Yours, The Rejected Luna

Chapter 8

I open my eyes to a burning sensation on my neck.

“What the f**k?” I touch the mark on my neck but instantly take my hand away as the burning sensation intensifies.

“Natalya, what’s wrong?”

“It’s my—” I can’t finish my sentence because now I am screaming in agony. This pain is nothing like I’ve felt before. I know Jasper is saying something to me, but his voice is drowned out by my pain and screaming. I feel the Jeep veer off to the side and Jasper turning off the engine. I hear a door opening and closing then Jasper opens my door and he looks horrified. He takes me in his arms and lies me down on the grass and holds me. I look into his brown eyes and grunt in pain.

“Jas….Jasper. What’s…happening…to…me?”

Jasper shakes his head. “I’m so sorry Natalya. I thought we would be too far away for you to feel anything. Even then, I didn’t know if you would.”

That’s when it dawns on me, Logan’s mate mark. He’s mating and marking someone else. I cry out in pain and Jasper offers me his hand and I take it.

“He’s…mating...someone else…isn’t he?”

Jasper just nods his head. “Natalya, I’m so sorry.”

I cry out in pain, and I can feel my body heat up as my body starts to writhe in Jasper’s hold.

“Natalya, it’s gonna get worse before it gets better. Just hold on, okay. I’m right here.”

Jasper keeps saying kind words, but I drown them out; the pain is too much. There’s no ending of this pain. It feels like a hundred hot knives are being stabbed into my neck repeatedly. It’s never-ending. I scream and scream but Jasper never lets me go. What seems like hours later, the pain finally dulls until…nothing. I’m panting, trying to get my breathing under control from the pain and screaming. I finally look at Jasper through my teary eyes and he looks at me with…sympathy but also admiration?

“It’s over.”

Jasper nods his head, glances at my neck then back at my eyes. “It’s done.” He wipes my sweaty forehead with the end of his shirt and helps me stand up. I lift my hand and feel for the mark but it’s nothing but smooth skin. Logan’s mark is gone; he’s mated and marked someone else, making them his new mate and Luna. And I can’t help but feel...numb. I don’t feel sad or ashamed or even angry, I don’t feel anything in fact. Logan made his choice but now here I am, on my way home but only now I know werewolves actually exist. How am I supposed to just go on with my life knowing that?

I hear growling and grunting and notice Jasper standing very rigid a couple steps away from me. I then notice his claws start to elongate, oh my God, he’s shifting. “Jasper?”

He doesn’t respond, he just keeps growling. “Jasper? What’s going on?”

He blinks, sees my worry plastered on my face, as his claws change back into his normal human hands, “Did I hurt you?” when I shake my head he grins, “good, let’s go then.” He walks by me, back to his Jeep and I cross my arms.

“We aren’t going anywhere until you tell me what that was all about.”

Jasper sighs and faces me, “we have a long way to go…”

I shake my head, “no more lies. No more secrets. Please, Jasper, I can’t take anymore.”

Jasper nods his head in understanding, walks the few steps to me and places his hands on my shoulders. “I renounced the Northridge Pack and my position as Beta; I’m a rogue now.”

My jaw drops and I am speechless.

“My wolf was showing itself since I was turning my back to my Alpha. But, it’s over now.”

“Jasper…I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything. After what he put you through and what he just did, it was an easy decision. Now, come on. We got a lot of road to cover.” Jasper leads us to his Jeep; he opens my door and lets me in; he walks over to his side and settles in his seat but he doesn’t start the engine. Instead, he reaches behind his seat, brings a backpack to his lap and removes a very familiar gold clutch and places it on my lap.

“I believe this belongs to you.”

“What the hell?! You had it this whole time?” I look at Jasper and guilt is written all over his face.

“Logan had me grab it at the bar the night we met you. I was ordered to keep it to myself.”

I shake my head and open the clutch, making sure everything is still there. I gasp, seeing my cell phone but realize the battery is dead. I sigh, place it back in my clutch and look at Jasper. “I can’t believe he used his Alpha command on you.”

Jasper shrugs, turns on the engine and starts to drive off, back on the road. “It’s not the only time he’s used it on me. But at least now I won’t have to worry about that anymore.”

“He’s used it on you before? You made it seem like you guys were brothers.”

Jasper tightens his grip on the steering wheel. “As soon as I was sworn in as his Beta, the Alpha was made my top priority. My wolf and I had to submit our freedom in a way. I couldn’t speak out my mind and my wolf couldn’t challenge Logan.”

“So being his Beta lost you your freedom of speech?”

“In a way, yes. It’s hard to explain. But essentially, I couldn’t speak ill of the pack.”

“That’s crazy, what if your pack was in disarray or your Alpha was a madman, what then?”

“I mean when you put it like that it sounds terrible.”

I look at Jasper, “you know what I mean.”

Jasper grins and glances at me the back at the road, “yeah, I know. But, you said no more secrets, no more lies so any questions you have, go ahead and ask me. I’ll answer them truthfully.”

I smile at that, “I appreciate that really I do, but does it really matter? I’m gonna be going home and back to my life.”

Jasper keeps his eyes on the road and I see his hands clenching and unclenching the steering wheel.

“Jasper? You’re taking me home right?” He doesn’t answer me. “What happened to no more secrets, no more lies?”

Jasper sighs and relents, “I can’t take you home, Natalya.”

My heartbeat starts to quicken, “why? I thought Logan told you to take me home?”

Jasper scoffs, “yeah because he doesn’t give a damn what might happen to you tomorrow night.”

“What’s happening tomorrow night?”

Jasper glances at me then back at the road, “the full moon is tomorrow.”

“Why would I have to worry about the full moon. I no longer have Logan’s mark.”

“You were still bitten though, Natalya, remember?”

The bite mark from the rogue on my ankle flashes in my mind, “But that’s all healed and besides, it was a rogue that bit me.”

“It wasn’t just any rogue, Natalya. He used to be an Alpha; rogue or not, Alpha blood still runs in his veins.”

“Are you saying I’m going to shift? I’ll be a werewolf?”

“That’s one of the possibilities…yes.”

“One of them? What are the others?”

Jasper tightens his fingers around the steering wheel and sighs. “Or you could not shift at all. You’d remain human...”

I sigh in relief, “Well that’s good at least.” I glance out of the window and don’t recognize our surroundings. “I don’t recognize this.

Where are we going exactly?” I turn back to Jasper and his fingers have turned white from gripping the steering wheel for so long.

“Jasper! Jasper? What is it?”

“I’m sorry. Its just…there’s one more scenario that could happen. It’s unlikely that it would happen. But still… you said no more secrets.”

“What is it? What could happen? I ask with dread.

“You could shift but your body could deny the change. Your heart would fail mid-shift and…”

“I could die.”

Jasper nods his head in response. I sigh deeply and rest my head on the headrest. I can see my in peripheral vision Jasper glancing at me.

“I would never let that happen Natalya. You’re strong, you’ll get through this and I’ll be by your side the entire time.”

I scoff, “that’s if I make it.”

“You will,” Jasper says with conviction.

“You don’t know that.”

“I do.”

“How?”

“I know you.”

“No you don’t. You’ve barely known me for two days.”

“It feels longer though. And from those two days I’ve gotten to know you, Natalya.”

I turn my head and stare at Jasper.

“From the moment I met you, there was something about you. I felt a comforting aura from you. You’re strong-willed and speak your mind. You’re beautiful, both inside and out. Logan’s an i***t because he couldn’t see past you being a human. But from what I’ve seen, you’re stronger than most of the she-wolves I’ve seen, even some Alphas. You were born for something special, you’re meant to be in our world. You’re a part of my world, Natalya.”

I smile at Jasper’s kind words, “Call me Nat.”

Jasper smiles, showing off dimples.

“How you haven’t found your mate is beyond me. She’ll be only lucky she-wolf.”

“I just haven’t found her yet.”

I turn away, looking out my window. “So where are we heading anyway?”

“To Moonlake Pack; it’s not that far. We take a left up ahead then hit a gravel road then we are basically there.”

“Basically?”

“Well, Moonlake Pack resides on a lake, hence the name. We have to drive past it to get to the packhouse.”

“They won’t be expecting us though, will they allow us in?”

“Their Alpha is an old soul, you’ll know what I mean when you meet him. He’s kind and welcoming, or so I’ve heard. The lake is home to a fishing site for humans so he should have no trouble letting us in.”

“Well, let’s hope so.”

Jasper drives for a while longer, finally finding the exit to the left. He drives for another thirty minutes and an open yellow gate to a gravel road appears. We continue forward and eventually rows of wooden log cabins come into view surrounding a beautiful lake. Several lights are on in some cabins as we drive past them. We continue on the road, past the cabins, past a lot of trees until a gate appears but this time, someone is on watch and stops us from driving past. One is a middle-aged man with a bald head and another male but he appears to be a lot younger, perhaps in his late teens. Both wear a green uniform, and the teen comes up to Jasper’s window, waits for Jasper to roll it down and peers in.

“State your business. This is private property past this point.”

“Yes, I am Jasper and this is Natalya. We are here to speak with Alpha Patrick.”

The man’s eyebrows raise, probably with Jasper using Patrick’s Alpha title.

“How do you know our Alpha?”

“Everyone in the werewolf community knows of Alpha Patrick. His wisdom is beyond his years.” Jasper grins.

The teen chuckles and shakes his head, “You’ve got that right. One moment please.” He goes rigid and Jasper glances at me, gives me a thumbs up and turns back to the teen just as he blinks and looks back at Jasper.

“You can come on through. Just keep following the road until it veers right then you’ll reach the packhouse. Alpha Patrick is expecting you.”

“Thank you….”

The teen smiles, “Peter.”

“Thank you, Peter. See you soon.”

“I’m sure. Have a nice evening.”

Jasper waves as he rolls up his window and we continue up the road keeping our eyes peeled for our exit to the right and we ride in silence. It takes us another ten minutes before we reach a fork in the road and we veer to the right and after only a couple minutes more we come to a very cozy but large log cabin. A man with long silver hair in a ponytail waits in front of the cabin. Jasper parks the Jeep and we both get out and the man smiles.

“Welcome to the Moonlake Pack! I’m Alpha Patrick and you must be Jasper and Natalya. An absolute pleasure to meet both of you.”

Jasper and I exchange glances at such a warm welcome and we smile back.

“Thank-you for allowing us to come to your pack, Alpha Patrick.”

Alpha Patrick smiles at Jasper then turns his attention to me. His ice blue eyes stare at me, and I feel like he’s reaching to my very soul; not in a creepy and violating way but in a welcoming way. I am overwhelmed by the sense of trust from his eyes, and I hold out my hand.

“I’m Natalya. Thank you so much for having us. We don’t mean to intrude.”

Alpha Patrick smiles, “nonsense, no one is intruding” He takes my hand and he hesitates before letting my hand go. Okay, that was strange. Alpha Patrick beams at me then smiles at Jasper.

“Come, come. You two must be tired, come inside.” Alpha Patrick leads us to the packhouse; which gives me lodge vibes. And sure enough as soon as he opens the door, the smell of cedar invades my nose. I grin at the scent, remembering the times Dad took Mom and I fishing and the cabin smelt exactly the same. Everything I see is wood, from the archway to the couches to the stairway. Picture frames are hung on the wall, showcasing the lake. Red seems to be the theme of this room, from the red rugs to the red pillows and cushions on the couches by the fireplace on our left. Straight ahead I see what looks like the kitchen with wooden cabinets and an island with stainless steel appliances. To our right is a door then a set of wooden stairs which probably lead to the bedrooms.

I bring my attention back to Alpha Patrick who is staring at me. “It’s beautiful isn’t it?”

I smile, “Yes it is. It reminds me of the time I went fishing with my parents.”

“Oh? You should bring them by sometime. We have our cabins by the lake and offer fishing gear for those who enjoy a good time on the lake.”

My smile fades, “My parents both passed away. It’s just me.”

“Oh, I am so sorry, my dear.”

“Thank you, Alpha Patrick.” He stares at me for a while then turns his attention to Jasper.

“Just give me a moment and I’ll make sure your rooms are ready and stocked for you. Please take a seat or have a snack in the kitchen. I’m sure Marie still has some leftovers in the fridge.”

“Thank you, Alpha Patrick.”

Alpha Patrick waves Jasper off. “No problem, my boy. Just relax, I’ll only be a moment.” With that, Alpha Patrick heads up the stairs, leaving me alone with Jasper. I sigh and shiver so I wrap my arms around my stomach.

“Are you cold?”

“I just got a shiver, that’s all.”

“Why don’t you sit by the fire and I can get us something to drink. Would you like anything in particular?”

“That’s really not necessary.”

“I insist.”

“Um, alright then. Maybe just a glass of water?”

“You got it.” Jasper smiles then walks to the kitchen and I make my way to the fireplace. I stick my hands out to warm up then sit down on the cozy sofa. Jasper appears with two glasses of water and hands one to me.

“Thank you Jasper.”

“You’re welcome.”

As he sits next to me on the sofa, I chug the water until the glass is empty. I wipe my mouth and turn to my right and see Jasper’s amused grin.

“What? I was thirsty?”

Jasper chuckles, “do you want mine too?” he offers me his glass but I shake my head.

“No, I’m good smartypants.”

Jasper laughs loudly at that and then takes a couple of large sips and then soon his glass is empty as well. I take his and mine glass and set it down on the wooden side table next to me.

“Smartypants, well that’s a first, I’ve never been called that before.”

I giggle, “and I’m sure it won’t be that last time.”

Jasper chuckles at that then he turns silent; he fidgets with this hands, then says, "I'm sorry to hear about your parents."

"Thank you..."

Jasper stops fidgeting and looks at me, "What were they like?"

"They were amazing parents; we called ourselves the three musketeers. We would do everything together; go camping, enjoy day trips to the beach, go fishing. Mom and I even talked Dad into playing board games with us. He was never into them but he relented."

"Seems like the three of you were close."

"We were...After they both passed...It was hard..."

I hear Jasper sigh and I look over at him to see him now staring at the fire. "At least you can look back at all the fun times you had...All those memories..." His voice seems far off and I can't help feel bad.

He's right; I can at least remember my parents, whereas he can't. I place my hand in his and he doesn't flinch or move away and we settle in comfortable silence. I stare at the flames of the fireplace and can’t help but think about the past couple of days. Something keeps eating away at me and I just have to know…

“What’s going to happen?”

“What do you mean?”

“Tomorrow night is the full moon.”

“It is.”

“Whatever happens to me—”

“Don’t. Don’t even with that Nat.”

I turn to see Jasper who has turned his body towards mine and he takes both my hands in his.

“You will get through this, Nat. I just know it.”

“You don’t know that, Jasper.”

“Yes, I do.”

I scoff and take my hands from his and place them in my lap, “How do you know?”

“Because, my dear…”

Both Jasper and I, startled, stand up, turn around and see Alpha Patrick at the bottom of the stairs.

“You are meant for great things.”