Once Rejected, Now a Luna

Chapter Three

A voice so low, so menacing. A voice as cold as stone.

The girls stopped attacking, and I smelled something different. It was an overwhelming, seductive smell that reminded me of a musky rose and the sound of a sea breeze. From my fetal position on the ground, I could not see this new stranger, but I could feel him with every fiber of my existence.

My heart slowed into deep, rhythmic pulses that echoed throughout my entire body, and the hair on my neck stood up.

Lana said, "Who are you meant to be?" but Claudia interrupted her quickly.

"Leave now, please."

Her voice was full of real terror.

I heard them run off, and I uncurled to see the stranger who had come to my rescue. It was hard for me to see since the blood from my head wound had seeped into my eyes. I blinked toward the overpowering smell and weakly dabbed at my eyes.

A boy whose appearance matched the tone of his voice stood above me. It was chilling and disconcerting. His hair looked like it was always being blown by a strong wind, with a snow-white texture. With their piercing blue eyes fixed on me, dark brows knitted together.

"Whoa, ugh!" I attempted to stand up, but a sudden, intense pain in my side prevented me from doing so.

"Make an effort to move less." The unfamiliar person bent over and placed a hand between my head and the uneven surface.

"Your ribs seem to have taken a hit."

He bent my head slightly to look at the bleeding cut, and I winced. He said dryly, "Didn't go easy on your face either."

Another stinging agony raced through my side, and I moaned. Although the bleeding from my nose had stopped, the scene still appeared to be a terrible disaster.

"Someone needs to take care of it. Do you believe you could endure?"

The stranger scowled as I made a terrible attempt to bend over, gripping my side and letting out a frustrated cry.

Apparently not. Taking my arm and putting me up on my feet, he remarked, "Why did those girls have it out for you anyway?" He lifted me off the ground and cradled me in his arms by taking a step more and swiping an arm under my knees.

He was careful to avoid bumping into my sore ribs and walked back towards the college grounds. I buried my head in his warm, marble-like chest, too exhausted and hurt to show off.

"They really haven't needed an excuse to do what they do."

I had no desire to clarify the situation. I couldn't take any more humiliation for one day without telling an unknown stranger why my mate had rejected me. He shook his head in disdain, but the response seemed adequate enough.

"Normal. In any case, we must take you to a physician. Verify that nothing is damaged.

"Um."

I was just listening with half an ear, exhaustion taking its toll from the day's events.

Moreover, I discovered that I was really loving this boy's peculiar smell.

I was startled out of my reverie by another wave of anguish, and I turned to look up at the guy's face. His jawline appeared like the brink of a cliff when viewed from this perspective. There was something so razor-sharp about him.

"Just who are you?" I questioned her hesitantly. He was someone I had never seen before. That was the kind of face I was certain I would remember.

"Ignatius. My father is here for an Elders gathering, but I'm from the Allied Pack, which is farther north. I had the idea to go along and see some old pals."

He raised a single, black eyebrow at me as he looked down and said, "And who are you, little Miss five-on-one?"

My inside wolf was waking up to this new oddity, and his gaze had my stomach in knots. I looked away, forcing my suddenly open mouth shut.

"I am not unique."

"What an odd name that is."

He sounded vaguely flat and a little amused at the same time. His tiny smile made me grimace, and I wiped the blood that was still trickling out of my nose.

"My name is Susan. I am something of a pack member here, but not quite. And for breakfast this morning, I had waffles with syrup."

I decided not to give him any more details about my terribly boring existence as I screwed my nose up and turned my face away from him.

We walked in silence for a few more minutes, being carried around like a bag of fragile potatoes, until I questioned, "Do you have a car or are you going to walk us to the hospital?"

Ignatious walked around the corner with me and took a pair of automobile keys out of his pocket without responding. He walked over to a shiny, vintage Impala, opened the passenger door, and bent down to put me down.

But before he could accomplish it, someone interrupted us. reassuring aroma with just a trace of pine in the air.

"Susan?"

Standing a few feet away, Ignatius turned with me in his arms to face Rehor.

"Susan, how are you doing?"

He sounded as gentle as usual, but there was a tenseness in his shoulders and a little twitch in his lips as he observed Ignatius, with his pale arms holding me securely. His speech was full of genuine worry.

"Rehor," Ignatius remarked indifferently, and I nearly gave myself whiplash as my head snapped up to look at him so quickly. "Long time, no see, old friend."