The Howl Of Rejection

I glared at my older brother across the breakfast table as he and his mate, my best friend Kaila, sang happy birthday to me in a child-like tune that I didn't care for. The last thing a twenty-two years old college student who still lived with her older brother and his wife in his house was for them to sing such a birthday song for an adult like me.

It was bad enough that I still lived at the house my brother inherited from our parents after their passing and treated me like I was still the young sister he had cared for the past years. And Kaila, my sister-in-law, who happened to be the only child in her family, treated me like that, too made it much worse. I have wanted to move out for some time, but I don't have the money yet. Going to college plus paying my bills with my part-time job as a waitress barely got me through. I wanted to add another job, but it wasn't an option for me due to my busy schedule and time.

Zander and Kaila had been nagging me about why I should move out when the house was too big for us three. I told them I wanted to have my place and that I'd still crash in their home until I saved enough cash. Although they don't want me to move out, I am a grown woman who wants them to have privacy.

Zander and Kaila stood and clapped at the song's end before Kaila pushed the cappuccino birthday cake with two double-two candles in front of my face.

"Make a wish, sis," Zander told me, grinning like an idiot, making me smile.

I stared at the cake, unsure whether to make a wish. I don't believe in wishing but seeing the happy faces of the two important people in my life, I could make one.

I closed my eyes, leaned closer to the cake, and thought about what I should wish for. Within a second, my mind instantly knew what to wish.

"I want to meet my mate," I told myself before opening my eyes and blowing out the candles.

It is funny because I have already reached this age but haven't met my mate. A female wolf usually meets their mate when they turn eighteen, but sometimes, finding a mate lasts up to forty. Or, the worse, never. This happens if a female wolf mate dies or chooses someone else to mate with.

But I am not in a hurry to meet mine.

Kaila cuts the cake and serves Zander first. My brother loves sweet things, and I'm sure he'll eat the whole cake if given a chance.

"This cut is for you, my dearest Rain," Kaila said, serving me a plate of slice cake. "I know cappuccino is your favorite, so come on eat, birthday girl."

I mumbled under my breath. This woman is evil. She knew I was on a diet and wanted me to eat the cake.

"Come on, a slice of a cake won't give you an extra pound, girly," she urged.

I have been on a diet for two months now. My schedule at university and constant changes and extra shifts at work made me too busy to run. If I wasn't that busy, I'm sure I'll be out running every day, and I wouldn't be on a diet. I am a werewolf, and that helps me stay in shape. I could burn those extra calories in one run, but my schedule is hectic, and I don't have time to run.

I stared at the cake in front of me-my mouth watered just at the scent of it. Cappuccino is my favorite flavor not only in coffee but also in cakes. Ugh, why did cappuccino was invented and become my weakness?

I dug my fork into the cake as the scent of cappuccino intensified. I saw a layer of beige color inside the cake. The frosting and the filling were all cappuccino which I suspected that Kaila had planned this cake before my birthday, and she knew I was a slave to this flavor.

I took a forkful of the cake and closed my eyes, making me savor the caramel and coffee flavor of the cake. Those flavors exploded inside my mouth, and they made me smile. Perfect.

"Oh, before I forget, sis, there is a pack meeting tonight," Zander told me. "Everyone is needed to attend as Alpha Killian requests. He said he has important news to announce," he added.

I was enjoying my cake when I heard Zander speak and couldn't help but furrows my brows. I have a shift tonight at the restaurant, and my workmate Selena will cover it for me, which I know she won't like. Selena hated night shifts, especially weekends. Those nights are the worst because the restaurant will be full of customers and less desirable people. I mean those bossy customers that cannot wait for their food, plus those who don't leave any tips.

"Why does it have to be everyone?" I asked him, irritated.

The night shift is great because I have a night differential from the morning shift. It means extra income for me.

"Beats me," Zander told me, shrugging.

"Can you do something about it?" I asked him.

"Sorry, sis but Killian specified that everyone needs to attend," Zander said before drinking his coffee.

I heaved a sigh. There's nothing I can do about it. I had to call Selena and promise her something in return.

"You never attended pack meetings after Killian took charge of the pack, Girly. It may be time for you to go and see what this pack meeting is," Kaila said.

"I prefer working to attending annoying meetings," I replied.

Kaila smiled at me, which made me uneasy.

"Maybe you'll meet your mate there. Who knows? You know you need someone to take good care of you, and you don't have to work anymore," Kaila told me before pouring coffee into my cup.

"You sound like a mother again, Kaila," I told her. "I don't want a mate for that reason. I want a mate that would love me like my brother to you. And besides, I am not ready yet," I added.

Kaila chuckled at me; when she did that, there would be a jinx. And I am nervous.

Kaila has the biggest grin on her face.

"Who knows? Maybe you'll meet your mate at the pack meeting, girly," she told me before cleaning the table, and I was about to stand up to do some running.

"Let's see," I challenge her. "I am one hundred sure that my mate won't appear tonight," I smirked at her.

"Like I said, who knows? Mates change everything, darling," she finishes our conversation by taking the dishes into the kitchen.

I was about to go outside and call Matthew, the resto's manager, and asked him to be late at least two hours or so, but when I was about to call him, suddenly my phone vibrated, and I saw the guy's name on the screen.

"Hey, Matthew, what's up?" I asked him in a friendly tone.

"Rain, just a person I needed to talk to," Matthew's voice sounded relieved.

"Yes, boss, it's me. What's up?"

"I need a small favor, Rain."

"Uhmm, what is it, Mat? Did someone dump you again?" I teased him but ensured it wasn't below the belt since he was still my boss.

I heard him sigh before he replied. "Maggi just quit now. She called me on the phone."

"Ugh, again?" I groaned.

Recently, more female servers quit their job after they met their mates, and Maggi is the latest one who met her mate last night while serving a group of men last night, which turned out one of them was her mate. Their mates probably don't want them to work anymore.

I understand that. Male wolves are possessive. And it is better to prevent future fights, mainly because some customers are rude and inappropriate.

And the thought of Matthew calling me made me suspicious. Jinky has the morning shift, and Selena's lunch shift will end around five plus; I have to call her and ask her to cover my shift until eight.

"Do you want me to pull a double night shift, Matt?" I asked him hesitantly.

Matthew knew how badly I needed the money, and he knew I would grab it but not today; we have a mandatory pack meeting. Matthew is not a werewolf, and how will I explain it to him?

"I hate to ask, but Ravena is still new, and I don't have someone else to call," he said,

I sighed. Matthew sounded desperate.

"Please? I'll give you five extra dollars for the extra night shift," he told me.

That is what we are talking about. Matthew knew me well and offered me an extra dollar that would make my bank account happy.

"Alright, but I will be late for an hour or two. I have something important to attend to, and it needs my attention. Will it be alright?"

I heard a silent answer from Matthew for a short period.

"Fine. I'll tell Selena to cover until eight. Make sure to come on time," he said.

Matthew hung up, and I proceeded to my plan of running, letting my wolf take charge of our body. It has been months since the last time I let her out, and now she's playfully playing, yipping, and yapping to the insects she found along the way. My wolf isn't in a hurry to meet our mate like me.

We both believe that waiting and letting fate leads us to him is the best thing we can do.

Around six in the evening, I started to dress. I choose to wear a pair of black shirts and jeans. I slipped on a pair of sneakers and hopped in my car. As I pulled up in front of the wide pack house garage, I was thankful that I wasn't the last to arrive. My car broke down in the middle of the road, and I had to call one of my brother's mechanic friends to fix the car's problem. Seriously, I need to change the car, but I am out of budget for now. I had to endure more, and when I finally graduate and find a stable job, I'm getting rid of the car I inherited from my Mom. After the mechanic fixed the car, I had to drive faster than usual. Luckily, my car didn't break down again.

I walked through the mass of expensive and modern cars, following a couple heading toward the back of the house. I was envious of the vehicles I saw but smiled and said I'd someday buy one. But for now, my priority is to find a house.

The meeting venue is in the Alpha's office slash meeting room. That room is in the back of the pack house, so I went inside. The office is the size of our home, three times the size if you ask me why; it is because we are one of the biggest packs in Asia. The room can accommodate our size, especially if the meeting is mandatory.

"Rainy!" a little boy screamed as soon as he had caught sight of me.

"Is that my little Krin Kirn?" I chuckled, lifting her off the ground.

Kirin is the little boy I used to babysit when his parents were busy during high school for extra allowance. They hire me to look at the little boy when his parents go home late from pack duties. He was one back then, and it was two years ago. Now, I am looking at three-year-old Kirin, who is too tall for his age and as cute as I remember. Werewolf children tend to grow faster than humans, especially boys.

"Hi, Rain," Mrs. Ayami greeted me.

I put Kirin back on the ground and turned to greet her in return.

"Hello, Mrs. Ayami. How are you?" I asked, smiling at her.

"I am well. Thank you, but I believe the meeting is about to start. Would you like to sit with us?" she offered.

I sat next to Kirin and looked toward the front. Seeing Mr. Ayami is the third in command, we had great front-row seats, so we weren't bothered with looking over people's heads to get the view. I was grateful for the seeing as I wasn't exactly the tallest person in the pack.

"Thank you for coming this evening. I realize this meeting was last minute, but I have an important announcement to make," the sweet voice of our Alpha Killian said.

He stood no more than ten feet before me, looking out into the crowd with the most beautiful and proud smile I'd ever seen. Nothing could be perfect. He was so... so... handsome. I want to touch him.

"Oh no! What's wrong with me?" I asked myself. "Why do I think about Killian that way? It's not right. He had a girlfriend, and I didn't deserve him.

Suddenly my wolf stirred when I smelled the most unique and intoxicating scent I had ever smelled. It was a mix of lemon and oud. The scent was too strong, and when I sniffed it, it came from the Alpha Killian.

"Mate," my wolf whispered.

"Today, I'd like to announce my wedding to the most beautiful girl I've ever met, Isabelle Cloud," he proudly said.

"That should be us! We are his mate!" my wolf screamed at me, trying to claw her way out of me.

"No! It can't be. He already loved someone else," I reasoned to her, but the scent is the evidence to make me believe that Killian is my mate.

I held to my chest, trying to stop my wolf from surfacing.

"Rainy, are you okay?" Kirin asked me, and I smiled at him.

"Y-yes baby," I lied to him but to truth is my wolf is causing me pain because I didn't want her to come out and create a commotion to this meeting.

"Rain, your eyes glowing," Kirin told me, and I turned my back on him.

I need to go. I need to-

A loud growl came out of my mouth. It was loud enough for Killian to look at me, and he found me sweating hard despite the cold weather.

I didn't want to see him. I ran back to my car and fled from the pack house.

Why? Why it has to be him?

My hands were trembling when I maneuvered the car out of the pack house parking lot. My wolf keeps growling at me as to why I run away instead of claiming what belongs to us.

"That is our mate! Go back to him! He is ours!"

I kept hearing those shouts from her, but I was shocked to even talk to her. Killian? Is Alpha Killian our mate? Why have I never thought about this?

I remember Killian went abroad to study when he was sixteen and when I turned seventeen, a ripe age for female werewolves to find their mate. I didn't find mine, and I assumed that my mate was still out there and that fate would make way for us to meet.

Killian studied abroad for six years and recently graduated, so he went home to take charge of the pack last year. I never attended pack meetings nor visited the pack house that whole year. I was busy trying to work and study simultaneously to see what was happening in the pack. My best friend is the only one who tells me the news about the new alpha and his beloved girlfriend, whom he met while studying. So when I heard about this, I immediately knew that maybe they were mates and according to my best friend, Isabelle is a woman that everybody in the pack loves. She is a Luna- figure to everyone. And she is pregnant with Killian's child, so Killian announces the wedding. And since the meeting is mandatory, I have no choice but to attend.

"Damn it!" I screamed mentally because of frustration.

Why should it have to be Alpha Killian? Why?!!

I saw the way Killian started at Isabelle. I only saw love, adoration, and pride in his eyes. It feels like there were no pack members around them. It's like he only sees Isabelle. If that's not love, then what is it?

I scream in frustration. I am no match for her. Most likely, Kilian will choose her over me.

"Don't think something like that, Rain. Our mate will love us. He is made only for us," my wolf told me, trying to calm me down when she saw my worried state of mind.

"But Killian loves her. I can see it in his eyes. And I heard they are going to get married and she is pregnant. Will we have a chance? I can also see a rejection from him," I replied to her, which made him whine.

I bit my inner cheek and tried to think of this idea.

Killian will likely reject me, knowing I am his mate.

I heard about rejection a long time ago. My mom told me that when one of the pair got rejected, the rejected one would suffer a lot. Either they die due to unbearable pain or become insane, which leads to becoming a rogue, and a life of a rogue is harder than dying. A rogue's life will be at risk every time they step on a pack's territory. When they do, death will follow.

Now that I thought about it, my heart started to become uneasy. I cannot feel the pain yet, but I will sooner.

Suddenly, my phone rang, and I saw Matthew's name on the screen. I almost forgot that I still had a shift tonight, so I wiped my tears and cleared my throat before answering the phone.

"Yes?" I asked Matthew over the other line.

"Yes, Rain, I'd like to remind you. Your shift is about to begin," he replied.

"Yup, I'm on my way, Matthew."

"Great. I'll see you later. Bye," he said before ending the call.

I sighed before turning the wheel in the direction of the restaurant. I had to clear my mind for this night and pushed every worry in the back of my head.

I'm sure after making myself try this shift and sleep well, tomorrow when I woke up, everything will be out of my head, and I could get on with living my life again. I will even let my wolf out, who's having the side effect from being cooped up so long. She needs to breathe fresh air, which will do her good.

I trudged through the bustling customers to the counter to pick up two dinner plate orders from table fifteen. The occupants of the said table started to get annoyed and impatient. They already asked me about their order for the fifth time. These humans obviously didn't notice that we were short of staff and could not cater to each of them simultaneously.

I had been going full swing when I showed up a minute before my shift. This will drain my energy for ordinary cases, but tonight, I need my mind to cool off. I kept myself busy all for temporarily erasing Killian and this whole mate thing in my head.

I delivered the order to table fifteen and asked apology for the late arrival of their order and left. I still have three orders to deliver, and I don't feel tired like usual. I looked at the clock and saw I still had three minutes before going off. But I'm not tired yet. I want to go home so I can sleep when I go to bed.

"Rain, your shift is done. You can go home now," Matthew told me as I helped the dishwasher to clean all the plates.

"I'll go home later. Let me help Carlito tonight," I replied.

"Huh?" Matthew said, confused. "Are you sure? I will not be going to pay you for these extra minutes."

"I know. I want to tire myself, so I can go to sleep directly," I answered him before placing the plates inside the dryer.

Matthew looked at me and observed.

"Are you okay, Rain? You seemed off. You normally leave after your shift."

"Yeah, I'm okay, Matthew. Don't worry," I replied, assuring him I was fine, but I knew deep down that my life would never be the same again.