The Rejected Luna

Chapter 3

"Will you marry me, Sierra?"

There was silence, a very long silence.

"What?", I asked in a very low voice. "What?!!!" I had to get up. "What is this? Some kind of joke?"

He was quiet, he looked shocked 'Am I getting this wrong? I am the one in shock. What is happening right now? Is this a dream?' My mind was running while I started pacing.

"I don't understand, I thought you wanted this? I… I thought you liked me?"

I froze. He knew. Since when? I started getting embarrassed, he must have noticed.

"Am I wrong? I doubt I'm wrong. I'm sorry I didn't tell you I knew all this while, but that doesn't matter now because I feel the same way", he said as he got up and took my face in his hands, "I really really like you Sierra, I've liked you for a long time".

I stepped away, this felt wrong, it just didn't click, but why? Why didn't it feel right when this was the guy I had wanted ever since I was 12? What is missing?

The realization hit me like a bang to my head. I gasped, my lips went dry. 'His hair is brown. It isn't him. The man in my dreams… It isn't Jack'.

"Sie what's wrong? Say something, you're scaring me", Jack looked worried.

"I'm sorry I have to go", I started grabbing my things.

"What? What's wrong? Look, I'm sorry if my question shocked you Sie…"

"It's not you", I cut him short, tears were starting to well up in my eyes. "Look Jack, we'll talk later, okay?" I didn't wait for him to answer and started walking very fast. The tears had started to fall.

'If it wasn't Jack in my dreams, then who was it?', I had never so much as looked at another guy in the pack, it had always been only Jack, even when he dated Jazz for almost 3 years.

So how could this happen? There are tons of guys in the pack with black hair. I would never find this man. If only Jack had black hair, none of this…'

"How did I get here?", I said out loud.

I was standing at the peak of my safe space, Mount Zuma. It was where all the past Alphas were buried, it was a spiritual place for the pack and people weren't really allowed up here without an elderly person, not just because it was spiritual there, but because it was the mountain that marked the border of our pack, the Zu pack. A bit unsafe.

We weren't allowed to cross our borders with the other packs. I have heard that people have been killed for crossing these borders, not sure if those stories were real though. I sat down and was drying my eyes when I heard footsteps.

"Oh sorry, I thought I would be alone here", he was smiling, a sad smile.

'Who is this? I've never seen him before, or have I?', I was still trying to figure out who he was when he said "I am actually from your pack, don't worry I'm not from Zu".

"Do you know me?", I was sure I didn't know him, it would be impossible to not know someone who was this tall and built in our pack, we didn't have many of those around here.

"I'm Grey and no you don't know me, but I'm sure you know my buddy Jack. I've seen you two together", he sat beside me and looked at me closely like he was scanning me.

"I know all Jack's friends and you aren't one of them."

"Oh really? I guess I'm the exception then", he smiled again. I rolled my eyes and shifted a bit from him.

"Are you allowed to be up here?", he asked.

"Are you?", I asked sarcastically, "This is my solace place, I came here to think".

"Damn it, now I have to find a new spot", he said jokingly. I laughed even though I didn't think his joke was funny.

"Once, when I was 11, I and a bunch of kids were playing hide and seek, so I came here to hide. No one found me there, so I stayed there till late at night and when I finally realized that I probably wouldn't be found up here, I got scared, but I didn't know my way down 'cuz it was already dark.

My parents gathered a search party for me and my mum was the one who found me here. Once she saw me, she hugged me and told me that I shouldn't be afraid because all our ancestors were up there with me 'If you ever feel lonely or lost, remember that the ancestors are always with you to guide you'. I can never forget that day".

I could feel Grey's eyes on me but I chose not to look. "Ever since that day, I have always come here when I'm troubled".

"What troubles you?", he asked. I smiled and turned to him.

"Nothing I can't handle ", now that I was looking at him closely he was really handsome, he had a distinctive chin and a strong jawline and his grey eyes. It felt like they were drawing me in. They looked troubled, they looked sad.

"I have to go", he got up quickly and left without saying anything else,

'What just happened?', I was still trying to figure out if I had upset Grey when my phone started ringing.

"Where are you, Sie? Did you go back up that mountain? You know it's dangerous, why do you keep going there of all places?" Clair was talking too fast.

"I'm coming down now, don't worry", I grabbed my bag and stood up, "I heard what happened Sie, are you okay?", she sounded concerned.

"Ugh, did Tristan tell you? I'm fine. We'll talk when I get back, bye C", I hung up and started climbing down.

***

"Alpha Seth was a strong leader, a father to all, a brother to many and a great friend to me. His presence will never be lost, but as he has passed on, the pack needs a new alpha. That is why his son Grey has been chosen by the pack to lead us."

My jaw dropped open at Elder Beta's speech. I and Clair had arrived late because of my little escape mission to Mount Zuma, so we attended the opening ceremony of the new Alpha who was to be appointed today, a week after Alpha Seth passed.

'Maybe it's a different Greuly, and I didn't just talk to our new alpha like he was a liar. Oh my goddess! I even rolled my eyes at him', I slapped my forehead in the realization that I might have earned myself a spot in the Alpha's black book.

"He will now address the pack", Elder Beta said, motioning to Grey to take the stage.

From the stage he looked down on the pack, everywhere was silent for a while.

"I'm sure you are all confused, many of you haven't met me before. It would be a lie if we said that this isn't weird for you, for me, for all of us, but it isn't impossible", His face suddenly grew stone cold "I am Grey, second son of Alpha Seth Fortieth son of the Moon goddess and I have been chosen, my the goddess to lead this pack following my father's passing. My brother, the first son of Alpha Seth, the thirty-ninth son of the Moon goddess, passed on a year ago or he would have been in my place today. I have returned from a far away land and, as such, most of you might doubt my potential, my strength and even my leadership abilities, but I intend to lead this pack just as my father did and I will start that by choosing my new Beta and Gamma. Jack, Paul come up".

Jack made his way with Paul to the stage, both looking downwards at their feet as is traditional.

"Jack shall be my Beta and Paul my Gamma. You shall respect them because they are your leaders too, they follow my direct orders and so you can bring all your issues to them just the way you did with the past Betas and Gammas". He looked at the crowd. "Does anyone wish to speak against this?", he paused, there was silence. "It is settled then".

He stepped back a bit and released a loud howl. Everyone present at the gathering, including his newly appointed subordinates, howled loudly in response.

"It is sealed, it can never be undone", Clair said beside me.

"Would you have wanted to undo it?", I asked jokingly.

"Well, that explains all the marriage drama. Jack needs to wed soon since he is an Elder now. You should be happy he chose you, right?" Clair was saying as we walked towards the stage. The crowd was starting to disappear now.

"It's not that simple C, I wanted to date the man. Not marry him immediately. We haven't even kissed before. I just feel…"

"Hey", it was Jack, he was talking to Clair. "Can I just steal her for a second?". Clair didn't waste any time by abandoning me.

"Sure, sure, she's all yours", she winked and left.

"Hey Sie, I just…". "Before you say anything I need you to answer just one question", I interrupted. He slowly nodded. "Did you only ask me to marry you because you need a wife soon?"

He sighed, "it's not that simple."

"It's also not that hard, just tell me why you chose me in particular, huh? Why me, why not Jazz?", I was adamant.

"That's two questions", he chuckled. Did he think this was funny? I got angry and started walking away.

"It's 'cuz I love you".