Rejected and Claimed by his Best Friend, Book 1

Chapter 6

Alice

The sun had barely risen, casting a soft golden light over the Crescent Moon pack’s territory. The air smelled fresher here—like pine and earth, and something new, something I couldn’t quite place. I sat on the porch of the small cabin where I had been staying for the past few days, watching the world wake up around me. My body felt sore from the previous day’s training, but it wasn’t the physical pain that kept me awake. It was the uncertainty swirling in my mind.

Every day since arriving here, I’d been trying to adjust—training with Remi, learning the ways of the Crescent Moon pack, trying to suppress the memories of Silvermoon and the hurt Josh had caused me. I was getting better at it, but there were moments, fleeting but sharp, when the weight of my past would come crashing back.

I thought back to that night—when everything had changed. When I’d learned that Josh, my supposed mate, had rejected me. When I’d run, and Remi had found me. That moment felt so distant now, like it belonged to someone else.

Winter, my wolf, was quiet today. She hadn’t been as active since I met her the night of my 16th birthday. I think she was still adjusting to everything, still finding her place in this new life. It wasn’t easy, and I wasn’t sure how to handle it. But Remi had been patient with me, helping me navigate my emotions and guiding me through my training.

“Are you ready for today?” Remi’s voice broke through my thoughts. I didn’t need to look up to know he was standing behind me. I could feel his presence, strong and steady, like the earth beneath my feet. It was strange how comfortable I felt around him, even though everything about my life had been turned upside down.

“I guess so,” I said, trying to muster some confidence, but my voice still sounded small. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could pretend that everything was fine.

Remi moved to sit beside me on the porch, his presence almost overwhelming but not in a bad way. “You don’t have to rush this, Alice,” he said quietly, his voice steady and reassuring. “You’re still healing, and it’s okay to take your time.”

I glanced at him, my heart skipping a beat. I hadn’t realized how much his words meant to me. It was hard to explain, but the way he said them made me believe he actually understood. “I just... I want to be stronger. I can’t keep living in the shadow of everything that happened at Silvermoon. I need to feel like I’m not... weak.”

“You’re not weak, Alice,” Remi said firmly, his eyes locking with mine. “Not by a long shot. You just need to learn to trust yourself, and you’ve already taken the hardest step by being here. You’re stronger than you think.”

I didn’t know how to respond to that, so I just nodded. For a moment, we sat in silence, both of us watching the world around us. It was calming, this quiet, this stillness. But it didn’t last long.

“We’ll start with some basic drills today,” Remi continued, breaking the silence. “I know you’ve been through a lot, and I’m not going to push you too hard. But I want you to know that you’re capable of more than you realize.”

“Okay,” I agreed, trying to steady my breath. I wasn’t sure how much I could do today, but I was determined to give it my best.