “Is there a reason why you’re all standing around like awkward prom dates?”

Elder Voss — a grizzled wolf who wore a chronic scowl — cleared his throat. “We await your permission to be seated, Alpha.”

I gasped dramatically and opened my eyes wide. "Oh! Right. The whole permission thing.” I waved my hand dramatically. “Please, for the love of everything holy, sit your collective asses down before your knees give out. You especially, Voss — those replacements must not be comfortable.”

Some younger members of the council could not disguise their snickers as coughs. Even Elder Lucia’s lips curled up slightly. The names were read and they seated themselves, all except for Voss who remained studiously stone-faced.

“Now then,” I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the table, “I hear there are some… concerns about my engagement. Nobody has the guts to tell it to my face instead of gossiping behind my back?”

Silence stretched like taffy. None of them would look me in the eye.

"Come on, people. We're family here." I softened my tone. You think I don’t know what’s being said? 'Nicklaus has lost his mind.' 'Sleeping with the enemy.' 'Betraying our ancestors.' " I paused. "Did I miss anything, Voss?"

The old wolf stiffened. “Let’s be honest, Alpha — the Silver Moon Pack killed your father. They’ve pillaged our borders for decades. This alliance is an insult to his memory.”

“My father,” I replied in a hush, died when neither side would bring an end to this pointless vendetta. He died holding on to the same hatred that has soured both packs for generations.” I looked around the table. "I'm not my father. And I will not send another generation to this conflict.”

“The Alpha’s will is final,” Martins said from his perch by the wall. “The union with Alpha Tracy will safeguard our southern border, double our land, and ensure peace between our packs.

"And if they betray us?" Voss challenged.

I smiled, but it was not a warm smile. “Then they’ll find out why they call me the Blood Moon Butcher.”

The air in the room appeared to lose ten degrees of heat.

“Now,” I said more brightly, “should we talk about something wise? Like the Nightwalker vampires, asking for an alliance at our eastern border?”

A few minutes into that meeting, while Elder Lucia was droning on about grain supplies, a guard barged in without knocking — and that never happened. His face was pale, eyes wide.

"Alpha! Sorry to bother you,” he wheezed, “but there’s been a situation at the gate.

I stood immediately. "What kind of incident?"

“No — it was a woman — she just pushed her way in. Wiped three guards out without moving. She says she wants to see you … says she is your mate.”

"My mate?" I frowned, looking at Martins, whose face reflected my own confusion. "Tracy isn't due until—"

"Not Alpha Tracy, sir." The guard swallowed hard. “She says she’s Gabrielle Silver Moon. The younger sister."

The room gasped collectively. The younger daughter of Silver Moon—the one who supposedly couldn’t shift, pack humiliation muttered under breath so that countless males could have her on their bed.

"This is outrageous!" Voss pounded his fist on the table. “An obvious attempt to disrupt the alliance!”

But something tugged at my memory — jasmine and the rain, soft skin under my fingers, a silver moon mark shimmering in the morning light...

"Where is she now?" I demanded.

“The east wing has her contained (finally,)” the guard replied.

"I'll handle this myself." I nodded to Martins. "Continue the meeting."

As I walked the halls, my wolf fidgeted beneath my skin. *Could it be her? The one from the masquerade? *

I had never seen her face that night — only her silver markings in the moonlight. The following morning, Tracy had been proclaimed as my intended mate, the natural choice as the elder daughter and the next Alpha of Silver Moon.

I swung open the double doors to the east wing reception room — and froze.

There she was, wild-eyed and radiant, blood caking on one cheek, chest heaving with exertion. Not the meek, scandalous girl of rumor, but a warrior, fire in her eyes.

“You,” she spat at me, jabbing an accusatory finger. “You had me, made me your first, and then got engaged to my sister!”

Every muscle in my body clenched when her scent hit me — jasmine and rain, unmistakable now. My wolf howled in agreement.

Mate. TRUE mate.

Before I could speak, she lunged at me, a silver dagger in her hand as if created by magic.

“Gabrielle, wait —” I said, but she was already airborne, a streak of rage and betrayal.

Then everything unfolded in quick succession:

Guards break through the doors behind me.

A second smell — familiar, wrong — penetrated my nostrils.

And I realized too late that the woman I’d been engaged to this whole time wasn’t Tracy Silver Moon at a

ll…

The dagger swept down toward my throat as an awful epiphany set in:

I had been played for a fool by both sides.