REJECTED BY THE MOON

CHAPTER 1.

MY REJECTION.

The atmosphere was cold and chilly. It was the winter season, and as usual, the soft breeze and melodious songs of birds could be heard.

I sat in my room in absolute dejection.

Today, was the day. The day when my destiny will be marked, and my future, rewritten.

Few minutes from now, I shall be standing before the pack elders and the entire pack to mark my bound with Alpha Shane Gledova.

It came with a mixed feeling with of uncertainty, and many 'what if...?'.

"Rory, are you ready?" The voice of my best friend, Becky, brought me back to reality.

Without being told, I knew that she could see the look of dejection on my face.

"Do you think Shane will accept me?" I asked with a distressed voice, and Becky, immediately blew a soft kiss towards my direction, as she walked to my side.

Softly, she caressed my right hand, as she looked into my eyes in the most reassuring way possible.

"Rory, you're the most beautiful Luna I know..." She began with a smile. "I'm very sure that Shane, can't wait to have you as his bride. Now, dress up... The ceremony will soon begin." She reminded me, and I nodded.

Immediately, I stood up from my bed, and walked towards my wardrobe to get my attire for the day. Each step I took towards that angle sent shivers down my spine.

In my community, rejection was a curse, and the only way you could run away from the trauma was death. I've heard stories about Luna's who were stoned to death cause they were rejected by their mates.

To make matters worse, my cousin, Jada, recently ended her life, after she was rejected on her birthday.

This and many more stories kept giving me reasons to doubt my chances at being accepted.

"Hurry up, girl... The pack elders shall soon be arriving." Becky's reminded me, and I nodded.

Slowly, I opened my wardrobe, and picked my ceremonial dress. This dress was special to me because it was worn by my mother on her own marking day.

Unfortunately for me, she wasn't alive to witness my day. The dress had a white color with burgundy lining. It was also embedded with both silver and white ocean pearls.

Swiftly, I sat on my dressing table, as Becky, helped me to dress up. Afterwards, I applied a nude makeup on my face, before wearing my marital veil.

"You look like a goddess." Becky praised me with a big smile. "I swear to the moon, Shane, will kill to have you."

I sat there with a pale look. Nothing even seemed to move me anymore. Even though I had waited my entire life for this moment, I was still scared for my future.

As we stepped out, I held unto Becky's left hand, like a newborn child.

"Becky, do you think I will survive if he rejectes me?" I asked with a shaky voice.

"Look at him..." She pointed towards the crowd. "Can you see how he looks at you with so much adoration? Well, he'll not reject you." She responded with a smile, and I nodded.

The venue was already filled to the brim with both spectators and gossipers. Some were present to enjoy the moment, while the others were here to find what to gossip about.

"She looks beautiful." I heard one of them mumble to the other, and I smiled to myself. It was the confidence booster I just needed.

Suddenly, I raised my eyes towards the direction of my mate to look at him one more time, and I was mesmerized by his heavenly beauty. He was tall, had broad shoulders, ocean green eyes, raised jaw bone, and a super model figure.

At that instant, I felt mesmerized by the beauty of this man.

Soon, my eyes crossed path with his, and somehow shifted in my body. I felt confident that he was the one for me.

"I agree. I'm ready to take him as my mate... I'm ready...!" I mumbled with a silent smile.

At that instant, I could feel my energy being refuelled.

"Rory, listen to me..." She began with a firm voice. "Never lose your voice. Always follow your heart and know that you're your own biggest cheerleader. I love you, sis." Her words marked my spirit.

'Never lose your voice!' 'Never lose your voice!' 'Never lose your voice!'

Those words kept ringing through my mind.

In a world where our lives were always at risk, I was never going to lose my voice.

In no time, the ceremony had already began in earnest. I kept staring at Shane, as I admired his looks.

Soon, the pack elders, priests and priestesses, knelt down around us in a circular manner, as they binded us in a circle with a white chalk. Next, they began to recite words of incantations, and speak in strange languages like they were hypnotized.

"We'll know why we're here." The voice of our oldest female alpha spoke up. "We're here to witness the holy matrimony of Aurora Devine Wood and Shane Gledova."

Each word that came out of her mouth, was accompanied by dead silence.

"As the unite today in holy matrimony, may the moon goddess bless and approve of their union, and give victory to our pack." She prayed.

As she spoke, my heart froze in silence. I knew what was going to come next.

The cold breeze of the winter couldn't even save me, as I felt very hot. As I walked forward to face Shane, my heart skipped for some seconds.

"It is time, my heartfelt Luna." His thick, yet manly baritone voice melted my heart.

This handsome alpha, was the only one who has ever made my heart to flutter.

"Yes, it is time..." I responded with a huge sigh of relief.

At that instant, we both held each other's hands, as a symbol of our union. Deep down inside my mind, I was praying for peace to reign.

Soon, it was the moment of truth.

It was time for the exchange of vows.

I had been rehearsing my lines for the past two months, but even at that, my brain still went blank.

"From today henceforth, I stand before our pack to declare myself your protector and strength, till the day I answer the call of death." Immediately, I felt a powerful sensation run down from my head, down to my spine.

There was silence. Everyone was waiting for me to speak.

"I, Aurora Devine Wood, take you..."

"Shut up!" Shane's voice suddenly interrupted me, and I froze.

"Is everything, okay?" I asked with a scared voice.

There was a sudden shift in the atmosphere, as the audible murmurs of the guests could be heard.

"You can't be my mate, Rory... You can't!" He blurted with a thick voice. "I can't be a mate to an incomplete wolf." He went further, and I froze.

Each of his words were really scary to me.

"Why? What did I do wrong?" Streams of tears ran down my cheeks, as I asked him.

"I, Shane Gledova Chalk, rejects you, Aurora Devine Wood, as my mate!" He announced, and I passed out in shock.

My name is Aurora Devine Wood. Follow me, as I tell my story.

CHAPTER TWO.

Running to a new city.

I was woken up by the sharp ray of sunlight directly on my eyes.

"Are you okay?" I heard a blurry voice, and as I made to lift up my head, I felt a sharp ache on my head.

My head was really hurting.

"Where am I?" I asked with an overwhelmed voice.

"Stay still, Rory..." I heard Becky's voice.

Slowly, I was able to regain my sight, but I was shocked to find out that I was in the inn.

"What happened to me?" I asked with a tired voice.

Soon, I began to have a mental flashback of what happened, yesternight.

"You fainted after he rejected you." Becky said with a faint voice, and I burst into tears.

What did I do to deserve his rejection?

Why did he reject me?

"But, why...?" I began to cry. "Why would he do that to me? What comes next for me?"

It was so hard for me to bear.

In our city, rejections were seen as curses. Now, no one was going to associate with me, anyone. The laws which were made by our ancestors, were pretty much dangerous.

To make matters worse every rejected mate, was ostracized with immediate effect. However, if you aren't ostracized, you'd die from depression.

"Rory, you're bigger than this. I just want you to be strong. Do you understand?" She assured me, and I nodded.

_____

My name is Aurora Devine Wood, and this is my story.

My mother died when I was just three years old. She died when she was pregnant with my immediate younger brother, who unfortunately didn't also survive.

After three years, my father remarried. He got married to the most evil woman who I have ever crossed paths with. Lady Tati, was a thorn on my flesh. She had constantly abused me in the past, and even till now.

The last time she smashed my back with a hot rod, and that was exactly what broke the camel's back. I stood up for myself.

"You're not my mother, and you can never be. One day, karma will hit you, and you might not be alive to tell the story." I screamed at her that night, and her eyes flickered.

That night, my father flogged the fuck out of me, and said something that marked me. "You're a cursed child. You caused the death of my wife, and I hate you for it. I long rejected you and your curse, but... I'm waiting for the right time to feed you to the wolves where you belong."

My story is complex.

The only person who has stood by me since the beginning of time has been only Becky. She's been my best friend.

Now, I have to scale through another hurdle. I have to run for my life. I have to flee to a far away land where no one knows about my identity.

I know that by now my evil step mother, Lady Tati, will be celebrating her victory, since she's been plotting my downfall.

Suddenly, I felt a strange movement around my abode. I couldn't fathom what it was, but I knew that it was from the direction of the left window.

"Who is there?" I asked with a shaky voice.

As I walked over to the side of the window, I could hear the sound of the rustling leaves. The waves of anguish were built and embedded deeply into my heart.

"Rory, we need to discuss, right now. It's really urgent." I heard Akira's voice, and my heart froze.

What did he want to talk about?

"Are you hear to mock me or...?" I asked with a bitter voice, as I gulped down the lumps of saliva which had formed inside my throat.

Suddenly, there was a wave of silence between us.

"I know the secrets that surrounds your rejection, but right now, you need to be at alert. They want you life!" He announced, and I gasped.

What was he talking about?

"Wait... Who?" Before I could complete the question, he had already fled.

In frustration, I collapsed on my bed with tears in my ears.

'Dear moon goddess, why must I battle rejection throughout my life? Why?' I pondered in soliloquy.

Then again, I felt a strange presence around the atmosphere. I could perceive a familiar scent around my abode.

"If you want to save your life, you must heed my warnings." Akira's voice suddenly brought back life to my being.

"What must I do?" I asked him with an urgent tone.

As I spoke to him, I could feel the wave of fear in me. There was a big problem, my biggest fear was hovering around me.

"By midnight around 12am, meet me at the back of the abandoned black sanctuary." He announced, and disappeared before I could say Jack.

As I walked through the lonely paths of this city, I knew that my life was at great risk. Each step I took was a great reminder that my world was about to crumble.

Finally, I got to the agreed spot. It was airy, but I was scared to the core.

The abandoned black sanctuary was actually home to most of the evil sacrifices of our community.

Suddenly, I felt the silhouette of a familiar wolf scent.

"I'm glad you came..." His voice echoed through the silent night.

"Tell me what I need to hear." I began. "What do I need to do?"

My question was met with silence.

"Rory, you need to run." Akira's eyes flickered with tension as he spoke. "You're surrounded by many enemies who want you dead. They intend to capitalize on your rejection to kill you." Each words that came out from his mouth was laced with sharp venom.

I was mortified.

"Who are they?" I asked in fear.

The atmosphere intensified in silence. Akira, began to growl in silence.

"There's no time... You have to run now. They're almost here. Rory, run for your life!"

Without any further hesitation, I ran towards my abode to pick up a few of my important accessories.

I have one direction in mind, and I intend to start a new life there.

I'm going to a place where I can never be rejected.

CHAPTER 3.

Captured by the unknown men.

As I ran back to my abode with a heavy heart, the thoughts of what surrounded me seemed to overwhelm me. It felt like there was a big eye which was watching all my movements.

"Run... Run... Run...!" My inner wolf growled from the inside, and I melted down in fear. This was just the second time that my wolf had ever spoken to me.

At some point, I had even doubted if I was really a werewolf. Just as I made to sneak back into my room, I had some malicious whispers across the woods, and I immediately tiptoed towards that direction to hear the conversation.

"She has to be eliminated. The curse that comes with her rejection is quite heavy." I heard the voice of my step mother, Lady Tati, speaking to someone I couldn't easily detect.

"Yes, she has to be erased. She is a symbol of desecration to our land." The voice spoke with an evil tone.

As the cold breeze of the night shook the branches of the surrounding trees, so did my hands shake in fear. At that instant, Akira's words returned back to my subconscious mind.

"I have prepared the leaf of death..." Lady Tati, began. "She must die by tomorrow!"

In fear of what I had just heard, I mistakenly tripped on a dried stick.

Suddenly, the entire atmosphere was overwhelmed with silence.

"I smell a scent... That of an unfamiliar wolf..." The other woman spoke, and I slowly turned my back, as I disappeared into the comfort of the night. I couldn't risk being caught by them.

As I got back to my room, I reached for the pocket journal that my mother had left for me. I picked up my marking veil, my short sword, my battle dagger, my magic chalk, my elephant trunk for drinking water, and a the ancestral map which was given to my dead mother by grandmother.

Swiftly, I packed everything into my cotton fabric bag, and walked out of the room with a determined demeanor.

It was time to rewrite my destiny.

As I slowly walked through the lonely bushes, I was careful to avoid tripping and falling, or even encountering rival wolves. The darkness of the night also made me weary of the witches that lurked around.

However, my magic chalk will serve as a shield should in case encounter one.

Soon, I got to the my best friend's abode. It was the last house before the black river, which was a bridge between my city and another neighboring village.

As I walked into their compound, I was quite careful to avoid bumping into her father. An elderly chief priest of the pack, who I was so sure would be perceiving me as a curse.

Well, I didn't blame him.

"Phew!" I sighed.

On the window of Becky, I could see her sleeping peacefully like an angel, and I immediately wiped the tears that escaped my eyes.

"Be strong, Rory... You must be strong to embark on the journey ahead." My wolf growled from the inside.

At that instant, hot beads of sweat began to stream down my face. Slowly, I reached into my cotton bag, and picked up the sheet of black paper that I had inscribed these words on;

'Till death wipe me off the surface of this planet, you shall remain my sister. Right now, I shall embark on a very long journey. Whether I return or not, I rejoice because you're a powerful wolf.'

As I read through those words the final time, hot tears ran down my spine. I suddenly realized that this journey was more creepy than death. I slowly threw that sheet of paper near her slippers, making sure that it'd be the first thing she'd see.

I turned my back to leave, and as I disappeared into the darkness, I turned my back to look at her the final time, before heading towards the black river.

"Moon goddess, be with me in this quest." I mumbled these words of prayer in tears.

My journey towards the black river was accompanied by fear and death. I've heard ancient myths about some of my kinds, who embarked on this journey, and never made it across the bridge.

While the bodies of some were brutally dismembered, the rest weren't seen till this day. There was also a myth about how the spirit that guided that river.

It could be dated back to the time of my ancestors, that spirit was rejected after the Alpha got her pregnant. Since it was a taboo for an Alpha to have sexual contact with a hybrid, and in a bid to cover his secret, he lured her to the river.

He instructed her to wear her wedding robe and a white veil, and he drowned pushed her into that river. Since then, her spirit has been lurking around that area, and claiming the lives of others.

Now, I could be the next.

But, I wasn't scared of death. It was my only option of running away from this misery I call a life.

As I walked through the dark night, the cold breeze kept sending terrible shivers down my spine.

Suddenly, I felt a strange presence around me. An otherworldly spirit was nearby.

At that instant, my heart froze in shock and trepidation. I could hear the sound of a wave rotating around me. It was very intense.

"Aurora Devine Wood!!!!" My name echoed throughout the darkness of the night, and I froze.

Who could it be?

"Who're you?" I asked with a scared voice.

"The journey ahead of you is a long one. I bid you farewell, as you depart from this city." It turned out to be Akira's voice.

I looked back and could only see the darkness of the night.

"Phew!" I breathed with a relieved voice, as I crossed the bridge of moon city.

This was the beginning of my freedom.

With the darkness of the night, I set out to wander in uncertainty. The beginning of my identity had come, and I wasn't going to be defined by a common rejection.

Suddenly, I felt the presence of some unfamiliar scents around me. Before I could say Jack, they forcefully grabbed me.

Who were they?