Ravens of the Mist: Rejection to Salvation
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Elfy G
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1,6M
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31
Chapter 1: Greetings
AURORA
Book 1: Rejection to Salvation
âAurora, youâre back.â
My mom wraps me in a warm hug as soon as I step through the door.
âWelcome home. I canât believe youâve been gone for so long. I missed you so much,â she murmurs, holding me close.
Four years. Thatâs how long Iâve been away, exploring the world. It was something I needed to do before I found my mate.
âDonât kid yourself, babe. You were hoping to find him out there, and so was I,â Adalind, my wolf, whispers in my mind.
âHey, Mom. Itâs good to be back.â I hug her back. âI missed you too. Whereâs Dad?â I ask when she finally lets me go.
âHeâs at the pack house with Alpha Dwayne. Theyâre getting ready for the mating ceremonies. Jacob found his mate.â She returns to her cooking.
I canât help but smile. âThatâs great. When he takes over as Alpha, Jacob will already have his mate by his side.â
My mom stirs something on the stove, then looks at me. âSo, darling, how was your trip? Did you find your mate?â
I had told my parents that I wanted to find my mate when I decided to travel the world. It was the only way my dad would have let me go.
Adalind snorts. âWhat a load of crap.â
I roll my eyes. âAdalind, I love you, but please, shut up!â
âLiar! Liar! Pants on fire!â she sings in my head.
âDonât you have anything better to do than annoy me?â
Adalind shakes her head, a smirk in her voice. âNope, Iâve got all day.â
âSo, did you find him?â my mom asks again, hope clear in her voice.
âSadly, no,â I reply, watching her cook.
She nods.
âThatâs okay, donât worry. Your time will come. You know, your father, Alpha Dwayne, and Jacob are going to the Alpha meeting. If you ask him, Iâm sure he wonât mind taking you along.
âYouâre the Betaâs daughter, after all. Maybe youâll find your mate there.â
âMom, I donât think Iâm lucky enough to end up with an Alpha!â
Iâve only been back for a few minutes, and sheâs already pushing me to find my mate.
Itâs not her fault. Her father, my grandpa, was very strict about this kind of thing. He raised her to be a good and obedient mate. Thankfully, she met my dad, who showed her thereâs more to life.
I move closer to my mom. âIâm going to the pack house to say hi to Dad.â
âHe doesnât like to be disturbed when heâs there.â She kisses my cheek. âBut since he hasnât seen you in so long, I donât think heâll mind.â
***
âWell, look whoâs back!â A voice calls out as I approach the pack house.
I turn to see who it is. âJona, is that you?â Jona is Alpha Dwayneâs second son.
âHeâs cute!â Adalind doesnât miss a beat.
I shake my head. âAdalind, donât start.â
Jona grins at me. âThe one and only.â He looks me up and down. âWhen did you get back?â
âJust a little while ago. I came to see my dad. See you later?â I wave at him as I walk away.
Before I enter the Alphaâs office, I knock on the door.
âCome in!â Alpha Dwayneâs voice invites me in.
âAurora, youâre back! Iâm glad to see you,â my dad greets me, standing up from his chair to give me a quick hug.
âHi, Dad. Itâs good to be back.â
âWelcome back, Aurora.â Alpha Dwayne looks up from his papers to greet me.
âThank you, Alpha. I appreciate you letting me go for so long. I learned a lot on my travels, but unfortunately, I didnât find what I was looking for.â
Before I left, Alpha Dwayne had signed a travel authorization so other packs wouldnât mistake me for a rogue.
âYour mother told me. Alpha Dwayne has agreed to let you join us at the Alpha meeting. Maybe youâll have better luck there.â
Sometimes I think my mom and dad share a brain. âWell, they are mates,â Adalind points out.
The thing is, if my mate is an Alpha, Iâll have to leave my parents and my pack to become the Luna of his pack.
âWe both know it wonât be easy, Aurora, but Iâll be with you every step of the way,â Adalind reassures me.
âSame here, babe,â I reply.
***
As I reach the bottom of the stairs, a scent catches my attention. I sniff the air, trying to locate its source.
âAdalind, do you smell that?â
âOh, yes. We need to find where itâs coming from.â She sounds excited, her paws practically dancing.
Before I can take another step, I sense someone approaching from behind. I spin around, his scent already wrapping around my senses.
âMate!â Adalind sings in my mind.
He moves closer, his hands finding my upper arms, pulling me into his body. He dips his head, inhaling the scent of my hair. His eyes meet mine, filled with a sense of peace. I mirror his gaze.
But then, his expression shifts dramatically. He releases my arms as if theyâve scorched him.
Adalindâs worry seeps into my consciousness. Whatâs going on? Why is he looking at us like that?
Wait, is that regret in his eyes? Even if itâs just for a moment?
âI, Jacob LenoxâŠâ
No!
ââŠfuture Alpha ofâŠâ
Donât!
ââŠthe Moon River PackâŠâ
Not like this!
ââŠreject you, Aurora DanversâŠâ
Please donât finish that sentence!
ââŠas my mate and the future Luna of this pack.â
Iâm frozen. Paralyzed by his rejection.
That didnât just happen.
The only sound I can hear is Adalindâs whimper. His rejection has shattered her, shattered us both.
All Adalind ever wanted was to be loved by her mate.
I feel Jacobâs gaze on me one last time before he walks away. He doesnât seem bothered by the pain heâs just inflicted on us.
Iâd heard stories from other packs about mates rejecting their life partners. But I never thought it could happen to us.
I stumble backward until my back hits the wall. I slide down until Iâm sitting on the floor.
No! No! No!
Whatâs going to happen to us now? How are we supposed to live after this?
When I finally regain my senses, I realize Jacob is already gone.
âThey donât even care about us. Xanatos, his wolf, didnât even try to connect with me when I reached out to him.â Adalindâs pain is palpable.
âArenât we good enough?â she keeps asking.
âAdalind, I donât want to be harsh, but we need to pull ourselves together. We have to leave before someone finds us like this. Please, my friend, I need you.â I plead with her.
I feel Adalind rise to her feet, lending me the strength I need to escape. We donât waste any time, running as one into the safety of the woods.
Once weâre far enough away, I let Adalind take control. I retreat into her mind as she takes over our body. She howls, again and again, a mournful cry echoing our shared heartbreak.
