Rejection and Second Chances

18th Birthday

“Mom? Dad? What’s going on?! I can’t-“

Whap!

I awoke to a slap. Megan giggled as I cracked my eyes open. She liked to use her wolves inner strength, which made her deadly against someone like me, who doesn’t use their wolves inner strength.

“Happy birthday! Now make our breakfast!” Megan said as she flipped my mattress. I fell between the frame and the mattress, groaning as she left. I pushed the mattress off of me, looking at the clock. 5:15 am.

Happy birthday, Adelina. Today will get better.

I silently cheered in joy. If everything went well, I’d find my mate and leave this place. I got dressed, putting on a sundress that belonged to my mother along with her sandals and her ring. I left my brown hair down, letting it fan around my shoulders as I made my way to the kitchen.

Suddenly, I stopped in my tracks. My mate was in this pack. I cursed mmyself silently. I’d find him and reject him and exile myself if I had to. I would not stay in this pack for years longer.

I began helping with breakfast, ignoring everyone. Today was my day to shine.

“Adelina.” I stopped in my tracks. William Heyes, the hateful alpha of West Wind Pack, was standing right in front of me. “Since you’re here very early today, I will…forgive yesterday’s mistakes. Don’t let it happen again.” I nodded. It seems he forgot today is my birthday and that I was 18 today. Thankfully.

Today I took a blueberry muffin for breakfast and made my way to the college. Eating my muffin, I took in the beautiful day, enjoying the weather. As I made my way into the college, I steeled myself to reject my mate. I wouldn’t put up with Wild West once I found my mate.

I could smell him. It was sandalwood mixed with roses. I was mesmerized by the scent and began following it. I followed it to the cafeteria, wandering around the students. His scent was so strong I almost tripped right into Megan.

“Watch where you’re going, loser!” She shoved me and I fell back, losing my balance. Someone grabbed me before I fell, standing me up straight.

“Hey, don’t-“ Zackary’s voice cut off as I looked up at who helped me. “Ashton?”

“Zackary. Megan.” The boy nodded at them. I yanked my arm out of his hand and whirled on Zackary.

“You-“

“I, Zackary Heyes of Wild West-“

I began to scream. The entire cafeteria went silent, including Zackary, who covered his ears.

“No!” I finished, my throat raw. “I, Adelina Nichols, daughter or Orin Nichols, alpha of Red Sky Pack, reject you, Zackary Heyes, son of alpha Willam Heyes, of Wild West Pack.” Zackary reared back in shock, his hand grabbing his chest. I felt it, too. The white hot knife of pain that stabbed my chest, causing me to lose my breath and lurch forward. My stomach was swimming violently, my breakfast about to come up.

“Alphas…daughter?” Zackary looked at me, confused. I looked at him, scowling.

“You’ve treated me like absolute wolf s**t for 10 years and now you care because I’m the alphas daughter?” I spat in his face as I stood up. “f**k you. Zackary Heyes. You have a betas daughter you can mate with, that’s good enough.” Megan looked like I had insulted her dog. She went to swipe her claws at me, but Ashton was faster.

“Cool it, Megan.” She wriggled out of his grasp.

“Who the hell even are you?” She spat. That was the last thing I heard before I turned on my heels and jetted out the college doors.

I couldn’t wait to get away from this pack. I didn’t have a home, but I would find one.

I am always here with you. We are stronger, together.

I nodded at my wolf, Astia, not really responding. I was so angry. Zackary never cared about getting to know me or treating me like anything but the pack slave, just like his dad did. His sharp green eyes and dark black hair had drawn me in when we were kids, but the way he treated me changed my opinion in the first week of being at West Wind.

I had nowhere to go, nowhere that I called home, no family anywhere. No pack since that horrible night. I heard foot steps behind me and turned my head to see Megan’s friends following me.

“Adelina!” Cassie called out. I could try to run, they were all in heels. I started to turn around and move faster when I spotted Kylee. She had the longest legs of them, and she was a track runner. She caught me every single time I tried to run, and her heel kicks had broken a few ribs over the past 10 years. I stopped walking, turning to face them as they all stood in front of me

“So you’re an alphas daughter, huh?” Lexi said. Lexi is Kylees sister, with long dark brown hair and beautiful hazel eyes. She was the cheerleader out of her and her sister, and only a couple inches short. Kylee had the long beautiful blonde hair that Megan so desperately craved, but it was natural.

“Don’t you mean “were”, Lex?” Kylee laughed. That actually hurt. I never thought the bullying would get worse, but it somehow did.

“And yet I still have alpha blood in my veins.” I replied. “Can any of you say the same?” I felt the punch to the gut before I saw movement. Cassie was like Megan; they liked their inner wolves strength and they liked to flaunt it.

“Hm. Doesn’t seem like you do.” Cassie said as I doubled over. I could feel myself getting angry for the first time in a long time. I was done with Wild West Pack; I was done with the alpha and his crappy son and his crappy son’s crappy girlfriend, and that included her crappy friends.

I immediately pushed my palm forward, right into Cassie’s nose. Blood began gushing out and she looked at me in surprise. A quick kick to her stomach sent her flying.

“Oh you’re a dead b***h for that.” Lex said after she punched me in the back of the head so hard I actually saw stars. She had hit the top of my spine, causing me to crumple to the ground. Before I could gain my awareness back, all three girls had started hitting me. They kicked me in the back, the ribs, the stomach. The only thing I could do was put my arms around my head and ball up, so I did.

I could feel myself losing consciousness. It’s happened too many times before.

“That is enough!” I heard a roar and the girls started whimpering. The last thing I saw was Ashton making them scramble back to the college with their tails between their legs as I blacked out.